BB, I read Vintorix's homepage and his perspective on lighting etc. and as much as I understand it ... he does seem to contradict himself.  None of the programs he uses come from nature ... so it's hard to be a purest.  I know a lot of people (artists, writers, my roommate) who now an some in the past but are coming arround ... devalue Poser and 3d art as being a push button art form.  Although for some there is some truth in that ... I have a background in fine art.  I use to do portraits, landscapes, life drawing ... etc.  I have a degree in fine art and I kow how to draw the human figure from scratch.  I still use Poser and Vue because I can't draw to that degree of accruacy in perspective and persieve the lighting as well as well other manipulations that I cannot do without ellabrate tools and preperation that these programs save me from having to use. Sorry for rambling, you just hit on something for me.  Also and this is just my issue.  My vision isn't what it once was, and even then I was considered severely visually impaired ... and this is my artistic savior.

The work you've done with lighting and matterial room settings have been a blessing to me. I've been given a product grant from the department of services for the blind from the state of WAshington to start my own graphic design and illustration business.  I'm waiting for the final upgrade to be installed by a friend and I'll be ready to go.  In the meantime I'm learing all I can and building "sets" and "characters" for illustrations and designing stationary, posters, and working on web-page designs to move ahead when that is done. I'm saying this to let you know that this is my career, my passion and the only thing more important than this is my life partner. 

Your help is so welcome and this may be uset a "floor" to you ... but htis adds realism to illustrations that can get me work, assignments and help me bring money into the household. 

sorry for ranting and gushing my life out to you ... it just seemed impartant at the time. 

Sincerely

Boni

Here is a sample illustration that I made based on this thread.  It finally finshed. took about 6 hours.

Boni

---

"Be Hero to Yourself" -- Peter Tork