Zé Moreira• Spring 2024
Ze Moreira is a a Toronto-based Creative Producer & 3D Designer blending art and tech to craft immersive, fun experiences.
Ze’s journey has been full of twists and turns. Hailing from Brazil, Ze worked as a chemistry teacher for 3 years before diving headfirst into the world advertising. While working as a Digital Marketing Manager at a game company, Ze decided to learn Unity and C# and then started a mobile game studio called Gorlami. There, his team quickly grew in numbers and they published a new of game projects.
Thereafter, Ze worked as a game Producer and contributed to hit titles such as Jeopardy! World Tour, Puzzle Solitaire and Ava’s Manor.
In 2021, recovering from a pandemic and itching for a new challenge, Ze decided to take a sabbatical and learn 3D design!
Read on to learn more about his unexpected journey to becoming a 3D artist!
Your journey from studying Chemistry to becoming a Creative Producer & 3D Designer is quite unique. Can you share how these transitions have influenced your approach to art and design?
It’s really hard to say how it’s influenced me. I would say that I got a richer view of the world because if you stop to think about it, these are really different segments. Being a chemistry teacher influenced me to still want to work with something related to education in the future. Advertising allowed me to have a more commercial view of my work.
With your experience working in various fields before settling into 3D design, how do you think your diverse background influences your creative process?
It allowed me to have a more general view of the 3D process. Having worked on both ends as the creative and the client, I have a general understanding of the entire process and what needs to be done.
How would you describe your art style?
My art style is playful, colorful, and stylized. I aim for fun and engaging visuals rather than strict realism, believing that art should be an enjoyable and immersive experience.
Room 702 by Zé Moreira
How do you stay updated with the latest trends and technologies in 3D design?
It’s difficult to keep updated so what I try to do is to learn the new techniques that could help me achieve the results I want with my work and bring my artistic vision to life.
Can you walk us through your process for starting a new 3D project, from concept to completion?
I keep ruminating on an idea for days until it’s all I can think about. The next step is to create a board on Pinterest and fill it with tons and tons of references, trying to create an image of what I want to do. Just then I go to Blender and start blocking the scene and start exploring what I can achieve - the project will change a lot of times during this process.
One thing that I find helpful is to take your work and start removing things, and adding others until we get somewhere I’m comfortable with.
Various drafts of the Demetres Spring 2024 Menu
What are the important tools you use in your daily work?
I don’t use anything fancy on my workflow - just my computer, chair and iPad. But if I have to choose an item it would be my Noise Canceling earphone. I use Blender for my 3D art. The best part about Blender is that it’s free.
Can you share a project you are particularly proud of and explain why it stands out to you?
I’m like a proud father that says that “I love all of my childrens” and I really do, each project have a special meaning for me. But as every proud father, I have a favourite son, and today it’s Dunk Dumbs - It’s a project that I’ve had to learn how to design characters, rig and animate them. It was a huge challenge.
Dunk Dumbs by Zé Moreira
How do you see the future of 3D art and design evolving, and what role do you hope to play in that future?
I believe that with the AR/VR technology getting better and better, 3D will play a big part on it - from decorating your house with design items to having a character that you could interact with. For myself, I plan to work more and more with physical projects like toys or gadgets.
Character figurines by Zé Moreira
Have you ever run into an artist’s block? If so, where do you turn to for inspiration?
Yeah, every time I finish a project is a struggle to start the next. There’s no mystery to it, you just have to give time to your head to start operating again. What I like to do in times like this is to focus on any task that doesn't involve creativity, like gathering references, planning the first steps of the project and so on… then magically, you will start to feel the creativity pulsing again.
Dessert spot drawings by Zé Moreira
What's your dream client or project?
Something that could have a big social impact with a specific focus on Education.
Who is your biggest inspiration or illustration idol?
Paul McMahon aka Rusted Pixel, he was a great reference for art style when I’ve started learning 3D and besides that, he is just a great guy. By the way, the first client project that I got when I start working with 3D came from a referral from Paul.
Select work by Paul McMahon aka Rusted Pixel
Which of your work is your favourite so far?
It’s a project that is currently in development but it’s by far the proudest I am from a project. It’s a short movie called Short Circuit. It’s about an AI that is suffering from burn-out, a theme that resonates deeply with my experience working as a producer.
Can you tell us more about your inspiration behind the 2024 Spring Menu art and what messages you wanted to convey?
In terms of inspiration for my 2024 Spring Menu art, being from Brazil, where food plays a crucial cultural role, I aimed to encapsulate the playful, social essence of dining. I wanted to create an experience filled with colors and hidden "easter eggs" to make the viewing experience as engaging and enjoyable as eating the food itself.
When you’re not working, what do you enjoy doing most in your spare time?
Outside of work, I cherish spending time with my wife, whether it's going for walks, watching movies, or enjoying cycling solo. Music, especially Brazilian tunes, is my constant companion.
What's your ideal creative environment? Do you listen to anything in the background - music, podcasts, movies? Do you have favorites that you recommend?
I can’t work without something buzzing into my ears - what I use changes from time to time. It could be a Brown Noise playlist, a Podcast or just rewatching The Sopranos while working.
Reginaldo Rossi and Alceu Valença, Singers from Zé's hometown of Recife, Brazil
If you can give a piece of advice to anyone new in the industry what would it be?
Explore your own style, the thing that just you can think of - the weirder, the better. You have a unique vision that no one else has, so use it to express yourself on your work.
