I would say for most of us it is a hobby. However, if anyone happens to go and see the "Aussie Floyd" (Pink Floyd Tribute Band) my colleague told me that they run a video in the background during "The Wall" which was redone entirely in Poser and 3DMax. (I can't say for sure, I didn't see it, but he swears blind that some of it was Poser.) So yeah, it is being used commercially as well, though not as much. The worst example I saw recently was the cover of an Iron Maiden album. (O-M-G) I can draw a little bit. I can draw you a horse in 5 minutes flat. It won't be anatomically correct (I'm lazy :P) but you will clearly recognize it as a horse and you will likely not notice that there are things wrong with it at first glance. That's the extent of my drawing skill. My shading sucks. My talent to do people is around nil, possibly lower lol. (I can do smilies! And stick people.) There are good and bad points to Poser. Yes it can take forever to get it even half way right and you could probably draw it faster. But when you combine the two... I urge you to look at Toxicangel's Gallery. It is awesome and shows precisely what you can achieve when you have a talent for both drawing/painting (I lump them in together although they really are different animals) and posing. Put my own next to that and you will see that I am seriously lacking the drawing/painting part of the equation. (I'm not completely hopeless, but I'll never approach anything like Toxicangels artwork) However... My lacking ability has nothing whatsoever to do with talent. I believe anyone can learn to draw and paint - and do it well. Maybe not to the degree that true talent can learn it, but everyone can learn it nonetheless. What my non-ability comes down to is patience. I simply don't have the patience to sit there for hours and hours and fix and paint and... you get the idea. I could learn to do this all very well, but I only render for my own enjoyment and as long as I am reasonably happy with the end result... I don't see the point of actually going out and learning all the different techniques and stuff. (Tho I don't doubt for a minute that I would really have fun learning.) I'm just a lazy person. :) Posing is the same way. It takes patience and skill. Anyone can learn it, but it takes time and effort and a lot of practice. There is one thing however which no one in the world can teach you: "The Eye". If you don't have "The Eye" to see what makes a good image, then you will have problems. Be that as a painter, a renderer, or a photographer. I remember my first time in New York. I had decended upon my boyfriend who was filming the NY Fashion week. He and his crew shared an apartment with a couple "Snappers" (His term, not mine lol) One afternoon I came back from a visit to the Statue of Liberty and downloaded my photographs onto the laptop. One of the snappers (Photo Journalists) stood behind me, watching. At one image he said "Nice shot, that was lucky". The image was on of the sun directly behind the Statue's head, giving her a halo of sorts. I told him that it wasn't luck that got me that picture. It was seeing where the sun was headed and waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting - and praying the boat stayed on course the whole time - and then taking the shot when it was just right. He nodded. The next one was of a reflection in a skyscraper at the port. (The big mirror one, if anyone knows the one I'm talking about, half round facade) Again, this was something I noticed happening, and I waited, waited, waited until it was just right - and took the shot. Planning, paying attention and "The Eye" got me those images. Nothing else. Sadly the digital cameras were nothing like they are now and the resolution of those images is sadly lacking :( But.... you can learn to draw. You can learn to pose. You can even learn to light things. You can't learn the eye. If you can't see the image you want before you start... then you will have a very hard time to create it. If you don't recognize the opportunity... then you won't get the shot. Painted, rendered, or photographed. Sorry if I went of topic, and those are my personal views, obviously. They are not meant to offend anyone, just in case :) Silke

Silke