MEET STEPHY FUNG, H+ CREATIVE EXTENDED ROSTER ARTIST - Q&A with H+

Stephy Fung is a 3D Artist based in London. Her work comprises 3D motion design and digital fashion. Visually her work includes bright and vivid colours whilst also showcasing Chinese themes in hopes of celebrating and educating her audience on the culture.

H+: Being a 3D Generalist gives you limitless mediums and formats. Which themes or styles that you've explored, have you found most fascinating?

Stephy Fung: I love working for screens but a new interest for me has been exploring mixed reality. I would love to create a world in 3D where my 3D environments or digi fashion can be seen and interacted with. I'm an absolute sucker for interactive formats i.e. VR or AR and I think they will work beautifully especially with my digital fashion.

H+: You've recently been working with digital fashion, celebrating Chinese culture. What does it mean to you to create clothing your ancestors may have worn?

Stephy Fung: I never intended to dive into digital fashion but the fashion world meshed well with my 3D skills and I suddenly found myself creating more and more digital garments out of pure joy and passion. I think a part of it was me creating clothes that I would love to wear and another part of me wanting to explore more of my Chinese heritage which I only took more interest in as I became an adult. What's interesting is that although I am creating clothes that are worn in a traditional sense, I am also adding a modern touch to them not only by using the digital medium but also adding details that would be possible in real life. That's the beauty of digital art, you can make anything happen.

H+: When you made the transition from 2D to 3D, what was the most troubling obstacle and how did you overcome it?

Stephy Fung: My background is in graphic design. So I came from learning typography and creating editorials and posters however I soon became bored of static graphics and leaned more into motion design. As a kid I grew up watching Disney, Ghibli and anime so I've always enjoyed animation and storytelling. So I took it upon myself to start learning after effects and then Cinema4d from hundreds of Youtube tutorials and 4 years later I am here creating objects in 3D like it's second nature. I think it took roughly a year for me to get used to thinking in 3D and learning 3D terms but soon after that I became more fluent in 3D.

H+: What is your favorite process of the 3D pipeline and why?

Stephy Fung: Lighting and texturing hands down! It's the most exciting part where you can iterate and play with colours, tones and moods. Believe me when I say that lighting is everything in 3D, it can turn your subpar scene into something magnificent if lighted well.

H+: What habit or routine is most important to your success?

Stephy Fung: Show up, practice, share and repeat. I've been sharing my process and work for the past 4 years and kept it going since. I think as creatives we have the tendency to be perfectionists or protective over our techniques or work. I'd say screw that, even if your piece is not perfect just share it, get over it and move on to the next piece. What's wonderful about sharing your work is that you look back and you will see improvements. 3D is definitely a long journey to get good at but if you practice you will eventually get better. I'd recommend new artists to create work with the aim of improving one skill or knowledge and also creating something you're passionate about.

H+: How is it working full-time for a major company doing what you love?

Stephy Fung: I am now a full time freelancer. I know...I did it, I took the leap because I felt that I was ready to manage my own projects and creativity from what I've learnt from my full time job. I think it helped me to get confident with putting my work out there as I was able to work on personal projects, do side gigs and build connections outside of working hours and didn't have to worry about my finances as my full time role was supporting me with that.

H+: Throughout university until now, what were some major influences to your style?

Stephy Fung: My style influences have to be chinese culture, k-pop and graphic design. Chinese culture is my heritage and so my work is inspired by the food I eat, the dramas I watch and the music I listen to. It is also the main theme in my work because as a kid I didn't really appreciate my Chinese culture until I became an adult so my work is a way to reconnect myself to my roots. K-pop is a favourite of mine for many reasons, the music is great but mostly I tend to analyse the music videos the most as the music video production is insane! What really draws me in are the colours - they are usually vibrant and exciting which is why my art is also equally as vibrant and vivid. Lastly, graphic design - it is what I studied in university but I love graphic design principles and typography. I will tend to use those skills and embed it in my 3D work, what's not to love about geometric shapes, golden ratios and sleek typography?

H+: What's next for Stephy Fung? What would you or what are you on your way to accomplish?

Stephy Fung: I would like to keep improving my skills. 3D environments are something I want to get better at and likewise digital fashion will also take the focus for the rest of the year. I hope to learn more Unreal Engine or Snaplens to fuse with my current 3D skills since I love interactive formats so much. Also be on the lookout for more Stephy Fung digital wearables in the future.

For more information on Stephy Fung, visit her artist page!