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 Can you elaborate a little about the software you use? |
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 I was a staunch Lightwave user for several years, as it was Ion Storm's package of choice and most of the guys who came out of there used it. Its definitely "unique" compared to other applications and it was therefore the easiest to stick with. In 2002 I found myself switching jobs and I had to learn Maya. I despised it, and I didn't fail to make it known to my coworkers. I was a crabby guy, and those that worked with me failed to see the real me. About 3 and a half years ago I took a job at a Max studio, picked it up quickly, and have never looked back. Its definitely the most robust modeling package I have used. The user base is also so huge that if I find a tool missing, it probably exists in script form. I am fastest using Max, and you will always use what gets the job done with the least amount of cursing and manhandling.
Of course for organics the rage is Zbrush and Mudbox, which are the greatest thing to happen to the artist since Photoshop. For Grudge, I used Mudbox. The toolset in Zbrush is stronger, but the perspective camera and the minimalist interface in MB stronger. As a result of the camera I feel my forms tend to turn out cleaner and more precise in Mudbox. I am not on the ZB3 beta, but I am watching and waiting like a hawk. The realtime shadows and perspective camera being added to Zbrush will likely change the course of the epic battle between the two apps. A battle that thankfully will only benefit artists :)
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Do you like being a game artist? Why? |
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Overall, I can't complain. It can be hard. Art is subjective. Regardless if you are painting palettized 64x64 textures, modeling a character, or putting chicken scratch on a canvas to sell in New York's hottest gallery, there will always be people that like what you do and others that will never pay you the slightest nod of approval. I struggled with this for years and still do at times. I am finally getting to the point where I can just raise the middle finger. But that is the hard part. Dealing with rejection. On the other hand, I make GAMES for a living. How cool is that? I'm not going to die rich. I'm not going to retire at 45. I drive a Ford Focus, and sport a massive 30 inch TV :) This isn't a gold paved road for the vast majority of us. For me, it is food in my belly, and a means to quiet the ever-present screams in my head.
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| Why did you enter the Dominance War? and if you could, would you recommend similar 3d game contests to friends/aspiring artists? Why or Why not? |
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I did it because I wanted the videos :) And to prove to myself that I can still pack a polygonal punch.
As far as recommending DW, yes, wholeheartedly. The thing that struck me the most was how much perseverance and dedication something like this takes. Doing this at work is one thing. Doing it at home when you'd rather be sleeping, playing GoW2, or watching Family Guy tests one's resolve. Going it solo also points out any and every weakness in your 3d skill set. My guy, for instance, isn’t rigged. I soft-selected him into shape because I simply don’t rig and weight. It is definitely a great skill to have, and I need to add it to my repertoire. But for the sake of getting my guy done, I manhandled him into pose the best way I knew how. If I enter DW next year, he/she/it will be rigged :) |
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| What would be your advice for aspiring game artists out there? What type of training do you think would be helpful in becoming a successful game artist? |
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I have always said, and will forever say that traditional skills are worth more to an artist than if he knows every art application being used in the industry. However, I survive not because I have grand technical knowledge in Max or Maya, and not because I am a great illustrator or sculptor. I think I survive because I am sufficient at both, and I try my best to be better at everything. Nothing will aid anyone more than effort and eagerness. Of course, hard work will not make you wealthy, that is where that "luck" part of "success" comes in :)
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| What's your secret to your apparent success? |
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Lol. Success, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. I am the worst success, or best failure that I know.
If I have a "secret strength," it is tenacity. Despite the fact that I struggle with self doubt, self worth, and the false but quite pressing issue that my personal value is linked directly to my worth as an artist, I still trudge forward.
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| Besides finishing a fantastic entry for the dominance war, do you have other accomplishments you would like to share? |
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Not really. I’m not proud of anything after it is done. I dislike Grudge now and will probably wish I had never entered him, win or lose:) Honestly, I was actually pretty pleased with the result the day I turned him in, but there are tons of things in other entries that I can look to for both inspiration and self critique. I know I sound like the dullest, dreariest, and most abysmally self loathing artist you have interviewed for this competition.
I assure you, I am.
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