Tough People Do

First, I will admit I stole my title from a song by Trace Adkins but it’s appropriate for what I want to say and share with you all.
This isn’t Poser/Daz or art related but it’s something that touches most of us today. September 11, 2001 and Americas’/American’s perseverance.
For any of you who do not know much about the United States of America and it’s history I will do a sort of quick run down. America was being taxed on everything and England had refused us (the colonies) representation in the House of Parliament so we did what people do when they aren’t being treated appropriately we revolted and we fought to be our own nation. This is the basic most simplistic description of our revolution with England.
Throughout our history the United States has been faced with extreme adversity both man made as well as natural. We never seem to know the word quit and this is something we all should be proud of.
The Great Depression, WWII when so many of our young and old men went to other countries to help with the war on Nazi Germany, disasters like hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, the Wild fires in the west, September 11,2001 when our country was attacked for whatever reason a foreign faction deemed appropriate, even what is now called “the great recession” We cry, we scream, we suffer from PTSD, yes and sometimes we go to war.
That isn’t what I want to focus on. What I want to focus on is this. The United States of America never just lays down and says we’re done. American’s as a whole do not know the word quit. We pick up our tools be them pen and paper or a hammer and nails and we get back to work when it’s all said and done. We take our time to greave, we say our prayers, and when it’s time to rebuild New Orleans, the World Trade Center, most of the western USA we do what has to be done.  I want to tell you both American’s and those of  you who aren’t, that THIS is why American’s are proud of our country. It’s not the stereotype of rednecks and guns, everyone being rich (which we all aren’t) It’s the never say die attitude America/American’s have.  It’s the fact that as a whole we NEVER EVER give up hope. We keep on keeping on. I know there are other countries who are just the same in this respect but it’s your country and you should be proud of it just as American’s are proud of America.
We find heroes in our everyday lives in everyday people. People who won’t just stand by while one person beats on another because “it’s not their business” Granted there are still people like that in America but as a whole we as a nation feel it is our duty to stand up for the little guy and if that means building a house for our neighbor who lost it all in a wildfire then that’s what we do. We have people on an airplane in Pennsylvania who brought down a plane for the greater good, gave their lives to save the lives of others. Firefighters and Policemen who didn’t run away but towards a burning collapsing building in NY 11 years ago today. A teacher who calls CPS because a child comes to school beaten and bruised, a Dr. who donates his time in a free clinic. We are America and we are proud and we have EVERY REASON TO BE!


 

Poser and DAZ Tutorials you shouldn’t miss and some great places to go for help.

I don’t claim to know everything about poser, nor do I assume to be some Poser/Daz expert. This is  probably why you might benefit from my advice if you are just starting out in 3D art.
I have stared blankly at some other artists images for hours thinking to myself. How did they do that? Often I still don’t know the answer but I do know of a few places where you can get some really good advice and tips for cleaning up your Poser/DAZ image so let’s get started shall we?

First up is to me THE best place to get help from other newbies and some old hands at Poser/DAZ studio. This is a place I went ALL the time back when it was on MSNForums, now I never seem to have a lot of time. You absolutely need to check out  Poser For Dummies, these folks not only have been around a long time, they also are more than willing to not just share their image experiences and tips but tips on becoming a vendor, making characters, lighting, postwork and even Hexagon on occasion!
You can find these lovely folks right here http://pfdlives.com/
Also, believe it or not Deviant art is a really good place for some great tuts and pointers. Alfaseed (and if you have never heard of Alfaseed(previously Ariesoul and I could be misspelling that you can find their content at http://runtimedna.com) has even posted their render settings for poser http://alfaseed.deviantart.com/art/Poser-rendering-settings-271955309

There’s glowy postwork for poser-http://dalilithiel.deviantart.com/art/Glowy-Postwork-For-Poser-277023370
Video postwork tutorials-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsEC2PN5aNk
SIlverblades who has lots of different tutorials
http://www.silverblades-suitcase.com/
DAZ has tutorials-http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/artzone/pub/tutorials/start

and if you look around so do SmithMicro and Renderosity
and if you have a problem with Poser and you just can’t figure it out, head over to RDNA there’s always someone over there who is willing to help out!

MSTene-Beautifying Poser and Daz one girl at a time.

If you are like, well everyone who uses Poser or DAZStudio, you have so many characters for your models you can’t even count them, or if you do you definitely need more than your fingers and toes to do it. 
While there are a lot of vendors out there hocking their digital wares what sets one apart from the others? I can’t speak for all of them but I do know from experience which ones I prefer which ones I think stand out the most and MSTene at runtimedna.com(RDNA)  fits the bill when I am looking for something special. Whether I’m looking for a bit of horror, sexy or something more along the lines of the girl next door MSTene has them all.
I have had the pleasure of using nearly all MSTene’s “girls” and with their custom morphs, clean seam lines and flawless makeup they fit the bill nearly every time without having that same old same old look that many character vendors seem to have in recent years.
MSTene’s SuChin is an exotic slip of a girl who adds so much to any runtime with her almond shaped eyes, beautiful makeups and gorgeous skin. Rendered with Poser 9 and Poser Pro 2012’s Subsurface Skin Shaders is even more beautiful.
Don’t worry though if you prefer DAZ Studio! Mstene looks out for you too! She has several girls for use with Genesis including her Gemini girls, Lexxi and Alexis, as well as a couple more that you can easily find at runtimedna.com.
From the new Michelle available at RDNA to Genesis if you’re looking for beautiful realistic girls for a great price Mstene is the way to go. Stop over at RDNA and grab a girl!

MVSYTK Aralia v4

Mst SuChin

Mst Kuchisake-Onna

Promo Images copyrighted to ShaeDesigns Used with permission.

Art is art despite the media in which is used

Before I got into Poser, DAZ3D et al. I worked with several media and although I was never successful in the traditional sense it was something I enjoyed but was never really happy with the results. I as an artist of many facets also write some poetry, doodle, draw (pretty well if it's a still subject like from a photo, fruit etc) I created and still create digital scrap kits, clothing texture jpgs and several other items that would be useful in the creation of other digital media. I practice, albeit not as often as I should, creating my own 3d models, character morphs for existing models, clothing and prop textures, even if for my own use. The point of this introduction is that I choose to work with the medium I choose to work with. This doesn't make my art any less art.

Over the last 5 years or so while I have been practicing and attempting to better my 3D images through actual set up and render as well as postwork which sometimes consists of hours and hours of digital painting and image manipulation I have on several occasions had the unfortunate experience of running into folks not just online but out in the "real world" who like to spout on and on about how Poser and DazStudio image creation isn't "ART". These people like to call what I do a hobby, a waste of time. They like to tell me to "get a real job" when they have no idea how much work and effort I put into attempting to actually make something of my art and myself. I've read blog posts, Deviantart journals, newsletters and blatant slams that using a 3d rendering program to set up a scene, rendering it and the subsequent postwork is not only NOT art it's not even my OWN work.

A story I remember from a friend of mine that focuses on this thought idea always comes to mind. She entered one of her images in a local art contest and they called her to ask her to participate in a local showing with some of her images. When she was asked a few questions regarding her image and she mentioned that she bought models etc from several vendors she was quickly cut off and told well, umm we can't take your images now that you've told us. That's not really your art it's a composition of other people's work. Granted this might not be the exact story but the end result is the same. She basically is stating that although a painter doesn't make his own paint his end result is art, while this friend of mine's image was not
even though she creates for sale in stores characters etc.

In this modern era where computers are a part of everyone's daily life in America and many other countries digtial media is an integral part of our society. To stand by and claim that modeling in Maya, Modo and other programs that cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars is art but the hours sometimes days and weeks it takes me to personally bend and manipulate a model, create my own textures so that my images have that one of a kind personal touch isn't art is like telling Ansel Adams he's some dude with a camera.

Art comes in many forms and media whether we want to believe it or not. The very definition of art expresses this idea. Wikipedia defines the word Art as
 " term that describes a diverse range of human activities and the products of those activities, but is most often understood to refer to painting, film,photography, sculpture, and other visual media. Music, theatre, dance, literature, and interactive media are included in a broader definition of art or the arts.^[1]Until the 17th century, art referred to any skill or mastery and was not differentiated from crafts or sciences, but in modern usage the fine arts are distinguished from acquired skills in general."


The very definition of art would tell us that no matter what media you choose to work with, if you can create something and with a skill not every one has then it is art. I know from experience with talking to folks who have used DAZStudio, Poser, Anime Studio, and even Maya that not everyone can create in those programs. Those starting out don't consider their art real art. I know I never did. Not until I had been working with my programs for YEARS did I call what the result was art, but even the very first image you create is art. Hundreds of people every day open up programs look at them and say "Oh! HELL NAW!" close that bad boy back up and uninstall it without a second thought.

When I post my images at angelic-artwork.deviantart.com, Cloroflot and several other portfolio sites it isn't so some jadded crack pot of an artist can spend 30 mins of their day to be dismissive of the time, effort, thought, and creativity I put into my work. It isn't so family and friends can undermine my choices and what goal I want for my life.

If you choose to work in paint, clay, modo, digital programs or fingerpaints what you create is art don't EVER let anyone tell you it isn't, and if you want to pursue a career in it. Do it! Keep working at it and don't give up. They don't call it a "Starving artist" for nothing, but while you're on that road to fame and fortune (cough cough) stop stomping all over the little guy who chooses a different medium than you do. It's not nice and it's certainly not the way to promote the need for The Arts in ANY country.


My art is art even if I choose to use a computer to create it- Angelique Field aka AngelicArtwork.