It’s Fascinating

I have a new appreciation for the folks who do 3D modeling of things.  That’s because I’m working on creating my very first 3D model of plasma, using a program called Art of Illusion. I just downloaded it a few days ago, and although I’ve dabbled in a few 3D things before, this is the first time I’ve actually sat down and gone through the tutorials and learned a bit more about this kind of work.

The project I’m doing this for is a series of vodcasts for Haystack Observatory, and I couldn’t find a decent animation on the IntarWebs that looked like what I wanted (and that would fit the script and the budget). So, I decided to create one for myself.

This brings me back to one of my favorite pastimes: looking at other people’s artwork. One of the coolest sites for 3D and other imagery is Digital Blasphemy, which I’ve written about before. Ryan Bliss creates gorgeous work, and for the insanely reasonable price of $15.00 a year, you can download his work for your personal desktop use all you want.  There are also links from his site to other artists who create artwork, and I always enjoy browsing the latest. That’s his Endless Blue beach scene there are the left.  The International Association of Astronomical Artists is another web page showcasing many more space artists, some of whom are old friends and acquaintances. I’ve know some of these folks since they were painting in oils; most have moved to computerized imagery to bring other realms to live.  I’m impressed no matter how they do it!