At Kylee, we believe the best art comes from real people with real stories — and the creators behind the work deserve to be seen just as much as the work itself.
That's why we launched Creator Spotlight — an ongoing series where we sit down with the artists shaping the world of hentai and 3DX art. From their creative process to the characters they've built from scratch, we're pulling back the curtain and letting creators speak for themselves.
For our next spotlight, we're talking with TheRenderGuy (TRG) — a Central European 3D artist with a decade of experience, a sharp eye for composition, and a portfolio that ranges from polished pinups to narrative-driven projects that stick with you long after the first look.
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Tell us who you are. What do you go by, and where are you creating from?
Hi. First off, it’s really cool to be featured; thank you for the opportunity. If you follow the 3D scene, you might have already come across some of my work. I go by the nickname TheRenderGuy, or TRG for short.
Back when I started, I was using Source Filmmaker (SFM) and published under the name TheSFMRenderGuy. I moved on from that software around the year 2020, so I naturally dropped the 'SFM' from my handle as well.
As for my location, I'm creating out of Central Europe. My work focuses on 3D erotica and Rule34 featuring female game characters. My current workflow relies on three main programs: Blender for the 3D, GIMP for 2D post-processing and edits, and DaVinci Resolve whenever a project requires video work.
How did you first get into hentai (3D, 2D, etc.) art? Was there a specific moment, artist, or piece that pulled you in?
My journey into erotic art goes back quite a way. Growing up, I was an avid fan of Japanese anime, and in that world, you eventually cross paths with hentai – whether softcore or hardcore. One of the defining moments for me was discovering the iconic Bible Black series (2001 to 2003). It was then that I truly realized how digital media – from anime and manga to visual novels – can harbor such a dedicated adult genre.
Alongside anime, I was a massive RPG fan, specifically of the golden era of BioWare. While the studio’s recent trajectory is disappointing, they were pioneers in weaving narrative-driven, complex romances into their games. If you ask me, you can't have true romance without physical passion, and seeing those connections in titles like Baldur’s Gate II, Neverwinter Nights, and later Mass Effect and Dragon Age: Origins really sparked my interest in video game erotica.
However, the real turning point was BioShock Infinite. Around 2013, I saw the animations of Elizabeth Comstock produced by the artist ellowas (you can see one such here). The quality and motion in his work – both in BioShock and his earlier World of Warcraft pieces – were incredible. It inspired me to test my own 'aesthetic intuition' in the field.
I began researching software and eventually published my first project in SFM on February 18, 2015. It featured Soria (a model by Vaako7) sitting nude on a stone floor. She remains one of my all-time favorite character designs; I’ve actually ported her to Blender, though she’s still waiting for a proper rig and polish!
How would you describe your style to someone who's never seen your work?
That’s a question I don't think I’ve ever actually asked myself. I’m certainly not a 'one-style' or 'one-topic' artist. My portfolio covers a broad spectrum – ranging from simple pinups, bondage, and erotic magazine covers to passionate positions, futanari, and even SFW variants of my work. I also dive into more niche territory like monster-girl encounters and tentacle art, as well as narrative projects that aim to convey more than just 'pure' erotica.
If I had to point out what differentiates my work, it’s my focus on a 'clean' art style. I’m very deliberate with my lighting, props, and composition. Whether it’s through specific framing or the way I guide the viewer’s eye, I strive for a level of polish and intentionality that I think has become the hallmark of my latest projects.
Walk us through your creative process. What does making a piece actually look like for you, start to finish?
And I thought the last question was hard! Ha ha! In reality, it all starts with motivation and inspiration; that’s the spark I need to get a project from start to finish. I actually have a tendency to finish almost everything I start – I have very few 'abandoned' projects sitting on my drive. Inspiration can strike anywhere – sometimes from a dream in the middle of the night, sometimes from other artists, or even from specific story beats in games, like my 20-image project, 'Ciri and Phillip Strenger.'
The second phase is the 3D workflow. For a simple, one-pose project, this usually takes one or two days. I pose the character and build the environment, occasionally sculpting if a project demands a unique touch, though I don't do that often as it’s quite time-consuming.
Next comes the lighting and camera work, which I constantly tweak alongside the pose. I start with an HDR for environmental lighting and then layer in my own light sources – usually six to seven, sometimes more. Finally, I work on the facial expressions. This is the trickiest part; it has to be done just right. I’ll admit, looking back at some older projects, I can tell when I didn't put in the necessary effort there.
When it’s time to render, I primarily use Blender Eevee. It’s much faster, and I find the quality trade-offs compared to Cycles are very acceptable these days. An Eevee render might take 3 to 10 minutes, whereas Cycles can take half the night for a single frame. I usually render at '4K' (UHD), though I often render at 90% scale and upscale in GIMP to save resources – honestly, most people would never notice the difference on a standard screen!
Before exporting, the render goes through the Blender Compositor for color grading, contrast, and glow effects to enhance the mood. Then, I move to GIMP for the final polish. This is where I fix 3D artifacts like clipping or texture errors, add skin overlays, and apply vignetting to focus the viewer's attention. If the project has text—like my webcomic 'Once in a Blue Moon, in Night City'—I add that here too.
Ultimately, I export three versions: a high-quality 4K .png, a 4K .jpg for downloads, and a 1080p .jpg for teasers. If I’m in a 'flow state' on a weekend, I can finish a piece in a day, but I prefer taking 2 to 4 days to ensure I don’t overlook any details. This is a hobby rather than a full-time job, so while I used to put out 14 projects a month, I’ve slowed down lately to focus on expanding my skills in modeling, rigging, and texturing.
Where do you find inspiration? What gets you excited to create?
As I mentioned, most of my inspiration starts as ideas forming in my head, often while I’m browsing art or playing games. I’ve always had a very active imagination, so ideas come to me easily. Many are too abstract or grand to ever see the light of day, but the ones that feel 'possible' get jotted down on my PC or phone. Though, to be honest, if an idea is worth trying in 3D, I usually find that it sticks in my memory anyway.
I still find myself constantly fascinated – and sometimes puzzled – by what other artists are creating. In the past, I’ve actually recreated pieces by other people, and it was always a fantastic way to learn and have fun.
When it comes to references – which I am always looking for – I rely on Pinterest, various image boards, and standard web searches. I especially love using cosplay photos for pose references; they provide a great real-world foundation. For facial expressions, I actually have a bit of an unusual method: I browse through ASMR videos. Watching female performers whisper into a microphone provides some of the most subtle and realistic facial references you can find. It’s a bit unconventional, but it works for me.
What's the hardest part of your creative process — and how do you push through it?
The hardest part is definitely the 3D work on specific, custom props – especially when I’m building something from scratch. I need these objects to be modeled with very specific geometry, and I often have to reposition and adjust them constantly if I move the model even slightly. I find myself using sculpting tools quite often to get the fit just right.
A great example of this was Panam Palmer’s outfit in my project, 'Nomad in Green.' I actually built the dress geometry directly around her body and extracted it to form that quintessential green outfit. As you can imagine, handcrafting all that fabric took an immense amount of effort. I used a similar process recently for 'Morning Coffee for a Mother-to-be,' where I spent a lot of time ensuring the unbuttoned white blouse wrapped around Marika naturally in a modern setting.
These aren't assets borrowed from other artists; they are pieces made specifically for those projects. I 'push through' these hurdles with sheer persistence – focusing on one element at a time until I hit the quality I’m looking for.
My most recent major struggle, however, was a video project from last year titled 'The Tank Experiment, Episode One' (March 2025, can be watched here). It was my most ambitious video to date, featuring seven minutes of 1080x1920 footage. Rendering that on my older GPU was a total nightmare – it literally took a full month of processing time!
Is there a piece you've made that you're especially proud of? Tell us about it.
Absolutely. There’s one project from July 2023 that really stands out: 'Queen Marika Ready for a Bit of Fun on the Road.' It’s a six-image set featuring Ryan Reos’s Marika model, which I used as a showcase for a custom collar I modeled from scratch.
In the scene, she’s sitting on a stone in the middle of a wilderness, her legs crossed in the foreground. She has this wonderful, flirting expression with her index finger to her lips. To add to the narrative, I surrounded her with a broken cartwheel and scattered gold and silver treasures around. For the wider version of the set, I included a close-up focused on the choker itself, which features the word 'Queen' in silver text. I even went back later to render a 360-degree video orbiting her in that pose (that video is here).
This project highlights my artistic focus. It’s the piece I use whenever I want to grab someone's attention, and honestly, I don't think I’ve made a set that was quite as well-received. That said, Marika projects in general seem to really resonate with my audience!
What does your relationship with your audience mean to you? How does fan support shape what you create?
It’s a relationship built on feedback and inspiration. I regularly run polls on X to see what the community wants to see next – whether it's suggesting characters, voting on themes, or just looking for general suggestions. While I don't view these as strict 'contracts' with my audience, their input certainly helps guide my creative direction.
Support is essential to me. It is incredibly gratifying to create art for someone, whether it’s for a specific person or the community at large. I honestly wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren't for the people who reached out years ago with kind words and even holiday wishes in December. Those small gestures of support are what keep me motivated.
What are you working on or exploring right now? What's exciting you creatively?
The last few months have marked a bit of a shift in my creative focus. I’ve stepped back from a high volume of art output—whereas in the past I was publishing image sets and videos constantly, since December I’ve pivoted toward learning and development.
There comes a moment for every artist where you realize you need to expand your potential and move beyond using models, props, and environments made by others. Don’t get me wrong: models from master-level artists and engineers like Rigid3d, Ryan Reos, AlexaVLewd, and dzooworks are incredible. But eventually, you feel the need for a model made by you, for you.
That is the real creative frontier—moving beyond the limitations of pre-existing assets. My goal for this year is to cross that border and create my own character models from scratch. After working with so many different styles over the years, I finally feel ready to bring my own unique designs to life.
What would you want a first-time viewer of your work to feel?
I hope for a sense of appreciation on top of pure enjoyment – mixed with that specific spark of connection you feel when you truly notice the emotion a female protagonist is expressing in a piece. I know that sounds a bit complex, but capturing that exact moment of feeling is exactly what I strive to achieve.
If I could ask one thing of my audience, it would be for more people to leave comments with their initial reflections and impressions. Nowadays, I think we all lack genuine, honest conversation on social media and art portals. I’ll put it this way: 'Likes and heart emojis don't really cut it anymore, if you ask me.' I value the dialogue much more than the metric.
Any advice for artists just starting out in this space?
Hm, that’s a tough one. I only have a bit over 3,000 followers on X – a milestone I reached after five years of consistent posting – I sometimes don't feel like I’m in a position to give advice. To be honest, I often feel like that counter should be over 9,000, but I blame the algorithm and the fact that I deleted my original Twitter account years ago. It’s common; almost every artist feels like their numbers should be higher! Back in 2018 and 2019, my Tumblr blog actually had over 4,000 followers before the landscape shifted at that platform.
But if I were to offer one piece of advice, it’s this: 'Consider yourself worthy of a chance, and don’t ever let anyone convince you otherwise.' We all started at the beginning. We all move at our own pace on this artistic road – you might take a detour, or you might find yourself in a full sprint. Ultimately, the journey of self-discovery and creation in this field is worth much more than any metric or success on social media could ever offer.
Where can the Kylee community find you and support your work?
Sure. I have a group of profiles as well as a Gmail account dating back to the Tumblr days. You can find me on Kylee and on other sites where I try to post all my art unless the policy of the particular place does not allow specific things I made. Here are the links:
https://www.kylee.io/therenderguy
https://ko-fi.com/therenderguy (support page with some monthly exclusives)
https://bsky.app/profile/therenderguy.bsky.social (first place where I publish)
https://x.com/render_guy (second place where I publish)
https://cara.app/therenderguy (safe for work art platform)
https://www.deviantart.com/therenderguy (for bigger projects)
https://therenderguy.newgrounds.com/ (for image sets and video publications)
therenderguy.tumblr<at>gmail.com (only for business or cooperation communication)
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Thank you to TheRenderGuy for taking the time to share his journey — ten years of craft, growth, and a standard of quality that speaks for itself. We're glad to have him on Kylee.
Head over to his profile and see what a decade of dedication looks like up close.
Creator Spotlight is all about celebrating the people who make this community worth showing up for — fans and artists alike. If you're a creator and want to be featured in an upcoming spotlight, we'd love to hear from you at social@kylee.io.