|  Where
are you from and where are you living today?
I live in France and after 17 years in the crazy Parisian life I moved
with my little family to the south of France near Toulouse, to a small
village with 10 000 inhabitants.
How old are you?
I'm born in 1964 so I'm soon in my 40's. Half of a lifetime, if you are
to trust statistics...
Do you use Cinema as a hobby, for
learning, or for pro work?
I use it for pro work, after using Strata
3D.
What can you see from where you
sit now?
A lava lamp, 2 masks I made on the wall and some posters I printed. If
I look out one of the three windows around me, I can see big trees and
animals. In one word: Nature!
Coffee, tea or something stronger?
Everything, depending on the moment. Café for morning, tea for
tea-time and something stronger at night!
Which Cinema 4D version do you
use currently?
I'm using R8.5 with the Advanced Render module.
Which platform do you use/prefer
- Mac or PC?
Mac for work and PC for games. I have a dual G5 2x2ghz and 4.5 GB RAM.
Any particular reason for your
platform choice?
The first computer I bought was a Mac.
CRT or LCD and why?
I have a LCD Apple Cinema display 23". The first reason I use this
is because of its beauty and style, and secondly because of the quality
of it's colours. It's also less tiring than a traditional CRT!
Default scheme and layout or custom?
Default, I didn't take the time to make my own palettes.
What was your first ever interest/experience
in 3D/CG?
In the beginning of the 80's there was a French CG festival called
Imagina. I was captivated by these new images, but it was out
of my reach at that time. I didn't even know what a computer was. Some
10 years later I bought one and today CG is my daily job.
When and why did you decide to make Cinema your creative weapon
of choice?
After using Strata 3D for 5 years, I felt limited with its modelling tools.
I used Wings for modeling and then imported in Strata, but it was not
the best solution. A friend of mine showed me Cinema 4D, but my first
impression was very bad one.
What other 3D software have you
used/still use?
Strata 3d only.
What's your favourite model/image
you have ever created and why?
This image, cow,
was the first 3D image I made professionally. The handmade look was my
aim and I succeeded. I made it for my French agent and this cow continued
on to create many professional contracts for me. When you finish an illustration,
you feel if it's either good or "just good" - this one had a
very good feeling for me.
You have a manner that is very
stylized and almost cartoonish, and in a sense more 2D than 3D. Do you
have any experience or history creating traditional 3D illustrations with
pen and paper before you started using computer software like Cinema 4D?
Yes. Before I started using a computer I worked whith traditional
tools. Pastel, pen, brush and painting but never airbrush. I also made
many real 3D illustrations modelling whith terra cotta and painting it.
I made artwork with aluminium sheets and sold it during exhibitions in
private galleries. I stopped using theses tools when I met the computer!
The papier mache texture you use
in many of your images is very effective. How and why did you come up
with it, and how is the texture constructed?
It's a paper scan I made.
I bought Strata just before starting my holiday and I had just the time
to examine the software. But the clean aspect of 3D art with all these
reflections and metal effects bored me. I wanted to be different. During
the holiday I went to a place near Montreal in Canada and I took the time
to think about 3D. Back in France I made "the cow" and with
that I found my style.
How much post-work do you do on
a standard image?
Always, always at least 30% of the final image. The way I see
it I don't have any prestige to lose, the method is unimportant since
the final result is my prime concern. This is true in art but of course
not in life!!
Talk us through a typical workflow
for a typical image!
I always start with a sketch, this is the secret of a good illustration.
Then I start modelling followed by the texturing, lightning and rendering.
Then postwork and finally I go to bed.
Besides yourself, do you have a
favourite Cinema 4D (or other if you would prefer) artist that you admire
or are inspired by?
Not really, but I love the works of Mark
Ryden and many other artists. I don't like to "idolise"
somebody. I can be a fan, but not fanatical. I was very impressed by a
portrait of a human owl a C4D illustrator made some time ago. Can't remember
his name... Yes, I found him, his name is pupi!
Given the time, what aspect of
Cinema (and related modules) do you feel you'd like to learn/perfect next?
BodyPaint.
What Cinema 4D related forums/communities
do you frequent/recommend?
Only one for the moment, FrenchCinema4D.com.
What advice would you give to someone
thinking of learning/buying high end 3D software and the choices they
could make?
Patience and stubbornness for learning. Use Strata 3D for the
simplicity and Cinema 4D for the high quality of the render.
Tell us something funny!?
WAZZZZAAAA!!
On behalf of the Renderosity Cinema 4D community, we'd like to thank you
for answering these questions, and sharing your thoughts with us!
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