If you feel a little bit of extra warmth from the south right now, it could be emanating from our November 2024 Vendor of the Month, Ilona Vozari (Ilona).  

“I was born and raised in Brazil with a mix of Hungarian, Spanish and Italian blood, but sizzle with 100% Brazilian soul!,” she said.
Vozari now lives in Ribeirão Preto, a city in the heart of the state of São Paulo after spending years caring for her parents and aunt. That instinct to care for others manifests itself in her current chapter as a proud “mommy” to, wait for it…37 cats and 4 dogs, all of whom she dearly loves.     
“YES, I am the crazy cat lady people talk about and proud of it! Vegetarian for obvious reasons, and in between working on products, this is what I do; either rescue or adopt them, it's a full-time job. Other than that, give me a cappuccino and a book and I am a happy person!!! Oh, chocolate too,” Vozari exclaimed.
She majored in languages and has worked with translations and has been teaching for a while now.
You might also, be tempted to call her a bookworm because she traverses the literary landscape from Kahlil Gibran to Anne Rice in the blink of an eye.

“I love art in all forms and somehow after 1998 I ended up working in web design and that’s how I got my first copy of Poser 3. It was a game changer for me. I needed human figures and whatever else to use in web design, and Poser was it. Since I couldn´t afford everything I needed, Paul Bellamy (SamTherapy), the best friend someone could have, gifted me Vicky 3 and pushed me into selling my poses. Thank you, Paul, I owe you big time!!! So, what started as a complement to web design and a fun hobby became a full time job which I do to this day and hope to keep doing it for a very long time!

Q&A

Describe your offerings and how would you describe your style?

Oh well, I am a Gemini so I can say I am eclectic. I can go from fairies to goth or sweet to risqué easily!! Give me a theme and I dive into it headfirst.
I guess that the mood I am in pushes me to go that direction as well, especially with gallery art and when developing characters or backgrounds.
Since 90 percent of my products are poses, I can say I tend to go for sexy and usually the hard and extreme ones to make cause I do love a challenge.


What were your first tools and software you used for designing images and what did you use as you developed up to now?

Since I started with web design, Photoshop was my first and main tool. It still is. I use it to paint hair, clothes, PNG resources, work on textures and makeups, backgrounds and promos. And for poses, I work mainly with Daz Studio now and Poser as well, but mostly DS.


What is the typical workflow on a new project?

That’s quite simple. It doesn’t matter if it’s for characters, backgrounds or poses. I first decide on a theme, and then I search for references and ideas. Some of them come from books or movies or pictures or whatever I lay my eyes on.
After that I go to DS or Poser where most of my time is spent trying to get the poses to look as realistic as possible, even if it drives me crazy. When it’s finished, promo time and the cake is baked!


What do you love about producing digital art?

I can let my creativity flow! I can either go for the real side of things or just open my mind and let the crazy free!! It´s liberating! Like Twyla Tharp said, ‘Art is the only way to run away without leaving home.’

What are your favorite creations to produce?

I guess I am mostly a pose maker, so I like to pose most of all. I love to get them as realistic as I can. Getting them right is a challenge I always embrace.
I also tend to the goth side I guess, to the fantastic, the unreal. I like the freedom of letting my mind fly.


Are there other artists that influence your work and do you have a mentor?

I have always been a fan of Roni Brandão and Menna Barreto. Those are Brazilian artists that I love the most, and a huge influence in my love for art. It all started with them.
But there are so many artists that crossed my way that are such sources of inspiration for me. All the amazing artists that I had the privilege to work with who taught me so much along the years and who I keep close to my heart are Bez Boardman, Paul Bellamy, Timo (outoftouch), Fabiana, Laura (Gypsyangel), Tom (Dreamland Models). Uwe Jarling, Tima Cooke, Cathy Argyrou, Rena, Martin Fornoni who pushed me hard to get better. Thank you all!


How or why did you decide to become a Renderosity vendor?

I came across Poser so I could use some human figures for web design. A great friend of mine, Paul Bellamy (Sam Therapy), pushed me into it, gifted me V3 and convinced me to go for it since I had no confidence I could do it. So, Paul, thank you with all my heart! If I got this far, you are part of it!

How has Renderosity made a difference in your growth as an artist/vendor?

Renderosity was, and still is home. Everything I learned, the friends I made over 24 years started here. Renderosity is the place I uploaded my first pack, and I hope it continues to be home for a very long time!


What future plans do you have for your work?

I will probably keep posing for a very long time. I love doing it and that’s what I am good at. But I plan to go deeper into characters for DS. I hope I can find some time this new year to get into it as well. Let’s see what 2025 brings!

What advice do you have for someone who wants to become an artist or vendor?

GO FOR IT! Whatever you do, give your best. We can always do better. We can always improve. But the most important thing is, have fun while doing it. Enjoy each moment, laugh a lot and never give up.


Any other comments you have for the community?

For all of you who supported me all this time, and believed in me enough so I could be here today, thank you.
For the staff who also helped me so much throughout the years, pushed me hard and geez, put up with me all along, thank you so much!!...(and sorry! LOL)