Rob Mack, GW Username: daddymack
Sydney, Australia
www.mack3d.com

Image Challenge Contests Awards
1st Place: 3D Concept, May 2008, Theme: "Weaponized"
3rd Place: Digital Sculpting, October 2008, Theme: "Love is Dead"

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GW: How did you hear about the Gnomon contest?

RM: I was browsing the DVDs and saw the banner.

GW: When you won the challenge, were you a student, professional or hobbyist?

RM: Perpetual student, professional and hobbyist.

GW: Has your status changed since, and if so what influence did the DVDs have? Where do you study/work and what do you do?

RM: I freelance primarily as a modeller/ character pipeline artist as well as teach 3d from beginner to advanced. I also teach ZBrush to industry here in Sydney. The gnomon DVDs always give me a firmer grasp of the many areas I need to be aware of as well as deeper understandings of new workflows in my areas of expertise.

GW: Of the titles you won, which do you feel had the biggest impact?

RM: The light and colour dvd literally changed the way I see. Most of the info in the others was all fairly familiar but that DVD rocked my world again and again.

GW: How important do you feel communities, like the Gnomon Workshop Forum, are to your growth as an artist?

RM: I started my internet presence with cgtalk in 2004 and my life as a lone 3D artist began to metamorphose. Without the forums like Gnomon and cgsociety I think the cgworld would be a far less uninspired and lonely place. IMO the forums are crucial and have been pivotal in shaping me as an artist.

GW: After viewing the DVDs has your career path changed in a direction you didn't expect? For example, new interest in design, rendering, matte painting, dynamics, etc?

RM: The sculpting with John Brown dvd, "Molding and Casting the Head", dramatically improved the molding process I'm developing here. I'm currently moving my character design skills into the designer toy arena and efficient and effective molding is crucial.

GW: Any other feedback regarding The Gnomon Workshop or individual DVDs? Are there any specific areas you would like us to cover more?

RM: It must be hard to guage what will be most effective/ viable in the next DVDs but I like the more design based direction that the latest run appear to be moving in. As a teacher myself I know that most students are more interested in learning the software than good design but I believe that teaching good design is of true value. For me, because I already understand most of the software, it's workflow and design skills that will pull me in.