From Pencil Sketches to Digital Dreams: Aurorae's Artistic Manifesto

Aurorae, a talented 3D visual artist and fashion designer from Rome, Italy, has always been captivated by the world of arts. From a young age, she began exploring her passion through traditional mediums such as pencil drawings and watercolors. However, as she delved deeper into her artistic journey, she transitioned to digital art using a graphic tablet.

Immersing herself in the realm of digital art, Aurorae discovered a boundless world of possibilities. However, she soon realized that 2D art alone was not enough to fulfill her creative aspirations. Driven by her relentless desire to experiment and push boundaries, she ventured into the realms of 3D art and digital fashion. For Aurorae, combining both 3D and digital fashion allows her to express her ideas and concepts in the most ideal way. When a particular idea or concept sparks her interest, she finds strong inspiration that drives her to create a unique visual interpretation. She achieves this by bringing characters to life who embody the very essence of her ideas, gleefully inventing their stories along the way. Passionate and ambitious, Aurorae continuously seeks out new creative challenges. Her journey has taken her from studying graphic design at Rome University of Fine Arts to collaborating with fashion brands and working as a freelance digital and 3D artist. With each project and endeavor, Aurorae finds the opportunity to evolve as an artist and push the boundaries of her artistic expression.

Aurorae's enthusiasm and dedication to her craft shine through in her work, displaying her unwavering commitment to creating captivating and thought-provoking art. Immerse yourself into Aurora’s fantasy world:

Can you tell us more about your journey as a 3D visual artist and fashion designer? How did you get started in these fields and what inspired you to pursue them?

The year I finished my university studies in graphic design was the year of the first pandemic here in Italy, and everything seemed to have stopped. Since I was forced to stay home, I decided to use all the time that I had to gain new knowledge and enter new creative fields. I participated in and won a one-month-long fashion design contest. To be completely honest, I started it as a sort of "game" and a self-challenge since I had no experience in the fashion field. This experience made me realize how much I love to "design" fashion accessories, jewels, and clothes. This is exactly how I got started in this field.

My journey as a 3D visual artist started simultaneously. As a consequence of my growing interest in designing fashion-related items, I started learning some 3D software that could help me. Soon, I realized that the endless and amazing possibilities of the 3D field could allow me to express myself as an artist, providing a way to showcase my ideas and vision. In my creative journey, the fields of 3D art and fashion are strictly bonded, and I now know that finding and pursuing this connection is what keeps me inspired.

How has your background in graphic design influenced your work as a 3D visual artist and fashion designer?

My background as a graphic designer deeply influenced my work as a 3D visual artist and digital fashion designer. The major influences came from the studies of colors, which I like to mix together to express a concept in my artworks and creations. The graphic designer part of me pushes me to be truly obsessed with color research and combinations.

In my artworks, I usually spend hours finding the perfect shades of colors and the perfect palette to transmit a message. The power of colors fascinates me so much. I'll always be grateful to my graphic design studies for teaching me the importance of "composition" during the design process. I think the way the elements are placed and distributed is a key aspect when creating an artwork. I always look for "visual balance.”

Could you describe some of the fashion brands or projects you have collaborated with? What were your roles and responsibilities in those collaborations?

Regarding my work in the field of traditional fashion design, so far, I've collaborated and continue to work for streetwear-style fashion brands. Usually, my role is to conduct trends and color research, create mood boards, and design small collections of garments for a specific season. I often also deal with designing the graphic arts for hoodies/tees and various required garments. Being able to wear something that I designed is a unique feeling.

But as I already said I consider myself also a digital fashion designer and I have a particular interest in designing conceptual jewels and accessories. So far I also collaborated with some jewels brands; during some of these collaborations I had to create an artwork based on a character wearing a specific jewel of the brand. I truly loved having the possibility to express my artistic interpretation of the jewel, building a story around it.

Despite everything I think my journey both as a traditional and digital fashion designer, is really at its beginning. I have so much more to learn and to give in this field, and one of my current ambitions is to grow and pursue this passion that I’ve only recently discovered.

What do you find most interesting and challenging about working as a digital and 3D artist? How do you approach projects that require both artistic and technical skills?

Working as a 3D artist is truly a daily challenge; each new work or personal project I undertake allows me to learn new things. I find this aspect to be one of the most intriguing aspects of 3D; there are numerous ways to create the same thing, and the challenge lies in developing a personalized workflow while dedicating time to experimenting with new techniques.

I love this question since it underlines how deeply technical 3D is: learning a new software requires hours and hours of constant practice. So yes, 3D projects always require technical skills, but I’m also an artist and my approach to every single project starts by focusing on the artistic aspect of it.

The initial step in my creative process involves seeking inspiration and developing a concept and message for my work. I tend to invest a significant amount of time in this phase since it forms the true soul of my work. Without it, I know I wouldn't feel as motivated to complete the project.

How do you stay up to date with the latest trends and technologies in the fashion and design industries? How do you incorporate them into your work?

I think both the fields of 3D and fashion require staying up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies. Spending time on social media can be very helpful for both since you basically have access to all the latest news and trends and can learn a lot from other artists as well. Regarding the trends in the fashion field, I stay up-to-date through socials/magazines and specific fashion inspiration websites. I love to follow a specific fashion trend both in my personal style and in my 3D artworks. I think the characters I create really represent a lot of my fashion taste and style.

Can you share some examples of creative challenges you have faced in your career so far? How did you overcome them and what did you learn from those experiences?

As a 3D artist, I usually work on 3D animations displayed during music concerts. One of the biggest challenges I've faced so far in my career was my first animation project in the music field. I had to create this crazy 3D animation for the singer Bad Bunny; it shows a Robot bunny girl licking a lollipop. That's kind of funny if I think about that right now, but technically speaking, this project was so hard to create and to render since it had more than 400 frames, multiple cameras, and lighting setups. It challenged me so much for about 3 weeks, but it was a huge success in the end and allowed me to learn a ton of new stuff regarding 3D animation.

What role does passion play in your work? How do you maintain inspiration and motivation when working on long-term projects?

I'm 100% sure I wouldn't be here without my deep passion for this work. I would have never been able to build this career and feel the need to invest as much time as possible in it. I've been a very passionate person since I was a child. I've always loved art, so my creative path started years ago. When I was a child and a teen, I used to draw a lot. I also loved to use ink, paint, and watercolors. I've never left this love for material and traditional art; I still have it today. But I think my constant desire to experiment with new creative fields allowed this passion to evolve and adapt to new technologies. I remember I was fascinated by 3D since I was a little girl, but I used to see it as something too complicated for me. During my university years, I had the chance to approach a few 3D software, and since then, my passion for this field started to grow. My motivation in improving as a 3D artist led me to start learning new stuff on my own.

I tend to feel very often inspired by things, and honestly, it can come from everything, but I mainly get inspiration from natural elements, mythology, and the fashion world. Most of the time, I mix these three interests. Creating a mood board of images, textures, colors, and sketches helps me a lot to keep the focus on long- term projects and keeps me inspired and motivated to go on.

Are there any specific techniques or tools that you prefer to use in your creative process? How do you determine which methods are best suited for a particular project?

I use a lot of different techniques and software in my work. It really depends on what I'm working on, but my must-have tools are my iPad, used to sketch the design of characters/clothes/jewels or accessories and to envision the artistic direction of the project. My MacBook PC is used for all the Adobe suite programs and to deal with the most "graphic" part of my artworks. And obviously, my computer, where I create the most 3D work. Each particular project has a specific workflow, composed of different tools and software. Among my favorite software is Substance Painter, which is a program focused on the creation of textures for 3D objects. It literally allows you to paint on the 3D surface, and I enjoy it so much! I also love creating garments and simulating fabrics with Marvelous Designer and 3D sculpting with Blender.

Looking into the future, what are some goals or aspirations you have for your career as a 3D visual artist and fashion designer? Are there any exciting projects or trends that you are particularly interested in exploring?

I always find it kind of scary to look into the future because it forces me to face the present and to analyze the choices I'm making right now. But at the same time, I'm a very ambitious person, and I have a ton of goals for my creative work. I think the biggest goal that I'm trying to pursue for my career is to be able to blend even more my passions of 3D, art, and fashion. I would like to do that both by collaborating with big brands but also by creating something completely mine, maybe a brand; it would be such a dream! At the moment, I'm working on improving and expanding my portfolio of 3D digital fashion. I'm building a collection of artworks inspired by orchid flowers; this is what I'm exploring right now.

Interview by @mirawanderlust

Images courtesy of @aurorae.___

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