We recently connected with Jude (Jongwook) Lee and have shared our conversation below.

Jude (Jongwook), appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

One of the most meaningful projects I have worked on was my first project as an environment artist for a video game, Apex Legends. I was in charge of creating a 3D fence asset called Goliath Fence. I think the fact that the assets I created are appearing in a live game for the first time made me so excited. In particular, I felt joy whenever I saw players opening the gate of the fence and passing by in the game. A fun fact is that I destroyed a part of the fence a year later because the new story behind the area around fences being burned down by fire and storm has been added. As the owner of the Goliath Fence in the game, it was meaningful for me to provide both a normal version and a destroyed version to convey different storytelling to players. I reconstructed it as a broken shape that had been hit and fallen by something and tried to make the destroyed silhouette natural and realistic.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m a 3D environment artist for video games. An environment artist primarily creates all the background objects visible around characters in a game. It helps players become more immersed in the game by making the terrain, buildings, and props fit the concept of the game. It is also a job that conveys storytelling with all the assets mentioned above, as well as creates spaces and paths for gameplay.

Looking back, I was always interested in making something since I was little, such as paper board games. As I grew up, the world became more and more digitalized, and this led me to pursue a Game Development degree at SCAD, where my interests can illustrate everything as digital. , I was especially into ‘Art’ and ‘3D’ in game development, which enriches the game’s overall quality. I learned 3D software such as 3D Maya, Zbrush, and Substance Painter. Moreover, I studied hard at school about how to convey storytelling with immersive game environments and 3D elements. To do that, I focused on how to create realistic assets, and how to harmoniously place them together, also continuously refined and developed my portfolio through feedback.

With the portfolio I updated constantly at school, I was able to begin my professional career in the game industry as an environment artist at Respawn Entertainment / Electronic Arts. It was lucky for me to join the Apex Legend team. My millions of clients come from all over the world, and I find it rewarding to work as an environment artist for the game because I feel responsible for creating environments that players can enjoy even more.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

When it comes to artists, I think it’s the most rewarding when the audience and people appreciate my work and enjoy it as intended. In my case, as an environment artist for video games, I’m happy to see players experiencing battles in the environments I created. I feel greatly rewarded by the thought that I have successfully created a ‘playground’ for users in virtual space. In addition, I take pride in the idea of providing a unique experience and fun to players by creating spaces with futuristic concepts that do not exist in reality.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I always aim to convey storytelling well to players through environments. My mission is to deliver the atmosphere and feeling visually without any explanation. For example, the Devastated Coast of ‘Storm Point’ map in Apex Legends I worked on most recently had to express the atmosphere after the storm had passed. I focused on making the ground in the area wet, the debris scattered by the storm, and the buildings rebuilt after the storm all organized and harmonized together with the story behind it. I also believe that the secret to my creative journey is persistence. My principle is not to be easily satisfied with my work halfway through but to receive feedback and take better next steps.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://judelee.artstation.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jude.lee.737
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jude-lee-jongwook-8332aa181/

Image Credits
Respawn Entertainment/Electronic Arts