curious3D
is the Renderosity members choice for the March, 2017, Artist of the Month.
curious3D has been a member of Renderosity since 2002. Her work is often playful and surrealistic, but always well-crafted with a careful attention to detail. She tends to work mostly with VUE, the 3D application that allows you to create worlds and environments. As you can see by visiting here gallery, curious3D likes to push the boundaries of what is possible. She has a poets eye for imagery and likes to tell stories with her imagery.
I worked closely with curious 3D on the video (see below) and enjoyed her enthusiasm for her work. Congratulations to curious3D for being our Renderosity Artist of the Month!
Interview with Artist of the Month - curious3D
Renderosity: Something that just leaps out at when I look through your gallery (aside from the technical skill) is that fact that so many scenes you've created have such a great sense of mystery to them. As it there is a story you are trying to tell in each scene. Am I crazy or is this something you are striving to create in your work?
curious3D: I generally base my images on concepts or emotions, but I usually have some kind of story in my head. What I've learned over the years is that often times people who view my work come up with better stories than I do! I always love hearing how other people interpret my work. I put a lot of thought and planning into my images. One of my goals as an artist is to make people want to see more, or know more, when they look at one of my pictures. I want to peak their curiosity and hold them in my idea for a moment or two.
I'm in love with Above the Night, one of your recent works. Can you tell us a bit about that image and describe the process of working on it?
curious3D: Above the Night is about duality. About light and dark. About the complexity and conflict that makes us who we are. That image is built in Vue, with a simple water plane and a daytime atmosphere. I knew I wanted the scene to show the sun and be lit from behind the subject on the top half, and then the bottom half would be the nighttime version of that same subject. I chose the clouds to direct the eye to the person in the boat. I gave more space (no pun intended!) to the nighttime side for the sake of composition and also because I wanted to reinforce the idea of the image being a dream-like experience. I used an alpha plane photograph for the nighttime reflection and rendered the scene. I always do postwork; so I took the render into Photoshop to adjust color and levels, make necessary edits, and brush over the scene to soften the hardness that's inherent in 3d renders. I like a painterly look to my work up close.
How long have you been a digital artist? Why did you choose VUE as your primary tool?
curious3D: I started drawing pixel by pixel on an Apple IIe with a monochrome monitor in about 1983. I first picked up 3d in about 1998. I started with some basic extrusion and cad type programs, then I found Bryce and loved the addition of atmosphere, water, and light. I switched to Vue in 2005, largely because it's more powerful, and I was really wanting to use the ecosystem functions and the complex material function editor.
What's the typical workflow on a new project? Do you sketch the scene before?
curious3D: I do. I get an idea, I let it roll around in my head for a while until an image comes together. I sort of see concepts and emotions as images or elements. It's hard to describe. If someone says "angry" I think fire, or the thorns on a rose bush. If someone says "calm", I think of still blue water or the way trees move in the wind. My first response is always a visual imaginary picture.
So once that comes together, I sketch. I'm not good at sketching. It's always rudimentary, but I do it because it helps me define composition and come up with details and coloration.
Then I model, or kitbash other models, or collect the things I need to assemble the scene, and then I composite everything in Vue, finalize lighting and atmosphere, do about a million test renders along the way, and finally render the image.
Who are some of the artists that have impacted/influenced you?
curious3D: Digital and video game artists, like Noah Bradley, Marco Bucci, and Chuck Carter. Surrealist photographers like Dali, Man Ray, Martin Strenka and Tommy Ingberg. American realist painters like Wyeth, and Thomas Benton. Precisionist painters like Edward Hopper, Charles Sheeler, and George Ault.
How has Renderosity made a difference in your growth as an artist?
I've been here at Renderosity for a long time! It's a great place to find resources and help. I'm inspired seeing what other digital artists do, and I'm always challenging myself to improve and grow based on that inspiration. .....
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