Nestor Alvarez
Animation
Artist Statement
I am an illustrator and independent game developer who focuses on aesthetic-driven works with nontraditional narratives. I work primarily in Unreal Engine 4 and Blender 3D, iterating and experimenting on a concept for months before completing it. The end result of the project is often unrecognizable compared to the beginning vision.
Game-making keeps me interested because of the variety of tasks required to develop a project. Storytelling, 3D modeling, and scripting are just some examples of the tasks that I switch between.
My work often depicts isolation and exploration, stranding the player in a surreal world and letting them discover the stories within. It is based firmly in the hazy world of intuition and abstraction, with literal meaning taking a backseat.
Alvarez_Runaway_1.mp4
3D Animation, 1920x1080px
2022
Alvarez_Runaway_2.png
2D Still Image, 1920x1080px
2022
Alvarez_Runaway_3.png
2D Still Image, 1920x1080px
2022
Alvarez_Runaway_6.png
2D Still Image, 1920x1080px
2022
Alvarez_Runaway_7.png
2D Still Image, 1920x1080px
2022
Alvarez_Runaway_8.mp4
3D Animation, 1920x1080px. 1 min.
2022
Alvarez_Runaway_13.png
2D Still Image, 1920x1080px
2022
Alvarez_Runaway_14.png
2D Still Image, 1136x682px
2022
Alvarez_Runaway_15.png
2D Still Image, 1136x682px
2022
Artist Bio
Website: nestoralvarez3d.com
Vimeo: vimeo.com/700887484
Nestor Alvarez-Popoca is a digital artist based in the Chicago area. He was born and raised in Tecomatepec, Ixtapan de la Sal, Mexico, a town near Mexico City known for its artisan community. He had his first connection with art while helping his parents in their family pottery business.
His creative practices extend from traditional sculpting and modeling to the digital form. He creates 3D assets that range from organic to mechanical, which can be found in video games, digital videos, installations and CAD design.
He is passionate about new technologies and finds inspiration from artificial intelligence, electronics, and science fiction. While in college, he had multiple collaborations with computer scientists and engineers where he assisted them with information design.
He earned his A.A.S in Digital Media and Design at College of Lake County in 2020, and is a Northern Illinois University B.F.A in Time Arts candidate for 2022.