Meurig 3D Interview

Welcome to the "Keyboard Break", a chance to unwind and see what some of the talented 3D Artists in our community are doing.
This time we cross the big pond and caught up to Rhys Salcombe, aka . . Meurig3D, a fantastic 3D modeler a family favorite on LWG and a recent recipient of a BA first class Honors degree in 3D Computer Animation in the UK.

Ralph :
   Hello Rhys, Thanks for doing this interview. We have been planning this for some time, and I am glad to finally be getting to it.
So I guess the first question on our minds is what got you interested in 3D?
Meurig :
   My first stop was game modeling, from about 1999 onwards. Game modeling offered quite an interesting and exciting way to showcase my models, because it allowed you real time interaction. This meant I didn't have to spend all the time animating and rendering a sequence, which when done is done - you can't view the same scene from a different angle instantly, and your models can not have AI and act of their own accord. Game modeling was cool.
   The first and main game I modded for was Relic's Homeworld, which was I think the first truly 3d space strategy where previous space strategies only allowed for 2d movement, even if the meshes were 3d. Working with others from around the world to make more complete game modifications, I got more interested in the creation stage of the project than playing the game itself, and focused more and primarily on the modeling. With the intent of having my models textured to a higher quality, I began to create high-poly models to use as source material for rendering textures to use on game models, in a way similar to normal-mapping method that many modern games use. Since the modeling application I used back then was limited to about 8000 triangles, I needed a new program to allow me to create these higher detail models.
Ralph :
   What 3d program are you using?
Meurig :
   For personal projects I use Lightwave, mainly because I love the interface but also because I'm familiar with it. At work I use Maya.
Ralph :
   I know most modelers starting off in 3d sample different proggies before settling in on a favorite, . . . How many 3D programs did you use before you settled on Lightwave?
Meurig :
   Surprisingly few, I started out with Milkshape 3d, which cost about £15 and as I said earlier, was limited to about 8000 triangles before it simply gave up. I tried a version of Maya PLE but didn't like the interface. Somebody recommended Lightwave to me, so I gave it a go and got to grips with it pretty quickly, after that it stuck and I'm still using it.
Ralph :
   I have asked this next question to almost all of the 3d artists I interview so you know I have to drop it on you, . .
  Are there any 3D artists out there that inspire you, and if so who are your favorites?
Meurig :
   My favorites? . . . Difficult question. I look at others' work all the time, in fact I have a habit of keeping other people's showreels on my PC, especially the ones that really impress me, and I watch them whenever I feel the need to start a new project and need inspiration, or just a kick to get things toward the quality that I'm aiming for.
  As for my favorite artists, I'm not sure I could specify, there are a lot of CG artists out there. One persons work that I've been especially impressed with lately is Marek Denko, his Moving Stills showreel astounds me.
Ralph :
   Awesome link . . . He's got plenty of material to get inspired from
   Looking at the variety of artwork on your site, Meurig3D, I would like to know where you get your concepts from because the scenes you create always vary from project to project.
Meurig :
   Science fiction is definitely my favorite area, and the work on my website likely shows that. I try to dabble with the occasional character but my passion definitely lies with hard surface modeling Industrial style designs like those from the Alien films, and weird inventive designs from TV series like Farscape and Doctor Who also get my attention, and I like to work on projects of a similar vein.
Ralph :
   I must admit that I have always been in awe of the level of detail you put into your meshes, The detail work on Moya from Farscape shows off greatly, . . . how much concentration does it take to keep that level of discipline going through out one of your projects?
Meurig :
   To be honest I don't think about it, I just do it. I know that some people find detailing tedious but I like it. It allows me to relax and I must admit I get a certain personal pleasure from including details that only I will probably ever notice. I'm also very focused, I don't like leaving projects unfinished, so I have a tendency to just work at it until its done. I may get sidetracked with other projects along the way, but it's very rare that I label a project as abandoned.
Ralph :
    Heck I should follow that example from you . . . I have projects that are collecting dust on my hard drive. . . you should see it . . it's ugly.
   But concerning the level of detail, . . . Do you apply that level of intensity to all your pieces?
Meurig :
    It varies from situation to situation. With some of the ship models I made for the third year major project of my university degree I simply didn't have the time to detail each ship individually, so I ended up making archived sections of detailed paneling which I would copy and paste from one area of the ship to another. They look like random details, but in fact aren't.
  These were a huge time saver, and I think the first ship I made took about two weeks the model, I could recycle several pieces of that for the second ship so it only took 4 days, and I could then recycle even more for the third, which only took one day. Despite this, these are still some of the most detailed models I have ever made.
   With personal projects I am more inclined to take my time and do a more careful job, and if I am trying to replicate something rather than make something of my own design, I spend a lot of time analyzing the source material to make my replication as close as I can.
Ralph :
   Speaking of school, Tell us a bit about what school was like learning 3d what programs did they use?
Meurig :
    My uni took me through most of the applications involved with the production of animated films. Maya for the 3d phase, Shake for compositing and 2D work, right through to applications like Premiere for editing and Soundforge for SFX creation and manipulation. It definitely has a wide range of applications at the student's disposal, but as with any course I think, a passion for the subject and willingness to work in your spare time will take you much further than any amount of tuition in my view.
   It was handy to learn Maya there, though in my spare time I avoided it, mainly due to my dislike of its interface and modeling toolset, but knowing how to use multiple applications can never be a bad thing, and opens doors to jobs further down the line.

Ralph :
    Here is a question that comes up every now and again, . . which part of the modeling process do you enjoy the most? For me it is the creation stage, that is where all my artistic juices flow together, and usually I am somewhat burned out by the time texturing comes around. But, I was wondering what you consider the best phase of a project?
Meurig :
    Modeling, absolutely. Once the basic design is roughed out, and I can start to get down to the smaller detail, that's where the fun begins. I don't enjoy texturing all that much, which means I tend to avoid it. I'm also not very good at it, which is probably why I don't enjoy it. It's vicious-circle-syndrome. I enjoy the occasional bit of animation, but I tend to avoid that too. I'd prefer to make models which others can use to do rendered scenes or animations with. It's always nice to see someone else making more use of your work than you can yourself.
Ralph :
    Ok lets switch gears here . . . Let’s talk about your gallery. I am such a fan of your work, you website is full of impressive work. Tell me which piece is your favorite and why?
Meurig :
    To be honest I don't like the majority of the work on there! I can see errors in every image, and they could all do with a remake. The more recent an image, the more satisfied I am with it though, so I would say that the two university images on the renders page are probably my favorites.
   The SAND image, which will be used to promote this years Swansea Animation Days festival, and the character render, which was used to promote the show of my graduate year. I think that both of these images show off my skills better than any of the others, but rendering definitely isn't my specialty. It's another of those aspects of 3D that causes me to keep saying to myself, 'Got to get more practice with that!'
Ralph :
    Where did you get the inspiration for that pieces?
Meurig :
    Both pieces were made using models and scenes from my university major project. For the SAND image I was specifically asked to do a space scene by the festival organizers, which surprised me a little. My university course had a very strong focus on character modeling and animation, so to get a request for a space scene took me by surprise. This will also be the first year that the SAND cover image did not use the work of multiple graduates, or have any direct ties to the city of Swansea which had been a recurring motif in the art of previous years, so I figured there must be something about my models that they liked specifically. I decided to make the shot as colourful as possible, and took a week to work on the lighting so that it shows the modeling off to it's best. The idea was to make the shot look as lively as a still can be, whilst keeping it very grand, and making the scale look impressive. Scale is very important to me, and if I model a big ship – I really want it to look big!
Ralph :
    I can attest to that, all the renders of your I have seen on your site and especially on LWG have been brilliant, but, I haven’t seen you around Lighwave Group much lately, what have you been up to?
Meurig :
    I am currently without internet access, unfortunately, because I have within the last month moved from my home in Ceredigion, West Wales to London.
   I was offered a job a month after graduating by Double Negative the VFX house who did the work on Batman Begins, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and others. I had to move in something of a rush; a get-up-and-go situation, so my available time for 3d work has been greatly disrupted.
Ralph :
    That is awesome dude . . . you landed an VFX house, . . Tell us about what it's like to work for Double Negative.
Meurig :
    Double Negative employed me in a junior compositing position to work on the film Stardust, which is due for released next year. I can't say much about it because of restrictions, but the job itself is a very rare opportunity since few people get headhunted straight out of university, and most jobs that you see advertised ask for a minimum 2 years industry experience and so on. With any luck I'm told I'll progress to a junior modeling or animating position within a year, and I think that's where the fun begins.
Ralph :
    Man . . . people would absolutely kill for an opportunity like that . . but I must say from your work, you definately deserve the position.
    Is this something that you have been looking forward to?
Meurig :
    Absolutely, and I made sure that I didn't eat or sleep in my final year of university so that I got the grade which would allow me to get into the industry. It paid off, and I'm chuffed to bits. Moving from a place as rural as home to London is a bit of a culture shock, and suddenly working in a company of 300 artists even more so, but I'm sure I'll get used to it and it can only get better I think.
Ralph :
    I know that with your new job time is going to be limited but, do you plan on doing more personal projects? And if so what is on the horizon?
Meurig :
    I have in the last week started a remake of my personal showreel. My first version was made in something of a rush for an event that it was to be shown at, but now there are no time restrictions so I am free to re-render everything at higher resolution and higher quality, irrespective of the render time. I can't show anything as yet because my personal computer does not have Internet access, but I'm sure I'll update my website to include it as soon as I am able.
   I also intend a slight website redesign, but that's a little further down the line after I get more experience using website creation programs. There are a lot of things I want to model, too many to list, and as soon as I get some free time I'm sure I'll start some more projects.
Ralph :
    I am almost sure that this new site of yours is going to rock, Dreamweaver is a sinch to use . . . . and with the talent you have I am sure you will pull it off.
   Thanks a lot for taking the time to hang out with me Meurig, I hope we will see you out and about on LWG soon . . .
Meurig :
    Not a problem, thanks for the interview.

I would like to thank Rhys for doing this interview with me . . . .
You can check out his website here . . . . Meurig3D or you can drop in and search thread for meurig 3d on LWG v3.