were so many elements and
variables involved that at some
point I realized that I needed
to stop trying to define every
element and step and to just let
it develop on its own. That was
when it started to come together.
Eventually I stared to get a handle
on it and once I felt that I had
it under control is when it really
began to open up. I am always
finding a new approach or a
new method which is an endless
source of inspiration to me.
Q9. When it comes to your
art - you use 8 different types
of technical and specialised
software and programs.
What programs do you use to
create your pieces of art?
I have actually incorporated
another program so I am up
to 9 now. I don’t talk about the
specifics of my process or most of
the software that I use as they are
an important part of my creative
process. I spent a lot of time
developing this process and to
my knowledge it is unique and no
one else is using the programs in
the ways that I do, so I think I will
keep this as a closely guarded
secret.
Q10. You use special
techniques from the film and
gaming industry. How is that
applied to your works?
It is those techniques that are the
foundation of my process. The
biggest advantage to using those
techniques outside of games
is that I no longer have to work
within the technical limitations
that I was bound to before. The
only limiting factor that I have
now is the power of my PC, which
is why I designed my own and
had it custom built just for this
purpose. I am also able to find
new and creative ways to push
the technology to achieve the
visual results that I am looking for.
One of the most interesting
techniques that came from all of
this was unforeseen. When I am
doing a custom commission for
a client I am able to ask if I can
see the actual wall where the art
piece will be hung as well as how
the room is lit and the surrounding
decor. I ask this because one
thing I like to do is to incorporate
the real world lighting information
into the art during the rendering
process to make it look like
the art piece was designed
specifically for that particular
positon in space. For instance,
if the wall where the art will be
hung receives direct afternoon
sunlight I can factor that into the
lighting of the art so after the art is
hung, at a particular time of the
day the sunlight coming through
the window will perfectly match
the way the art was lit within the
software making it look like it was
designed specifically for that
spot at that time. The results are
amazing. The artwork changes
during the day from being a
beautiful piece of wall art into
being a beautiful piece of wall art
that was created for that exact
point in space at that exact time
of day. It helps the art to be more
than just a picture hanging on a
wall.
Q11. You talk about rendering
when you complete your
work. How complex is it when
putting all your elements
together when it comes to the
final print?
The whole process is extremely
complex and sometimes I
actually lose track of where I am
as I go, which is not always a bad
thing in that it allows me to find
new ways to create my art that
I had not previously considered.
Happy accidents are a real thing;
you just have to be open to
them.
Each of the programs that I use
were designed to achieve a
specific goal or end product.
In order to achieve the results
that I want I need to use these
Polo De’Marco July 2020