As an artist, I do four things; Oils on Canvas (Social Commentary), Drawings of National Parks, Photography of Birds and California Native Plants and 2D/3D Digital.
Since most here will be interest in digital work, I'll talk about that. I started in the digital world with a TI-99/4a computer in the early 1980's and immediately started creating art and animation with a very limited graphic range in hexadecimal code (16 colors, 256 shapes). I eventually became a published artist for Asgard Software and a year later when out on my own to form “Notung Software” which became on of the most popular TI Software companies. In 2010, I was inducted in the TI-99/4a Hall of Fame.
After making my switch to the PC, I started with Sketcher (the precursor to Painter) and even owned Fractal Design's "Poser 1". I didn't start seriously playing with Poser until Version 3 came around. With the advent of Poser 4, I began by creating textures and started a career as a digital artist, selling my work through Zygote, Vista, DAZ3D, Hivewire3D and Renderosity.
I really didn’t find my nitch in the 3D world until I partnered with BL Render to do the Songbird ReMix Series in 2003. The following year, I came into my own blending my love and knowledge of birds with a strong environmental theme "Threatened, Endangered, Extinct". That set, designed specifically to raise awareness about threatened species and why they're going extinct, became a template for all my work.
Since then I’ve steadily worked on improving my skills with Painter and Modo, and of course, producing more 3D birds and other flora and fauna with a strong environmental message. Today, the Songbird Remix birds have appeared in films such as ”I am Legend”, in Audubon literature and advertising, Duncraft (bird product & seed) advertising, in the museum presentations (such as the National Wildlife Research Center of Saudi Arabia) and even billboards and bus benches for the Omaha Reads promotions.
Besides being a Renderosity Vendor, I work at home as a freelance artist/photographer and also volunteer/lecture at the Theodore Payne Foundation (a Foundation that focuses a native plant awareness) and at Audubon California.
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Comments (11)
Cyve
Outstandingly done!
BE
Beautiful work!
miwi
Wonderful image,love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
flavia49
marvellous picture
doarte
Astonishing! (*Love the information you provide)
Greywolf44
You got me all excited there for a moment, Ken (damn you - lol). Since you are not finished yet I would only ask that you check the beak notch for proper scaling. It is a very prominent feature on falcons and I know how picky you can be. That's why I love your birds. Anyway, I'm getting ready for the big unveiling and I must say it looks promising!!!!!!!!!!!
Ken _Gilliland
lol... forgot to turn on the notch morph... I assume you're referring to the tomial "tooth"
adorety
Looking good! Would love to replace my DAZ eagle. I'm pretty sure I've seen one of these on the way to work off and on this summer. There are numerous fields and meadows where I live and when I get to this one spot, I often see a fair sized bird sitting on the telephone wire gazing at the field. It definitely has the raptor tail, so it's either a falcon or kestrel. I thought it was too big for a falcon, so I'd guess kestrel. Unless I have that backwards.
Ken _Gilliland
The American kestrel is pretty small, 8.7-12.2 inches, where as a Peregrine Falcon is 13–23 inches... but chances are you've seen one, since there are an estimated 4,000,000 in North America. I, too want to replace my older eagle... fingers crossed on me improving on Eagle and Eagle2. I'll be experimenting soon with eagle morphs and textures trying to create one of the harder ones to make... the Harpy Eagle. If I can do that, I'll be comfortable with the rest of the eagles.
Kerya
WANT! And some European hawks, kestrel and falcons? Please?
Ken _Gilliland
The Common Kestrel is next on my next to create and there will be an entire volume... "Hawks of the Old World"
Arrogathor
Very nice.
PointLady
Bird runtimes are going to rejoice with your Raptor project I am sure. This is just a start, how good this looks, and lovely setting too. Jan
Flint_Hawk
This is an amazing portrait of this fantastic Kestrel!