It’s time to highlight another member of our amazingly talented and diverse 8th Wall developer community. Meet Beatriz Junquera, an experienced 3D artist who’s done work for Link9, Hasbro and the WWE. Recently Beatriz won an Honorable Mention Prize during the VPS Developer Challenge. 

We hosted a Q&A with Beatriz to learn more about her journey in the 3D art space and how she found 8th Wall. 

How long have you been developing on 8th Wall?

I embarked on my 8th Wall journey in March, drawn by the opportunity presented by the 8th Wall Sky Effects Challenge. I came across the introductory workshop about the Sky Effects Challenge that was accessible to everyone, which not only introduced the Challenge but also gave a great showcase of the tools to use. The additional support through the Slack community were great motivations to join 8th Wall.

What would you say is your area of expertise?

My expertise lies in crafting 3D assets and animations tailored for various mediums. Throughout my journey, I've discovered a passion for AR. This fascination has inspired me to delve into prototyping for AR. I enjoy creating digital experiences that seamlessly blend with the real world.

How has your experience with creating 3D assets helped your journey into AR development?

My skills and expertise as a 3D Artist provides a foundation for creating the assets and animations involved in AR experiences. While nowadays there are fantastic free assets and AI tools available that save a lot of time and effort, as a 3D Artist, I can customize the assets and animations to meet the style of a particular project, and optimize them to meet the requirements of the tools and systems involved.

For instance, in the VPS challenge, I crafted a customized version of a 3D figure that mirrored the proportions and appearance of a physical sculpture. Then I was able to add it to a walk cycle imported from Mixamo and the sculpture came to life.

How do 8th Wall's web-based capabilities help you bring AR to the real world? 

The web-based capabilities of 8th Wall have been instrumental in bridging the gap between AR and the physical world. Through its powerful tools, I've been able to integrate augmented reality experiences into real-world environments. This has opened up a wealth of creative possibilities and made AR more accessible and engaging for users.

What does your future with AR look like? 

My primary aspiration in the AR space is to collaborate with a dedicated team in crafting immersive AR experiences to entertain, delight and inspire users.

What’s a recent 8th Wall project that left you feeling inspired? 

I submitted a WebAR entry titled "Experience Monuments in Vitoria-Gasteiz" for the 8th Wall VPS for Web AR challenge. This project allowed me to delve into the capabilities of VPS, a powerful tool enabling the creation of location-based WebAR experiences that seamlessly blend with the physical environment.

Focusing on the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz in northern Spain, I selected iconic landmarks and breathed life into their sculptures through animations.