Whaaaat..? What is that ‘steampunk’? Definitely, most of you have had some dreams and fantasies in the childhood, where you were time travelling dressed as an astronaut with a steam-powered jet-set and a bag full of coal to launch it.
So, steampunk is a symbolical form of romanticism mixed with technology, seeping both into arts and culture since the 1980s. Aesthetic British Victorian era, American “Wild-Wild West” lunacy, steam-powered technologies – all of these convey direct inspiration to nowadays. This particular genre has conquered all possible forms of art.
The concept was brought to life in a letter sent to science-fiction magazine “Locus” in 1987 by American sci-fi and horror writer K.W.Jeter. He was trying to distinguish himself and his fellows, who were in love with sci-fi technologies in retro style, from the futuristic cyberpunks by saying: “Personally, I think Victorian fantasies are going to be the next big thing, as long as we can come up with a fitting collective term for Powers, Blaylock and myself. Something based on a appropriate technology of that era; like “steampunks” perhaps…”. Refill your coal bag and read more!
Marek Denko is a 3D designer who attracted the whole computer graphics community with his artwork. The artist had no training in the field of 3D design. But he was always learning from his own mistakes and successes.
Marek Denko’s first job in the industry was as a low polymodeling freelancer for a company in Bratislava. Today he is a world-known 3D designer. The designer’s artwork is highly distinctive with a peculiar touch of his. It definitely bewitches with the level of realism and intense atmosphere. Marek Denko shares with us the secrets of his profession, inspirations, and reveals how to find a way in the labyrinth of computer graphics world.
Some people like to highlight that all the glorious art has already been created. Those who say so perhaps forget to count in the endless possibilities of 3D design. Today movies can be filmed in a quarry of stone and 3D designers will add the turquoise sea, verdant pinewood and a surreal house on the shore.
The audience could suspect a house being improved using 3D design technique. But it is much easier to bribe with a landscape selling a matte-painting as the real one. Moreover, 3D designers are passionate to confuse questioning: “What do you think: is this a photograph or the art of 3D?”
This phenomenon is called photorealism. It is like a magic wand that brings a fantasy into the life while is used by a skilled artist. Obtaining render which is indistinguishable from a photograph became the Holy Grail of 3D design since 1960s. The target in this work is to reach perfection. In this particular case it means to imitate the reality to the smallest dots. It requires high level of attention even to the rarest details.
So we want to share our thorough list of the highly professional 3D artwork of photorealism. Hopefully, it will give you new ideas and inspire for the masterpieces.
Two years ago we at CGTrader challenged ourselves to create a vibrant, alive and fair 3D model marketplace. Next month we are celebrating our birthday. We do not need any presents. Instead we would like to offer you to challenge yourselves in 3D Model Competition.
You are definitely highly creative so there is no point in locking your fantasy inside your mind. Free yourself: use your incredible ideas in the most professional way and share your 3D models with us.
Celebrations no matter big or small ones always bring profit for those who know how to use them in a proper way. 3D design marketplace is not an exception. Here few tips on how to make the most of it.
The very first advice for designers is to be aware of even the smallest upcoming events and celebrations of the year. There is a long list of them: New Year, President’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Solstice, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Independence Day, Autumnal and Vernal equinoxes, Halloween, Thanksgiving and many others. Morever, anniversaries, social movements, potical breakthroughs or common public atmosphere can inspire to create a new 3D model and to give what customers are searching for.
It is no surprise that Christmas trees are best sold in December. Everyone loves a scarf or a blanket decorated with Northern reindeers – and there is absolutely no point in buying these things in the middle of the summer. The presents and sales make Christmas season highly valuable for all kind of businesses and initiatives. Valentine’s Day is one of the most commercial holidays of the year as well. Merchants love it. Marketers love it. 3D designers have to fall in love with. Make love, but also money.
Colourful New Years’ fireworks and sparkling wine…Seems it was a day before yesterday. But somehow more than one month has already passed by. Despite all the feast pleasures, our designers did not face any lack of inspiration.
So the good news is that CGTrader again represents the best 3D models of a month. Our New Year promise is to do it steadily. So we looked through the objects uploaded in January and evaluated them in terms of aesthetics, technique, level of realism and creativity. It was not that easy to choose only 10 best objects. But after some soft discussions a compromise was reached…
Even though 3D printing is still seen as very innovative and sometimes even futuristic concept, there are no doubts that it could (and most likely will) eventually change the way we consume goods. It’s still a pioneering business and there are few companies around in the market that could offer quality 3D printing services.
Scupteo, on the other hand, makes a clear statement to everybody that 3D printing IS the future. “Soon, instead of buying things that are made in large quantities at factories, we will buy objects made in quantities of just one, specifically for us”, says Eric Carreel, Cahairman of Sulpteo. This genuinely incredible idea could actually revolutionise the way we shop, the way we consume goods.
Company was established in 2009, and right since then, they were pioneering in 3D printing market, bringing the concept that digital art-work created on the screen can actually become tangible objects to the daylight. And we are not only talking about a mug or the tiny model of the car. Scupteo is looking deep into the future markets and industries. Theories of ability to print buildings may still sound as a sci-fi for us, but for Sculpteo is just a future of engineering.
The process of 3D printing involves fusing various materials (mainly plastic or alumide) in the forms that were created by the artist on the computer. This commercial video helps to understand how things are done.
Sculpteo is making sure that all kinds of customers get something from their business: starting from large industrial organisations and helping them with their business needs, to anyone who has an access to the Internet, as on the Sculpteo’s website you can actually create something yourself (with no professional skills required), right on their workshop page.
Not long ago Sculpteo launched their app on iOS. Surely the app isn’t as open as the web interface, and there are limitations on projects you could do on it, however, it allows you to create custom 3D models, such as vases, phone cases, mugs etc. Then you can easily place your order and get it shipped to you within few days. And all of this could be done just by few clicks on the phone.
Eventually, when 3D printing will become even more accessible to everyone around, the mass production goods could start fading away. Just imagine, you live in Germany and you want to send a present to your uncle for his birthday but currently he lives in Canada. All you will need to do, is to purchase any model you like from CGTrader website, you modify the model on your computer by adding text and textures, send it off to Scultpeo, and … voilà! Sculpteo will deliver the present to your uncle’s door!
Definitely, as the 3D printing market is still relatively new, many things have to be added, some have to be withdrawn, however, the idea behind the 3D printing opens the doors to the completely new way of how we can generate our ideas and how easily it could be turned into tangible objects. Indeed, this is the future, and Sculpteo is currently on the right track in this really interesting and innovative market.
