Denis Henon
| Senior CFX Artist
A senior Character FX artist with over a decade of experience at Illumination, specializing in bringing iconic characters to life for blockbuster animated films. My work combines deep artistic sensibility with technical problem-solving to create believable, compelling, and story-driven simulations.
Professional Path
Delivered high-quality simulations and developed Python tools for the studio's most successful blockbuster franchises.
Key Projects : Untitled Super Mario Movie, Despicable Me 4, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Minions: The Rise of Gru, Sing 2.
2019 – Present
● Senior Character FX Artist @ Illumination
A decade of contributions to world-class animated feature films. Specializing in the creation of high-quality hair, fur, and cloth simulations
2015 – 2019
● Co-founder & 3D Generalist @ The Third Studio
Co-founded a boutique 3D studio, managing projects from concept to delivery with a focus on real-time applications and architectural visualization.
Created cloth, hair, and fur effects for major new intellectual properties, helping to define the look of a new generation of characters.
Key Projects : Sing, The Secret Life of Pets.
2014 – 2015
● Character FX Artist @ Illumination
2014
● Character FX Artist @ Mikros Image
Adapted CFX techniques to the unique, highly stylized world of the iconic Asterix franchise.
Key Projects : Asterix: The Land of the Gods.
2012 – 2013
● Character FX Artist @ Illumination
Contributed to the CFX pipeline on my first major studio production, gaining invaluable experience on a blockbuster sequel.
Key Projects : Despicable Me 2.
Technical Toolkit
Core Software:
Houdini (Vellum, Pyro, RBDs)
Autodesk Maya (nCloth)
Unreal Engine
Scripting & Automation:
Python (Advanced)
Production Pipeline & Tools:
Linux, ShotGrid (Shotgun)
Creative Suite:
Adobe Photoshop, After Effects
