Virtual Reality for Artists The CreativeMindClass Blog
Virtual Reality artist, Collin Leix, talks about her creative evolution; From oil painting to investigating the intricacies of VR art.
"Before I was a VR artist, started out as an oil artist, focused on portraits. Over the years this evolved as I became more intrigued by the ideas behind the process of MAKING.
The development of an artist, starting with music, then classic artto the creation of Metaverse
I'm a violinist, and I got really interested in graphic musical scores; various ways of interpreting illustrations as musical directions. I also discovered I had synaesthesia, a condition in the brain that causes a blending of various senses, in my instance, numbers and even colors. This all led me to experiment more in the way I created an image."
"In 2009 I began my Master's program of Fine Arts at the University of Michigan, where students were encouraged to play a lot. My first assignment was with painting and ended by completing a thesis that was a huge installation on the ceiling, with animations that were projected on the ceiling. My first animations that I worked with were rudimentary stop-motion animations made with paint and paper and the environment as the subject matter. The work was so demanding as a technique that I was certain that I would want to continue to work on it.
After the completion of my master's thesis In 2012, I attended a local community college to learn about After Effects, and since then , I've learned a lot on my own. I jumped into art apps, Cinema4D, and have tried a bit of cel as well, but was primarily focused upon After Effects. I created animations direct-to-client for several years, and ensured that I always did my own artful experiments in animation and put them online.
"I was dealing with a big health challenge and was suffering from a bout of depression that frequently left me on the floor with my pet. So this was my view. I set myself the challenge of creating something once a week, even if it wasn't a lot to be able to see myself exactly where I was.
In 2018 , I was employed at the studio of animation Gunner in Detroit, and have been there since!"
What is the style you use in your work?
"Realism still has a place within my heart since my early years. My style has evolved since then. has a bit more surrealism as well as humour as I continue to study the ways color communicates mood.
My fashion style has changed as well since joining Gunner. Gunner. We are often working in a group to help support various styles. As a result, I have the opportunity to experiment with some styles that aren't necessarily my own. A few ways to use free brushwork, outline, or simplifying design elements are some examples of the things I've attempted and then continued doing. As an example, the work 'Crocus' is a mixture of drawing textures on 3D forms, both using realism as well as simple designs, employing VR sculpture as well as good old Photoshop paint."
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"One reason I love working at Studio A is because the lines that define me' and 'my style' have been blurred. For instance, take the clip "Interruption" for instance. I was invited to make an Instagram posting to Gunner when I first started. I decided to employ the surrealism of my work to show what it feels like to be at the forefront of making music, as well as what you may see through your mind's eyes as well as the feeling of being interrupted.
When I worked on the animation, and a lot of the designing, my wonderful co-worker Ian Sigmon pushed me a lot in design of the characters. It wouldn't be possible to achieve the crazy arms and streamlined body forms all by myself. Then we realized that women's bodies could disappear into forms when she starts to play again."
"I remember losing a high-school art contest because my paintings were not all cohesive, or in the same style. I was convinced that this was the curse of my life, however it has turned out prove to be a blessing given the work I do now."
What's the secret to making your illustrations?
"For me, it's always has to come from a gut-feel. It's always a little bit of interest at the beginning of every new work - often it's a new color scheme I want to try out or maybe it's the gesture of a reference, or perhaps a narrative.
Something that marks my artwork is the fact that I'm always trying out different mediums. Right now, I'm so fascinated by painting and drawing in Virtual Reality. We're also working on an animated short on Gunner that runs the gamut of painterly cell in Photoshop and 3D rendering, to sculpting within VR before displaying a painting on the sculpt. I've included a shot of the film, titled Sync for an early preview. It's Gunner's first film directed by a woman, and the story revolves around three strangers traveling on the plane and something surprising that happens to them during the flight.
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What would you advise someone who starts out with VR art?
"When looking at any technology that is new it is always my intention to have an image or idea of what I would like to create prior to implementing it. I guess that's a tip that I can offer those who want to increase the capabilities of their team - create a style frame or have a little sketch or story that you'd like to tell prior to taking in the latest technology. You'll have a reason that you can explain a reason for. Otherwise, you're just flopping through tutorials and taking inspiration from other people's styles and stories.
Here's a piece we made to kick off an event called Blend at Gunner in the year 2019 where I created many of the environment objects in Virtual Reality. I'd tried sculpting a little bit before, but once I knew an answer to the question of "why" my creativity and capabilities grew dramatically. This video is a tour of the landscapes I designed."
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"I'm pretty active with my Instagram account. Instagram also made a class on how to create your own illustrations using 3D space, with Tilt Brush. It doesn't require you to already be a VR artist However, you need to possess a VR headset participate in the course, however I walk people through the steps from there. It was a lot of love that I put into this!"
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