March

Challenge, Sprint, Strive: Becoming a Better Me

Working hard on the portfolio:

– Adjusting the pose and redoing the fabric in Marvelous Designer

Although I haven’t had enough time to retoplogize the models and apply materials, the task of “adjusting poses” can still be done in the cracks of time.

Actually, my lecturer, Luca, mentioned the pose issue back in Year 1. He suggested I change the A‑pose to something more dynamic; otherwise, the character would look too stiff. But at the time, I was busy learning various software and handling all sorts of random tasks—plus my skills just weren’t developed enough to create a figure with a sense of rhythm TWT

This time, while updating my portfolio and applying to OpenLight Camp, I pushed myself to carve out some time and finally go back to address that old problem. I also adjusted the accessories to make them look more flowing and graceful.

All of this made me realise that with certain advice, as long as you keep it in the back of your mind, there will eventually come a day when you have both the skill and the opportunity to act on it. Notes really matter!

Then came to the clothes in Marvelous Designer. Honestly, I hadn’t touched the software for nearly a year, so I was a bit nervous when I first opened it. But the good news was, I quickly found a clothing pattern online that matched what I was looking fo. Although after following it I realised it didn’t actually work out, at least it gave me a solid starting point. And then, I managed to dial in the wrinkles in MD in just two days and brought it into ZBrush for fine-tuning – I am such a genius XD

This made me realise that sometimes the skills you think you’ve “forgotten” aren’t really gone. The muscle memory and the instincts you built up before are still there, and picking them back up is way faster than you’d expect.

While using it, I found a little trick. Originally, I planned to tuck the top into the belt and run the simulation, but my computer just couldn’t handle it, which makes sense, since it’s loaded with games, modelling software, and a bunch of Substance Painter files… During the simulation, the fabric just refused to stay tucked in. So how did I deal with the wrinkles? I used tack pins to hold the garment in place and manually sculpted that natural wrinkle effect.

This experience reminded me that I don’t always have to stick rigidly to the “standard workflow.” When tools or hardware get in the way, changing up my approach and working with whatever I have can actually help me discover my own little tricks. Sometimes, constraints are where creativity starts.

Oh, and at the same time, I also gave some of the parts a new colour in ZBrush. Doesn’t it look way better than before? Now it’s got that elegant, classical Chinese lady vibe hehe

• And finally, I managed to finish revising the body part of this model this month. Finding the time to do this was really hard… but I still got it done!

The main thing was defining the materials for each part. Take this strap on the leg, for example—before, it was hard to tell whether it was metal or fabric. In this update, I settled on fabric, then worked on the roughness, metalness, and painted in the volume to bring it to life.

Furthermore, I removed all those unnecessary wear and tear marks because that kind of wear would actually be really hard to achieve in reality, and it was located on the head / the upper centre area—piling wear there just made it look cluttered and distracted from the focal point. So this time, I tried to keep the wear cleaner and not so chaotic~

Moreover, I redid the volume rendering for each part by painting the shadows and highlights, including those little glowing parts. Doesn’t it look more realistic now? The fabric got an update, too: I repainted the volume and adjusted the roughness and metalness. Honestly, I didn’t even know what that material was before. Looking at it now, it finally feels like fabric!

Through this round of revisions, I realised that when it comes to making materials, sometimes restraint matters more than adding unnecessary details. I used to think that more wear and tear would automatically give the piece more story and depth, but what really matters is the logic and placement. Putting wear in the right spots—even if there’s less of it—feels much more realistic than scattering it everywhere without thought.

I finally understand why people always say that sometimes, subtracting things actually makes the work hold up better under scrutiny.

Not only revising textures, but also re-rendering by adusting lights!

Compare Before and After:

The updated version shows clearer volume in the colours, with more defined light and shadow. I also pushed the roughness and metalness values further apart to better match each material type. For example, increasing roughness on fabrics while lowering metalness where appropriate.

Some notes:  I found that roughness in UE5 behaves differently from what in Substance Painter. UE5 seems to tone it down by default, so I ended up adding a node to the material to control it, haha.

After adjust lightes, the greasiness is way less noticeable. Now the materials actually look like distinct materials, not all the same greasy mess.

I’ve reorganised the layout because now the render can hold its own and carry an entire spread. It now has more of that serene, classical Chinese lady vibe.

Showreel： https://youtu.be/XNOtB97Qtfk

Portfolio: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/10g2B7rqEI6LcR2EGtnjbJk0xQv2f2IO2qVk56LrlRMs/edit?usp=sharing

Applied Open Light Camp

The deadline was on March 10th at 23:59, and I hit submit at 23:52! it really felt like sprinting into the station just as the train doors were closing!

The main reason was that I spent way longer than expected reworking the PBR materials on the cyberpunk character, plus the re-rendering took more time than I thought. Midway through, I also ran into some export issues that took forever to troubleshoot. But I just couldn’t leave the Chinese classical lady’s wrinkles as they were. There was avoice in my head saying, “You’ll regret it if you don’t fix it.” So I pushed through, finished tweaking the wrinkles, updated the portfolio, and only then submitted.

Honestly, that was a close call! Looking back, I definitely need to manage my timeline better. This time I lucked out that nothing got stuck at the last minute, but if it had…

It made me realise that chasing details isn’t a bad thing, but you have to leave yourself some buffer room before the deadline.

Sometimes that last bit of perfectionism can turn into regret if you’re not careful. I’m glad luck was on my side this time, but I can’t count on that forever

Woohooo! 3.19 Get into this Camp

I’m so excited on getting into this camp!! This camp means I get to take industry-relevant courses for free, and if I do well on the assignments, there’s a chance I’ll get an interview, and then an on-site internship at Tencent.

In addition, this camp is an online internship; I need to do assignments and work for the Photon Studio. OWO

And oh my gosh, this time there’s even a contract to sign, a non-disclosure agreement XDDD

Signing that NDA made me realise this isn’t just messing around anymore. It really feels like stepping into something more professional and serious. The opportunity is here—time to grab it and make it count. I’ll give it my all!

More and More application OWO

希望有后续hh 把上海的公司投递投递~

MiHoYo’s application really stood out to me because they’re the only one that asks for a ‘nickname’ . Also, I heard they give feedback really fast, meaning they reject you fast, no dragging it out.

So why not give it a shot? That said, I’ve also heard their art test is the longest, around 14 days… Oh well, I’ll try first and worry about it later~~~

Lilith’s process is also very unique. They asked: ‘If you had 10 million yuan, what game would you make?’ My answer:

‘I’d want to make a Roguelite action game centred on character and narrative interaction. I’d choose Roguelite to maximise budget efficiency, and use the savings on core art polish, balance, narrative depth, marketing, and team incentives.

The gameplay draws from Sifu’s age system, telling a story about obsession: The protagonist falls off a cliff, stubbornly believing he’s still alive. His obsession is to climb back to the cliff top and see his lover one more time. Over time, he gradually loses his power — so stats decrease — but his skills accumulate through death, as he witnesses different story fragments across the river of time.

Items double as both healing items and memory shards. Players must choose whether to use an item to survive longer in the current run or to piece together the story, leading to different endings. In the final level, what he faces isn’t a monster — but himself trapped in his own obsession.

With 10 million yuan, I want to make a small but complete game with emotional weight and meaningful choices.’

I feel like this is worth noting down too. Never thought I’d come up with an answer like that in just half an hour, haha

SoHu Inc is also very unique. It’s the only company I’ve applied to that asks how tall I am.

Me: Is there any relationship between my height and art O.o

Art Tests Coming!

This is a good thing, I guess… except it means I’m about to get busy again XD

An HR from Century Games reached out to me on Boss Zhipin (China’s loca version of LinkedIn, but without the social features), saying, ‘Wanna give it a try?’ I said, ‘Sure, why not?’

Then I sent over my portfolio and showreel. She said she’d add me on WeChat to give me a written test. I asked, ‘So…does that mean I’ve already passed the preliminary screening?’

She replied, ‘Emmm… we submit the written test, portfolio, and resume altogether. We’ll only promote the process if you can do the art test first’
Me: ‘…’
That doesn’t sound great cause that’s not the normal flow!

But I still accepted, because I believe having an opportunity is better than having none.

XD

Then the next day, I got the written test from miHoYo. The good news is that miHoYo gives 14 days for their test, and the timer doesn’t start until you open it.

Me: ‘Alright, I’ll do Century’s one first.’

I asked for three days off from my company… and then pulled all-nighters over the weekend. Finally got it done. I feel like I didn’t do well on this test – I never really figured out how to tuck hair into a hat without moving the base model, and making a giant hat just looks bad…

Plus, because I was rushed, I didn’t spend much time on topology, UVs, or texturing. The result turned out way worse than what I know I’m capable of.

But the good news is: I actually finished it!!!

Looking on the bright side, finishing is better than not finishing.

Looking back, I think my biggest problem was spending way too long on the high-poly model (I’m not great at sculpting fabric – weak fundamentals, TWT). That took three days, leaving me with no time for the rest.

I was literally crying while working, working while crying, downing coffee like I am a mermaid on land who needs to drink water so often XD

My family really felt for me. They said, ‘Don’t push yourself so hard, we only want you to live healthily and pass the DPS programme.’

And I agree. Why suffer so much when the result most likely won’t go anywhere? Is it worth killing myself over something that might lead to nothing? It sucks. It really hurts inside.

But the moment I finished, I thought maybe having done it at least proves I seized this opportunity

休息ing ing ing

Family: Grandmother

If there’s one thing this year that made me go, “Ah, I’m really an adult now,” it’s taking care of my family and my family’s cat.

My grandmother hasn’t been feeling well lately, especially her back and her legs. She insists that her wooden chair is perfectly fine; she likes it firm, and she even threw out all the cushy pads I got her before. But how could I let her sit without any padding? I secretly placed a sofa cushion where she usually sits. She didn’t say anything, but she left it there. That’s how I knew.

So I ended up getting her a memory foam cushion, a red one, her favourite colour. She was so happy and asked me, “How did you find such a nice firm cushion?”

She’s exactly the kind of older generation that doesn’t want to trouble their kids by asking for anything. Honestly, it’s been a good exercise in observation. I’m 21 now. My grandparents raised me when I was little, and now I’m the pillar of the family.

Growing up isn’t about suddenly gaining some amazing skill. It’s about learning to notice the things people don’t say out loud. My grandma never asked for a cushion, but she kept the one I secretly placed. Going from being taken care of by them to taking care of them, I think that’s what being the “pillar of the family” really means.

Family: Family Cat

Took my family cat to get neutered

On March 3rd, I signed my first surgery consent form. Honestly, there was this unexplainable heaviness in my chest, and I really wanted to cry. It hit me because I couldn’t stop thinking that later in life, I might end up signing things like this for other family members, too.

Sigh.

The weight of life, I guess.

The waiting itself wasn’t too bad, though. I was deep in the middle of frantically updating my portfolio at the time and running on a serious sleep deficit, so I was basically half-asleep outside the operating room. And the package I picked—honestly, I really chose the right hospital, haha—the vet documented every step of Lele’s surgery, like prepping the surgical area, and sent photos to the group chat. Every time a new photo came in, I’d reply with something like, “Ah, thank you so much/ really appreciate it / Thank you for your hard work / Oh wow, thank you so much!” And then I’d go right back to sleep XD

Social skills: +1.

Adulthood isn’t something that arrives in a single moment. It builds up little by little through all these “firsts”: the first time you sign a surgery consent form, the first time you realise your family member is getting older, the first time you learn to keep it together even when you’re worried. It’s strange, but it’s real.

Taking Care of My Cat After Neutering

Even after being neutered, she’s still the queen of the house, a giant sunflower, and she’s claimed my screen as her throne XD.

The little one loves jumping up, but with the cone and recovery suit on, she’s too scared to jump down. So every time, I’m the one who lifts her down haha.

I was staying up late a lot back then anyway, so whenever she needed me, I was right there to help her down.

March 13 – Stitches Out

The vet finished removing the stitches in under ten minutes. While we were there, I also had them trim her nails and express her anal glands. Once we got home, I took off her recovery suit right away—freedom! I even got her a new little ball as a reward 

March 15 – Cone Off, Total Freedom

Finally took off the cone