For digital artist 
@Empyror, Roblox started out simply as a place to simulate the job of working at a pizza shop. Since then, he’s grown into a full-time hand-painting artist who primarily sculpts stylized accessories, from tridents to daggers. In this spotlight, we chat with Empyror about transitioning from designing 2D clothing to creating 3D accessories, the ins and outs of sculpting, and what’s next in his career. Let’s jump in!
Hi Empyror! Tell us about your journey creating accessories on Roblox.
Prior to creating on Roblox, I actually didn’t think I had any artistic ability whatsoever. Jumping into experiences and following along with the Roblox community really brought my creative side out. I started with classic clothing design, taking inspiration from animes I watched and recreating fashion with my own twist. This was how I discovered my artistic talent.
I soon progressed from clothing design to modeling accessories by taking a Blender course. I only watched the videos on modelling and two days later hit the ground running making UGC items. And since I had experience with texturing from clothing design, I was able to model something basic and then draw out the details on my drawing tablet for the texture. This allowed me to create optimized assets that ran smoothly on older devices.
Prior to being accepted into the UGC program, I used to create concepts for items inspired by Roblox’s accessories, such as Valkyrie Helm by researching the original sources and innovating on them. Now I look for inspiration when I watch movies or shows (my recent favorite has been Arcane). I pay close attention to the character design and imagine how I can recreate it and add my own touch on Roblox.
Since growing as an artist online, I’ve had amazing opportunities to collaborate with brands I admire. For example, I was super excited to collaborate with Kung Fu Panda 4 and Avatar the Last Airbender — I’ve been obsessed with both ever since I was a kid so this was a dream. I presented my ideas, iterated based on the feedback from the brands, and together we created items that felt true to the brand, like Aang’s Glider and Deng Wa’s Dagger.
What’s your artistic style and how do you make items?
My art is stylized, so my items are very ornate and intricate, with bright colors, sharp edges, and pops of shimmer and shine.
First, I digitally sketch an outline in black and white to create the general shape before adding in color and more detail. Then, I start sculpting the 3D item — a technique I’ve recently picked up. I use ZBrush, an iPad-friendly software with customizable brushes that lets you shape and texture virtual clay. I start out with a block and slowly sculpt it (literally chip away) into the shape I want before painting and adding in details. Sculpting makes it much easier for me to create difficult, organic shapes, since it’s more flexible than modelling. Imagine drawing, but in 3D. It’s amazing!
Here’s a video of me sculpting a mask:
How Empyror Sculpts
To sculpt this mask, I:
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Prepared many reference images and organized them on PureRef.
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Started out on a rough base that I’ve sculpted and used for past masks.
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Switched to a clay-build-up brush and started sculpting the basic facial structure.
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Began using the flatten tool to polish it out and define the shape of facial structure.
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Adjusted the lips, jaw and eyebrows. This is a stylized mask so it’s meant to look sharp and rigid.
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Finished with some final touch-ups, like cuts and screws. And voila, it’s sculpted!
Adding Color and Texture
After sculpting, I add color and texture to bring the items to life.
- I start texturing this on greyscale. I did a basic curvature and lighting bake on the model after importing it to 3DCoat. I’ll basically be drawing on top of this to create my base.
- I personally start the texturing process with dark tones first, so I create a basic layer and fill in all the shadows using a blurry brush. Then, I’ll start painting around the edges and the sides using the dark brush as our source of light on this mask is in the middle.
- Next, I create a second layer and use a blurry brush with white as highlights. I then add a third layer with a sharp white brush. In the middle, I add stronger highlights.
- I start adding in colors. For shadows, I like to add in blue and purple. For highlights, I like going with yellow and white.
- Finally, I adjust the contrast and done! For in-game hand-painted assets, I would apply a more neutral contrast.
What has been most challenging for you as a creator?
Living and growing up in Iraq, a sanctioned third world country, can be quite challenging for any creator. I would say really unstable internet and very common electricity blackouts were the biggest obstacles early on, though with time and and opportunities on the Roblox platform, I managed to have my own back-up power source (a big diesel generator and 5 KVA online UPS) and moved to a place with more reliable internet. This platform offered me opportunities that lifted both me and my family greatly.
What are 3 tips you have for other 3D artists?
1. Specialize in a specific artistic skill: Stand out, focus on specializing in something and do your best to be really good at it. For example, my teachers would often compliment my drawings in class, so when I got into development I chose texturing as my main skill and my knowledge carried over as a basic foundation to build on. About 60% of the work I do now is still texturing-related, even as I’ve branched out and tried new skills.
2. Be consistent: Consistency is the key to learning and getting better at practically anything. If you’re balancing being an artist with other responsibilities, set aside a specific amount of time you’ll consistently practice your art.
3. Be reliable and communicate often: If you tell someone you will get something done by a certain date, then get it done by that date. If you do not succeed in meeting deadlines, then find a way to make up and compensate the client for it.
What’s next for you?
I’ve recently joined the development team at Notoriety! I’ve created some of the skins, masks, and accessories for the game, and have also helped build out a customization system.
And in the distant future, one of my dreams actually is to become an actor! I’ve done a bit of voice acting for a zombie game and have really loved it, so I want to explore it more.
Thanks so much @Empyror for sharing your story — be sure to follow him on Roblox and X, and browse his Marketplace catalog!
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