Ben Mathis - 3D Freelancer - 3D Art Tutorials

Freelance 3D Artist

Looking for an experienced 3D artist?
Contact me about your project.

Portfolio

Go directly to my artwork to look at final images, in game screenshots, wireframes, and texture flats.

Tutorials

Go directly to my catalog of tutorials. Created by myself over the years on various categories relating to 3D.

About Me

3D artist with over 10 years experience

Looking for a 3D freelance artist? Contact me and tell me about your project.

My name is Ben Mathis and I'm an experienced 3D freelance artist. I've been working in the game industry since 2003. I've contributed to eleven shipped titles in the game industry, and one feature film as a modeler and lighting artist.

I've also worked for several years in conjunction with different toy companies to make digital sculpts that have been turned into toys. I've worked for numerous studios both in-house and remote.

I specialize in creating characters, animals, weapons, and vehicles, for any generation of system, though I've also contributed to level design, lighting, and compositingI also create training material and pipeline enhancement.

I enjoy coming up with new tools and processes, and then sharing them with the rest of my team. When possible, I also enjoy showing those results to the rest of the world, so that the video game industry as a whole can benefit and move forward with better art.

Read my full resume here.

Ben Mathis - Experienced Freelance 3D Artist

News

Revamping my web site and modernizing it
February 14th, 2016

Completely new look

I've neglected the site for the past couple of years so I thought it was time to re-design the page, modernize it and also provide fresh new tutorials and artwork. Look out for some more original work in the near future.

Realistic 3D head sculpture
June 17th, 2014

Portfolio Update

Finally, like 2 years later, I edited and uploaded part 1 of my lecture at Carnegie Melon's Entertainment Technology Center. I cover a lot of the process of creating the bust to the right.

Rotor Space Arcade released
March 3rd, 2013

Our game is out

Our game is out! Grab Rotor on Google Play. Trailer below. If you have benefited or enjoyed my tutorials over the years, I would really appreciate if you download the free version and rate it positively and give it a nice comment. Liking the Youtube trailer helps too. This was made by 4 people, myself for all 3D and UI, Ágúst, my husband for all programming, Peter Boehme for the intro illustrations, and Ian Dorsch for the music. Head over to my 3D page to see the art from Rotor, as well as some new low poly art from Hungry Sharks Evolution.

Click here for older news

Tutorials

Some videos, some static text and images. From next-gen hair to hand painting strong forms and understanding light to advice on schooling and career.

Videos

Videos are recordings of me working in real time, with audio commentary alongside.

A quick video demonstrating 'double smoothing' using two turbosmooth modifiers on your subD control cage
Double Smooth

A quick video demonstrating 'double smoothing' using two turbosmooth modifiers on your subD control cage.

A 10 hour texture painting session sped up to 50 minutes at 1080p. Mostly bodypaint
Beastman Texturing Demo

A 10 hour texture painting session sped up to 50 minutes at 1080p. Mostly bodypaint. Shorter 5 minute low resolution version here.

Using Ornatrix in 3DS Max to create low poly hair planes.
Ornatrix Hair Demo

Using Ornatrix in 3DS Max to create low poly hair planes.

Part 1, Concepting in Photoshop.
Low Poly Character Series, Delilah Part 1

Concepting in Photoshop.

Part 2, Orthographic images in Photoshop.
Low Poly Character Series, Delilah Part 2

Orthographic images in Photoshop.

Part 3, Orthographic planes in 3D Studio Max.
Low Poly Character Series, Delilah Part 3

Orthographic planes in 3D Studio Max.

Part 4, Head Modeling in 3D Studio Max.
Low Poly Character Series, Delilah Part 4

Head modeling in 3D Studio Max.

Part 5, Body Modeling in 3D Studio Max.
Low Poly Character Series, Delilah Part 5

Body modeling in 3D Studio Max.

Part 6, Gun Modeling in 3D Studio Max.
Low Poly Character Series, Delilah Part 6

Gun modeling in 3D Studio Max.

Part 7, Gun UV layout in Unfold 3d Magic, and 3D Studio Max.
Low Poly Character Series, Delilah Part 7

Gun UV layout in Unfold 3D Magic, and 3D Studio Max.

Part 8, Gun Texture in Bodypaint, Photoshop, and 3D Studio Max.
Low Poly Character Series, Delilah Part 8

Gun texture in Bodypaint, Photoshop, and 3D Studio Max.

Part 9, Face Texture in Bodypaint, Photoshop, and 3D Studio Max.
Low Poly Character Series, Delilah Part 9

Face texture in Bodypaint, Photoshop, and 3D Studio Max.

Part 10, Hair Texture in Bodypaint, Photoshop, and 3D Studio Max.
Low Poly Character Series, Delilah Part 10

Hair texture in Bodypaint, Photoshop, and 3D Studio Max.

Part 11, body Texture in Bodypaint, Photoshop, and 3D Studio Max.
Low Poly Character Series, Delilah Part 11

Body texture in Bodypaint, Photoshop, and 3D Studio Max.

Timelapse of a 4,300 triangle model. Video of modeling only. Plays at fifteen times actual speed.
Gahn Eysh

Timelapse of a 4,300 triangle model. Video of modeling only. Plays at fifteen times actual speed.

Video of one of the ways I paint face textures.
Timelapse Texture

Video of one of the ways I paint face textures.

Short video on using Zbrush 2's tools in conjunction with 3D Studio Max render to texture feature.
Zbrush 2 and 3D Studio Max Render to Texture

Short video on using Zbrush 2's tools in conjunction with 3D Studio Max render to texture feature.

Massing out of the major forms.
Low Poly Character Series: 1 Massing Out Forms

Massing out of the major forms.

Detailing out the Legs.
Low Poly Character Series: 2 Modeling the Legs

Detailing out the Legs.

Detailing out the arms.
Low Poly Character Series: 3 Modeling the Arms

Detailing out the arms.

Detailing out the arms.
Low Poly Character Series: 4 Modeling the Hand

Detailing out the hands.

Detailing out the head.
Low Poly Character Series: 5 Modeling the Head

Detailing out the head.

Laying out and arranging the UV map.
Low Poly Character Series: 6 UV Layout One

Laying out and arranging the UV map.

Laying out and arranging the UV map.
Low Poly Character Series: 7 UV Layout Two

Laying out and arranging the UV map.

Photoshop techniques and introduction to painting textures.
Low Poly Character Series: 8 Texturing One

Photoshop techniques and introduction to painting textures.

Photoshop techniques and introduction to painting textures.
Low Poly Character Series: 9 Texturing Two

Photoshop techniques and introduction to painting textures.

Using the Physique modifier on a mesh to rig it to a Biped.
Low Poly Character Series: 10 Rigging

Using the Physique modifier on a mesh to rig it to a Biped.

A short tutorial on all the basics. I assume you know nothing and walk you through.
3D Studio Max Beginners

A short tutorial on all the basics. I assume you know nothing and walk you through.

Walkthroughs

Static text and image based instructional material with pictures and text.

How to use smoothing groups in 3D Studio Max.
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Insights into your usage of time. Potentially offensive to the lazy and apathetic.

Create 'comb maps' to control anisotropy direction on a per pixel basis.
Comb Map Creation

Create "comb maps" to control anisotropy direction on a per pixel basis.

How to construct more realistic eyes using per-pixel shaders and transparent shells.
Next-Gen Eyes

How to construct more realistic eyes using per-pixel shaders and transparent shells.

Next-Gen Texturing.
Next-Gen Texturing

This tutorial covers my basic principle in creating textures for next gen assets.

How to construct more realistic eyes using per-pixel shaders and transparent shells.
Programs, Plugins, and Scripts

The 3D, 2D, and miscellaneous programs I use, as well as plugins and scripts. Links included. Should give an overview of my workflow.

Page with assorted examples made for students and online forums.
Tip Images

Page with assorted examples made for students and online forums.

Explanation of the different settings in the Nvidia DDS plugin for Photoshop with example images. Guide to compression.
DDS Types

Explanation of the different settings in the Nvidia DDS plugin for Photoshop with example images. Guide to compression.

Use multiple layers to augment baked normal maps with real depth in your overlays. Please don't hot link this image, my host complains.
Normal Map Deepening

Use multiple layers to augment baked normal maps with real depth in your overlays. Please don't hot link this image, my host complains.

A short demonstration of painting ears.
Painting Ears

A short demonstration of painting ears.

My personal advice for someone looking to receive formal art training.
Formal Art Training

My personal advice for someone looking to receive formal art training.

Tools I most commonly use in 3ds Max. This is the pdf that accompanies the fourth video tutorial for the Delilah series.
3D Studio Max Settings

Tools I most commonly use in 3ds Max. This is the pdf that accompanies the fourth video tutorial for the Delilah series.

Tools I most commonly use in Photoshop. This is the pdf that accompanies the first two video tutorials for the Delilah series.
Photoshop Settings

Tools I most commonly use in Photoshop. This is the pdf that accompanies the first two video tutorials for the Delilah series.

Covers all the things you need to know to start using normal maps in 3D Studio Max.
Normal Map Workflow

Covers all the things you need to know to start using normal maps in 3D Studio Max.

My typical layer setup. This shows how I mask off each layer to allow greater freedom as I paint.
Layer Setup

My typical layer setup. This shows how I mask off each layer to allow greater freedom as I paint.

How to use smoothing groups in 3D Studio Max.
Smoothing Groups

How to use smoothing groups in 3D Studio Max.

Short tutorial on using Gradient Mask adjustment layers to colorize images.
Gradient Maps in Photoshop

Short tutorial on using Gradient Mask adjustment layers to colorize images.

Short tutorial on using masks in your photoshop work.
Using Masks in Photoshop

Short tutorial on using masks in your photoshop work.

A paper on thought process. I try to explain my own while I practice.
Analytical Thinking

A paper on thought process. I try to explain my own while I practice.

How I painted the hairs for Dark Age of Camelot: Catacombs expansion.
Low Poly Hair Texturing

How I painted the hairs for Dark Age of Camelot: Catacombs expansion.

Utilizing your texture space for environment work.
Thirding Textures

Utilizing your texture space for environment work.

Text based intro.
Texturing Theory: Part 1

Text based intro.

Text based intro.
Texturing Theory: Part 2

Hands on demonstration.

Personal advice on using greyscale and colorizing after, versus painting once in true color.
True Color

Personal advice on using greyscale and colorizing after, versus painting once in true color.

Dirty up your textures!
Texture Dirt

Dirty up your textures!

Dirty up your textures!
True resolution vs Resizing

My opinion about painting double resolution then sizing down.

Make sure to vary the hardness and softness of your edges when texturing.
Varying Edges

Make sure to vary the hardness and softness of your edges when texturing.

Quick and dirty starting point for stubble and shaved heads.
How to make a Stubble Texture

Quick and easy starting point for stubble and shaved heads.

How I make eyes, both model and texture.
Mobile Friendly Low Poly Eye Modeling

How I make eyes, both model and texture.

Animation on how to arrange loops for good deformation.
Limb Deformation Tips

Animation on how to arrange loops for good deformation.

An example image of how I rig shoulders.
Shoulders for Rigging Tips

An example image of how I rig shoulders.

My first character tutorial.
Character Modeling Tutorial

A complete walk through on how to create a fully modeled and textured character model.

My first character tutorial.
Horse Tutorial

Old walkthrough of a horse model.

Contact

Please send me a line if you have questions, need a freelance remote artist (though I am available for shorter on site work), or have feedback on my website. I answer all emails as promptly as I can.