iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ilya Novikov @novilj.bsky.social · 25/07/2025

I haven't been active here for a while. Mostly been on LinkedIn as my main social for work and craft. Currently working on a fan art VFX project. Only character models and the environment are not mine — everything else (textures, FX, sequence, animation) is my own craft. #unrealengine #vfx #techart

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Ilya Novikov @novilj.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

Wrapped the term with a #Python tool for #UnrealEngine! It converts lightmap textures into SDFs to build masks for clean cel-shaded facial shadows — no vertex normals needed💫 Artists fine-tune in Photoshop🎨, plugin does the rest💪 Excited for use in future projects!🚀 #technicalart #stylized #anime

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Ilya Novikov @novilj.bsky.social · 06/04/2025

Exploring cel-shaded face shadows like in "Hi-Fi Rush" and anime games. Turns out it's a mix of layered SDFs – moon phase style. I'm using Render Targets, Jump Flood and Python scripting – hoping the character won't look haunted 😅 #unrealengine #python #technicalart #stylized #anime

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Ilya Novikov @novilj.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

The true "Most Anticipated Game" for me🤩. Wonderful announcement. Can't wait to hear more from Hideki Kamiya-san and his team. #okami

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Ilya Novikov @novilj.bsky.social · 12/12/2024

"Good Song Never Dies" by Saint Motel; Fan-made music video. Here is a link to my ArtStation post. CGI Cinematographer and Tech Artist on this team project, merging live action and virtual production on set - Colour Grading, B-Rolls, Lighting, you name it www.artstation.com/artwork/Gvv3YB

artstation.com

A Good Song Never Dies - Fan-made Music Video, Ilja Ilmar Novikov

Group project exercise for the MSc Technical Art & Visual Effects course at Abertay University. The task was to produce a music video with a song of our choice in two weeks as a team of eight peop...

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Ilya Novikov @novilj.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

"Copy Flash" (Not much of a unique name, I know...) Based on "Summer Time Rendering" anime where evil creatures take over the appearance of their victims. Put a spin on it aka "Destiny 2" and "Apex Legends" finisher ability with a dynamic level sequencing blending the gameplay and scripted action

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Ilya Novikov @novilj.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

And yes, it can still bake meshes with outlines. Animations work naturally with the skeletal meshes as the method only adds up the polygons in a most old-fashioned way of inverted hulls and enables quick iteration tests of different outline thicknesses

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Ilya Novikov @novilj.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

Next on our list - "UE Stylization Tool". That's a fun "dissertation project fellow" of mine. Initially started as a tool for baking meshes with an inverted hull outline later expanded into a full-fledged tool for the application of various comic-book-inspired post-processing techniques

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Ilya Novikov @novilj.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

Inspired by the likes of "Okami" and "Spirit of the North", this project opened the doors for me to pursue stylized graphics. Eventually, our team was grateful to receive a place as DARE Academy finalists and showcased the demo at EGX London 2023🤩

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Ilya Novikov @novilj.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

Starting from the most influential and oldest piece in my VFX & Tech Art journey - "Paper Trails". This cosy-horror narrative-adventure game lets you explore the life of a former wolf now living a new life as its last prey within a story-book visual "drawn" with pencil strokes.

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Ilya Novikov @novilj.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

I shouldn't limit this post to just still images and shall add some more to descriptions

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Ilya Novikov @novilj.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

An invaluable collection of starter packs for both seasoned and young game developers. Let's all build a perfect place for likeminded people supporting the industry together🥰

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Ilya Novikov @novilj.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

Hi! I'm Ilya, a VFX & Tech Artist student. Passionate for post-process techniques, level sequencing and VFX in stylized games for gameplay and cinematic scenes. Here are some examples of my work from games and tools creation to VFX work, and even music video production. #ue5 #vfx #techart #gamedev

"A Good Song Never Dies" (CGI Cinematography & Tech Art). A fan-made music video combined with live-action performance using virtual production studio ViPRE at Abertay University

"Copy Flash". A personal project that combines my experience with post-processing techniques together with learning outcomes of level sequencing and gameplay programming

"UE Stylization Tool". A custom tool for Unreal Engine 5 made as part of my university dissertation paper that enables the stylization of actors at the level using common comic-book-inspired techniques and more

"Paper Trail" (VFX & Tech Art). A "cozy-horror" narrative-adventure game demo that was showcased at EGX London 2023 as part of the DARE Academy competition. Inspired by "Okami" and "Spirit of the North" combining storybook-like monochrome sepia visuals with pencil strokes

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