Our games are highly focused on elaborate and well-designed characters. Whether they are morally ambiguous anti-heroes of our MMO shooter Citizen Conflict or mythical creatures of AniMate, you can always look forward to the detailed and imaginative work of art.
Who’s the man behind the creative direction and creation of our heroes? Let’s meet out Head of Character Artists, Michal Horňák. He’s truly fun to hang out with, but foremost, he’s a devoted professional reaching above and beyond the limits within his field of expertise.
With legendary projects such as Mafia III, DayZ, or Arma, you know you are talking to a seasoned expert. Michal’s roots in 3D graphics and animation date back to 90’, when the world of graphics, design, and gaming looked so much different than nowadays’ delights. So let’s jump right in to shed light on Michal’s beginnings in the sunset of the 20th millennium.
Hi Michal, could you tell me how did you get into your field?
Since my early childhood. I have a ten years older brother with significant artistic tendencies. I have wanted to be like him since he introduced me to art. I was so excited about it. Moreover, being sort of a ‘nerd’, I got quickly hooked on PC games. I was constantly glued to the screen along with my brother, playing RPGs and Fantasy games.
These passions led me to several artistic courses, later on to a high school of art & design, which made me pursue a career as a ‘serious artist.’ It was later that I realized how mistaken I was with the pure art focus.
What changed your thoughts about traditional art?
It wasn’t that bad after all. The high point of my art studies was a greater deal of understanding of what’s really going on in art. It makes so much difference to make art by feeling and by profession.
However, around the time of my studies, my friend invited me to a company to work on games. They were called Games Distillery, and funnily enough, my job was to create assets to an erotic game for the German market - Lula the sexy empire. You know, the 90’ erotic game for Germans.
I started with 2D assets such as tables, cupboards, and carpets until I moved on to animating the girls. Later on, I moved on to an outsourcing company, working on Mafia III.
Oh, this is starting to be interesting! What was your role in Mafia III development?
Actually, the same thing over again. We started with basic in-game assets, moving on to the art tests for characters. That means modeling clothes for heroes, some effigies and statues, or other figures in the game. It was exciting to see the progress of the whole game development in the making.
Anyway, in the same studio, we also collaborated on the production of some Australian horror movie. Our task was to create the villain monster. To tell you the truth, that was truly a fun experience. In good and bad - from Mafia III to cheap horror!
What was next?
We moved on to truck simulators That was the fad back then. But I didn’t quite like it, so I started to freelance, looking for jobs I would actually enjoy working on. There were many smaller projects I worked on as a character artist. Since my childhood, I have been most interested in creating various figures.
Afterward, I also spent some time in Bohemia Interactive. From in-game assets and clothes to heroes, I put my hands on everything that is. I was the most involved in DayZ and Arma.
Lastly, I moved on to Arsenal Studio. We were working on the remaster of the old game title Commandos. And the company was somehow partnered with Alien Studio, we contributed to characters for commercials.
So how did you end up in QORPO Game Studio?
It was quite coincidental. I just saw some pop-up ads. I liked it. You know, cyberpunk shooter, some Pokemon-like monsters… I was hooked. So I joined.
And how do you reflect on your experience here so far?
It’s been just about three months since I got here. But I’m enjoying it immensely. What I’m really excited about is that projects like these are nowhere to be found in Slovakia. I like the unconventional nature of QORPO Game Studio.
Sure, there are those guys from Košice, CassaGI, but that’s not quite what we do here in QORPO. Anyway, I also did some minor character development jobs for them. But in the end, it didn’t quite work out due to the Covid crisis. It all just got a bit complicated.
But this is something I am really hooked on. Those characters for our games are truly captivating,
What are your future benchmarks and career aspirations?
I want to connect 3D design with art in a sense when you don’t sell just fancy images but the whole concept ideas. I simply want to elaborate on the underlying ideas of the visual work I deliver.
And what are you into in your free time?
Well, you can call it a professional deformation, but I’m totally glued to the screen and delved into 3D modeling. I have several projects underway, which I develop just for my own pleasure of making things. I also helped my friends with character modeling for their VR game project, something like Duna. So there’s basically always something going on for me.
Thank you so much for your answers. It was pleasure
Thanks for having me!
