Meet Leo Li | 3D Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Leo Li and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Leo, what are you inspired by?
I’m inspired by technology and other people’s art.

As a technical artist, I love learning about how the advancements of technology could impact my art-making. New software and hardware always change my process completely. These updates gift me art ideas, and make my pipeline more efficient. I’m become a better artist because of them.

Looking at other people’s art is another way I find inspiration. I’m surrounded by really good artists who are passionate about what they do. Art wise, while everybody focuses on different things, they often have a personal palette that they stick to. It could be colors, stories, or anything else. Looking at personality in styles inspire me to create my own.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a 3D technical artist currently studying animation at the University of Southern California. I’ve been doing art for the past five years, and have made a lot of improvements over that period. I make 3D environments for movies and recently also video games. As a result, my visual tends to land between a high-end game and a photorealistic look.

Learning about 3D art comes with constant technical challenges. It is not easy to deal with computer bugs. However, I’ve learnt that it’s a cool bonding experience between me and my peer artists. Trying to debug or improve a pipeline is often how I make friends in this world.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Malibu and Venice seem to be the best choices for a beach day. Especially Malibu, it is not as crowded as the other ones, and I enjoy the drive there a lot.

San Gabriel has the best Chinese food besides Irvine. If we don’t want to drive for too long, San Gabriel is definitely my choice for food. You could walk into any Chinese restaurants there and they will not disappoint.

Koreatown and Little Tokyo both have interesting little spots to hang out at (if you are patient with parking): Karaoke places, wi spa, etc.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’ll give a shoutout to my roommate Yimin haha. He’s a talented artist that helps with me with everything art wise: art direction, pipeline, tech support, etc…

Website: leo1leo2leo3.com

Instagram: leo3leo2leo1

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/gen-li-412a09169

Image Credits
Benjamin Redd