Hi, I’m Hugo B. Desautels, a multidisciplinary digital artist focused on concept art and digital sculpting. I specialize in stylized 20/30 illustration and character-driven visual development, translating ideas into production-ready 3D assets and assets across 2D/3D pipelines. I love guiding concepts from idea to manufacturing, collaborating across disciplines, and mentoring emerging artists in visual storytelling and art direction. I’ve built a workflow that blends 2D concepts with 3D production, including board game asset development, tokens and figurines, and cross-functional collaboration to fit production constraints. When I’m not creating, I enjoy teaching and sharing techniques in motion design, 3D tools, and storytelling.…

Hugo B. Desautels

Hi, I’m Hugo B. Desautels, a multidisciplinary digital artist focused on concept art and digital sculpting. I specialize in stylized 20/30 illustration and character-driven visual development, translating ideas into production-ready 3D assets and assets across 2D/3D pipelines. I love guiding concepts from idea to manufacturing, collaborating across disciplines, and mentoring emerging artists in visual storytelling and art direction. I’ve built a workflow that blends 2D concepts with 3D production, including board game asset development, tokens and figurines, and cross-functional collaboration to fit production constraints. When I’m not creating, I enjoy teaching and sharing techniques in motion design, 3D tools, and storytelling.…

Available to hire

Hi, I’m Hugo B. Desautels, a multidisciplinary digital artist focused on concept art and digital sculpting. I specialize in stylized 20/30 illustration and character-driven visual development, translating ideas into production-ready 3D assets and assets across 2D/3D pipelines. I love guiding concepts from idea to manufacturing, collaborating across disciplines, and mentoring emerging artists in visual storytelling and art direction.

I’ve built a workflow that blends 2D concepts with 3D production, including board game asset development, tokens and figurines, and cross-functional collaboration to fit production constraints. When I’m not creating, I enjoy teaching and sharing techniques in motion design, 3D tools, and storytelling.

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Language

French
Fluent
English
Advanced

Work Experience

Art Director / 3D Illustrator at Nostra Studio
January 1, 2024 - January 1, 2025
Art Director and 3D Illustrator for a board game micro-enterprise (Guerres et Quetes); led visual development, produced 3D assets, prepared files for manufacturing, and collaborated with cross-functional teams to align creative vision with production constraints. Also contributed 2D illustrations and 3D assets across various styles; provided training in After Effects.
Ae Motion Design Instructor & Graphic Designer at TCF.tv
January 1, 2022 - Present
Instructor for Ae Motion Design and graphic designer; contributed to tutorials and design projects.
Freelance Illustration / 3D / Concept Art at Freelance / Self-employed
January 1, 2001 - Present
Selected personal projects in character, environment, and prop design across 2D and 3D workflows; narrative-driven visual development; full board game product development pipeline from concept to production-ready assets; tokens and figurines designed with manufacturing constraints in mind.
Advertising Concept Designer at Group Gabriel
January 1, 2001 - January 1, 2005
Led visual development and art direction for original board game projects, designed and translated 2D concepts into 3D assets, prepared 3D files for manufacturing and prototyping (tokens, figurines & Cosplay). Collaborated with cross-functional teams to align creative vision with production constraints. Provided training in After Effects. Assistant Director (AD) and support for visual production and in-house design needs.
Freelance Illustration / 3D / Concept Art
January 1, 2001 - Present
Freelance work in illustration, 3D, and concept art across multiple client projects; managed workflows from concept to production-ready assets.

Education

Storyboard & Animation Training at NAO
January 11, 2030 - January 1, 2023
ZBrush Training at NAO
January 11, 2030 - January 1, 2023
Studies in 3D Production at College de Bois-de-Boulogne
January 11, 2030 - January 1, 2003
Ongoing training at Udemy, Flipped Normals, Aaron Blaise etc.
January 1, 2017 - June 17, 2026
University studies in Music at UdeM
January 1, 2000 - June 17, 2026
Storyboard & Animation Training at NAO
January 1, 2023 - January 1, 2023
ZBrush Training at NAO
January 1, 2023 - January 1, 2023
Studies in 3D Production at College de Bois-de-Boulogne
January 1, 2003 - January 1, 2003
Ongoing training (Udemy, Flipped Normals, Aaron Blaise etc.) at Various Online Platforms
January 1, 2017 - June 22, 2026
University studies in Music at UdeM
January 1, 2000 - January 1, 2000

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Gaming, Media & Entertainment, Manufacturing, Professional Services, Software & Internet, Education
    EIGHT SHADOWS GRIP THE CITY

    https://www.twine.net/signin
    -Personal non-commercial project-
    Inspired by the standard theatrical poster format, adapted to a 3:4 aspect ratio.
    The concept behind this illustration is my personal interpretation of the spirit of late ’70s to early ’80s B-movie horror poster art — a kind of cinematic delirium à la Frank Zappa.
    *Original creation
    Note: To save time, I revisited a rigged 3D spider model that I originally made several years ago, along with various 3D kitbash elements to establish the scene’s foundation. Everything was then refined, adjusted, and hand-painted — an essential part of my process, as I enjoy creating by hand.
    *This piece was created without the use of AI-generated imagery.

    SHOWREEL Mars Attacks! _concept art_digital sculpting_Hugo B.Desautels_ 2026

    Link:

    This showreel combines concept art, digital sculpting, and prop modeling, all based on a well-known theme: Mars Attacks!

    In this interpretation, I created a visual that blends Wally Wood’s original style with Norman Saunders’ illustrations on Topps cards (1962), as well as the whimsical and humorous aspects echoing the 1996 film directed by Tim Burton.

    Music: Original composition created exclusively for this presentation.
    The soundtrack is more “organic” when introducing the character and more techno when showcasing the prop. It mixes genres with a range of sounds from the 1960s (the years the subject was created) and the 1990s, coinciding with the film’s release. It’s funky, mysterious, a touch horrific, but above all, comical.

    That’s exactly what it’s about.

    *Note: This presentation can be considered both a showreel and a demo reel.

    Software used:
    Visual: ZBrush, Blender, Photoshop, Illustrator, Substance 3D, After Effects, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve
    Audio: Reaper

    *I do not use AI to create images and sound in my work; everything is original.