Retired professional full-time portrait artist and engineer (degrees in mathematics, engineering and photography... go figure).
If you read bios, and sometimes revisit them, you'll know in 2018 I was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis. Then, in 2020, a new neurologist (because I moved across country) diagnosed me as having Parkinson's. Then, after some serious issues with jerking movements, she sent me to a movement specialist, and NOW this new neurologist who specializes in movement disorders has said I don't have MG, MS, ALS, Parkinson's, or any other host of neuromuscular diseases. She classified the movements as non-essential tremors, and said, "My hardware is over loading my software." That's the 2022 diagnosis.
2023 Update - It turns out that I have a half-dozen discs in my spine that are collapsing. Thus, Degenerative Disc Disease, or DDD for short. I never knew that DDD could cause tremors (well, the pain causes them) and stuff like that. Now I go to physical therapy 4 days a week to hopefully avoid spinal surgery.
I've got high hopes and remain positive.
I started doing 3D renders in DAZ and Poser started when I first became sick at the start of 2018. It is a distraction from my symptoms, and I'm not under any pressure or deadlines to get things done. Even this is difficult on some days, but I can always stop temporarily to get some rest. In July, 2020, my wife and I moved across country to be closer to children and grandchildren.
If I'm not cooking or preparing for a meal, I'm rendering. Art and food are my passions.
I used to enjoy travel, bicycling, cooking (which I can still do in short bursts), photography (again, in short bursts), hiking and painting (which I now do digitally). I'm determined to do something with my time even if my strength is greatly limited.
Just prior to getting sick I drove ALL of Route 66. I've been using some of the photos from that trip and adding 3D characters to them. You can see them in my Route 66 gallery here on Renderosity. You can actually follow the story at Route66Photographers.com. It's a fictional story about my travels with a rambunctious young lady named Charly.
My wife is my biggest supporter. She helps me come up with ideas to render and paint.
Brent's Rules to Live By...
1) Everyone can teach you something regardless of age or education.
2) When you're down, a child's smile will always lift you up.
3) Keep God's commandments, as best you can, but when you can't, repent quickly.
4) Read your scriptures daily, but pray all the time.
5) Love everyone, but don't expect anything from them in return.
Artist of the Month - December, 2021
https://www.renderosity.com/article/24824/interview-with-december-2021-artist-of-the-month-dbwalton
Comments (4)
TinkerACW
She's gorgeous and what a huge difference. I preferred working with tungsten lighting at 3200K, and the film was balanced for it. Those lights are hell on the model; be prepared for sweat and running makeup, lol. But the results are amazing.
dbwalton
Oh, I remember those days. Around 2014 I converted my portrait studio over to LED lights. I built and designed my own. It was amazing to not deal with hot lights or strobes.
PhthaloBlue
They are both beautiful renders, but I think I prefer the first one. The shadows on her face lend the image a real air of mystery!
dbwalton
Thank you. Both have their merits, and I'm glad you like the first one. It definitely is more dramatic.
TinkerACW
It was 40+ years ago, lol. LED lights do make a lot of sense. You've been at it for a good long while!
dbwalton
Yeah, I was cutting my teeth in photography back in 1967. 55 years ago. My dad had a light bar with 4 halogen flood lights. You could suntan under those things. LOL
I read about color correction and decided one day to throw my blue windbreaker over the halogen lights to "cool" the lights for daylight film. I learned quickly that was a big mistake. My dad wasn't very happy about all the melted nylon on his lights when he got home that day. Mom wasn't happy about the smell in the house. Me, I wasn't happy about destroying my windbreaker. LOL Oh, the things we do as kids.
Saby55
I love this image, I really like its sensuality and its pose.Fantastic work👍🙋♂️
dbwalton
Thanks. It's so much easier getting a DAZ character to pose correctly than it is a real person. ;)