I’m an illustrator/sculptor/3D artist with a focus on combining machines and living organisms.
I use and combine many materials and mediums, both traditional and digital. I feel most at home with ultra fine pen or graphite drawing combined with digital coloring and modification.
Drawing monsters is how I relax, so they are my most detailed, numerous, and time consuming works. Every monster is a human interaction or emotion that’s being resolved by putting it on paper.
Most of what I make visually would fit into a sort of brutal fantasy/sci-fi theme. This started around 2004.
I have degrees in commercial animation and computing in the arts, and I’ve participated in several tech startup related programs (NGAL, ICAT, TIDES) where I’ve focused on combining art and technology. I’ve made many gadgets and robots, both as a hobby and for business and school projects.
My biggest non-creative hobbies are fishing and keeping/breeding pet freshwater shrimp. I hope to someday be able to work developing aquarium and fishing-related electronics. I also enjoy designing custom 3d printed parts for repairing things.
Education
AA – 2013 – TTC – Commercial graphics-Animation (focused on both 2D and 3D animation)
BA – 2016 – College of Charleston – Computing in the arts-Visual (focused on product design/embedded systems)
Symbology
The slashed “Z” symbol is a signature I’ve used since around 2005, it’s a combination of the letters of my initials (2 A’s when flipped horizontally contained within a Z). I use it to sign my work and sometimes incorporate it into the things I make. I worry about losing things constantly, so I have it etched onto my belongings and tattooed on my arm.
SKILLS
Software
Adobe: Photoshop (Used frequently since 2004 for everything from logo design to texture mapping, animated web graphics, and digital painting), Illustrator, Flash CS4
Autodesk: Maya, 3DS MAX, Mudbox
Misc: Inkscape, Slic3r, MeshMixer, Arduino IDE, Cura, WordPress, most Microsoft, OpenOffice, and Google Office software
Programming
Java, Arduino
Hardware specialties
Robotics (managing motors, sensors, IR control, batteries etc.)
Soldering
LED lighting and control
RFID
3D printing
Programming and wiring Arduino compatible dev boards (I use Arduino Uno, Mega, Micro, Nano, RFDuino, and Sparkfun ESP8266 Thing, among others)