I also have a number of experts in the scientific community that I can turn to for critiques. What I love most about studying insects, whether it’s through the lens of a camera or microscope, is examining the amazing shape language and detail of their exoskeletons and seeing how faithfully I can sculpt them in 3D. I've gone to one of these workshops in Carmel, California, one in Austin, Texas, and this spring, I'll be attending one in Gorongosa Mozambique. I have participated in a number of macro photography workshops run by a group called "Bugshot" that is run by scientist-artists who all have years of experience in the field and in the lab. Also, I try and practice macro photography whenever I get the chance. What helps you achieve that level of success?ĮK: A microscope! I have one beside my Cintiq and I use it constantly when exploring insect shapes in ZBrush.
GW: The intricate detail you obtain in your hyperrealism work is phenomenal. I guess I've discovered, only in the past few years, that I am one of those people. There definitely exists a kind of person that gets really excited about insect biology. I started hanging out at the Natural History Museum in LA and made friends with the entomologists there as well as others online. We finished "Life on Earth" in 2014 but since then my interest in insects continued to grow and continues to inspire me like no other subject. Unlike our buggy friends, molecules and cells don't have a face or eyes that you can stare into. His writing is so engaging and so captivating that it pretty much convinced me that insects desperately need their story to be told, and that computer animation is the best way to do this, and I'm the best person to do it! I had been doing cell and molecular biology animations for years, while these are interesting subjects for animations and they are always a fun challenge, molecular and cellular dynamics are not nearly as engaging to a general audience as insects. Wilson is most famous for his many discoveries related to ant sociobiology. He has written A LOT of books, mostly on ants, but also on ecology and philosophy. I felt like it would be a good idea to read some of Ed Wilson's books before starting the job. Gael hired me to be the lead 3D artist since we had worked on many jobs together before this, including the film for the Boston Museum of Science. Shortly after I had this epiphany my good friend Gael McGill who started a scientific visualization company in Cambridge MA ( won a contract with Apple to help the famous biologist E O Wilson develop a digital biology textbook for the iPad. Most importantly, they are the perfect subject to engage people in science because they are simultaneously alien and familiar. Insects are also easy to rig and a joy to animate. Endless varieties of surface properties to explore, and I love developing shaders to mimic these properties in my renders. Their exoskeletons are often finely detailed with vibrant colors, some are metallic, they are usually hairy, deliciously translucent, shiny, dull and everything in between.
#Zbrush 4r8 macro movie
Around 2009, while working on a short CG movie for the Boston Museum of Science, I realized that insects have it all for a CG artist. The longer answer is that I had an epiphany. GW: What inspired your entomological obsession?ĮK: The short answer is "E O Wilson".
Keller’s latest personal project, Entomology Animated, focuses on the biology of insects and demonstrates an exuberant approach to CG, animation, and science.
#Zbrush 4r8 macro software
Below, Eric Keller discusses his key passions including how he is using CG to further scientific research and science education, and his future predictions not only for the dominate software emerging but also what he hopes artists and creators will bring to CG in the future. He has lectured at ZBrush User Group meetings, and has given presentations at the ZBrush booth at SIGGRAPH. Eric Keller has written numerous books on Maya and ZBrush (Mastering Maya 2009, Mastering Maya 2011, 3 Editions of Introducing ZBrush, and two editions of Maya Visual Effects: The Innovator's Guide). Keller’s students have been featured prominently on Artstation and have gone on to work for a plethora of industry giants. Keller’s Hyper-Realistic Insect Design and various Maya tutorials for the Gnomon Workshop demonstrate one-of-a-kind methods, tips, and tricks that Keller has perfected.
#Zbrush 4r8 macro professional
He has been a professional CG artist since 1998 specializing in scientific visualization but he also works in the entertainment and commercial industries. Eric Keller is a skilled and accomplished CG artist and creator.