Superquad7:Hey gang, SQ7 here with this month's opportunity to bring you September's Featured Radicon of the month. The Radicons Staff is very proud to feature yet another one of our very talented illustrators from our own Fan Art forum: Venksta!
Many of you guys already know him, as he does very well in posting in many of the Fan Art threads. He is
very encouraging to all of the illustrators in the Radicons Fan Art forum, and is always willing to lend a helpful eye to other's work. More often than not, if you're reading a thread in Radicons Fan Art, you're going to come across a post by Venksta.
Venksta has been one of the first to adapt extremely easily to the new system of posting things. NO ONE had to discuss this process with him; he simply took it upon himself to learn a slightly new way of doing things because of his desire to be a part of the Radicons Fan Art community. He's also given a helping hand to other Radicons trying to do the same. During the overhaul of the Fan Art Tutorials (which is still going on), I contacted a few different artists who deal primarily with 3-D renders. Venksta has been
very helpful so far in this process, and I look forward to what he will be able to help Radicons with!
Venksta's work speaks for itself. He's done several pieces on a professional level in the Transformers fandom (as you'll see). It's obvious that Venksta loves the world of Transformers as well as his craft. It's for these reasons (and many more that the other Radicons Staff point out) that we would like to feature Venksta as September's Radicon of the Month!
Venksta (aka Azim Venkataya) himself! plowking: I've always admired Venksta's work since I first saw it here at TFW2005.com. His 3-D pieces are what really hit that spot for me. His Shadow Commander has to be one of my favorites. I liked it so much I ended up using it as a wallpaper for some time, and it eventually got me to purchase the actual toy itself. The work he did for RftK is just amazing, with taking the time to portray the individual characters. His work always has that edge to it. That, for me, makes it look "real". It really captures the essence of the Transformer that he is doing for that particular piece. It’s almost like they pop off the screen when viewing them. Keep up the good work Venksta. And congrats on the FRotM!
REDLINE: Venksta has been a member for a really long time. He used to go by the name of Knight Streak way back in the day. I'd actually forgotten this, and when we were in the process of re-vamping the Art gallery, his works were tagged as ‘unknown_user’, as there isn't a Knight Streak registered on the board. Happily, I've rectified this! It's fun looking at his old pieces, as I remember them from years ago, and it's amazing to look at them and then take a peak at his more current models. WOW! His skills have improved over the years! The sheer amount of detailing in them now is simply staggering.
Venskta has dabbled in just about all the facets of Radicons artwork, not just 3-D modeling, but also 2-D artwork and even making customized Transformers! Venksta is another guy who's been around longer than I have, having joined up back in 2002. He's certainly been around to see a lot of things change, and a lot of growth in the community. Through all of this time, not only has he continually pumped out various pieces of artwork, he's also been very active in other artists' threads, giving them constructive criticism and advice to help them push their own skills in the same manner that he's done for himself. Venksta is an up-standing member of the community, and he's not just versatile in his works of art. He's managed to fully adapt to all the changes to this site over the years without any problems at all.
There are many of you out there who are actually fortunate enough to get to own a piece of Venksta's artwork, and most of you probably don't even realize it! Venskta made a 3D model of City Commander and Shadow Commander for Fans Projects to use for their promotion of that piece, and he's also designed the box for BTS.Toy's Classics Optimus Prime trailer!
Venksta has also contributed wallpapers to the site, and artwork to the RftK (Radicons for the Kids) project, which is a group-effort project where all the proceeds are to be donated to the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Venksta is a true model of what it means to be a Radicon: not just simply an artist, but one who sets the example of what it means to be a good person and member of the community, helping other artists push themselves to grow and improve their skills and craft. It is for both of these reasons why we have selected him for our September's Featured Radicon.
Now we know who the red RX-8 really
is! autobotx23: During the Radicons For The kids project, I had the good fortune of working with Venksta. Not knowing much about his background or his portfolio, I did some digging, and whoa, is this guy talented! There is something "genuine" in his art style (not that all Fan Artists here in Radicons don't, not at all!). But somehow, it feels as if his vision incorporates mine into what he does. With a mind as twisted as mine, that is no easy feat!
The coolest experience I have had is the designing of my Kup custom, for the RFTK auction. I wanted my Kup to look young and bit aloof and un-experienced. His character artwork is dead on perfect with the vibe I was going for. With no prior conversation, it was just right!
So Kudos to Venksta, this spotlight on your talents is well deserved.
Nemesis Predaking:Venksta's work first became known to me via his work with FansProject. I was astounded at the level of detail that could be put in CGI and 3D images. His Classics Megatron is a prime example of this. I cannot begin to understand the level of work involved in such an undertaking.
Venksta is always willing to share comments and advice with fellow Radicons. It is this (coupled with his outstanding work) that has made Venksta deserving of FRotM. This is a well deserved honor for a truly inspiring Radicon.
ALPHAMAGNUS:Not being a digital artist, I see Venksta's body of work as nothing less than magic. I can't even fathom where to begin when it comes to 3-D art, seeing something look as if it was a picture of a real life item. Most recently he has gone further than expectations would allow and added MORE detail to the Classics Megatron, which blows my mind as it was very detailed to begin with. Just when you think he's just an anomaly in the matrix, (putting together masterpieces out of pixels), he proves himself as a valid 2-D "real world" artist as well.
Forgive me if I seem ignorant to computer art. I suppose in a few years we won't use paper, just a tablet pc and stylus. I look forward to seeing what else Venksta and the rest of the community will create in the future, even though it scares me.
Congratulations Venksta, and keep up the great work!
Is there any
chance I can actually get a Ginrai toy like myself this
cool and articulated? R:Tell us a little about yourself.
V: Well, one thing for sure about myself, I never expected to be a featured Radicon, so thank you very much for this opportunity. My name is Azim Venkataya. [I was] born and raised in Vancouver BC, Canada [and] lived here my whole life so far. After high school, I went to the Art Institute of Vancouver to take a two year animation program. After that, I worked at EA Canada for a couple years, before leaving to work on my demo reel so I could pursue a career as an artist. Ended up taking some commissions jobs, and so at the moment, I’m just freelancing. I’ve been a Transformer fans ever since I could remember. I was basically born when they first came out. Due to my age, I ended up being in the target zone for the last of the
G1 figures,
G2 series, and the beginning of Beast Wars. I think due to this, I’m also more accepting to different styles of Transformers (
G1, Beast, and Movie).
R: What got you into the art of illustration? Why do you like illustrating? How long have you been into illustrating?
V: I’ve been making art since I can remember. I was told by my mother that I used to try and draw trucks when I was three years old. But myself, I can’t remember ever in my life not drawing, or doing some sort of artwork. I like it because I end up creating something, which the end result is all from me. That feeling of looking at the finished product and knowing you’re responsible for can’t come from anything else.
For 3D specifically, I got into it because of shows like Beast Wars and Reboot. I wanted to make
G1 character in 3D, but it seemed too hard. When I began high school, in grade 8, I got into working in Bryce 3d, making scenes. Then for a period, worked in Poser making superheroes and Power Rangers, by texturing the models that came with the program. That led to building my first model in Lightwave, which was Optimus Prime.
R: How did you get to your level of illustrating? Did you have any formal training and/or previous experience in your background? What have been some useful resources for your artwork that you suspect others are unaware of?
V: For traditional 2d style art, I’m still improving. Most of my current improvements came after learning 3D modeling. For 3D modeling, I started out on my own. Then after high school, I went to college and took a two year program, in which I learned from several experienced artists and animators. I was lucky, as some of them worked on Beast Wars and Beast Machines at Mainframe. So I was able to pick their brain in things regarding 3D Transformers. Some useful resources for 3D, is that 2D goes hand in hand with it. Any beginner 3D modeler should not ignore the 2D/traditional aspects. Like proportions and shapes. If you never really drawn, but just jump into 3D, you’ll have a harder time, compared to someone who has been drawing and has a good foundation in traditional art. This is something that has been useful for me.
Can you see me? R: What are some of your short-term goals as an artist? What is your ultimate goal as an artist?
V: Some short terms goals I have, is to improve my traditional art skills. I want to get in to digitally painting. Something like E.J. Su’s style, where you can’t see any of the line art. This is with both TFs and human characters. My ultimate goal is to create a 3D style that blends the look of 3D and 2D perfectly for animation, with a painted look. So that when you look at it, you won’t even think it is 3D.
R: Do you have a dream project, and if so, what is it?
V: My dream project is to reanimate the entire 1986 Transformers movie in 3D. If not, at least the first 1/3 up until Optimus dies. I would redesign the
TF characters, so their hybrids with their original toys. I’d shoot for a Pixar quality.
Will the Matrix give me my limbs back? (WIP render of G1 Hot Rod) R: What other hobbies do you have, if any?
V: Well, other art hobbies, is building sets for Christmas plays. It’s a good challenge and fun. But I took a break last year. Hopefully I get the chance again for this year. I basically build the entire canvas part with a friend, and then paint it up, using my airbrush. The last set I painted was about 9 feet tall, and 16 feet wide.
Other hobbies, I like to learn things. Like new techniques, art related, or related to something else, like building something useful. I also like to read up or learn about ancient mythologies. They're the superhero stories from the past. [There are] a lot of interesting ideas and stories to learn from them.
Besides collecting Transformers, I like to build model kits. Nothing I’m happy with yet to show off. I don’t get the time I want to build them, or something goes wrong, which makes it longer to finish. I also like to collect anime figures from shows I’ve watched.
Future of Venksta: can you see it? R: Do you have any advice for up-and-coming illustrators?
V: Don’t be afraid, and don’t expect to get things right on the first go. If you truly want to do any type of art, it will take you time to develop your skills just like every other artist. Only those who are passionate about it will see it through. So if you are not willing to give it 100%, don’t expect much with the end result.
R: What is your inspiration for your projects? What influences your character choices?
V: Usually [inspiration comes] from looking at someone else’s work or the subject for the project. An idea will pop up, like “what if…?”, and I’ll start planning to see if it’s something possible. I try to do characters others haven’t done, or haven’t been done in a specific way. Like for my HD Classics Optimus. When I was making it, the toy wasn’t even out, only a photo of his truck and robot mode, along with a leaked design by Don. So while working on it, I knew others would make a toy version as well, so I went with a realistic 40ft robot look, with extra detailing. At the time, we had not seen any of the movie designs. So I was intending my model to be my version of what could appear in the movie.
R: Who are some of your favorite artists and inspirations?
V: Weewoo, Makoto Ono, Draven, Obsidian, Lt Tarantulas/Nightwarp, Grimmlock and Kurisama for 3D. For 2D, Makoto Ono, Dan Khana, Don Figueroa, E.J. Su, Nick Roche, Kris Smith/Deathwind13, Espcillion, Channandeller, Shibamura-Prime, Blitz, and Altitron.
R: What figure has been your favorite to work on so far? Why?
V: Laser Rod Optimus Prime. I modeled him 3 times. I have a lot of memories of him as a toy. I guess because I got him at the age when most kids my age were getting out of toys. He was like a MP/Alternator Optimus at that time. The design and pose-ability blew away a lot of the figures before him.
Would someone please
stop that bus?! R: How long does it typically take you to complete a project from start to finish?
If I actually sit down and work several hours straight a day, then about a day or two, for something like
G1 show accurate. About 2 weeks max for something toy accurate.
R: Which TF is your favorite and why? Favorite TF character? Favorite series? Favorite toy (non-custom)?
V: Optimus Prime, he is “Mr. Transformer” to me. My favorite character is Hot Rod; he became the car I will never be able to own. My favorite series is
G1; it’s a classic; and I remember it so differently from when I was a child. I want to say Beast Wars, but the reason I liked it so much in the first place was because of the ties to
G1. My favorite toy is Laser Rod Optimus Prime.
"Can you throw in an air freshener too?"
R: What was your first project that you worked on? Any memorable stories to share?
V: First 3d model, Optimus Prime. I actually can’t remember much. But the best part was seeing the final render. It took me two years to be able to finally model, after I started doing 3d art in general. So the render for my first model, Optimus, was very memorable. Since it meant I could finally make my own models, than use pre-made ones.
R: What are your favorite movies//TV shows?
V: Movies:
Transformers: The Movie, Transformers (2007), Batman Begins, Unbreakable, Spiderman 2, Wanted, The Matrix, LotR Trilogy.
TV Shows:
Lost, Spiderman TAS, Batman TAS, The Avatar, 24, Beast Wars, Transformers G1, Reboot, Batman Brave and the Bold, Power Rangers, Kamen Rider Faiz, Venture Bros.
Anime:
Record of Lodoss WarOVA and TV series,
Eureka 7, Rahxephon, Gun x Sword, Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Lupin The 3rd, Gungrave, Robotech Macross Saga. R: What do you consider your strengths as an artist are? Weaknesses?
V: One of my strengths is my attention to detail. Also giving 100% to something, even if it means starting over from scratch. Weakness, spending too much time on something that won’t be seen, like the insides of a vent, on someone’s leg.
R: How would you describe your work environment? (For example, do you like to have certain music going while making artwork or do you have certain things set up that immediately inspire you?)
V: I like to have music on, listening to my favorite bands. I also will have reference photos loaded up on one monitor. Along with a folder full of references, which I can look at and view. I’ll also have a piece of paper, or more, in front, to sketch out parts before attempting to model them. This gives me a good feel about the shape.
Is three computer screens enough for Venksta's awesome? R: What are your favorite things about the process of making a render? Pet peeves?
V: For modeling, my favorite thing is the actual planning and modeling part. At this stage, I can come up with ideas to make the piece really be my own. For something like drawing, it would be sketching out the shapes and proportions, and seeing the different ways I could take the drawing.
R: How do you incorporate other elements outside of Transformers into your work?
V: I see if I can bring these new elements to help create a new look or style, which hasn’t been done by any other artist.
R:What are things you look for as “cool” in a toy? Describe what you like/dislike in certain Transformer toys.
V: I like pose-ability in toys. If I build a 3d model of a toy with good pose-ability, it helps with animating them to have a more natural movement. Otherwise, I have to fit in fake joints, or alter the design.
R: What do your non-TransFan friends say about your work?
V: “Cool”. They usually don’t get my work. Some do take their time to appreciate it though and give their honest feedback. I have one friend who likes to look at my work, and then Photoshop his head on top of the original
TF head. Or change the color scheme to purple. That means he likes it enough if he spends the time to alter it. Then I got another friend, who now gets mad when I ask to show them a new piece of art. As they keep telling me to just send it over, because they rather see it as soon as possible, than wait an extra couple of minutes.
Do you see how happy Venksta is that his work gets Photoshopped by his friends? R: How has the new movie affected your work?
V: It’s given me lots of ideas. Like how any part of a
TF can transform. For example, movie Prime, his head doesn’t just pop up. Parts of it slide and move into place. That gave me the idea to do something with my Megatron’s cannon, which transforms into a BFG cannon. Like, after seeing the movie designs, I got thinking why
G1 Megatron’s cannon couldn’t transform when going into robot mode.
R: What artwork do you do outside of Transformers customs?
V: I paint sets for church Christmas plays. Been doing it for the last 7 or so years. The last couple of years, I’ve used my airbrush to paint the sets. It’s very fun and challenging to paint on a huge canvas. The last set I painted was about 9 feet tall, and 16 feet wide.
From time to time, I will try to brush up on my human anatomy. Usually sketching out superheroes or my own characters.
Do you hear what I hear? (one of Venksta's Christmas sets) R: What non-TF artwork heavily influences your work and why?
V: Well, I do look at designs from other robots and mechas from different series. Like for my Megatron model, I went and look at the designs from this series called Five Star Stories. Their mecha designs where unique, and I looked into the detailing to see what would help look realistic, on a real looking Megatron.
R: What has been the most influential movie for you and why?
V: No surprise.
Transformers: The Movie. =) It created this image and atmosphere for me, when I first saw it as a kid, and it has left the impression since. It’s like this far away world, that might come to pass, and there are all these adventures on earth and in outer space waiting for you to go and explore. For me, the soundtrack and score were important to the movie as were the animation and story. Like when Hot Rod and Kup awaken on Quintessa, and “Nothings Gonna Stand In Our Way” starts to play, you definitely feel like your in a dangerous situation, on another planet. Watching that scene now, it’s not totally the same feeling, but I get the hints of it, when I first saw it when I was 5 years old. So I guess, when it comes to this and my art, I try to recreate that feeling of excitement and everything else from watching the movie the first time.
R: If you like to read, what are some of your favorite books and why? How does this impact your artwork?
V: I’m not good at picking up a book to read. Most of the reading I do, sadly, is on my PC monitor. Though, I do read comics, but have cut down on the titles I buy. My favorite, for awhile, has been [the]
Conan series. The artwork and story has been top notch for a long time. It kind of inspired the
TF-Parallax Orion story in away. Basically, how could I fit Transformers in a barbaric fantasy land?
R: When you listen to music, what do you like to listen to and why? How does this impact your artwork?
V: I like to listen to heavy songs, something that gives me ideas and creates a lot of imagery. My favorite bands are Kamelot and Nightwish. Their lyrics have a lot of imagery, and the sound gives me a lot of motivation. Though, when I’m working, I’m not really paying attention to the lyrics. It becomes blurred with the rest of the song, so the “sound” I here is still important. I also listen to DragonForce, Lacuna Coil, Disturbed, and old school Michael Jackson. I also like to listen to old ‘80s rock and metal on the radio.
R: What do you want people to most remember you for and why?
V: Not something I think about at this early in my life, ha-ha. Well, I think it’d be fair if people remembered me for who I was, and not for who I wasn’t.
R: What toys besides TFs do you enjoy and why?
V: I like Kamen Rider SIC figures. Their like the Masterpiece version of their series of toys. The sculpting and details are amazing. I also collect some anime statues, from shows I have seen. Usually a character I happened to like a lot. Power Ranger Zords are another toy series I like. Their more like big, old school transformers, in away. Their pose-ability is limited. But their big and fun. My favorites are the originals, which I still have.
Can you give this guy a hand? R: Boxers or briefs?
V: Boxers, I’m a very secure person. XD
R: What trends do you see in your own work and what do others tend to say about your customs?
V: People wonder how I get all the detailing done. I got one friend who thinks I’m absolutely crazy to attempt them. But then I go see some other 3d artist do something more detailed, and my work suddenly looks tame in comparison.
R: How has making Transformers customs impacted your life uniquely?
V: It has given me a goal actually. In high school, I knew from the get go I was going to do something art related as a career. And by grade 10, I was doing a lot of 3d work at home, so I knew I wanted to become a professional 3d artist. When I think of my high school friends, they had no idea, even in grade 12, what they wanted to do.
REDLINE: When someone looks at your older artwork, like the picture of G1 Prime standing in the foreground and the crashed Ark is in the background, and compares that to say, your G1 Shockwave picture holding Classics Megatron in Blaster mode; the first thing they'll notice is the drastic leap in the amount of detailing your models contain. Now, obviously people get better at something the more they practice it, and when you're better at something, you're usually also a little faster at doing it as well. My question is how long does it take you to make one of these extremely high-detail models typically? To someone who doesn't have any personal experience in making 3D models, it seems like it would take an eternity, and that it could be overwhelming early on, knowing just how much work there is to do.
V: I think if I compare a model like that recent
G1 Shockwave, to a model from 2002, they take about the same amount of time. In that time frame, I’ve learn dozens of tricks and new techniques to speed up my modeling. With every new model I create, I actually will learn a new trick some how. Either by accident or something I didn’t notice. Do to this; my next model might be 30 minutes fast. And if I consider all the tricks I learned, it really adds up, and lets me do more work on my models, in the same time it took 7 years ago.
"Has anyone seen our friends?"
REDLINE: I just love your recent experiments with cell-shading, those that you've dubbed "2.5D". Your Classics Cosmos image, and even your Classics Optimus Prime one, they really do look like they've leaped straight out of a comic book! Have you ever thought of making a really short little animated comic with your models shaded this way, or even an actual comic page? I think that would be awesome, and if not that, some more scenes like your Shadow Commander Wallpaper.
V: It was actually an experiment to create a new style for a possible ongoing project. However, I haven’t had the time to revisit it. I think the next step would be to refine the shadows, and introduce some textures, or play with the shading, to look more organically done, then by a machine/computer. This style would lead to a comic, or animation.
The Shadow Commander wallpaper style is something I do want to try again in the short run. There are many 3D artists who will build models, and then use them as a base to paint on top. This SC wallpaper was my try at something similar. I liked how it turned out. But the response wasn’t very good. So I’ve got a long way to go until I refine my technique to something people will enjoy in this style.
REDLINE: After your recent romp with 2D artwork for the RftK project, do you want to do this more often now? You have what I would call a "fun" style, in that (while still very detailed) your characters really are over-flowing with personality and look like they'd be a lot of fun to "watch".
V: I would love to do 2D work more. It’s faster than building a 3D model. My only problem with it is I try to treat it as 3D model, by making the line art or detailing “perfect”. And just never get anything done pass the inking stage.
REDLINE: You have a fan-character that you love, Knight Streak, which you have drawn in 2D. Are you planning to make a 3D model of him soon?
V: Actually, I’ve made two 3D models of him before. First version was my second
TF model I made, in 1999. Then I made a second version after I started using 3D max. Though, both versions were based off early designs. Since then, I’ve redesigned him to be a proper Transformer. I did try to start a newer version a couple years ago, but it didn’t go anywhere. But he is character I keep on my short list of TFs I want to model. It is just a matter of time until I finally redo him.
When can I model for you again? (Venksta's Knightstreak design, line art) REDLINE: Have you ever considered making one of your high-detail models of TFW2005's Boombox mascot?
V: I have several times. But the modeling part would be like ½ of the project. The other half would have to involve some sort of animation.
REDLINE: Since Fan Art was brought under the Radicons umbrella fully eight months ago, you quickly adapted to all the expanded resources available to the Fan Art community, while many others are still stuck in the old "one forum" mentality. Do you have any suggestions or advice to give to your fellow community members to get them out of this "funk"?
V: I think this change has helped allow artists to be lazy and feel good about it. Being able to upload my images straight to the thread is a lot easier than uploading them to my web space. It’s like half the work. Plus, I don’t have to worry about deleting the images due to not enough web space. This means the images will stay in Radicons for a very long time. Also, having the other sub forums in Radicons, for discussion and tutorials makes it a bigger community. You don’t have to go anywhere else to ask a question about something art related. I see a lot of new opportunities the fan art community to grow here. I just hope more fan artists start looking and exploring these other awesome parts of Radicons.
Do you think Venksta's into Radicons for the long haul? REDLINE: You've made customs before, but I doubt many people realize it. We only have but one thread of a custom of yours: your Hot Rod repaint from Cybertron Hot Shot's mold. Are you working on anything right now? How do you like doing customs, and how would you compare making customs with making 3D models?
V: All my customs have been mostly repaints. My Hot Rod repaint was my first try at airbrushing. I’ve got a Universe Smokescreen custom in the works. Though, I’m at the design stage, as this will be my most involved custom, as I’m planning to sculpt on new parts for the car mode. 3D modeling and customs are similar. The major difference is no “Crtl+Z” option is available with customs. =) Seriously though, there are some similar techniques. As I’ve been slowly planning my Smokescreen custom, I wouldn’t be able to figure things out, if I hadn’t modeled cars in 3D before. As the sculpting part will be similar to modeling a new object. The only difference being which tools I can use.
Why settle for a peak when you can see everything in Radicons? Superquad7: While artwork is the product, art is seeing. When you envision Transformers and interpret them through an artistic lens, how might you view Transformers (toys and media) differently than a person who doesn’t create Transformers artwork?
V: I guess as a fan, when it comes to the design of the Transformers, I have a really good idea what elements makes up their character. So in my art, I will give these elements more focus. Compared to someone who doesn’t create Transformers artwork, they would give their interpretation of a
TF character, based off “what” they think the character is like, and miss elements which we fans would value. Simple example, Starscream, most fans give him a smirk, since it’s a big character trait for him. Someone who doesn’t know anything about Starscream would never think about giving him a smirk at all.
"Who disrupts my coronation?" Superquad7: Creating artwork is also about making choices. What attracts you to 3-D renders more versus illustrations or even customs? While you have certainly demonstrated that you can create art via various methods, what is it about 3-D illustration that keeps you engaged?
V: 3D is like being able to create my own personalized action figure. Once I have the model all rigged up, it’s like an actual toy basically. I can pose, transform, and change their color. And then on top of that, I can render out realistic renders, making him look life sized, or animate him.
Superquad7: Many artists may be curious as to the kinds of commissions and jobs one can work using 3-D renders. What sorts of things do you seek out with your work for commissions?
V: There are many jobs related to 3-D models. Obviously, working at a studio, and building models for film or games. They can also be used for comics and prints. Something that is taking off, building 3-D models to be machine prototyped. Like building a gun for Classics Rodimus, and have it printed in “3D” so you can actually hold it in your hand or put it in Rodimus’ hand. For commissions, I look at what the potential client is looking for and if my skills meet the work they want done. I also look at what their willing to pay. Sadly, many people don’t value the amount of work required when it comes to 3D models. There is still the mentality that 3D means pushing a button, and you get a highly detailed model magically appearing. At times, 3D modeling can take the same amount of time as sculpting in real life. And depending on your skill level, you can’t sell yourself short.
Superquad7: You’ve done illustration work for FansProject (known for the popular, unofficial add-on sets) as well as other such groups. How did this come about? What is your involvement with Fansproject and their work? Feel free to discuss anything about your work and involvement with them! What would you suggest for artists veering into this type of work?
V: I was lucky to have the chance to work with them last year. I happen to [have known] one of the members for several years. One day, in early December 2007, I went to visit my friend, and he showed me the first prototype photos of City Commander. It did surprise me, as it was something I would have never expected in design and look. My friend was aware of some of my 3D artwork. At this point, the group was not known by their current name. About two months later, we started talking again about the project, and I joined up to help with various things, and give input as a “western” fan. It was great to see the reaction by fans and to be able to see the prototype in person before others did. I did several different things, like design a mock-up for their website; post the first announcement on TFW2005 about City Commander, story ideas and concept art for the Parallax series. Along with writing and lettering the Orion comic (which came with the toy) and designing one of the license plate stickers. My main project for them was the City Commander 3d model and animation. I only had photos to work by for the City Commander model, but did have the chance to go look at the physical prototype at times. Though it was still challenging to model the armor/trailer from just photos, do to the way it was designed. After Shadow Commander came out, I basically had no more projects to work on for the group. Though, the door was open.
I ended up talking with a contact with BTS.Toy, which I wasn’t aware about. After talking, I got the opportunity to help them out. So I ended up doing the box design for their Mobile Commander Base trailer. I came up with several mockup designs, from
G1 style, Masterpiece, and Universe. They settled for the Classics look. I also got to help out with the names, and wrote out the bios for both Rollers.
Recently, I’ve been working for another fan group, who has been around for awhile. I’m still freelancing, but more involved. However, I can’t discuss much about it at the moment. Though, at this time, it’s probably the closest experience I’ll get, to see how it could be like to work for Hasbro on a real
TF figure. =)
Can I have that Powered Convoy, sir? Superquad7: Are there any particular artists or pieces of Transformers fan art that actively inspire you? If so, please cite!
V: Yes, there are. Most of the 3d modelers around, before I began. The first 3d
TF fan art I saw was by this guy, who I think went by the name “Max”. The first work I saw by him was an Optimus Prime render, in 1997. When I first saw the piece, I thought MainFrame was working on a
G1 show. I even emailed the artist and asked if that was the case, ha-ha. By the time I started modeling TFs, Makoto Ono and Draven we’re my biggest inspiration when starting to model. Of them all though, Weewoo has been the one to keep me modeling and to improve.
Makoto has basically got the
G1 show look down and it was like the highest bar to attempt and reach. Even to this day, I believe no one has captured the spirit of the
G1 show characters his models do. When I start a new project, depending on the character, I’ll look at his older works and see what I need to do to get it right like he did.
The first 3d modeling program I started off in was Lightwave, and this was mostly due to Draven. He was very active on the boards, and I remember talking to him and getting some tips to help start modeling. If Makoto had the
G1 show style down, Draven had the
G1 comic style down. I think of all of Draven’s works, there was one video he made for his Redemption series. It was an early video, which used a Rammstein song (not Duhast). I watched that video a ton of times. It was really inspirational, to see his models in action. It gave me the hope to be able to do something like that at some point.
Weewoo has been the key modeler and reason I pushed my self to always get better. Her models were always awesome. She has a
G1 look, with this newer modern style blended in. Something like if Mainframe, or another studio made a traditional
TF series. She showed you could put some of yourself in to your models and still make it totally awesome. When 3D
TF fan art was at its peak, years ago, Weewoo was basically the best friend I was lucky to have at the time. We spent a lot of time talking about 3d and TFs in general. To this day, I don’t think my models captured the “wow” her models did. However, it doesn’t mean I haven’t stopped trying. When ever there is success for me as a 3D Transformers fan artist, she always deserves the first thanks from me.
Does it come in blue? plowking: What is it about Transformers that you enjoy when creating them?
V: You’re basically modeling two models. With the amount of effort a car model takes to create, creating a robot mode to go with it makes it even more challenging. And to add, to make it transformable. Even having the toy in front of you to work off, doesn’t make it much easier really. Any modeler who takes the time and effort to make their
TF model fully transformable really deserves the credit for their hard work in my opinion. But the challenge is the best part of it.
plowking: Did you envision your pieces in your mind first or do you just sit down and dive into it, and it is whatever it becomes?
V: Well, both, but mostly envisioning it, so I have the idea of where I want to go. This leads to sketching out parts of the design. Though, while modeling, there are times new ideas will pop up, and I’ll try them out and see if their good, like extra detailing.
Would you give me a lift? Nemesis Predaking: Could you tell us a little about your experience with the RftK project?
V: It was a fun project to work on. I originally joined up to do the box design. I also took on the character arts for a couple of customs, and the tech specs, which were fun. The character arts actually took a lot of time, more then I imagined. But I think the end result was worth it, and whoever ends up with the set, will enjoy the hard work everyone put into it.
Nemesis Predaking: What are the specs of your computer that you are running 3D program(s) on?
V: I’ve got an Intel Quad Core 2.66 GHz, over clocked at 3.1 GHz, with 4GB of ram. For my video card, I have two Nvidia 8800GTX. My current OS is Vista Ultimate.
Nemesis Predaking: With the likes of your Classics Megatron, how many hours total (including rendering time) did that one project take you to complete?
V: It’s really hard to say, since I usually don’t keep track. I would estimate, by looking at the model, about 40-50 hours. I spent a lot of time tweaking the face, which actually delayed it for one year, as I wanted it to look right. So I stopped and started other projects, while going back to the face every couple months, to see if I could try something new for the look.
autobotx23: Have you dabbled in doing any of your drawings as vector art in Illustrator?
V: Yes, I have done vector art, but in Flash before. I tried Illustrator years ago, but didn’t get the chance to use it much. Though, I like the “organic” look of the lines, by doing them manually. But vector art does have its benefits from what I’ve seen, and something I would like to venture into in the future.
autobotx23: Do you have any tips or shortcuts to any artist who find it difficult to color their art in Photoshop?
V: Don’t be afraid to use more than a couple layers. They can really help, especially if you make it a habit to name them. Also, look into altering the brushes, instead of just changing the size. You can get different results from changing brush settings. Or look into download free brushes online. I find having different types of brushes to be useful, especially for effects.
For colors, one thing I’ve been doing is picking different shades. Like Optimus for example. He has a lot of red. Instead of picking absolute red, pick a bit of a darker red, or maybe with a slight shade of orange or grey. If you observe the world around you, you’ll notice colors have a slight hint of another color usually, do to rays of light bouncing off different objects.
Also, learning the short cut keys for any tools you frequently use, will help you speed your work up a bit.
What other
colors do you want me in? autobotx23: What version of Adobe CS do you use? Do you have a favorite palette set up or any tools that you rely on for your signature style?
V: I use CS2. For colors, I’ll just open up the Color Picker, and pick some colors I feel work for the project I’m working on, and paint them on the side of the drawing. Then just refer back to them when I need to paint them.
Can I have a hug? (Venksta's custom LoC of his own character, Knightstreak)
ALPHAMAGNUS: Have you ever done any Custom work outside of the computer? I only found one (1) thread missing images that looked like a repaint from you.
Do you have any "dream projects"? Something that might take a long time (or not) that you have been working on? I would personally like to see the G1 battle scene posters in 3D, but that's just me.
V: I’ve done a couple customs. My last big one was repainting Cybertron Hot Shot into
G1 Hot Rod. It was also my first project with my airbrush. I think it turned out good. After that, I did a small repaint, of LOC Cybertron Hot Shot into my fan character, Knight Streak. I painted him by hand. I also have tried to do model kit building. My first ever kit I painted and built was a Spiderman kit, back in grade 8. I painted him up in the Iron Spider colors, silver and black. After getting my airbrush, and painting Hot Rod, I built a kit of Spiderwoman. It was an original kit I found for cheap on eBay. She looked simple to build and paint. She turned out ok for my first try. Though, I plan to repaint her one day.
My dream project is reanimating the
G1 movie in 3D. I think it’s something that could be done, but just requires a lot of time and planning. I’ve actually took part in a
G1 battle scene poster, with several of the other 3D modelers on TFW2005, several years ago. The project was headed by Cerebros. I contributed
G1 Bruticus and three Constructicons to the project. It turned out really good. For myself, I haven’t thought about doing a battle scene with my models, but it is something that could be fun to work on.
Can our darkest hour be lit once again? Venksta's Galleries:
Venksta’s galleries:
Classics_CityCommander_wallpaper_001.jpg - City Commander - TFW2005.COM Classics_CityCommander_wallpaper_002.jpg - City Commander - TFW2005.COM Classics_CityCommander_wallpaper_003.jpg - City Commander - TFW2005.COM Classics_CityCommander_wallpaper_004.jpg - City Commander - TFW2005.COM Classics_CityCommander_wallpaper_005.jpg - City Commander - TFW2005.COM Classics_CityCommander_wallpaper_006.jpg - City Commander - TFW2005.COM Classics_CityCommander_wallpaper_007.jpg - Autobots Group - TFW2005.COM Classics_CityCommander_wallpaper_008.jpg - City Commander - TFW2005.COM Classics_CityCommander_wallpaper_009.jpg - Autobots Group - TFW2005.COM Classics_Cliffjumper_001.jpg - Cliffjumper - TFW2005.COM Classics_Cliffjumper_002.jpg - Cliffjumper - TFW2005.COM Classics_Cosmos_001.jpg - Cosmos - TFW2005.COM Classics_Cosmos_002.jpg - Cosmos - TFW2005.COM Classics_Cosmos_003.jpg - Cosmos - TFW2005.COM Classics_Cosmos_004.jpg - Cosmos - TFW2005.COM Classics_Prime_Magnus_Wallpaper_001.jpg - Autobots Group - TFW2005.COM Classics_Prime_Magnus_Wallpaper_002.jpg - Autobots Group - TFW2005.COM ks_IronHide_01 - Ironhide - TFW2005.COM KS_RID_Decepticons_groupshot_03.jpg - Groupshots - TFW2005.COM MegatronWD_01 - Megatron - TFW2005.COM OptimusPrime_01 - Optimus Prime - TFW2005.COM PSConvoy_next_01 - Versus - TFW2005.COM Scourge_01.jpg - Scourge - TFW2005.COM Shockwave-Fan-Art-0003.jpg - Shockwave Contest Entries - TFW2005.COM Radicons for the Kids (Box Artwork) - BotCon/Other Convention Fan Art Contest Entries - TFW2005.COM 
How many tapes can he
hold? Venksta's Threads: Classics Megatron Part 2 http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transf...-tutorial.html Classics Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus Galaxy Convoy RFTK Autobots RFTK Decepticons RFTK Kup Ultra Magnus Venksta's March Artworks Classics Megatron Shadow Commander Wallpapers Treble and Bass Classics Cosmos TF-Parallax: Orion - Mirage Concept Classics Optimus Prime HD Venksta's WIP Thread Venksta's G1 Shockwave Classics Bumblebee Lite Movie Concept - Autobot Renesis venksta's classics wip thread classic prime wip Blue heads http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/radico...intro-fan.html G1 HotRod/Excellion repaint 
"Do you want some, Radicon?"
