Stomp your way into Sam Wood’s candy-coloured world of plastic mayhem

We love the world of 3D for how readily it embraces the absurd, and that’s why we can’t get enough of Sam Wood’s work. A 3D illustrator and animator from Epsom, Sam’s work is all about “embracing odd movements”; his characters can be found stomping, whacking things and floating about in a uniquely wobbly way. In terms of texture, Sam’s work is a distinctly plastic sheen, which makes sense when hearing that one of his foremost influences is McDonald’s toys.

While all Sam’s work is finished digitally, his process is strongly grounded in drawing, always returning to his sketchbook when in search of inspiration – “the relationship between my analogue drawing practice and 3D design form a conversation which is always developing and changing,” he says. Over the years Sam’s had commissions from the likes of The New York Times and Bloomberg, though he’s always maintained a diverse personal practice alongside. Looking to the DIY ethos of punk and self-publishing culture, his side projects are “sustainable and always fun”. Currently, Sam is taking part in a residency at HQI in White City where he is learning to make his own games.