‘Talent alone doesn’t cut it in animation’

Khurram Hamid Alavi is a Karachi-based digital sculptor/art director for animation, and toys and collectibles. He works remotely from his den for various foreign clients, including Sega, Warner Bros and Marvel Entertainment. He graduated in the discipline of Graphic Design from the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture in 2005. Since then, he has successfully transitioned into the industry of computer graphics and entertainment. He is presently working with various companies that produce toys and collectibles. Alavi began considering a career in art in his teens. His teachers and the community that he grew up in were extremely supportive of his ability to sketch, ink and colour. “I knew by the time I had finished college that art was the only direction for me. At that stage, I was very much into comic book illustration and traditional animation,” he said.
Alavi said, “We used to have an annual fun fair and food festival in the colony that I lived in. They used to hold an auction for charity at the end of the festival. I started making posters of various superheroes, picking up artwork from a particular comic book and then drawing, inking and colouring a replica of that image onto a 20 by 30 cartridge sheet. The response was very positive, so I seriously began to consider taking it to the next level.” Regarding his work, he said, “A teacher of mine once said to me that ‘perfection is a by-product of observation.’ It’s stuck with me ever since. If you think about it, that’s all it really takes. We learn and take inspiration from the real world around us. That is my approach as far as my work is concerned.”
Some artists prefer landscapes, while some prefer other subjects or mediums, but Alavi loves characters. “Characters are the most important element in a story. They communicate ideas to the viewer in a way that no other element can in a story. I love this aspect about characters, and that is why I’ve focused my skills in this direction,” he said.
Talking about the process of his work, he said, “I’m provided with concept art for the project first, along with several art references. Then the ideas for the pose and style of execution are discussed. Once I’m clear on the instructions, I start building the mesh up in Pixologic ZBrush. The sharing of references is the most important part of the process. In the case of characters, anatomy and structure are the most crucial elements of the process. Your character will never work if the anatomy and structure isn’t working. And this is an area where many Pakistani artists fall short.”
Alavi has learnt a great deal from traditional sculptor Randy Bowen. “Bowen has his own, unique sculpture style that I’ve never seen before. Other traditional greats I admire include Tim Bruckner, Tim Miller, Mark Newman and Trevor Grove. Moreover, I think Chris Moffit is a great digital artist. His work is very unique and he is probably the only artist right now that does great stylised toon work using ZBrush and 3ds max,” he said.
His keys to success are determination, perseverance and a lot of hard work. He forgets about the world and focuses on improving himself as an artist. He enjoys working from home as he gets to spend time with his family. Besides, he makes superheroes and some of the most beloved characters in the world, so that is a treat in itself for him.
When asked what a digital sculptor does, he said, “It’s a fairly new term in the CG industry since we usually use the term ‘modeller’ when it comes to animation. However, with the advent of sculpting software like ZBrush, Autodesk Mudbox, Pixologic Sculptris, etc, the process has become much more flexible. Modelling for production or games is a time-consuming process, and we find that a lot of time is lost when the creative aspect of the project conflicts with the technical aspect. So, for animation, a digital sculptor can help convert the concept art into a digital sculpture that can then be converted by a modeller for animation purposes. For toys and collectibles, a digital sculptor sculpts the project digitally in sculpting software and then provides it to a printing place for rapid prototyping. In both cases, digital sculptors are beginning to become key players. I foresee them playing a major role in the years to come.”
Alavi doesn’t believe having talent is enough. “You need to develop talent into skill that you can use to make a living and excel in the field. Formal education is the only way to go about it. There are always some exceptions, but nothing beats learning from the ground up, even if you’re Leonardo da Vinci reborn. Once you go through the fundamentals in the foundation year, you’ll realise that art isn’t all about emotions and expression. It has a lot more to do with disciplining your mind and your senses, and expressing your unique points of view creatively, either on paper, digitally or in the form of a sculpture,” he said.
When asked if Pakistani institutions provide proper training in art or animation, he emphatically said no, as far as animation is concerned. “I think one or two universities provide very good art education, whereas other training centres and smaller institutes provide good training only in software. Local institutions are not playing a big role in producing good artists. If they were, Pakistani artists would’ve received more recognition globally. Local artists who are successful have reached there with hard work, determination and sacrifices,” he said.
Regarding his future, he said, “I see myself directing animated content. It’s something I’ve done briefly during my career, and would love to do more of in the future. I love to teach and transfer my knowledge to the coming generation. Everyone should leave their mark in history. I’d like to leave mine this way.”
To aspiring artists, he says, “Fix your attitude. Stop whining. Take criticism positively. Stay sincere to your work. And, most of all, do not give up. Your talent is just a starting point. It’s up to you to develop it into a phenomenon. To do that, you need to work as hard as you can. Always remember that failure is a sign of success, provided you learn from your mistakes and do not repeat them. Focus on your goals, work hard to achieve them and don’t let the world distract you in the process. And always practice, practice and practice!”