Digital Portraiture with Maxon One How Olivier Caron’s digital artwork delivers maximum impact with minimal elements.

Beyond talent, it takes a distinctive vision and unwavering dedication to get noticed in the vast world of digital art and Paris-based Olivier Caron has it all. Having carved a niche for himself as a director, motion designer and digital artist, Caron creates gallery-style portraits that are a testament to his mastery of visual storytelling and technical prowess.

We talked with Caron about his journey into digital artistry, his affinity for portrait work and how he uses Maxon One to craft visual narratives that are as intriguing as they are aesthetically captivating.

Caron: I came across digital art by accident. I discovered After Effects at the age of 25, which is considered quite late today. I studied film in the past, and my creative pursuits mainly revolved around darkroom photography during the day and being a VJ at night. I wanted to become an editor, but once I began creating graphics on a computer, something clicked within me, and I was captivated by it. A few months later, I secured my first job at a production company.

I taught myself everything during a time when online resources were scarce, so it took me years to gradually build up enough confidence to label myself as a designer. It took even more time to produce personal artwork that I felt proud of.

I spent many years working as a 2D motion designer and director, but it wasn’t until I started exploring 3D that I realized I could bridge the gap between my background in cinematography and my work as a designer.

Caron: I believe that characters are an incredibly effective means of conveying emotions. When I first started, I anticipated creating only a few images featuring characters before moving on to other subjects. But the more I delved into working with characters, the more my interest grew, so I never stopped.

Nevertheless, I don’t consider myself a character artist per se. Instead, I view myself more as a 3D photographer if that description resonates. The way I approach my work closely resembles how a photographer operates within a studio setting.

I prefer working with minimal lighting and avoid constructing elaborate scenes or complex landscapes. I discovered that simplifying the elements within an image could direct more attention towards the character. My ultimate objective is to always depict them in the most authentic and faithful manner possible.

Caron: There are numerous artists whom I could mention as sources of inspiration, including Carlo Crivelli, Jan van Eyck, Oleg Dou, Erwin Olaf, Aron Wiesenfeld, Levi van Veluw, Piotr Jabłoński, Yuri Shwedoff and many more.

To be honest, though, I discovered most of them quite recently. For the greater part of my life, books served as my primary source of inspiration. Writers such as Lovecraft, Ballard, Proust and countless others have profoundly influenced my personal mental landscape long before I even considered delving into visual art.

Caron: I employ various software tools for different aspects of my work. I utilize Daz Studio for establishing the base pose of the characters, Marvelous Designer for creating and designing their clothing, and Substance 3D for texturing and adding intricate details.

As for my primary tools, I rely on Cinema 4D for modeling and building the scenes along with Redshift for rendering. When it comes to compositing, I typically work with a combination of Photoshop and After Effects.

One specific tool I have recently discovered is the Redshift Principled Hair Shader. Hair is common in my work, and something that I constantly try to improve. So it’s nice to see Redshift pushing for more realism.

Caron: It always begins with a character pose idea in my mind. It could be an expressive facial expression, the motion of a hand or the way a knee bends. I explore this concept in Daz until I achieve the desired pose. Once satisfied, I export the character to C4D and immediately start working on lighting.

If the pose doesn’t convince me, or if the lighting feels off, I know that regardless of the amount of subsequent work involved, the final picture won’t turn out well. This stage is crucial, and I often discard concepts during that time.

If the image successfully passes that initial step, I proceed to work on the character, including hair, clothing, intricate details and accessories. This phase usually takes the longest as it involves an iterative back and forth between different software until I am satisfied.

I also work simultaneously on the remaining elements of the scene, such as modeling and texturing assets, adjusting cameras and fine-tuning lighting. I strive to remain true to my initial impression and avoid overloading the scene with unnecessary details. Once everything is in place and rendered, I proceed with compositing to create the final image.

While I have added various tools to my workflow over the years, the most crucial one remains Cinema 4D. I use it daily, and although it is a natural choice for motion design, it is not specifically designed for character work. Paradoxically, this is precisely why I continue to use it for this purpose. It forces me to think differently and find alternative approaches to achieve my desired results, leading to interesting and unexpected outcomes.

Caron: I believe that the significant decisions lie not in what to add, but rather in what to remove. I greatly admire the way stage designers in theatres and operas manage to convey so much with minimal elements.

Due to limited production budgets, a simple chair can transform into a throne, or a solitary flower can represent an entire garden. It’s not about directly depicting things, but rather symbolizing them, constructing a world with just a few carefully chosen details and lighting.

Prior to starting a project, I engage in extensive experimentation. I typically work with basic shapes and colors until I am confident enough to build a world around them. I enjoy retaining the raw essence of 3D, presenting objects with a level of recognition without delving into excessive realism. It’s important to me that the digital nature of the artwork is visible, emphasizing that it is neither a photograph nor an illustration, but something distinct and unique.

Caron: Working in the 3D realm can be overwhelming due to the multitude of tools and skills involved at every step. It is simply impossible to master everything within a lifetime, especially considering how software continuously evolves, rendering your workflow potentially outdated.

To combat that, I strive to learn a new tool every year and assess whether it can bring something unique to my work. Sometimes this endeavor proves fruitful, but it is also acceptable if it doesn’t yield the desired outcome. Time spent learning is never wasted, and failures can often serve as the catalyst for something intriguing. In fact, my entire “Haircuts” project was born out of numerous unsuccessful attempts to master hair in Cinema 4D!