The one where Dave asks for help

Night falls on the first scene of my new demo reel
(click image for larger version)

For the past several weeks I've been working on the beginning of a new demo reel! It will consist of 3-4 environment shots that will be as close to photoreal as I can make them. My goal this time around is to land some kind of environmental or general 3D artist position at either an animation, Special Effects, or video game studio.

So, I'm big on the idea of having my own library one day, and I figured that that would be a good choice to do for the first scene. It was a blast to make and I learned new stuff along the way too! I can't wait to move on to the next scene! Hopefully my library won't be so messy and will have a better view ;)

Everything was done in Maya 8 (rendered with Mental Ray) except for the textures, which were done in Photoshop. I'm not the best when it comes to rendering, but I was really, honestly surprised when I saw how the render turned out! Now I just have to figure out how to make it even better :D

That's where you come in, my happy-go-lucky readers! I would really, really, really, REALLY like to know what you think could be improved or tweaked in the scene! I'm going to be uploading 2 more images soon of the room lit at different times of the day, so you'll be able to see a bit more detail. I would especially appreciate it if you have knowledge of 3D and notice any mistakes that I might have glazed over. If you DO leave constructive criticism, I would like to send you a sketch/doodle on any subject that you'd like as my way of saying thanks for helping me out! Just make sure that I have some way to contact you if you'd like a sketch :) An email adderss is probably best. Extra points for funny topics! I'm a funny guy, so expect a funny image :D

Cheers!

Wink SMASH! Johann...evaporate?!

When you get a figure in just the right pose, they hold it for hours!
Unlike those puny "human" models...sheesh.

These two pictures were taken on Sunday night after I saw Hellboy II. My girlfriend and I were in Silver Snail after the movie and we were surprised to find that Wink and Johann were the best figures in the current series of Hellboy figures. I really, really hope that they do a second series that is made up of ALL of the cool monsters that are scattered throughout the film. To tell the truth, I wasn't really all that impressed with the Wink character in the film, but his figure is BOSS. The thing is like 8 inches tall! Johann was awesome in the film, and his figure is equally kickass. Just look at that ectoplasm!

I've been working 4 days a week full-time for the past while now, which hasn't left me very much time to work on stuff, hence the currently minimalistic demo mode that my website is in. I am working on a new demo though, and once it's finished the site is going to get a slick overhaul. I've got a really fun and (hopefully) engaging way to present this latest iteration to people. I'm really putting some thought into the presentation, but it's all hush-hush at the moment. I'm taking my time creating this demo so that I can really showcase ALL of my current abilities with Maya, as opposed to my current demo, which is very focused. I wanted to get the current demo out the door and into the hands/minds of people in the industry, so that at least they might remember my name come next time round. Although it was a bit rushed, I learned a lot about modeling from my last demo that I'm applying to my new demo. I'm going to get it right this time around and really show off what I can offer.

Aside from that, I've been really fortunate to have been trained on how to use a motion capture system, and also how to clean up captured data. Cleaning data is actually more fun than it might sound, as it's like a puzzle that changes all the time. And capturing the data is a laugh riot! I can't really say much more than that at the moment, but with any luck there will be developments in the near future.

There is other stuff that I'd like to chat about, but I've already made this post far too wordy. I think I need another blog to fill up with all of the goofy details of my life. At least that way people who just want to see cool art or pictures won't be bothered by all of this text! I'm hoping to get a laptop in the next few months and if that happens, I might end up writing more. We'll see!

Adios and arrivederci!