FAQ-Gen&Tech

FAQs - General

Q:
What kind of compter do you use?
A:
I have been a MacAholic for many many years. Right now, I’m using an Apple Macintosh G5 desktop computer (with 1.8 GHz and 3.5 GBs of memory), and a big old NEC MulitSync monitor. I always use an Intuos 2 Graphics Tablet from Wacom, and I love, love, love it. The tablet’s pen works in harmony with the software programs to create wonderful pressure sensitivity. I am so use to this set up now, that it feels almost the same to me as drawing on paper.

I also have an Apple PowerMac, which I sometimes use to sketch things out when I’m away from my G5. Then I transfer the files to my desktop when I’m ready to get down to business. The more memory intensive programs run a little sluggishly on my PowerMac, but are quick and responsive on my desktop computer.
Q:
What kind of software do you use?
A:
For software, I use Corel Painter, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Alias SketchBook Pro. SketchBook is great for making quickie sketches, and Adobe Illustrator is what I use when do the holiday cards with the outline illustrations. It was the perfect program to create the look of a deck of cards, for example. When I do the portraits and other illustrations, I use Corel Painter. Painter allows you to choose brush types & sizes, media type (like oil, water color, charcoal, oil pastels... etc.), and even the canvas smoothness or roughness. I then frequently bring the files into Adobe Photoshop for tweaking and to convert them to various file types.

For layout, I use Adobe Illustrator, Quark XPress or Adobe InDesign. I am fluent in all of these programs, and usually choose the best program based on the clients needs, the method of output, and the type of job.
Q:
What kind of training/education do you have?
A:
I have been drawing and painting for as long as I can remember. My father was an oil and acrylic painter, sculptor and illustrator. I learned a lot from him and my mother. My sisters and brother are also artistic. Formally, I graduated from Salem State College with a BA as an Art Major, and then completed graduate classes at Massachusetts College of Art and Harvard University. I completed a one-on-one course at Salem which was an Honors in Computer Animation, but aside from that, my computer skills are mostly self taught. I have found in the world of computers, frequently the cutting edge is not in school, but in the work place. I learned whatever I could from the people around me, then read and tried anything that interested me. I’m still learning and always trying new things. My current outside passion is computer 2D and 3D animation.

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For more information
Please feel free to email me with any and all questions.

Robin@WorldJukebox.com

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