Each month we showcase a Renderosity Free Stuff Artist,
in appreciation for their thoughtfulness, and countless hours spent
creating free items for the Renderosity community. This month we
are proud to showcase the works of Stephen Upham, better know to
his Renderosity fellow artists as cybia.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Since an early
age I have always been creative and am addicted to all things
art-related. I enjoy drawing, painting, sculpting, woodwork,
photography and computer graphics. I am happy enough as long as I'm
doing something creative with my time. I graduated with a BA (Hons)
in Design, and I have been running my own craft workshop for a
living over the past 10 years. It certainly doesn't make me rich
but at least I enjoy the work. I am pretty much self-taught when it
comes to computers, so my knowledge may certainly be lacking when
compared to those who are formally trained. But I enjoy learning
more as I go along and I guess that I haven't been doing too
bad so far. I work on all the digital products and website projects
during my limited spare time in the evenings and on weekends, so
it's not a full-time job for me. I would like to dedicate more time
to this side of things in the future though if I get the
opportunity. I setup my first website back in 1998 (if my memory
serves me right), which enabled me to share some early freeware
products with other graphics users online. The first downloads were
Photoshop brushes and plug-in filters. I had absolutely no idea
that my website would still be going all these years later though!
It has always surprised me that the free resources continue to be
so popular with visitors, so I will keep developing the site as
long as there is still an interest by users. The website is still
just a "hobby" for me at the moment, but I have also started to
release some low-cost commercial products in order to help pay for
the ever-increasing running costs!
SpaceMaker cybia createrd with SpaceMaker cybia
I will continue developing the freeware downloads though, as I
really enjoy contributing to the online graphics community and hope
to release many more resources over the coming years. I also
started a second website a while ago dedicated to my interest in
fantasy, sci-fi and horror artwork. But lack of time has meant that
I haven't been able to get this fully up and running yet as
originally planned. I will get around to it eventually though.
You have such a wide variety of free stuff. Do you have a
favorite type of item to make? Why is that your favorite? I
enjoy creating many different things, as I find I get bored too
easily if I only stick with one type of product! The Photoshop
plug-ins are always one of my favorites, as I find them quite a
challenge and I use photo-editing effects a lot in my own work so
they come in very handy. Plus, they seem to attract the most
downloads on my website. Although I originally started out with
Photoshop add-ons, I have become very interested in 3D packages
lately and would like to learn much more about 3D modeling in the
future, in order to help me create better Poser props and other
objects. I find this an exciting area to explore and it opens up
lots of new possibilities for me. Of course there is a steep
learning curve when it comes to 3D software, so I realize it's
going to take me some time to progress further with this side of
things. Did you begin with modeling or Poser first? I
started with some basic modeling and rendering using various 3D
apps over the years, including the old DOS version of 3D Studio in
the early days. I then switched to Caligari Truespace for a while,
and Bryce of course was a favorite of mine when it first came out.
My preferred 3D program for modeling now is Maxon Cinema 4D, and I
also like using Terragen, and Vue d'Esprit for landscape work. When
Poser was originally released it was an interesting program but I
was always disappointed with the unrealistic models, even up to
version 4, so I didn't do much with it to begin with. It's only
after discovering the higher resolution Victoria and Michael
figures from DAZ that I really started to use Poser and take it
more seriously. Poser has certainly come a long way thanks to the
efforts of third-party developers like DAZ, and all the merchants
at Renderosity! I find it amazing how much you can expand the
original program with all the add-ons now available. You are no
longer limited to just what you get in the original package.
What version of Poser do you use? Why do you like it best?
I'm still using version 4 at the moment. I know that it's lacking
some of the advanced features of the newer releases, but it does
everything I need for now. I like how easy it is to use, plus it's
fast and stable on my current system so I've been reluctant to
upgrade! Although I do plan on purchasing version 6 soon, as I
realize I need to keep up-to-date with the program from a
Merchant's point of view. What was the first model you ever
made? Did it come out the way you planned? I think the first
Poser freebie I released was the Waver
Wall prop. At the time I had just found out that you could
add "Morphs" to objects within Poser, and that was my first attempt
at creating a prop that could change its shape using various dials.
It's pretty basic, but I was quite surprised and pleased with the
way it turned out. This inspired me to go on and make many other
morphing props using the same technique!
How did you get started making your brushes? What about the
filters? Photoshop was one of the first programs that I used
when starting with computer graphics. One of the things that
appealed to me was the ability to expand it's features by
installing extra brushes and plug-in filters, many of which I found
on the web as freeware downloads. It didn't take me long before I
wanted to start creating my own add-ons for this program, and so my
first website was dedicated to sharing some of these with other
users in the graphics community. The brushes are easy enough to
create but can be quite time-consuming when you are doing hundreds
of them in one go. I will be releasing many more free brush packs
over the coming months and will also be expanding my range of
commercial versions. The brushes are not as popular as my plug-in
filters, but I think users are starting to become more interested
in them now and realizing their potential. Creating plug-in filters
is much more complicated, especially as I'm not a programmer, so I
really struggle with this side of things! My filters are pretty
basic compared with the ones available from other developers, but I
do enjoy coming up with my own ideas and they continue to be the
most popular downloads on my website. I started out using Filter
Factory and was part of the original FFDG (Filter Factory
Discussion Group) where developers would share coding tips and
ideas. It was an exciting time and many hundreds of freeware
plug-in filters were generated during this period. The group
eventually disappeared, but several of the original members still
develop plug-ins today! Now I use FilterMeister to
create all my plug-ins, which is a much more advanced tool, and
currently the best software available for anyone who is interested
in developing their own filters. Where do you get your ideas
from? Many of my freeware downloads and products originate from
things that I've had to develop for my own needs. For example, I've
always had a keen interest in traditional black & white
photography, and when I moved over to using digital equipment I
wanted to try and re-create that "classic" look in Photoshop, so I
ended up making some of my own plug-ins to help me with that task.
So I guess many ideas are born from the need to achieve a certain
effect that I'm after. Of course other products may be the result
of being inspired by something I've seen elsewhere. I have a fair
collection of fantasy, sci-fi and horror related art books at home,
which I browse through on a regular basis when I want to stimulate
my brain! I find these a very useful source of information and
ideas. Although sometimes I may just be watching a sci-fi movie and
spot something that I think will form the basis of an interesting
prop, background object, texture or other product resource. I make
sure that I keep plenty of notebooks and pencils handy around the
house so I can write down or sketch any ideas as they come to me,
while they are still fresh in my mind. Then I can refer back to
these notes when I'm ready to start working on anything new. I find
this method very effective for making the most of your ideas
because so many of them could get lost and forgotten otherwise!
Do you have a favorite free item? Do you have a favorite free
stuff provider? I use my own freeware Photoshop plug-ins all
the time, so I guess they are still some of my favorite items, as
they come in very useful on a regular basis. I am a big fan of
using freeware alternatives to some of the commercial software
available. One free program that I couldn't do without now is
IrfanView. It
is fantastic for very quick browsing/viewing and batch-converting
images. I have a huge collection of freeware downloaded over the
years, so it's too difficult to just pick one developer as there
are so many of them to choose from! Every free stuff provider is
important in my opinion, from the ones that create high quality
models to those who make little low-res items. We need them all.
When you're creating something new and nothing is going right,
what keeps you going? If I find I'm getting nowhere with a
particular product then I normally just switch to working on
something else for a while and go back to it later with a fresh
approach. I always have several different projects on the go at the
same time, so I'm never stuck for something to work on. I have a
very active and creative mind (despite what my old University
teachers may have said to the contrary!) and so I'm forever
thinking up new things to do. If I do get stuck on anything in
particular, I find it's always good to ask for advice from friends
or the online forums. It never ceases to amaze me how helpful some
people are and this can be just the break you need to aid your
progress with a project. I have a small team of regular
beta-testers for my products, not only do they provide essential
compatibility feedback and bug reports, but also help with
suggestions for additional features that may not have occurred to
me. What is your favorite image created with your free
stuff? I made a very quick low-res promo image for my Freaky
Hair SpikeCrown prop which turned out quite interesting, and
I thought would make a nice cyber-punk style image. So later on I
went back and made a higher-resolution version for a 10x8 inch
print. I kept the composition very simple, as I didn't want to
distract too much from the character.
Silent Tomorrow cybia createrd with FreakyHair - SpikeCrown
cybia
In fact I will be displaying this piece at this year's Worldcon
Sci-Fi Convention in Glasgow, in August. I had 16 different
images in the Art Show, all of which have been created using
Photoshop, Poser and other 3D programs. It was my first time
participating at a convention. I'm not really familiar with what
other users get up to with my free stuff, but later on I would like
to add a gallery section where they could display some of their
images that have been created using my resources. I think it would
be interesting to share these examples with other users, so they
can get a better idea of the possibilities. How long have you
been a member of the Renderosity Community? When I first
discovered that you could expand the Poser program with add-on
products, like the excellent figures from DAZ, I was instantly
addicted and amazed by the amount of content and support available
online. I came across the Renderosity website about 3 years ago and
it's been my favorite place to hang out ever since! What I like
about Renderosity, is that it has it all ... forums, free stuff,
galleries and of course a huge marketplace with some of the best
products available anywhere. It's a one-stop-shop for all Poser
fans, plus it also covers many of the other programs I use. I spend
a lot of time browsing here, certainly a few times a week. It's
great for keeping up with the latest info in the forums and I enjoy
checking the Free Stuff section for new goodies on a regular basis.
I also enjoy being a Merchant at Renderosity and have always been
impressed with the level of service and support provided by the
store staff. The money I make from my commercial products goes
towards funding my addiction to graphics software, and I end up
spending a lot of it back in the Marketplace. Other Poser sites
that I find useful are DAZ, Runtime DNA, and Animotions. Do you
have any advice for someone just starting out, and wanting to share
free stuff items? Sharing your resources with other users in
the graphics community can be one of the most rewarding
experiences, and I'd recommend it to anyone. If you have some
add-ons that you think others will find useful you should
certainly release them and see what kind of response they get.
Don't be put off if they don't get much interest at first, or even
if you receive negative feedback (which is rare, but can happen
sometimes). Remember that it's all part of the learning experience
and you will get a better idea of what people want as you go along.
It doesn't really matter what sort of resources that you make
because everyone needs different things, so the more add-ons
available the better for everyone. Although try to develop items
that are original if you can and don't just copy existing products.
Remember that you'll need your own web space to host the free
downloads and be aware of possible bandwidth requirements, as if
you hit on a popular product then it's surprising how much strain
this will put on your site. Try to avoid free web space if you can,
as normally the providers don't allow heavy traffic for downloads.
Get your own domain and reliable commercial web space if you are
serious about providing a quality service. I know this costs money
but it's worth it in the long term. Of course when you are first
starting out using free web space may be your only option. This is
fine to begin with and that's how I started out, but from my own
experience you will soon outgrow this when demand increases and you
will probably need your own domain eventually. So that's one thing
to consider if you are thinking of getting into this. Also I would
recommend that you visit the forums and discuss your ideas to get
important feedback. You can learn a lot from others who already
have valuable experience, so take advantage of it. Most of all
though you should enjoy developing your products and don't be
afraid to give new things a try ... what have you got to loose,
eh?!
We invite you to visit:
All supporting images within this article are copyright
and cannot be reproduced, copied, or printed without written
permission from the artist.
 A special "thank you" to contributing columnist, artist,
Angel1, for taking time out of her busy
schedule to conduct this month's Free Stuff Artist Interview.
If you know of a Renderosity Free Stuff Artist that you would like
to have us showcase, please drop Dee-Marie a note with the artist's Renderosity
username, and keep checking the Front Page News, you never know who
we will be showcasing next! September 19,
2005 |
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