Since video games become a multi-billion-dollar industry, more and more celebrities have lent their likeness to video games featuring 3D graphics. And since this trend is expected to continue for a long time, both professional and amateur 3D artists are hard at work in improving their skills in creating 3D models of celebrities. One of those 3D artists is Hossein Diba, who has been designing characters for video games, movies, and collectibles since 2008. Based in Istanbul, Turkey, Diba has already collaborated with huge video game companies like Blizzard Entertainment and CD Projekt. To see how great he is at transforming celebrities into insanely realistic 3D characters, below are some of his most amazing works.
#1 Chris Hemsworth
Created for motion 3D studio Eternitease, this head sculpt of Chris Hemsworth is an eye candy. It accurately captures the actor’s broad chin, prominent brow bone, and of course, his mesmerizing blue eyes. The light stubble also makes the digital art look more realistic. And though this 3D model doesn’t depict Hemsworth’s rugged Thor appearance that a lot of Marvel fans fell in love with, it just proves that the actor will always be handsome whatever look he’ll try to pull off.
#2 George Clooney
The accuracy of this George Clooney 3D model is on-point, thanks to the natural-looking wrinkles around the actor’s eyes, the long creases on his forehead, and many other crazy facial details. Though Clooney is now on his late 50s, the gray-haired ER alum still oozes sex appeal ― something that Diba achieves in the digital portrait by adding some chest hair peeking out from beneath the Oscar winner’s shirt.
#3 Tom Hardy
Designed for a Fallout: New Vegas mod, this 3D bust of Tom Hardy looks so real you can feel the texture of his fluffy hair and scruffy beard and mustache. To make the 3D model fit into the post-apocalyptic setting of the video game, bruise and dirt marks are added to the actor’s attractive face on purpose.
#4 Jason Momoa
If this photo isn’t labeled as a 3D model, a lot of people would easily mistake it for a screenshot from the 2018 film Aquaman. From the scaly gold suit of Jason Momoa’s superhero alter ego to the actor’s eyebrow scar and flowy shoulder-length hair, everything in this digital art is just amazingly rendered.
#5 Tupac Shakur
The details of this almost full-body 3D model of Tupac Shakur are simply insane. In addition to perfecting over 20 body tattoos featured in this digital art, Diba also allotted several hours incorporating some of the late rapper’s signature bling-bling into the illustration. These include a gold necklace with a giant cross pendant, gold studded belt, gold watch and wristband, and nose and ear piercings.
#6 Dominic Monaghan
This 3D model depicts Dominic Monaghan as the hobbit Merry in the Lord of the Rings franchise. The digital bust perfectly captures the British actor’s snub nose, blue-gray eyes, and cleft chin, among his many other beautiful facial features. Fans of Diba, however, are most impressed by his 3D rendering of the character’s shaggy hair.
#7 Brad Pitt
Part of Diba’s personal project that recreates the final scene of 1995’s crime thriller Se7en, this digital art shows Detective David Mills (Brad Pitt) pointing his gun at serial killer John Doe (Kevin Spacey) right after finding out that he also murdered Mills’ wife and the baby inside her. While the artwork is technically spot-on, the best thing about it is that it incredibly captures Mills’ anger and grief in a single still frame.
#8 Kevin Spacey
This is the 3D model of Kevin Spacey’s John Doe that Diba used for his Se7en fan art project. Though the illustration doesn’t exactly depict John’s diabolical persona from the movie, it’s an eerie reminder that some of the evilest humans have the most ordinary faces.
#9 Morgan Freeman
Also part of Diba’s Se7en fan art project, this 3D model shows Morgan Freeman as Detective Lieutenant William Somerset from the David Fincher-directed movie. Like all Diba’s creations, this illustration comes with many intricate details. From the character’s three-layered clothes, matching tie and fedora, to the dark little spots around his eyes, everything in this artwork is clearly given enough time and attention to achieve perfection.
#10 Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix
Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix look like best pals in this 3D art that puts both Joker actors in one frame. Though Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck isn’t wearing his disturbing Joker getup, the illustration’s high level of detail helps onlookers see the darkness within the character.
#11 Javier Bardem
This 3D model of Javier Bardem looks so realistic that it might start talking when you stare at it for a long time. The actor’s skin in this digital art looks incredibly natural, not to mention his perfectly rendered prominent nose and impressively textured facial hair. Diba also added fuzzes on top of the character’s sweater to make the illustration look more lifelike.
#12 Kit Harington
Inspired by the Beyond the Wall episode of Game of Thrones, this 3D model of Kit Harington’s Jon Snow shows The Bastard of Winterfell partially covered in snow as he, along with his raiding party, journeys north of the Wall to capture a wight to prove the incoming threat to Westeros. Just like Diba’s other works, this digital art looks so realistic that even GoT fans would mistake it for a screengrab from the HBO series.
#13 Vin Diesel
Designed for a Fallout: New Vegas mod, this game-resolution 3D model of Vin Diesel as is “rididick-ously” good. In addition to successfully capturing the facial likeness of the Diesel’s Riddick character, Diba also did an amazing job recreating the Furyan’s broad shoulders, huge arms, and pumped-up pecs.
#14 Daniel Craig
This 3D model of Daniel Craig is one of Diba’s oldest works published on the Internet. He started working on this project in 2012 to learn how to add facial details to 3D busts using the digital sculpting tool called ZBrush. Though this fan art isn’t as jaw-dropping as his most recent works, it’s still pretty much decent, as it accurately recreates the British actor’s infamous “duck face” look, along with his piercing blue eyes, and soft, fine stubble.
#15 Will Smith
Diba’s entry to 2013’s Moviefest Challenge, this poster-like digital art is based on the 2007 post-apocalyptic action thriller film, I Am Legend. The Francis Lawrence-directed movie stars Will Smith as Dr. Robert Neville, a former U.S. Army virologist who tries to create a cure to a virus that has wiped out most of mankind.
#16 Robert De Niro
If you have seen the 1988 buddy cop movie Midnight Run, then you’d find this 3D portrait of Robert De Niro as bounty hunter Jack Walsh extremely accurate. From actor’s much-talked-about cheek mole to the character’s subtle smile, everything in this 3D art is clearly well thought out. Originally posted on the Internet in 2014, this fan art was Diba’s entry to CGFeedback Likeness challenge several years ago.
#17 Chance the Rapper
This true-to-life 3D portrait of Chance the Rapper was created by Diba for the 2019 Doritos Super Bowl commercial featuring the Hot Shower lyricist and music legend Lionel Richie. Featuring a baseball cap with a number three on the front, this digital bust accurately recreates the rapper’s face, down to the littlest details.
#18 Gene Simmons
If you’re an avid Kiss fan, then you know how spot-on this 3D model of Gene Simmons is. While the details of this artwork are insanely amazing, what makes it really exceptional is that it completely captures the riotous and terrifying persona of Simmon’s stage character, The Demon.
#19 Audrey Hepburn
This is what Audrey Hepburn would look like if she starred in an animated movie or a video game. If this beautiful 3D sculpt seems a little different from most of Diba’s works, that’s because it’s actually a collaboration between him and his fellow 3D artist Hooman Raad. According to Diba, it was Raad who did Hepburn’s jewelry, clothes, textures, and the render.
#20 Gal Gadot
This 3D model of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman is simply mind-blowing. Though not fully colored, it really looks a lot like Diana Prince. Created for collectible manufacturer Prime 1 Studio, this digital sculpt was used as the basis for life-size Wonder Woman statues that have been displayed at various comic book conventions across the world.
#21 Brad Pitt
Over a year before working on his Se7en fan art featuring Brad Pitt, Diba created this personal project during his free time. Based on the Oscar winner’s Gerry Lane role in the 2013 apocalyptic zombie film World War Z, this 3D sculpt includes a zombie version of the character, depicting how the protagonist would look like if he was infected with the Solanum virus.
#22 Angelina Jolie
While this 3D sculpt has an undeniable likeness to Angelina Jolie, a few of Diba’s fellow digital artists think that it can still be improved. For one, character animator Steve Reach commented that the portrait’s bottom lip should be a bit fuller, pointing out that the Maleficent actress has a very pouty full lips, especially the bottom.
#23 Carrie Fisher
Created for collectible figure maker Gentle Giant, this 3D head sculpt of Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia features the hairstyle worn by the character during the medal ceremony at the end of the 1977 film Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. Dubbed “hot plate special” by franchise creator George Lucas and hairdresser Patricia McDermott, the last-minute hairdo includes a braid coiled on top of the actress’ hair and a long braid hanging down her back.
#24 Hugh Jackman
Based on Hugh Jackman’s titular role in the 2017 X-Men movie Logan, this 3D head sculpt of Wolverine features a number of insane details, including visible veins on the forehead, red coloration in the corner of the eyes, and bushy facial hair.
#25 Ian McKellen
This 3D portrait of Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey from the Lord of the Rings franchise looks so realistic that it feels like it’s staring right into your soul. While the wizard’s hair, mustache, and beard are beyond perfect, the character’s hand seems a bit bigger than it’s supposed to. That little imperfection, however, doesn’t lessen the overall impact of the striking artwork.
#26 Donald Trump
A commission work for a client, this 3D head sculpt of Donald Trump is disturbingly good. In addition to accurately recreating the U.S. president’s hideous hairstyle and unflattering double chin, the artwork also perfectly captures the politician’s conceited personality.
#27 Kanye West
Probably one of Diba’s funniest artworks, this collection of 3D head sculpts features five of the many faces of Kanye West, including a bust of the rapper with his eyes closed, his poker-faced look, and his disgusted, smiling, and hushed faces. While a few of the illustrations will make you chuckle, the project’s insane level of detail is no laughing matter.
#28 Rihanna
As with Diba’s other works, this 3D model of Rihanna features crazy intricate details. From her signature shaved Mohawk hairstyle to her several body tattoos, everything in this digital art is meticulously designed. However, a few of Diba’s fellow 3D artists think that Rihanna’s body should be a little skinnier and her jawbone should be pointier in the back.
#29 James Brian ‘Jim’ Hellwig
Created for WWE, this 3D model of The Ultimate Warrior immortalizes the peak of the professional wrestling career of James Brian “Jim” Hellwig. The artwork accurately recreates the signature look of the wrestler, including his shaggy blonde hair, white cowboy boots with fringe tassels, and neon-colored trunks, kneepads, and wristbands. The 3D model also captures the wrestler’s muscular physique, which is made more realistic with veins popping out in almost every part of his body.