Eva Munnich: 3D artist The CreativeMindClass Blog
Eva Munnich works as an animator and illustrator from London. Being a visual artist she draws cute, 2D/3D-animated characters. She studied film in art school in Germany and was involved in all kinds of animation-related projects. When she realized that there was a inability to find a new challenge, Eva actively sought new ways to stretch her wings. Three years ago, she came to London to discover its striving lively art scene and decided to go into illustration and character design.
Below , you can learn about how Eva turned around her creative path and find out the details about the unique X-Files animation she worked on with Phil Brookes.
In search of new challenges and a creative career direction
Prior to my move to London in 2017 I was in a small town in Germany working in the field of After Effects animator. It wasn't a lot of creative opportunities My skills slowed rapidly and I became extremely unhappy.
Moving into London and getting to know the wonderful animation folks there gave me a massive boost. I felt like: "Damn, I'm running with the cool kids now - better crank up my stuff. "
After visiting the 2019 Pictoplasma Conference, I made the decision to join the universe of odd character creators. It was clear quickly that my characters work most effectively when they're in 3D - something that I'm still learning which can be challenging, yet very rewarding!
My work caught the attention at Greenhouse Animation, and I'm now represented as director by Greenhouse Animation.
Concerning the X-Files project, and the secrets of socks that disappear
One of the initial client projects I did using my new style is that of the Covered by Lemonade clip.
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Lemonade Insurance approached me to make a piece for their ongoing Instagram art collaboration. Since the company is an insurer of content and the concept of adorable household objects in danger immediately occurred to me. That's how the X-Files concept came to fruition.
I spent the last winter lockdown watching all the x-files, so involving a classic alien abduction seemed intuitive. However, all of the characters needed to be in the same spot, in the end, so that the animation loop could be closed to ensure that none actually get abducted - this was when I came up with thought of making the washing machine open as well as the single pink sock fly towards the UFO.
When I was making the UFO and giving it a few legs, I realized how everything would get sucked into. The UFO has lost its sock and is retrieving it!
I find that creating a good story is best done by mixing various things that appear unrelated at first. In order to make something surprising happen and to give inanimate objects a personality by sticking funny faces onto them , is the best way to have fun for me!
About the animation workflow
My workflow always starts with sketches of characters, and then an outline of the story. I turned an animation of Lemonade to convey the concept and the timing. After that, I jump into Cinema 4D and model all my characters. This is also where I experiment with the materials I use and create style frames.
After the animation in Cinema 4D is done, I switch over to After Effects for final touches and compositing. The pink light beam, as an example, can be done with After Effects.
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Concerning the sound effects and working together with Phill Brookes
This was my first project I did with a sound designernamed Phil Brookes, and he really took it to the next level! His work lifts the whole clip up to a new level and makes everything come together flawlessly! It was an amazing undertaking to create and I'm looking forward to do more projects like this one!
We've had a conversation with Phil about his process for making sound effects to be used in The X-Files project. Read the full interview with Phil Brookes.
In the present I'm learning new techniques to rig characters and to create stunning textures using Cinema 4D and Redshift. I experiment with combining 2D animation with 3D, and I'm excited to see what direction my journey into character design leads me to next!
Tips for visual artists for changing your career path
A few tips that I would like to offer for anyone looking to switch directions:
- Find which technique suits your thoughts best, and then learn about it! Working in motion design feels like you're required to learn all there is. It's just not feasible.
- Take your weirdness seriously and never downplay it. Your uniqueness is yours. Your voice, your style and creativity are unique.
- Accept your thoughts. Whatever is taking place in your head take it on and create your own!
We're delighted by Eva's artistic art, her creative direction she's on, and her transformation. Here, at CreativeMindClass We believe that artists possess the ability to make paths that resemble Play-Doh to make them gorgeous. We're excited to see ambitious ideas and courageous people succeed. Thank you for sharing your story Eva!
Go to Instagram to see additional 3D animations of characters and to follow Eva's future work. You can explore a larger collection of her works on her website.
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