How did you get started in 3D Graphics? I started officially working in 3D when I was in the Air Force. I was selected to build an animation shop for the Air Force Media Productions at Hill Air Force Base in Utah. I had no experience, so that was one heck of an undertaking. How long have you been working with 3D Graphics? I have been an artist since I was a child, but 3D entered the picture in the mid to Early 90s. I started with Poser off and on, in the beginning of 2004. I never got up the nerve to sell character packs until 2 1/2 months ago. Do you have any formal training? I do have some, but mostly in the traditional art field. When I was quite young I entered one of those child art contests at the mall and a local well known artist (Joyce Meyer) liked my work and asked my parents to take me on as her pupil. I was very lucky that my parents were so supportive. I did go through this whole portraits-with-no-faces period around 11 or 12. My mentor swore it was the mark of a true artist genius! The truth is, I just absolutely hated drawing nosesOne of those No-Face images was exhibited in the Dallas Museum of Art for a while. I can remember listening to adults talking about how talented I was, and so creative, and oh so unique in my artist craftblah blah blah. I really honestly, just didnt want to draw the nose The traditional art training continued through my years at university, where I aspired to be a Forensic Artist. (I had finally figured out how to draw noses by then.) I received training while in the military, where they sent me to 3D courses at the Alias/Wavefront training Center In San Francisco. But when it gets down to 3D, I am almost 100% self-taught. What software do you use for product development? I have Poser5, 4, and PP, Zbrush (which I am using for new unreleased projects), and Photoshop. How much time is required for product development? I guess three full days, from ground zero. I work on characters in the evenings after I get home from work and sometimes on weekends, so I never really calculated how long. I have decided to freelance 100% by the end of the year so you should start to see a steady flow of new packs by then. Can you give a brief overview of your development cycle for a new product? Well lets see First I like to move the morph dials around until I see a face I like. I always start with the eyes, then the nose, lips, back to the nose, the face shape, the eyes, then the nose again. Not necessarily in that order, but obsessively in that fashion. The face always takes the longest. I dont start anything else until it is done. After texturing the character I go back to the body until it looks right to me and then there is the test renders. I almost always will post up an image online to get a response from other users, as I am never quite sure what character type people would like. Ultimately I know what might be beautiful to this person or that, could be ugly to the next person. So depending on feedback, I determine if the character gets scraped or to follow through with a whole product. Where does your inspiration come from when developing new products? Peoples Faces... I am absolutely inspired by the faces I see everyday, I always am. All of the characters I have made so far were inspired by many of the beautiful faces I see everyday in the movies, on the street, in the grocery store. I think true beauty lies in imperfection. Do you have any advice for aspiring Digital Content Developers? Create what you love. If you love trucks, make trucks, if you love monsters, make monsters! What ever it is make it the best you possibly can. Never make creating a chore. Create with passion, and that will show! How has Renderosity's on-line community played a role in regards to your products, friendships and learning? Oh wow! I could go on and on here, but I will try to keep it short. I have met so many wonderful people, users, merchants, and admins. Through Renderosity I have learned so very much. All in all, its like that old Blind Melon video where the little hefty girl with the nerd glasses runs around in a bee costume and dances for all the people, who in turn look at her like she is strange. Only to find a whole group of dancing bee people at the end, where she is accepted for who she really is. I finally found a place that other people have the same passions and interests. I have found my bee people. Do you have any final words? I think first of all this is a great opportunity for me to explain 3D Celebrity. I have been asked over a million times about this. The name "3D Celebrity" was created with the intention that theses characters have the potential to be celebrities in the 3D world and not clones of famous people. I terribly sorry to disappoint those out there that hope for a whole line of replicas. I would like to take the chance here to thank all those people who have been supportive through the good and the bad. Mostly I would like to thank my husband who patiently waits while I am begging for just a few more moments to finish a render, is always the first one to leave a comment on my gallery images, and really know how to make me laugh at the silly stuff! Someone once told me. You spend your life in thirds. One third at work, one third in bed, and one third with another person. So make sure you have a very comfortable mattress, enjoy your job, and really love the person you are with. Best of luck to all of you out there in what ever you do! Cheers!