Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1474486
22 cgw j u ly • a u g u s t • s e p t e m b e r 2 0 2 2 M otion design, 3D, and NFT artists are constantly advancing their cras and going beyond the limits of what was once considered to be possible. Max- on's ongoing 3D and Motion Design Show features leading digital artists and gives them a platform to showcase their personal projects and demonstrate techniques for mastering skills and managing workflows. The shows are streamed live and viewers are encouraged to participate in the artist-led conversations. CGW connected with three of these inspiring featured artists to learn more about their career paths, recent projects, tools of the trade, and any advice they have for up-and-coming artists in their fields. is (aka M3DDA) Tell us a little about your professional background. What led to you becoming a multidisciplinary digital artist? It wasn't until I was around 20 years old that I actually began to focus on art as a career path, but the truth is that I've been creating for as long as I can remember. In school, in waiting rooms, or out to dinner with my parents as a child, I was constantly sketching in notebooks. But my relationship with art has been a complicated one. My sketches nor handwriting never seemed to improve with time as they should, which frustrated me. My parents investigated this aer concerns were raised by some teachers of mine, and I was diagnosed with a developmental disorder called dysgraphia which affects my fine motor skills; I've always looked at it like dyslexia but for handwriting or drawing. Once I was given permission to type rather than write by hand in class, my essay scores instantly went from the bottom of the class to the top of it. Gaming has always been a huge inspiration of mine, and oddly enough allowed me to express myself more than drawing could. Racing games from the Need for Speed titles allowed for a wide range of vehicle customization, and unhindered by my motor skills, modifying race cars was a very enjoyable artistic outlet of mine as a child. Needless to say, I spent far more time in the tuning garage than I did driving any of them! In college, I floated around without a major for a year. Aer missing a few classes while engrossed in customizing my phone interface, I realized it was time to take this art thing seriously and signed up to attend Full Sail University's Digital Art & Design degree program. There I was introduced to a wide range of disciplines from Photoshop and branding to videography and photography, and some 2D animation in Aer Effects. None of them really caught my interest until I was introduced to 3D and was receiving some basic training in Cinema4D (C4D). It was then that I knew I'd found what I was made for. Tell us about your areas of specialization and the types of projects you have worked on recently. I identify most with the generalist moniker rather than specialist. My formal education in 3D only lasted a few months, but it wasn't long before I discovered the wealth of freely available educational resources provided by creators like David Ariew and EJ Hassenfratz, which gave me a well-rounded primer to the many facets of 3D production. Unfortunately, this doesn't lend itself well to the needs of most studios, in my experience, and I struggled to juggle the many aspects of full-time freelance for a few years. So when the NFT phenomenon reared its head in early 2021, I jumped on the opportunity to build something of my own and have been pursuing that ever since with my work on Cryptobiotica. Tell us about your "3D Skulleidoscopes and How to Create a Cryptobiotic" presentation that was featured in Maxon's 3D and Motion Design Show (3DMS). Shcase: tion Design, 3D, & NFT A•ists BY KENDRA RUCZAK Will Harvey