“Once again, we at the Gnomon Workshop have been privileged to work with some of the industries top talents,” states Alex Alvarez, Director of Gnomon. “I have admired Taron’s digital creations for over a decade, amazed by his technical and aesthetic virtuosity. His DVD highlights modeling efficiency and workflow, and while he uses Lightwave, I found all his techniques to also translate directly into Maya.”

“Zack Petroc is simply a pleasure to observe and listen to,” continues Alvarez. “His first DVD on Human Anatomy with ZBrush was a milestone in digital sculpting education and has been widely hailed as a critical lesson for all to watch and absorb. This new DVD is no different in its depth, clarity and vision. Now using Mudbox, Zack gives us a thorough lesson on the software as well as his methods for box modeling a low-res cage in Maya. But the core beauty of the lesson is the focus on Art Direction and Design: how to balance your forms, rhythm and anatomy while staying true to the narrative background of the creature.”

“Keith Thompson, a wonderfully talented artist, has created a DVD that shares his sketching, design, drawing and digital finishing techniques,” states Stephen McClure, producer for The Gnomon Workshop. “His unique style is bold and beautifully rendered with exceptional range. This DVD focuses on the design of a napoleonic zombie, rife with decayed flesh, exposed organs, rotting period costume and accessories. It is a joy to watch and learn from.”

Accolades:
“Zack Petroc’s creative gifts place him at the forefront of the emerging field of digital art direction. Zack’s great talent in all the traditional areas of artistic expression, coupled with a technical ability that takes a back seat to no one, combine to make him a truly unique talent. A rare ability to bring true artistry to life in a highly technical environment helps to set Zack apart.”

- Kevin Conran, Film Maker

“Keith Thompson possesses the unparalleled eye of a true creator and the craftsmanship of a veteran far beyond his years. The scope of his vision pays tribute in equal parts to function and fantasy, the beautiful and the grotesque, while the myriad detail and tangible texture of his work communicates sublimely in a fashion that, in truth, exceeds imagination.”

- Matt Wilson, Creative Director, Privateer Press

Instructor Bios:

Born in Germany, Taron started working with computers (Commodore 16) at age fourteen. His first professional assignment was at age fifteen for multimedia applications. Officially becoming a freelancer at age twenty-one, Taron worked on advertising games for clients such as Dannon, Siemens and JVC. He later moved to the US to work in visual effects until he switched over to software development at age thirty-two. He has contributed to films such as Dogma, Battlefield Earth, Impostor, Spy Kids 2, Megiddo, Gothika, Dust Factory, Dracula 2K, Reeker, The Hunt, Syriana and Ghost Rider. Taron has also worked on numerous commercials and game cinematics and his work has been published in magazines all over the world.

Zack Petroc has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Cleveland Institute of Art with a major in Sculpture and dual minor in Drawing and Digital Media. Additionally, he studied anatomy at Case School of Medicine and figure sculpture in Florence, Italy. Zack uses his strong design background as the foundation for both his traditional and digital work. This allows him to contribute to the artistic vision of a project not only during the concept design stage, but also throughout production. Zack is currently working as a freelance Art Director and Concept Designer for feature film and video games. He was model supervisor on Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, and worked with director Kerry Conran as an art director and model supervisor on John Carter of Mars. Zack is also a member of the Art Director’s Guild Technology Committee.

Keith Thompson is a freelance artist specializing in concept art for a myriad of applications including books, movies, video games and pen and paper role-playing games. His work has appeared around the world, and he is the author of several books teaching the ins and outs of creating concept art. His work has been featured in the Spectrum art annuals and was exhibited in their show at the Museum of American Illustration.

DVD Descriptions:

The Secrets of Organic Modeling
Lightwave Modeling Techniques with Taron
Artists like Taron are hard to find. A gifted artist, animator, musician and programmer, Taron has inspired artists around the world and deserves to be hailed as a master and guru. The Secrets of Organic Modeling is a complete introduction to Taron’s modeling methodology for subdivision based geometry. His techniques allow for an extremely quick workflow and lead to a high level of control. Taron covers every step of the process in this head modeling demo including initial layout, adding details, controlling topology and fine-tuning proportions. Known as one of the fastest and most efficient modelers in the industry, watching Taron work will benefit both students and professionals alike.

The Digital Maquette, Volume One
Art Direction and Digital Sculpting with Zack Petroc
Zack Petroc’s Art Directing Series begins with The Digital Maquette. This title presents an innovative and direct approach to 3D content creation. Zack demonstrates a Maya-to-Mudbox workflow, outlining the advantages of digital sculpting and showcasing the benefits it can offer your design team. The workflow is presented with the artist in mind. It highlights specific tools and techniques focusing on how they add to the creative freedom of your design process. As Zack creates two characters from the initial box mesh to final sculpted pose, he discusses how to define your character from both an art directing and digital sculpting perspective. This lecture is intended for Art Directors and Production Designers who are interested in discovering how digital sculpting can add to their creative process. Additionally, it presents information for artists who are interested in growing their skills as digital sculptors.

Character Design Techniques
Traditional to Digital Process with Keith Thompson
In this DVD Keith Thompson reveals his process for taking a zombie creature concept from a thumbnail sketch to the finished drawing. Keith demonstrates each step, from idea development and creating the initial drawing using traditional media to scanning the drawing into the computer and then applying colored glazes in Adobe Photoshop®. Keith also explains how to maintain the essential gesture and feel of the thumbnail all the way through to the final concept art. The entire traditional media to digital process is also applied to a collection of extra views of the character. Keith explains how these alternate angles and a set of orthographic rotations are designed to help the 3D modeler.

Since 2000, The Gnomon Workshop has provided artists and students with the educational resources they need to succeed as artists in the entertainment industries. Whether they’re interested in design, modeling, effects, animation, storytelling or matte painting, these DVDs provide a valuable educational resource for students around the world. The Gnomon Workshop is the sister company of The Gnomon School of Visual Effects, which provides professional caliber visual effects instruction to students and professionals in Los Angeles, California.

Visit http://www.thegnomonworkshop.com for more information on The Gnomon Workshop and our library of over 180 training DVDs.

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