This blog is about my journey back into the graphic design industry after a brief pause from the turbulent arena. This journey will encompass new technologies I encounter along the way as well as my exploration into social media outlets.
If you have ever used a 3D modeling program you know that you can usually create 3D text objects. You should also be able to add a bevel to your text AND add a fancy profile to the text edge simply by clicking on a button. Not so easy in Blender. What I mean by not so easy is you cannot simply click a button and have the profile appear onto your text. You have to do a little more work in Blender which also means, in a good way, having a little more control over your profile.
So as I was researching how to get new clients a thought came to mind. Why not touch base with past clients and see if they are in need of any illustration work. Such a no-brainer for most, but not for me. My first email went out to BE Publishing which I have done work for in the past. Great company to work for! They publish educational titles for which they need cover art. The company has a great story behind how it all started, and the owner is great to work with. The images are samples of work I created for their annual catalog. I'll let you know if my lightbulb moment generates any work. It is hard for me to make the contacts. I would rather be creating the art, and I think many artists feel the same as I do. I am going to have to get over that and step out of my comfort zone. If anyone out there has any tips I would greatly appreciate some guidance. Stay safe, create daily, and be attuned to change.
Today I am beginning to review the content in Andrew Price's Architecture Academy for Blender. I signed up for this online course in March of 2013 and then never had time to work on it. Life just gets in the way sometimes. Architectural illustration is something I have been wanting to explore for some time now. I have always been interested in old structures and the renovation of all items old and discarded. I studied architecture in college for a while but was never smart enough to keep up. With this realization of my limitations, I opted out for a career in illustration and design. I'm certainly not complaining. I have been very fortunate to withstand all of the ups and downs associated with my career path.
This course looks to be very robust and filled with free assets to help anyone get started. Everything from free furniture models to materials and HDR backgrounds. The course is well worth the expense just for the included assets. The course is closed at the moment getting updates and revisions but will be available again in the spring of 2014. If you are working in Blender or want to get started in Blender, Andrew is certainly a very seasoned artist to follow.
Blender is a free, 3D, open source application used to build models, scenes and conceptual illustrations. The best part of Blender is it's FREE, but don't let that scare you away from this powerful program. It has a huge community of users and is constantly being refined and updated to keep up with 3D demands. I started using Blender about a year ago after the program I was using just lost focus. I also taught a 3D visualization course at Ivy Tech Community College which utilized Blender for its course content.
