Frequently asked questions:
Q: How old are you?
A: 24.
Q: You got in the industry really, really young. Do you have any secrets?
A: Well I didn't plan to. I had a big portfolio by the time I was 18 but that was just because I loved creating things from my mind. I didn't planned to have a career with this. Mostly because my family didn't think of it as an actual job. Artist :). So I guess what I am saying is work hard and for the love of art and money will come.
Q: Did you went to a 3D related school or something that helped you get into the industry?
A: No, I am self thought thanks to the infinite library that is the Internet. And with time the web gets filled with more and more free content to learn from. So in the current days the only thing you have to have is will to learn.
Q: Did you model the whole Minas Tirith city from the Lord of the Rings film?
A: 90% is made by me, and the rest a friend helped me.
Q: What made you start doing 3D?
A: Like many others, Blizzard. Also Lord of the Rings, but we can see a pattern here.
Q: What software do you use?
A: 3dsmax, mudbox and photoshop.
Q: Do you ever teach 3D?
A: Usually I don't, but I had a workshop once with 30 students for 3 weeks.
Q: Can I get work just for modeling?
A: The more the specialized you are on a field the less job opportunities you get. Also you need to be open to learning new things.
Q: Are games for the Ipad2 hard to make? After all it's a handheld.
A: Well they can support hardcore games that do use normal/spec maps and even real time lights so you can see it's not like the old days only with pixel art. But they have limitation on the amount of content you can poor into a level for instance. Check Epic Citadel from Epic for an example of beautiful graphics.
Q: A quick advice for an industry beginner?
A: Remember that your creations are others needs.
Q: Besides game art what other aspect of the digital art do you like doing?
A: Mattepainting.
Q: Do you think collaborative projects are useful for anything?
A: I recommend a collab project for every newby. You will learn a lot even if the project will fail your experience will remain.
