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The Member of the Month for August, 2018, is
RodS
This passionate and energetic Renderosity member joined in 2009. He lives in Independence Missouri, USA, with my wife Jo. RodS is a Vietnam vet and we thank him for his service to his country!
RodS has an on-going comic series called "The Girls from T.N.A." and enjoys creating scenes in DAZ (see his workflow description below). He likes pinup and fantasy art, but has a good eye for photography, too! I think his best quality is his sense of humor though.
Congrats to you, RodS, for being chosen Member of the Month! Be sure to visit his gallery at Renderosity.com. He also has a personal homepage at www.alanslair.com.
Interview with Member of the Month - RodS
Tell us a little about yourself: who is RodS?
RodS: I am Rod Shelley – a ‘pushing 70’ baby-boomer that refuses to grow up! I served in the US Air Force during the Vietnam conflict, and worked for almost 45 years as a technician in the electronics / office automation industries. I retired in the fall of 2017, and am enjoying my ‘freedom’ immensely. I live in Independence Missouri, USA, with my wife Jo.
How did you become interested in creating digital art?
RodS: II have enjoyed art pretty much all my life. I spent countless hours as a kid drawing little cartoons – often to the chagrin of my teachers in school! LOL During the 1980s, I got into airbrushing – and one day I hope to take it up again. Sometime in the 1990s I started messing with computers (being the geek I am), and shortly after that discovered an early version of Photoshop. The die was cast. I began by scanning drawings then adding color in Photoshop. Then, in late 2009 I discovered Poser – Version 8. I was completely hooked! At about the same time, I stumbled onto an amazing website full of jaw-dropping art and amazing artists – known as Renderosity. After spending several hours looking at the inspiring art here, I had to join!
What kinds of subjects do you focus on in your work?
RodS: Mostly, my favorite subject is pinup art. I have always loved the work of pinup artists such as Petty, Vargas, Olivia, and several more. Fantasy and science fiction are also pretty high on the list. Vallejo, Frazetta, the Hildebrandt brothers, Alan Lee, John Howe are favorites. Obviously, I also enjoy creating and illustrating stories. My current “Girls From T.N.A.” has been going for almost 9 years! And I still love creating it.
What is your typical workflow for one of your projects?
RodS: I’ll take you through the process of creating a panel for the T.N.A. story – it’s much the same for a pinup or other subjects. First, I refer to an image I’ve seen, notes I’ve jotted down, or often just something I’ve imagined. I’ll set up the scene in Poser (or DAZ, or Vue), then it’s a matter of tweaking the poses, lighting, facial expressions, body language, moving props around, etc. Once I have a “final” render, it’s over to Photoshop for the compositing and final touches. For me, it’s very rare to go directly from Poser or DAZ to the ‘finished product.’ In the case of page from the T.N.A. story, the page – usually 5 panels – is assembled in Photoshop, and the text and speech bubbles are added.
How has Renderosity made a difference in your growth as an artist?
RodS: Oh, my gosh…. How hasn’t it would be easier to answer! LOL There are soooo many talented artists here, it’s impossible to spend five minutes in the galleries without being inspired. The friendships I’ve made here are treasures worth more than all the money in the world. I’ve made wonderful friends not only all over the USA, but all over the planet. There are no borders here, and we all speak a common language called ‘art.’ Everyone is friendly, and happy to share information and ideas. Collaborating with other artists is an absolute joy.
Anything you’d like to add before we close?
RodS: First, thank you for this wonderful honor – I am truly humbled to be chosen as Member of the Month! And to all the wonderful artists out there, keep doing what you do. Your art is both an inspiration and a light in the darkness. Never, ever give up!