3DE – First of all; we thank you for accepting this interview with us. Will you please shortly introduce yourself?
I’m the co-founder of High Q Renders LLC, an award-winning creative company based in San Francisco, CA.
Our portfolio boasts some of the most renowned buildings and hotel brands worldwide, such as the Marriott Hotels & Resorts in NY, the Hilton Hotels in NY, the Ritz Carlton Luxury Residences in Miami and the Hyatt in NY. Our clientele includes celebrity interior designers Kari Whitman and Fox Nahem with clients such as President Barack Obama and actors Jessica Alba, Melanie Griffith and Robert Downey Jr.
I have published several books on 3D graphic design, some of which are used in university courses, actively contributing to the formation of the new generations of 3D modelers in my native country, Greece.
3DE – When and how did you begin to deal with 3d art?
I studied Architecture in Greece back in 2006 when 3d design wasn’t widespread yet.
We were mainly using AutoCAD for 2d drafting and, while I was doing an online research, I bumped into some video tutorials on ArchiCAD (a 3d design software). I was instantly fascinated by the fact that you could have an idea, any idea, and give shape to it, within a few minutes.
I started practicing daily and 2 years later I published my 1st book – a manual on ArchiCAD.
2 more years later I published another book, this time on 3ds Max, and my career in 3d design was a one-way street.
3DE – Did you improve your 3d knowledge by online tutorials-books or did you ever take an 3d course?
I did both – a tutor plays a really important role in making you love a product and I was lucky enough to have a great tutor in my first steps. But online books and tutorials are also a must, no matter your level of expertise. I have been in the design industry for 12 years now, you need to keep up with the new technologies and the new releases and the only way to do so is by constantly educating yourself.
-Which softwares do you use?
Mainly 3ds Max with the V-Ray renderer, ArchiCAD and Photoshop.
3DE – What kind of workflow do you follow during the creation of a scene of yours?
Pinterest and Instagram are my first go to. I like studying the work of other fellow 3d artists, it really boosts my inspiration.
Once I have several reference images aside, I sit in front of my laptop and start putting together all the info I gathered. I first like to do a clay render and, once I have finalized my composition, I then start playing around with the textures to get to the final result.
3DE – What are your motivations while working on a new scene?
To express myself. On our core we are artists and art is subjective. It won’t be appreciated by everyone, so as long as it expresses yourself, you have achieved the ultimate goal as far as I am concerned.
3DE – Do you ever lose your motivation and passion of 3d sometimes? If you do, how do you deal with it and get back into your mood?
Of course I do! There are so many times when I have an idea (which btw I think is brilliant!) and when I put it in 3ds Max I don’t like the result, no matter how hard I twist and turn things around.
In cases like these, I just try to switch my brain over to something else, either to a different project or to a different aspect of the same project. Sometimes it’s not focusing on the problem, but simply clearing your mind.
3DE – When we check your works; we see that you mostly deal with interior renders. Is there a special reason for this?
Yes! As I said earlier, 3d renderings are a way of expressing myself. And I can do that better through interior scenes – I love interior design and I love working on decorative details, that’s why you see many close ups in my portfolio. There is this silly thing that I like to do – I leave a note in my renders to my future self; after a certain period of time, I like circling back to those creations, check my message and smile.
3DE – What kind of difficulties do you meet in your business sector of interior design regarding 3d art?
In our company’s case, we mostly work with architects and interior designers, so we are the mediator between our client and their client.
That’s not always easy, because when you can’t immediately deal with the end recipient, some of the information gets lost in translation.
Moreover, unfortunately, there are still countries where 3d design is still considered a, let’s say, a “luxury” service. So, if you take Greece as an example, I’m afraid one can’t work as a 3d renderer as a full -time job.
3DE – Which one is more important to you; Making an artistic render or Making a render in least time possible to present to the client?
That depends on the client. What we do is a client service business, so if you don’t put your clients’ needs first, you can’t be successful in the long term. When we are given very short deadlines, unfortunately we will have to compromise the quality to make it happen. But that’s something that we always make clear to our clients from the very beginning. For sure though, our goal is to deliver high quality renderings, ones that we are proud to share not only with our clients, but with the 3d world as well.
3DE – Which one is more important? The software or the talent of the artist who uses that software?
I’m leaning towards the talent of the artist. Don’t get me wrong – the software is extremely important, because it’s the means to express your art. There is software out there with limited capabilities, so no matter how talented you are, if you are shooting for a best possible outcome, you’ll always stay restrained. However, an excellent software cannot compensate for a lack of talent.
3DE – What’s your advice to newbies?
Allow yourself to be a beginner.
I see almost daily how eager young artists are to get to the PRO level. They do a scene and expect it to be perfect, just because they followed a tutorial. No one becomes a professional overnight and there is no secret to success. Success doesn’t come from what you do occasionally, but from what you do consistently. So, practice, practice, practice and, trust me, you’ll get where you want to be.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE INTERVIEW.
