How does working in "true 3D" compare with Modeler?

"True 3D" is... how do you say, sticky/messy? And if you want to do it well you have to do a lot of preparation with wire-skeletons (armatures) and there's no undo-button, etc. but working with clay makes you think about the artistic part rather than the wireframe below or the tools around. that's why I often tell people who are interested to start with 3D to first sculpt a little (or draw!) before they dive into 3D.

Do you speak French?

"oui, un peu !" that's about it :D - I know the basics. if I read something with "normal" content I can usually understand a little and figure out the main content. but when someone starts to speak I get totally lost :D but I try to learn little by little...

A lot of your designs are from other people. Do they supply you with 3D models (either real or digital), or just sketches that you turn into 3D?

I've never had a 3D model or a maquette provided as reference. most of the time I just have a single image (normally a concept-image in 3/4 perspective with a wacky pose) from that I try to draw the character myself in different views to "get to know it" better before I start to make it in 3D.

Is there a lot of back and forth between you and the designer?

Yes, definitely. that's one of my favourite parts and I've learnt a lot from these little chats with the designers. There used to be more talk before than now though, after a while you learn the basic mistakes.

Which element of LightWave do you enjoy the most - modelling, lighting, texturing, animating, rendering, coding? :)

I would have to be boring and say all of them except animation and coding as I don't do much of that at the moment. but it depends on what mood I'm in or if I've been doing one thing for too long - too much of any one thing makes it boring, whatever it is. although well.. if I had to choose only one, I would say modelling.

Do you ever do any photorealistic work, or is all your stuff cartoony?

Yes I do. for example, 2-3 months ago I modelled realistic-looking characters for game cinematics. And one of the projects I'm working on now includes modelling and texturing five realistic characters for a TV series.

My most current work not under NDA is a personal attempt at realism I did about two years ago. I say "attempt" because when I look back at something like this I always see something that I could've been changed to make it more photoreal.

Do you ever do any celshaded work, or is all your stuff the "soft look"?

I did some tests for a few of the TV series projects we where making with AhAhAh! Studio. One of the projects included celshaded characters, but that I cannot show. I did do a stagecoach for another of the TV series projects that I can show...

What are you working on now?

I'm working on various projects at our freelance studio, Digital-Banana. Sadly I can't show or say much as it's under NDA. But you can see some stuff by visiting the site.

Thanks for the chat Anders, and let us know when things aren't under NDA! :)