An ideal choice of color brings out the hidden background of the images. For instance, Soa has used greenish jewellery and accessories because the character ‘Europa’ is closely associated with emeralds. “I tend to stay away from basic colors and prefer neutral colors,” says Soa. “This helps the images easier to view even if there are a lot of colors used.”
The eyes are an important determinant of the facial impression. Therefore, Soa has always invested a lot of time working on the eyes and the impressions created by the eyes. “I believe that the shade created by the long eyelashes inside the eyes, and sparkles in the eyes, create the beautiful eyes,” explains Soa. “Until I studied the renderers, I had such a hard time expressing the eyes. I even drew in the shades in the eyes manually and this limited the movements of the eyes. However, current renderers depict realistic shades and HDRI also allows the expression of the clear eyes. All this new technology has definitely enabled me to take a major stride.”
Outside of the partitions surrounding her workstation, Soa Lee is a “typical housewife.” She organises, cooks and runs a household, just like everyone else in a family situation. “Unfortunately, the best artistic ideas occur to me usually right before I fall asleep,” Soa says. “Once it begins, I find myself devising action plans; mapping out the concepts and ideas while lying on my bed. I typically keep a sketchbook close by to jot down the ideas and images; this is why I sometimes cannot fall asleep.”
Currently, Soa Lee’s major private creative task is finishing up the Constellation series of works. Any information about future works beyond this series is yet to be disclosed. “I believe that this is the way to stay mysterious,” explains Soa. “I would like to be remembered as an artist, rather than a 3D graphics technician. That has been my dream since I was a little girl. Currently, I am trying to master new skills and techniques to make myself more competent in the future projects. I would also like to show my genuine appreciation to CGSociety for setting up this interview. I wish everyone a great journey to follow his or her dreams. Thank you.
