Interview: DAZ Studio Creative Magazine
Daz Studio Creative is a magazine that represents the universe and community of all the render artists and content creators out there who have made use of this tool to fulfill their artistic vision. In this interview we talk with Camilla Melander Drakenborg, Phil Thompson, and Totte Alm, editors of Daz Studio Creative Magazine.
Visit Daz Studio Creative Magazine at Issuu
- How was DS Creative born and why did you want to make it a reality?
(Camilla) - Well I was kind of left with little choice in this matter. You see, in a DAZ artist group on Facebook that I am a member of, I posted a comment as to why there wasn´t anything like an online magazine around where you could get all manner of DAZ things in one place, instead of having to roam the net so to say. It was just a curious question and perhaps someone knew of a mag or something similar that I didn’t know of. Next thing I knew, Phil, now my partner in crime and production designer, said something like- Hey great idea let’s do it, I’m in! And then Totte our technical editor, chimed in and started a Facebook group for the magazine on that very same evening, added us and I was appointed to be the team manager and the one to contact potential vendors for features, Phil got the visual part of the mag, putting together the pages and with Totte’s technical experience with DAZ Studio and computers in general, he started writing up some tutorials and got the contacts we needed to get it started and it took from there.
I had no intentions to actually start a magazine when I asked the question, it was just a question, but hey, 20+ issues later, almost 2 years in ( July 2016), here we are and what a ride it has been. I think I speak for us all when I say we have learned so much. Not only about how the DAZ program works but how the business side of DAZ works as well and just how awesome the 3D community can be! Slowly but surely we have built up a network of artists, vendors and sponsors to help us make this vision come alive.
We are independent of DAZ3D, meaning we are not DAZ, although some of our team members work for DAZ one way or the other.
We do the magazine because of our passion for the arts and 3D, DAZ Studio in particular, but anything that works in the DAZ Studio program, whether it comes from DAZ3D or other sites such as Renderosity, RDNA, YURdigital or other reliable store sites, we want to show our readers all the wonderful items that can be used in the program and therefor it’s not only DAZ vendors that are featured. Through it all we have worked hard to make sure the magazine stays free for all so people from all over the world and no matter what their life situation is can enjoy it and gain something from it. Hopefully, do we not only bring fun and knowledge to our readers but also traffic and some insight to the hard working vendors that provide us with the tools to make our imaginations come to life in our artworks.
(Totte) - I like doing things like that. I saw a need, and people with an idea, so I put them together and it clicked. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t, but if you follow your instincts you’re bound to get it right some times. I’m happy this went so well.
- For a newcomer to Daz Studio and render art, in which ways can DS Creative Magazine help them to start in 3D?
(Phil) - It’s not just tutorials and tips which are of course an invaluable source of information to someone starting out with DAZ Studio as there is always something we can learn, but the galleries are such a rich and varied source of inspiration and ideas, that may well inspire you into an unfamiliar genre for example.
(Camilla)- As Phil mentioned tutorials and tips gives them the tools they may need, but the images we show are from people all over the world with all kinds of skill sets which can hopefully inspire others, but also show others that we welcome all regardless of skill level.
We have also had a few walkthroughs I guess you could say as to how to get started. If you have never seen the DAZ program before it can be quite overwhelming at first but once you get over that first "shock" hopefully with the help of some of our guides, which by the way we are planning on updating for the new 4.9 version, they will find out it’s not as hard to understand as it may appear at first.
- What do you think DS Creative means for the community of Daz Studio users? How would you like it to be seen by them?
(Phil) - At the magazines very core is the DAZ community and we couldn’t survive without them, the community is woven firmly into everything we do, from the artist spotlight to the galleries, so I personally hope that after 20+ issues we are an integral part of the DAZ Studio world, we receive so many emails from readers telling us how much they appreciate all the hard work and effort that goes in to each issue.
(Camilla)- Hopefully that they are part of the community as a whole, not just as a buyer or artist or even just as a vendor. As we are dependent on our readers to help us fill our pages each issue they are part of creating the magazine itself and I for one am very proud how we have banded together for a common passion.
- In which ways can readers and render artists participate in DS Creative? What should they do if they want to do it?
(Phil) - There are so many ways to participate, from the obvious submitting an image to the gallery to writing a tutorial(which now has a chance to win a prize), we now include a readers comic strip and are open to more, and of course the big one the artist spotlight which includes creating artwork for the cover, but if anyone has any ideas for future issues then get in touch with us you can email us our various addresses are in the magazine or the quickest and easiest is to drop us a personal message on Facebook.
(Camilla)- It takes a small army to create each issue of DS Creative and that army is "you"
- What is the magazine section that you like most and why?
(Phil) - Wow this is difficult to answer, but if I must choose then I will pick the Fave Five, this simple feature was the first one I came up with on my own, and it really is simple just tell us the five items in your content library that you couldn’t live without. But I do have an idea in mind for quite an interesting new feature for the future.
(Camilla)- Well I’m a very visual person, I love looking at art! It inspires me and pushes me to broaden my horizons and to what I feel comfortable doing. As an artist I think it’s important to do so. So for me the art section and the competition section are my favorites. It´s fun to see how other artists interpret the different subjects we have as our monthly contests. But I’m also a very curious person by nature so it’s quite interesting to get a hint of what goes on in a vendors life.
- In many interviews you ask what would you like to see as a new feature in DAZ Studio. What is your answer to this question?
(Phil) - I would like an option to have DAZ temporarily downscale texture files for selected items in your scene to lower your Vram usage, with possibly the option for scaling the textures to 75%, 50% or even 25%, I don’t need 4K textures if the item is in the background, therefore making it possible to have more content in the background of your scene.
(Camilla)- Program wise I would say batch rendering for Iray! I often have several promo works going on and although I have a Nvidia card and a pretty good computer, I always make my renders as big as I can so to make sure I get them crystal clear in huge sizes I let the final piece render while sleeping. Trouble is I can only do that with one at a time and since I’m sleeping I can’t put on the next when the first is done and I simply don’t have the patience to sit and wait for 2-3 hours or more, at a time while I could be working on creating new art instead. So batch rendering would be ideal.
AUTOSAVE- yes that is so needed! You know just as the comp crashes you remember, ouch I forgot to save. Would be good to have the option in DAZ to have it do a autosaved file each time you add something new to the scene in form of content or lights. So just encase you worked hours on something and it crashes you don’t have to curse yourself for not saving and do it all over again. It doesn’t matter how often you tell yourself or others save and save often, it does happen we forget.
As for the DAZ site I would love to see more gender equality. Lol can there be such a thing for 3D people? But for example, right now there is 6 pages of clothing for the "new" Genesis 3 female & 16 pages of clothing for Genesis 2 female, but for Genesis 3 male there is only 1 page, and 5 for Genesis 2 male. I understand that women’s clothing sells more, but that doesn’t mean it has to be all about the girls so to say.
And lastly I would advise to let people get the chance to catch up to the new technology. Internet and technology is in constant change and upgrading which is all good, problem is, often, people’s lives, jobs and money don’t....
- The magazine is already full of content, but as it has become more and more rich in the last months, I see it is in constant evolution. In what direction do you think DS Creative should go in the future (new sections, changes, new ways to participate)?
(Phil) - While I am all for change, it has to be done very carefully and over time, but the magazine is always evolving it’s almost like a living breathing organism. Where should we go in the future, onwards and upwards hopefully, I’m certainly hoping to bring in many more new features and I look forward to including not just the current readers but people new to the craft.
There is one thing about DS Creative that must never change, and that is, we must always stay 100% free .
(Camilla)- Well the team and I often have small ideas or new ways we want to go, tricky thing is how to go about it, who can we get involved and what would it take. As we are firm in keeping the magazine free and frankly since we are just a couple of ordinary people with little money to spend which goes to our daily lives and our passion for DAZ, we have to find creative ways and generous sponsors to help us provide goodies such as freebies and prizes for our contests, which can sometimes limit our ideas. But we have gotten really good at it and I think by having done the magazine as a community thing its brought out a lot of creativity and alternative thinking.
But we have ideas for new features we are working on which I can’t speak about just yet, don’t want to spoil any potential surprises. However, we always strive to be better, make sure we can provide something for all, from the beginner to the pro. And hopefully we will be around for at least another 2 years to come or even more!
Visit Daz Studio Creative Magazine at Issuu - Jordi R. Cardona www.hiperia3d.com
EJ Estela for Genesis 3 Female
See images and get her here: EJ Estela for Genesis 3 Female(s)
- Jordi R. Cardona www.hiperia3d.com
January Issue Of 3D Creative Magazine Is Free
Go to their page, click the "Purchase or subscribe" blue button, and then you will go to a page that you can download it directly (no need to fill anything or pay).
3D Creative Magazine: http://www.3dcreativemag.com/latest.html
- Jordi R. Cardona www.hiperia3d.com
EJ Fantasy Ears For Genesis 3 Male(s)
Our new product for our DAZ store: EJ Fantasy Ears For Genesis 3 Male(s) is a collection of 20 ear morphs to get Genesis 3 Male(s) directly in the realms of elves and magical creatures. A must have for any fantasy render!
You get 20 carefully sculpted in ZBrush ears, for elves, fairies, pixies, orcs, fauns, and all kinds of fae folk.
See images and get them here: EJ Fantasy Ears For Genesis 3 Male(s)
Real Man Mix and Match Expressions for Michael 7
Our new product for our DAZ store is out: Real Man Mix and Match Expressions for Michael 7. Get attitude for all your male characters in every situation, make them get alive, get real. A must have for Michael 7!
Real Man is a pack of expressions organized in three folders (Full Face, Upper Face, and Lower Face) for Michael 7. With them, you can apply an expression that moves all the face, or partial expressions that move only the upper or lower parts of the face.
See images and get them here: Real Man Mix and Match Expressions for Michael 7
EJ Gregori HD Deluxe Pack
Our new product for our DAZ store is out: EJ Gregori HD Deluxe Pack is a set of: a HD character for Genesis 3 Male and Michael 7, including 5 skin tones, vampire fangs and bloody sclera eyes, and genitalia (mats and morphs), tattoos, a highly customizable men swimwear with lots of morphs and partial materials and untied, lasso, or no cords, and 10 full body poses with their mirrors.
Gregori loved the sun and sand, but he was always attracted by the gorgeous darkness of the beaches at night and deep caves... until the darkness came to him, and dragged him to the life of a vampire. Now he won't enjoy the sunlight anymore.
See images and get him here: EJ Gregori HD Deluxe Pack
Argenou Hair for Genesis 3 Male(s)
Our new product for the new Genesis 3 Male and Michael 7 is out: Argenou Hair is an extremely versatile male hair, perfect for any character. Fantasy, casual, sexy hair, elves, sci-fi, action men, sorcerers, villains and heroes... timeless and with unlimited possibilities. A must have!
It can be short or long, and move freely with the wind, or work with any elven ear. With 20 hair colors and 71 custom morphs that you can mix at your will, and a jeweled Circlet that can be customized mixing the 10 jewel partials with the 10 full material presets, and options to hide the jewel or the frill. The circlet is independent of the hair. You can use it alone or with this hair or any other.
See images and get it here: Argenou Hair for Genesis 3 Male(s)
EJ Rita for Genesis 3 Female(s)
Our new product EJ Rita is a voluptuous and sexy character for Genesis 3 Female with a zombie alter ego.
Rita has a specially detailed skin, both in the normal and zombie versions, including skin features like pores, moles and variations found in human skin that will give you the quality you need for the new generation of NVIDIA Iray renders.
Rita can be a voluptuous and sexy beauty, a fantasy or sci-fi brave heroine, and even resurrect as a zombie. Very customizable, both in beauty or zombie shape, Rita can be the main character of many of your creations. A must have!
See images and get her here: EJ Rita for Genesis 3 Female(s)
Chillaxin' Mix and Match Expressions for Teen Josie 7
Our new product just released at DAZ3D:
Chillaxin' Mix and Match Expressions for Teen Josie 7Chillin' and relaxin', always cool and always having fun! Get the true teen spirit of Teen Josie 7 expressed in a wide range of expressions for every situation. A must have for Teen Josie 7!
"Chillaxin'" adds the degree of realism in expressions that you need for the new generation of Iray renders. Every detail in the face has been adjusted to make your characters look real and alive.
Chillaxin' is a pack of expressions organized in three folders (Full Face, Upper Face, and Lower Face) for Teen Josie 7.
With them, you can apply an expression that moves all the face, or partial expressions that move only the upper or lower parts of the face.
See images and get it here: Chillaxin' Mix and Match Expressions for Teen Josie 7
- Jordi R. Cardona www.hiperia3d.comEJ Atsuko For Genesis 3 Female
Our new product released at DAZ: EJ Atsuko is a character for Genesis 3 Female, that includes Iray materials (in addition to the traditional DAZ Studio's 3Delight ones).
Atsuko has a specially detailed skin, including skin features like pores, moles and variations found in human skin that will give you the quality you need for the new generation of NVIDIA Iray renders.
Atsuko, a gorgeous Asian beauty, never thought that her curiosity may awake an evil spirit living in that abandoned house, the Yurei. Now she has to face the terror she has awaken with you, in your own renders. Do you accept the challenge?
Atsuko can be a casual beauty and a brave heroine for all kinds of fantasy, horror, and sci-fi stories, and also come back from the grave as an apparition, the Yurei.
See images and get her here: EJ Atsuko for Genesis 3 Female
Sela Hair For Genesis 3 Female(s)
Our new hair is released at DAZ: Sela Hair For Genesis 3 Female(s) is a versatile hair style with bandana, that can also be turned into a headband, and customized with many options and morphs. Sela Hair can be perfect for any casual woman as well as for stylish hipster girls, adventurers, pirates, fighters, fairies, and any character that you can imagine.
The bandana has 20 material presets. The hair also includes 147 custom morphs, in these 17 categories: All Back, Back Adjust, Bandana, Chest Adjust, Ears Adjust, Elf Ears, Face Adjust, Hairline, Head Adjust, Length, Move Ends, Move Groups, Shoulders Adjust, Style, Widen, and Wind.
See images and get it here: Sela Hair For Genesis 3 Female(s)
EJ Etta For Genesis 3 Female
Our new character for our DAZ store: EJ Etta is a character for Genesis 3 Female(s), that includes Iray materials (in addition to the traditional DAZ Studio's 3Delight ones).
Her facial features have been modeled to be an ideal homage to the beauty of ebony skin, and featuring the special bone structure of the cheekbones typical of those who have African ancestry.
Special options of makeups can also turn Etta into a tribal warrior or a fantasy woman, or an Ishologu (African vampire) or zombie by using the fangs and the yellow eyes with vertical pupils.
She also has makeups and body painting, with lots of customization options. She also has a series of matching casual looking makeups, nail polish, and lipsticks.
See images, and all features, and get her here: EJ Etta For Genesis 3 Female
Super Diva Outfit And Accessories for Genesis 3 Female
Our new outfit released at DAZ: Super Diva Outfit And Accessories for Genesis 3 Female
All the glamour and charm of the great diva singers is here! With this pack you get all that you need: an outfit of dress, sandals, bracelets and microphone, and also 10 poses and 4 expressions, and lots of customization options to make any scene of superstars. A must have!
Iray materials are included to achieve the quality you need for the new generation of NVIDIA Iray renders, in addition to the traditional 3Delight materials.
See images and get it here: Super Diva Outfit And Accessories for Genesis 3 Female
The character you see in its promos is our EJ Etta, just released today too.
This month’s 3D Creative Magazine is Free
This month’s issue of 3D Creative Magazine is free. Hurry and get your copy here, and if you like it, consider subscribing to this top notch magazine about all 3D:
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EJ Valeria for Genesis 3 Female
Our new product is released at DAZ: EJ Valeria is a character for Genesis 3 Female(s), that includes Iray materials (in addition to the traditional DAZ Studio's 3Delight ones). She includes several custom sculpted morphs: head morph, long sorceress nails, square nails, fangs, and genitalia, all usable with Genesis 3 Female Base. The body uses Genesis 3 Female Body Morphs.
Valeria has a specially detailed skin, including skin features like pores, moles and variations found in human skin that will give you the quality you need for the new generation of NVIDIA Iray renders.
See images and get her here: EJ Valeria for Genesis 3 Female
Buenaventura Hair For Genesis 2 Females And Males
Buenaventura Hair For Genesis 2 Females And Males is released!
Includes 4 versions: 2 for Genesis 2 Female (with or without hat), and 2 for Genesis 2 Male (with or without hat), and also an unparented prop version of the hat. The hat is morphing, with 10 partial morphs that you can use to achieve different shapes, and you can also hide the hat string.
Huge amount of morphs, specially for wind and movement, and the hat.
See images and get it here: Buenaventura Hair For Genesis 2 Females And Males
La Rancherita Outfit and Accessories
Our new product is released at DAZ: La Rancherita Outfit and Accessories
A rancher girl can be sophisticated without loosing her country side. High fashion, western look, and beautiful freshness joined together in a very versatile outfit. A must have!
La Rancherita Outfit And Accessories is a complete set of dress, boots, handbag, necklace and ring, and 10 pose sets. With the varied and beautiful eight material sets included, you can use it in lots of different themes and situations.
See images and get it here: La Rancherita Outfit and Accessories for DAZ Studio and Poser (with dson plugin)
Ahoy Matey Mix And Match Expressions for Cory 6
Our new just released product at DAZ 3D: Ahoy Matey Mix And Match Expressions for Cory 6!
All the expressiveness of Cory 6 unleashed. A must have for Cory 6!
Ahoy Matey is a pack of expressions organized in three folders (FullFace, UpperFace, and LowerFace) for Cory 6.
With them, you can apply an expression that moves all the face, or partial expressions that move only the upper or lower parts of the face.
They were done specially for Cory 6 but you can use it in any Genesis 2 Male.
See images and get them here: Ahoy Matey Mix And Match Expressions for Cory 6, for DAZ Studio and Poser (with dson plugin)
Malibu Outfit And Accessories
Our new product is released today: Malibu Outfit And Accessories is a complete set for the most fun beach and pinup scenes, that includes a customizable trikini, sandals, bracelet and beach ball, and 10 pose sets.
In addition, the incredibly versatile trikini includes hide options, so you can turn it into a bikini, a top, a pantie, or hide the jewels, the frills, and the hip ribbons.
See more features, content and images here: Malibu Outfit And Accessories
Atta Girl Mix And Match Expressions for Callie 6
Our new release for Callie 6 is published: Atta Girl Mix And Match Expressions for Callie 6.
"Atta girl!" "That's a girl!" they whisper as she goes by, while with her natural beauty and charm, she smiles. A must have for Callie 6!
Atta Girl is a pack of expressions organized in three folders (Full Face, Upper Face, and Lower Face) for Callie 6.
With them, you can apply an expression that moves all the face, or partial expressions that move only the upper or lower parts of the face.
See images and get them here: Atta Girl Mix And Match Expressions for Callie 6
