vicbarretointerview

This month at Mangalocity.com, we will be conducting a exclusive interview with the winner of our CGI landscape contest held in August ,Vic Barreto. His artwork is outstanding, and it is our honor to host this exclusive interview. Stay tuned for more interviews and contests in the future!

I'm basically self-taught. I won a painting award when kid and this encouraged me to learn the use of oils and acrylics properly. It was my most formal art background. I discovered digital art when carrying out a computer certificate 2 years ago. Everybody can master 3D software like Vue d’Esprit or poser without formal teaching. Sense of priorities and love for challenge are a must. I use to experiment and check the manual simultaneously. Tutorials are also very important as complement. I think interactive manuals would replace teachers in the future.

You used Cinema 4D and Poser For The Artwork You Entered Into The Cgi Landscape Contest. Did you originally start out using these software packages, or did you gradually begin using them?

I started using 2D programs like Photoshop and Psp7. I won a copy of Vue d’esprit 4 in a 2D contest and it was my first 3D experience. Immediately, I was charmed with the power of 3D to generate virtual worlds. I got cinema 4D early this year and read the whole manual 3 times to obtain adequate confidence.

You seem to be really good a creating digital artwork. Is that the only style that you like or are their other styles in which your are proficient or would like to become proficient?

Digital Art seems to be transforming the world. It seems that the days of the paint brush and canvas are slowly fading away. What do you think of this?

It depends how quickly computers increase their presence in our day-to-day basis. It is just a matter of time. The next generation of artist will live with computers in the hands. They will be inclined to produce digital art because it would be handy for them. This phenomenon will lead potential artist to create digital art more than traditional art. Traditional art will live until people stop to be traditional and becomes digital.

Where do you think the future of digital art and film is going. It seems that special effects are being used more and more in films, and the advancement of video game technology in the last eight years has been phenomenal. What do you think of it?

Like art, digital film would impose over traditional film. It also depends on the quality of the next generation of programs. It is cheaper and eventually a small group of animators will generate a fully digital star wars style film. I think this will be possible within 10 years or less. Regarding video games they killed the enemy already. They will reign for a long time. It would be interesting to develop video games that demand more harmless physical drills.

Your attention to detail in your art piece was stunning. You commented in your email that it took you approximately eight hours to render that piece. How much work and preparation did it take you to fully put together the piece?

It certainly depends of the type of subject. I mean, to generate a surreal scene is quicker than a sci-fi scene because in a surreal world all can be possible. However, in a sci-fi scene everything should work with physical laws, as we know to be credible. This demands more planning and certain technical knowledge. Particularly with this piece, I started with a ground plane, fog and sky. Then, I populated the scene with pre-created elements. The target was to generate a paradisiacal spot on the beach where a couple of lovers engaged in a silly argument. I wanted to symbolize how some people don’t know what they have until they lost it.

Absolutely both! I like to make possible virtual worlds where the imagination plays the most important part. They both are very tentative and the ultimate digital challenge.