Artist Profile: Craig S-R
This is part of a series of interviews with Sugar Glider Digital’s artists, where we explore their practice and perspectives on digital art.
Image credit: 21 Studio
“I would like to see more of the human body represented. Even a blocky PS1 style hand shows more evidence of a soul than a blobby glass object to me. “
1. When, and why did you start making digital art?
I guess my projects started to become digital when I made claymations at 10 years old. I shot them on my parents' old camcorder which still used tape at the time and my granddad helped set up the software to digitise the footage for editing in Microsoft Movie Maker. A year or two later I started playing around in Pivot Stick Figure and Adobe Flash.
2. How has your digital art practice evolved since you started?
I've gone through many transitions in mediums. I get bored really easily and need to constantly be learning new techniques or software to keep my interest in creating up. I took a break from animation and experimented with making video games at one point. I spent a huge chunk of time getting into video and filmmaking. It wasn't until the end of uni that I got back into 3D and started taking 3D animation seriously. From there I went from focusing on creating hyperrealism to now just making whatever makes me happy.
3. Tell us about your favourite digital art project.
Qilin Vessel was fun to make and looks gorgeous on a big screen. I enjoyed the process of piecing together the vessel itself and then animating the moths around it.
4. What would you like to see more of in the digital art world?
I think especially in the 3D art space I would like to see more humanity. Although beautiful, I am getting tired of seeing the same abstract shapes and textures being pushed around in realistic lighting. I would like to see more of the human body represented. Even a blocky PS1 style hand shows more evidence of a soul than a blobby glass object to me. I'm guilty of this as well because that style of abstract 3D shapes is so fun to create. I tried to incorporate a bit of this into Qilin Vessel through the butterflies. Animated insects and animals can add so much life to a piece. I think I'd like to see more 3D simulations of imperfect hair and clothing as well. These are two of the more complex simulations to pull off but I think there's a fine art to the process of creating them that can show more evidence of craftsmanship in a render than any amount of dust and fingerprint textures can. I write this after I just applied a surface imperfection texture pack to my latest render lol
“Know how to describe what you want to create. It will make the creative process so much easier.”
Image credit: 21 Studio
5. Who are your 3 favourite digital artists at the moment?
I'll try to keep this to Australian only
@passive.kneeling makes some pretty sick work.
@kyberneticss has been making some great visuals and designs for the local queer community.
I gotta shout out @juune.lee who's also one of the hardest-working digital artists I know.
6. What advice would you give to someone who wants to try making digital art?
Know how to describe what you want to create. It will make the creative process so much easier. You can teach yourself so much if you know how to search online for what technique or references you're looking for.
Once you've picked up a few techniques and skills forget everything you know because this is not what's going to make your art good. Build ideas and gather inspiration from things in the real world and see how they can inform your imagination.
7. What was it like seeing your work hung in an international art fair?
It was cool! I went to art school with Juune so it was pretty fun to see our work hanging together in a space a few years after graduating. It’s a strong sentimental moment to be reunited overseas and have our work share a space with other creatives we respect.
8. How do you find the physical presentation of digital artwork differs from its online representation?
I think art will always be more impressive to me when presented in a physical space. Even when I view images of non-digital work through my phone I am more impressed than some of the lengthy renders I stumble upon. 3D printing, curved screens and virtual reality are technologies that will allow digital artists to think about the space their work can take up in new ways. Presentation is always important. My work looks boring on my phone. I want to see it on the largest screen in the world.
Image credit: 21 Studio
9. What project(s) are you working on at the moment?
I found a pattern on a plate my Mum has that I can’t stop drawing. So I’ve rendered it in 3D and have been working on a series of animations that will incorporate it in the background. I’m also working on a few self portraits, nothing realistic, just digital scribbles.
10. What is your dream festival or art fair to show work in?
I’m going to start a festival called Craigchella where I hire Lily Rose Depp and The Weeknd to reprise their roles from The Idol and perform all the hits live and I get to make the stage visuals.
11. Where can we see more of your work?