Fans of model sculptures may have already come across all these super realistic creations by RockstarStudio’s Narayut “A” Dokmaihom before. For those who haven’t (or even those who have), EQ gets in touch with the artist behind the famed studio to find out more about himself and his recent foray into the crypto world.

“Eye-catchingly spectacular” is how I would describe Spartan Army, a 3D artwork on Foundation that introduced me to A and his insane skills as a sculpture artist. 

“Many people see samurai and spartan as two super cool characters. They existed on different timelines and, according to my internet research, I don’t think they were ever pitted against each another before in a fight,” A explained before touching on another artwork of his called Devil On The Moon.

“It depicts Michael Jackson dancing on a grave on the moon to wake up other monsters. The flashing Ethereum logo in the background refers to the changing world.”

But that’s not all. Over on Paras, A has also created a striking series called EAGLE POWER inspired by Thailand’s very own superhero Insi Daeng (The Red Eagle).

Can you introduce yourself to EQ reader? 

“Hi, I’m A Narayut. I’m a freelancer working in CG, motion graphic, and ads. I also run a model sculpture studio called RockstarStudio and have been making NFTs as a hobby for about three months now.”

“At first, I didn’t know anything about NFTs but my friends in the CG industry told me that I should give it a try because the money was good and that it would potentially be my thing. After doing some research, I’m now fully in the thick of it. I’ve also gotten into trading.”

Apart from income, what else have you gained from the crypto art world?
“It gave me the opportunity to reach everybody on this globe. Back in the days, it was practically impossible for your art to do so. With crypto art, you can also trace the origin of any artwork and verify its authenticity. Collectors who knew me through my NFTs also went to visit my page which means that they saw my other collections as well.”

Your NFTs have a very rugged style, where does that come from?
“I love playing metal rock and I think that reflects through my art – a lot of action and gory details. Cute is certainly not my style and a lot of people have been teasing me about that.” 

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What’s your creative process like?
“I don’t really rely on references when I’m working. I start with an idea and go straight to drawing it without doing any research. For example, I didn’t even know what the real samurai was supposed to look like or what his story was. I just had some rough ideas and the rest was pure imagination. Some people saw my work and commented that I got the samurai swords wrong. I’m aware of that – my intention is not for them to be factually accurate, but to make them look beautiful.”

Do you think it’s necessary for NFT artists to follow trends?
“To a certain extent. Some people had never managed to sell their artwork until they started making things that are trendy. The most important thing is to put a bit of yourself in it. The way I drew PEPE the frog is completely my own style.”

How long does it take to finish one artwork?
“It varies. Spartan Army took me the longest. Just the costumes alone took me months to finish, not to mention all the effects. It also got the highest bid, somewhere around 350,000 baht at the time.”

What are some of the differences between sculptures to NFTs?
“They’re not that different. With models, I usually start with a sketching, print it out, and then start sculpturing. From there, I can expand it into an NFT. With NFTs, however, the main challenge is to build a community so that collectors can find you.”

Would you ever turn NFTs into sculptures?
“I’m planning on creating art toys. When a collector buys my NFT, they would also get this art toy with their purchase.”

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