The most effective horror doesn’t scream—it breathes. Through careful attention to anatomy, texture, and subtle movement, 3D artist Maka designs creatures that feel disturbingly alive. Inspired by liminal spaces and the ambiguity of Backrooms lore, their work blurs the line between familiar and unnatural. This interview dives into Maka’s creative process, technical challenges, and obsession with the small details that make horror linger.
1. What sparked your interest in character art and animation?
While I’m not primarily an animator, my interest in character art and animation comes from a long-standing dream of seeing my character and creature sketches come to life in a fully realized 3D space. A major turning point for me was in 2021, when I began playing Backrooms-inspired games and exploring The Backrooms wiki. The liminal, uncanny environments fascinated me because they rely more on implication than explanation. That ambiguity pushed me to imagine creatures and characters that might exist naturally within those spaces, which ultimately inspired me to start sculpting my own.
2. What does your creative process look like from concept to finished model?
I usually begin with sketches and loose ideas driven by a specific mood or backstory. I think deeply about what kind of life the creature has lived and what emotions it should evoke in the viewer or player. Once I have that foundation, I move into sculpting in ZBrush, where most of my time is spent storytelling through details. I focus heavily on textures, folds in the skin, asymmetry, and imperfections—those small elements that make a character feel alive. After modeling, I move into polypainting and rendering using Substance 3D Painter or Procreate. From there, I import the model into Unreal Engine 5 and continue refining it within an environment.
3. How do you approach designing horror creatures?
For horror creatures, I always start with realistic anatomy. Once the base feels believable, I introduce asymmetry and subtle distortions—just enough to make the character feel unnatural. My goal is to keep the creature familiar enough to be recognizable, while adding unsettling elements like exaggerated proportions or body-horror details that create shock value without completely breaking immersion.
4. What challenges have you faced as a self-taught 3D artist?
One of the biggest challenges has been learning how to adapt my work for real-time use. Early on, I often created sculpts that were far too detailed or dense for game environments. This forced me to rethink how and where I use detail. Learning geometry and topology wasn’t something I initially planned for, but it’s helped me become much more intentional and strategic with my modeling decisions.
5. What tools are you most comfortable using?
I’m most comfortable working in ZBrush, Nomad, Substance 3D Painter, and Procreate. I also regularly use Unreal Engine 5 to test characters and assets in real-time environments. More recently, I’ve been learning Blender and expanding my knowledge of more advanced coding systems within Unreal Engine 5, especially as I begin creating full 3D scenes and environments.
6. How do you approach collaboration?
Clear communication is my top priority when collaborating. Before I even open ZBrush, I like to discuss the character’s backstory, role, and overall energy. I also ask practical questions—such as how closely the character will be seen and whether it will be animated—so I know how much detail and how many polygons are appropriate. From there, I create sketches and rough drafts, staying open to feedback throughout the process. Constructive criticism is incredibly important to me, and I work closely with collaborators until the model fully matches their vision.
7. What’s the best advice you’ve received about 3D character modeling?
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received is to always use skeleton references. It sounds simple, but it’s easy to forget where bones and muscles naturally protrude. Understanding anatomy at that level helps keep models believable. I also try to remember that there’s blood beneath the skin—adding veins and subtle color variation during rendering can make a huge difference in realism.
8. How does your workflow differ between gameplay and cutscenes?
The biggest difference is how much detail I can afford to add. During gameplay, I keep polygon counts reasonable to maintain performance and responsiveness. In cutscenes, there’s much more flexibility, so I can push details further without worrying about optimization as much, while still keeping the model game-ready.
9. How important are subtle animations in horror games?
Subtle animations are incredibly important. Small details like breathing, head bobbing, eye movement, blinking, or slight twitches may go unnoticed consciously, but they greatly enhance immersion. Even subtle skin stretching over bones can make a creature feel more unsettling, which is especially effective in horror experiences.
10. Where do you see yourself in the future?
I see myself continuing to grow as a 3D artist, telling stories through characters and environments. In the future, I hope to release my own horror game built entirely with my own assets and characters, focused on atmospheric storytelling. I’d also love to collaborate with other artists and developers on a horror game, as horror and liminal spaces remain my favorite genres across games and media.
You can view more of Maka's work on ArtStation here:
https://www.artstation.com/user-855951