Hello and welcome to 3dArtSpace.com. I'm Meats Meier and this is my portfolio of some of the projects that I have created. I'm an independent artist working in both the 2nd and 3rd dimension using Maya and Zbrush for modeling and animation. I use programs like Photoshop and After Effects to composite the images into Animations and high resolution Artwork. I also enjoy compositing 3d elements into live action DV and HD footage and then matching the colors and movement for seamless integration.
I take a lot of pictures, some of which you can see in the Photo section.
My biography, demo Reel, video interviews, and book appearances can be found in the
"Since the early 1920th of the last century, Surreal and Dada artists
had their own revolutions on the world situations in these days. The
world wide war I and II and the world sinking into machines and
industry had its deep effect on humanity inside these artists that
drive them to have their own revolutionary ideas through unexpected
artwork that breaks all the traditional art roles and values."
My new video "The Mission" for Puscifer has been released. (Puscifer website)
"The video, crafted by Meats Meier who has had a long history with Maynard James Keenan including work with both Tool and Puscifer, was
filmed in downtown Los Angeles and features Meier's inordinate animation talent"
"This project was a long process and there is no way it could've been
done without the help of so many people like Travis Shinn (DP) , Meats
Meier, Chet Zar, everyone at Buddy Systems, OTMFC, Alan Hurley, and so
many more." - Brett-Patrick Jenkins
My "Reverse Gas Mask" image on the cover of the Polish magazine, Nowa Fantastyka. May 2009.
"Appearing since 1982, "Nowa
Fantastyka" is both an ambitious literary monthly and a colorful
magazine of art, film, science and cyberculture. In our view, science-fiction
is a genre of modern literature that should deal with the past,
the present and the future; it should concern itself with science,
civilisation, politics, religion."
The piece created for the show - "The Crows Deliver the Bad Babies." Original piece available at the Gnomon Gallery (site). Music: "Trekka" by Puscifer (puscifer.com).
Puscifer put on an amazing first set of shows in Vegas at the Palms casino on Valentines weekend. A bunch of new animations that I created were shown on the big screens. Me and my ninja friend Patrick were able to film all three shows while running around and didn't fall once. We got some good footage that I hope I can put to good use at some point.
BOB animation playing on the big screen.
Some of Patricks great photos from the weekend are HERE.
Zbrush for Illustration - HD resolution Training on Vimeo.com
This video training album was originally created with Zbrush 2.0. This video deals
with tools associated with creating a image and rendering it inside of
Zbrush itself without using any external art package. Not many of the
tools or techniques dealing with rendering have changed at all, so this training is still very
current to Zbrush 3.0 and on.
I have trimmed off the original first three hours as it deals with
modeling, since those modeling tools definitely have changed since the new
released.
There are six chapters included in this training.
The complete Zbrush for Illustration training was trimmed down to five minutes for people with A.D.D here.
The final Image can be seen here (2000 x 2000 pixel image that was scaled down from 4096 x 4096):
A page about me and my Rabbithole created holograms was included in the 2009 version of
The New Book of Knowledge
(in the section on creativity)
I had all of the hard-bound volumes of these encyclopedias when I was growing up, and I really liked reading them. They include a lot of interesting, random information.
Besides the printed version:
By an agreement with Scholastic, Grolier publishes the contents of the encyclopedia online with registration.
Hello, and welcome to 3dArtSpace.com. I'm Meats Meier and this is my portfolio of some of the projects that I have created. I work in both the 2nd and 3rd dimension using software such as Maya and Zbrush for modeling and animation, and use programs like Photoshop and After Effects to composite the images into Animations and high resolution Fine Artwork. I also enjoy compositing 3d elements into live action DV and HD footage and then matching the colors and movement for seamless integration.
I take a lot of pictures, some of which you can see in the Photo section.
My biography, demo Reel, video interviews, and book appearances can be found in the
Four of my 3D drawerings were printed in the new book - "Gothic Art -
The Very Best in Contemporary Gothic Art and Illustration". It's a
really good looking book - beautiful, dark images throughout.
The book features artwork by Chet Zar, Laurie Lipton, Brom, Eric Scala and many more...
Gothic Art Now
Jasmine Becket-Griffith
"For the first time ever, Gothic Art Now brings the very best in dark artwork into the light in one visually stunning volume. Showcasing artists from across the globe, Gothic Art Now
reveals their exciting and dynamic new images in this unique
collection. Artists expose the tricks of their trade, providing
inspiration and insight into how they created their artwork - including
work from hot new talents to legendary names such as H. R. Giger. From
conventional media such as paint and pencil to stained-glass and
digital creations, this book covers a wide range of artforms,
demonstrating that this dark genre contains far more colour, diversity
and skill than most would ever have imagined."
I've put all of my "Introduction to Zbrush 3" training online for FREE (the best part) as a gift to the Zbrush community. I used Vimeo to host them, meaning they are in full resolution HD, available 24/7. I recommend Vimeo to anyone wanting to host tutorials or demo reels, the quality is amazing. I believe it has a lot of good information inside that will help anyone that is looking to learn or improve their skills in Zbrush. Hopefully somebody can find some use out of them before they may become irrelevant due to the new versions.
I'm personally really excited about Zbrush 3.5..
Lucky Strike Lanes has my artwork playing on their screens in all 21 locations. A spanking new Lucky Strike has just opened in Downtown Los Angeles at the L.A. Live entertainment campus. My art has been looping there since 2003.
Press artist graphic to view all artists on display.
I used Pixologic Zbrush to sculpt the characters, Autodesk Maya to rig,
animate, light and render the scenes, 2D3 Boujou for video motion
tracking, and Adobe After Effects for final compositing.
0;00;00;00 Levi's Copper Man sculpture tests
0;00;11;02 Digital Sculptures
0;00;43;09 Puscifer "Queen B" music video
0;02;38;08 Puscifer "Dozo" music video
0;03;16;13 TOOL live show animations "10,000 Days" tour
Music: Puscifer "Rev 22 : 20" from the "Underworld" movie soundtrack. Puscifer.com for more.
I got the cover and feature story for the Computer Graphics World magazinesAugust issue.
(Volume: 31 Issue: 8)
"This year’s SIGGRAPH conference is acknowledging the dynamic shift
toward 3D in the entertainment industry, not only by the two days of
programming on the subject, but also by commissioning veteran animation
artist Meats Meier to create a digital hologram to serve as the
centerpiece for the conference and the exhibition’s newly revamped
Computer Animation Festival. "
You can read the feature story here at the CGW website.
The article was written by Linda Law.
Life size print at the RabbitHoles holographic exhibit in the west hall. There was another mirrored version on the opposite side. A few other artists holograms (from the Gnomon Gallery show) were also on display.
A close up of one of the large banners inside the Los Angeles convention center.
Also mentioned in this RENDEROSITY.com article about the show (interview with Jill Smolen, conference director).
PIXOLOGIC.com has me on their front page currently, with a few details about how I used Zbrush (along with Maya and Groboto) to create the image.
The Christian Science Monitor has published a story on the RabbitHole hologram technology. They used my artwork for the image, and I got a quote in as well. <Story Here>
Gnomon Gallery hologramshow. The show will feature some of the best 3d artists on the planet, showing their work the way it was meant to be seen - in full holographic form! RabbitHoles media has printed limited edition prints using their holographic 3d motion technology just for the show.
Show opening August 12th (Tuesday night) starting at 7:30 and will then run for one month. Located in beautiful Hollywood, CA.
I spent this month traveling and sharing a bit of CG concepts and knowledge.
First at the Truemax school in Copenhagen, Denmark, where I was a supervisor for the students during their final demo reel creation. There was some really nice work that was created in that class, and it was a lot of fun.
Then to Fresno, California for a week, where I was a guest artist in the California State Universities Summer Arts program - "Animation: creating digital actors" course. The program was very impressive. In just two weeks, the students begin by creating 2D concept art, then digitaly sculpt their characters using both Zbrush and Maya. The students then direct an actor on a motion capture stage and apply the motion to their rigged characters inside of Motion Builder. The animation will then be pre-rendered for a final animation clip. Also, the students will prepare their models to be printed in a 3D printer, to be able to hold the final sculptures in their hands. All of this will be brought together and shown in a final gallery show. Not too shabby. I will provide links to the show once it is available.
Here is a compilation of various animation and look development tests collected during the
creation of the Puscifer "DoZo" music video. Created using Maya,
Zbrush, and Boujou.
Concepts and Story: MJK
Song: Puscifer (DoZo video edit)
I created a couple of fully rigged digital sculptures of a Copper man and woman for a surrealistic Levis Jeans campaign. I worked with BBH Singapore on this project.
The upper region.
Chest detail. The render was life sized for very close viewing.
Rigging test "Meat"al Sculptures. Patrick in background. Click image above to play. Jingle by Lustmord.
The commercial created by BBH (I just made the model). Click image above to play.
Now, the best part - the comments that this campaign received are available HERE :)
I've re-cut my
animation festival award winning short "The Future of Art" and released it on YouTube. I cut more than five minutes off of it.
This was my first independent animation that I ever created. I quit my job designing video games (Beyond Games) and spent the next six months in my basement creating 9 minutes of animation. It took a bit longer then because my main workstation was a 750 mhz PC with one gig of ram. I think that's what my cell phone has now....
The original won "Best Animation" at the SlamDunk
film festival in Park City, Utah (2001). The standards were lower for 3d animation then. ;) A detailed interview about this animation is available <here>.
Now with the song "Metavoid" by Lustmord. I did the crappy sound effects.
I was to asked to create the main image for the 2008 Siggraph Animation Festival. I worked with Jill Smolin, the conference entertainment director of the festival this year on both the 3D digital sculpture and a holographic RabbitHoles version for the Nokia Center. Created with Maya 2008, Zbrush, and Groboto. Groboto is an amazing program that I am currently studying. It is created by Braid Art Labs and is worth a look.
Black and white version
Click Image to read a feature story on the image itself and to see the festival preview trailer on CGsociety.org
The creation of the image "Arm Upgrade" was originally screen-captured real time, finishing with a total of around 21 hours of footage. It was then edited down to 323 minutes of lecture and detailed explanation for the Gnomon Workshop training dvd - "Zbrush for illustration". In the dvd, I explained my techniques for using Zbrush 2 (!) to create a high resolution illustration from scratch. I build the 3d elements directly on the canvas and then arrange them into an composition and render the final image using the internal Zbrush renderer. This DVD is out of date now, most of the techniques that I used don't even work anymore in the new version.
I've created a version for people with really low attention spans, now the entire video is under five minutes. I've also added music by Lustmord so that blind people aren't completely left out. This version is also great for robots or aliens that can scan through web or book pages in an effort to quickly understand a concept over the course of a single quick-cut montage. No learning will occur during the viewing of this video for standard humans.
It's Art Magazine has re-released the interview that I did with them last year.
"Here is an opportunity to
discover this protean artist and experimental genius who constantly
re-invents an art form which is just coming into being." Interview Here.
I've also been selected to be on the jury for the upcoming IT'S ART 3D and 2D contest - June 1st - October 15th - "We, Humans"
I had the pleasure of working with Maynard James Keenan again on another video for his side-project band Puscifer. This time it's for the song DoZo, which is one of my favorites on the album "V is for Vagina".
The video, which combines live action and 3D animated characters, was about 50 % hand-animated and 50% motion captured acting from Maynard, which was done at the Nexus Digital Studios stage. I have to hand it to the guy, I had him jumping around like a crazed ninja for a few hours, and then not much later that night he performed for a sold out TOOL concert in the Los Angeles Nokia Center.
The DoZo video single will be out soon and can be purchased on the Puscifer.com website.
It contains several bonus features, including a holographic commentary featuring Mjk and myself.
I also designed the front, back, and inside graphics for this DVD single.
Major thanks to my friend Patrick Surace, who really helped me out and made it possible to get it done on time.
Also, props to Benjamin Dean who modeled some...... props!
I did a live airbrush painting of a little pig baby painting while the legendary band "Green Jello" rocked out for the crowd at the Alexandria Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. The show was sponsored by Amoeba Records and called undergrounDNUOS.
The
limited edition Puscifer Queen B DVD single was released today,
Tuesday, January 8th. Get em' while they are hot :) You will be able
to find them here, along with his new (excellent) album "V is for Vagina".
I did all of the art for the packaging, the cover of the DVD, as well as the video inside. The DVD includes a commentary by MJK.
My Etcher image was used as the cover and in the promotional packaging for the production of "Deadtech" a post apocalyptic dance/ short film produced by the Breakbone Danceco <website>. It was released in 1994, but I hadn't seen it until now. Thanks Atalee!
Images of the "Etcher" inspired character from the film below.
I am proud to have contributed an image for the book - 60, Unite for Children, as well as participation in the world wide traveling exhibition. All proceeds go towards UNICEF.
"We contacted sixty recognised or up-and-coming artists and digital
designers from every corner of the world, whom we invited to join in
this project. Our initiative found an echo among them and they
kindly agreed to participate in it, convinced that Childhood is worth
illustrating, as pictures may sometimes have a stronger impact than
words This project called "60, Unite For Children" is made up
of 2 parts. The first is the execution and publication of a graphic
creation's anthology. The second is the organization of an touring
exhibition. "
I'm very excited about my partnership with Rabbitholes inc. (website)
I have been working closely with the company to really push the boundaries of their new technology. - full color, animated holographic art. I can't express how happy I am to finally find a medium that I can display my art the way it is meant to be seen - in 3D.
Upcoming gallery shows:
Saturday, October 13th :: Harold Golen Gallery :: Miami, Florida :: 7-11pm show
opening :: free admission(holograph will be up for one month)
http://www.haroldgolengallery.com
Saturday,
October 20th :: The Talking Board Show :: CoproNason Gallery - Bergamot Station
- Santa Monica, CA :: http://www.copronason.com/
Friday, October 19th ::
Film Society of Lincoln Center - Walter Reade Theater - New York :: ONE NIGHT ONLY 8-11pm
Special show for the artist Ron English http://www.filmlinc.com/wrt/wrt.htm
I will be participating in the "Talking Board Show" currated by Chet Zar. I will be showing a holographic full color animated Ouija - which I call the 3Dija.
Click HERE for a animated example of what it looks like when you move your head from one side to the other.
Hologram created with "RabbitHole" Technology.
Show info:
COPRONASON GALLERY (LA)
"THE TALKING BOARD SHOW"
Over 30 artists Reinterpret the Ouija Board
Group Show curated by Chet Zar Opening Reception: Saturday, October 20, 2007
Copro Nason Gallery 2525 Michigan Ave T5 Bergamot Station - Santa Monica, CA 90404
"Our friend CHET ZAR will be curating and participating in "THE TALKING
BOARD SHOW", which opens on OCTOBER 20 at the COPRONASON GALLERY. Among
the others artists involved are TOOL family members KEVIN WILLIS and
MEATS MEIER."
Siggraph (the largest digital art and technology show) was a lot of fun (work) this year.
I was in the middle of the Puscifer video project, so my assistant Dean Deakyne and I were forced to load up our equipment and drive it all down to San Diego so the deadlines could still be met.
Dean working during Siggraph in the W Hotel as others were having a good time.
Pixologic had a large banner advertising my artwork .
I gave a quick lecture at the Gnomon booth where I was also showing off my first few pieces of holographic motion art.
I've partnered with the company that has the technology - Rabbitholes (www.rabbitholes.com) and plan to really push the boundaries of this new art medium. Collectors can look for my pieces soon in galleries near them.
My new training DVD, Introduction to Zbrush 3 has been released.
Being a member of the core beta team allowed me to follow the
progression of the new Zbrush as it developed and to really deeply learn
the new features inside and out. I spent a lot of time familiarizing
myself with the possibilities of the program as I tested the new tools
and working processes. I'm still really stunned at the power that this
3rd installment of Zbrush provides and am excited to be able to share my
knowledge with both new digital artists and professionals alike!
My
new interview with the beinArt Surreal Collective is up - read all
about the wonderful wacky world of....uh...me (and my adventures as a
digital artist in the year 2000 and beyond).
This site has hit the top ten in most 3d catagories in a Google search.
Search for 3d art = #4 out of 104 million
Search for 3d artist = #5 out of 2 million
Working with Maynard:
I've been working with Maynard (TOOL,Perfect Circle) on two videos for his project band Puscifer.
We've started on production for the first video recently. I had MJK
scanned into a 3D model, and I am now making him do things like
virtually break-dance and professionally river-dance using motion
capture technology. I can't show any images or animations yet, but I
really can't wait until I can - it's some of my best work yet
IMHO...and it's for a really cool song.
There will be much more to follow....
He hopes to release the Puscifer album in September.
I was lucky enough to be one of the first people on the beta test team for Zbrush3. It's been an incredible experience watching the developers make one improvement after another and raise the digital modeling bar with each new, previously unthought of tool that they add.
My favorite images that I have created while beta testing Zbrush 3 are available for veiwing in this thread on the Zbrush Central website <Here>.
To see the whole amazing collection of beta tester created images, including some of the best digital sculpting examples created to date, go <Here>
Zbrush 3 will be released May 15th, 2007.
I am also announcing the Introduction to Zbrush 3 DVD which will be released around the release of Zbrush 3 by Pixologic. I've been working closely with the developers to be able to bring this instructional DVD to life. It will cover all of the old and new features of this mind blowing upgrade to the most important digital sculpting package of our time. Look for it on the Gnomon Workshop website when released.
I have been interviewed (and received the front and back covers) for the 8th edition of the web art magazine "IT'S ART" , which also includes interviews and art from the amazing artists Andre Kutscherauer, Natascha Roeoesli, Henning Ludgvisen, Adel Adili.
Click the Above Image to download the magazine
"Anyone who is fascinated by CG art can?t possibly have missed one of the most renowned names, Meats Meier.
Still, if you have, here is an opportunity to discover this protean artist and experimental genius who constantly re-invents an art form which is just coming into being."
I am proud to be accepted into the beinArt International Surreal Art Collective (website), the gallery of surrealist, phychedelic, esoteric, outsider, fantastic, toy, lowbrow,comic, eroitic, & visionary artists.
I'm glad that they opened a section for digital artists (link).........a good sign for the new real outsider art "digital".
I created some animations for TOOLs "10,000 Days" world concert tour.
"Along with Grace and Haggerty, contributors to the video content
include Jones, Chet Zar, Alex Grey, Meats Meier, and Matt Santoro. The
artists use a variety of media, including some live action footage shot
on DV or 35mm and software including Autodesk
? Maya
?, Newtek Lightwave 3D, Apple Final Cut Pro, Adobe After Effects, and U&I Software's ArtMatic."
Well, after having the same cheesy, un-updated website for years (since 2002), I finally have a new website!
I want to thank Michael Baird (website) for designing and creating it for me. He was great to work with and I definitely recommend him for website design projects. Also, thanks to Patrick Surace (website) for help with the flash stuff.
Now that I have an easily updateable site, expect a lot of content to be added in the next few months.
Well, after having the same cheesy, un-updated website for years (since 2002), I finally have a new website!
I want to thank Michael Baird (website) for designing and creating it for me. He was great to work with and I definitely recommend him for website design projects. Also, thanks to Patrick Surace (website) for help with the flash stuff.
Now that I have an easily updateable site, expect a lot of content to be added in the next few months.
Autodesk gave me a feature with an Audio interview on their "AREA" website. You can hear it <here>. You have to be logged in, but it's free registration. They also featured a few images and some animation tests.
Scott Spencer has reviewed my "Zbrush for Illustrators DVD" on Highend3d.com.
"Meats
style is accessible and his delivery clear and concise. He is a gifted
instructor as he can clearly communicate the concepts and methods he is
portraying on screen while he works."
I
worked with Adam Jones of TOOL and was art directed by the legendary
artist Alex Grey on stereoscopic artwork for TOOLs new album "10,000"
days, which spent three weeks as #1 on the billboard music charts.
I recently completed a full page magazine advertisement for the new CBR10000 RR motorcycle. I worked with the talented photographer William Hawkes on this project. The job entailed scanning Nicky Hayden's face and then adding 3d elements to mimick the shapes of the motorcycle onto it. Nicky Hayden is currently the fastest man on a motorcycle after winning the grand prix this year.
My artwork was shown in the Visual Amalgram Show in downtown Los Angeles at the Infusion Gallery. A full digital art show by some of the industries leading artists. Hosted by Patrick Finley.
VisualEffects industry professionals showing off their artwork in a
traditional fine art gallery setting. Come see works byMeats
Meier, Steven Stahlberg, Pascal Blanche, Linda Bergkvist, Carlos
Huante, Igor Knezevic, James Clyne, Nick Pugh, Roger Kupelian, Rob
Frick, Evan Jacobs, Erick Schiele, Eric Hanson, Greg Downing, Ron
Shirley, Be.Ritt, Patrick Finley, and more.One night only, don't miss the chance to see and even buy some of these great artist's creations.Much of this work will be for sale!
Released a new Zbrush training DVD - Zbrush for Illustration through the Gnomon workshop.
This two-disc set follows ZBrush master Meats Meier through the process of creating his ?Arm Upgrade? illustration, from concept to final print. Designed for the artist familiar with ZBrush and its tools, this lecture provides a rare glimpse into the workflow and techniques of this accomplished artist. As Meats creates his detailed imagery, he explains his wire style and the process of using materials, layers and easy light setups. This lecture demonstrates the ease and advantages of using ZBrush's 2.5D environment to create complex high-resolution imagery.
Invited
by Francisco A. Cortina (Final Fantasy) to inlcude a few of my images
in the Ballistic Publishing book - D'artist character modeling.
"d'artiste:
Character Modeling is the definitive 3D character tutorial book
showcasing the astonishing work and technical skills of leading artists
Pascal Blanch?, Francisco A. Cortina and Steven Stahlberg. Each master
artist presents their character modeling techniques through a series of
step-by-step tutorials from concept to creation.
Designed the Maya 7 Signature Image that will be seen on the box cover, manuals, splash screen and promotional advertisements for Alias. Also rigged and animated the model for the Alias Demo Reel DVD.
My Zbrush created image - the Last of the leaves receives a Master Award in the robotic/cyborg category in the third annual Expose digital art book produced by Ballistic Publishing.
My first two prints
are now available through the Gnomon workshop. The Apple and the Four
Wire Heads, will be the first released. The posters, printed on 100lb
Centura Gloss paper are sized at around 27" X 40 ".
The excellent artist Feng Zhu has also released two wonderful new images.
"Since
we started The Gnomon Workshop five years ago, we have strived to bring
techniques of great artists to students and professionals around the
world," says founder/director Alex Alvarez. "Feng Zhu is one of the
industry's greatest concept artists, and he's created seven incredible
concept design and technique DVDs for the Gnomon Workshop. Meats Meier,
one of the world's foremost artists using ZBrush, is responsible for
two highly acclaimed ZBrush DVDs. These posters give the Gnomon
Workshop another way to bring work by these great artists to the
community."
Lectured
with Bay Raitt, Ken Brilliant, Taron and Zack Petroc at the second
Pixologic User Group Meeting in San Francisco. I had a great time.
"Meats
Meier started the evening off with a detailed walkthrough of how he
creates is signature wire-style artwork. Other topics covered included
how to use masking and deformations to convert primitives into complex
shapes, and creating multiple rendering passes in ZBrush for
compositing."
More information, as well as downloadable clips from the meeting available <HERE>
Completed
my first round of teaching Zbrush at Gnomon. I developed the first
Zbrush course ever taught - two 10 week classes and one full week
fast-track class. Thanks to all of my students for their hard work and
inspiration!
Images printed in the wonderful book - The Complete
Guide to Digital 3d Design by Simon Danaher. I really recommend this
book, it's a great read with really inspiring images.
Gave
a demonstration of the way I use Zbrush in my personal artwork at the
first ever Zbrush user group meeting that was held at the Gnomon school
of visual effects. Other presenters were the fantastic artist Taron and
Bay Raitt formerly from Weta.
Story here from Cgnetworks <LINK> written by Ryan Kingslien.
Featured in the new book "Creating Striking Graphics with Maya and Photoshop" by Daniel Gray and published by Sybex.
"When it comes to blending the strength of Maya and Photoshop with the power of natural and industrial imagery, Meats Meier has definitely found the right recipe. His otherworldly images and brilliant construction cross the line between mechanical nature and nature itself. Machines become organic structures. Metal takes on life. The essence of form is reduced to wireframes?not just 3D wireframes, but actual frames of wire. When you see it, you want to believe it."
Hired as a resident artist at the Gnomon School of Visual Effects in Hollywood, CA.
My responsibilites include: creating art, producing DVDs, and teaching an intro to Maya class, and the first ever Zbrush course.
It
goes without saying that this is my dream job, and I am feeling very
blessed to have been offered this position. Now it's time to make the
best of it....
Featured in volume 3/issue 2 of the Renderosity Interactive Magazine in an article entitled "Master in our midst".
"The
title "Maya Master" is earned by only a select few each year, and
signifies more than mastery of a CG program. Recognizing the artist's
ability to lead and break new ground through innovation, insight, and
application of one's skills, Maya Masters inspire and drive the
industry forward." - Sergio Rosa
Beta
testing of the new Zbrush is over and it's finally released.
Congratulations Pixologic! Zbrush is a revolutionary digital sculpting
program that should be in every modelers toolbox. More about Z2 on Pixologics page <here>.
Pixologics complete Practical Guide can be downloaded <here>.
Quick overview of my workflow using Zbrush 2 <here>.
"Pro tips: Retouching your renders" article published in 3d World magazine, issue # 46.
"Some
purists consider any tweaking of a 3D image after rendering as cheating
- but if the quality of the finished product is what counts, why not
use every weapon in your armoury? As award-winning artist Meats Meier
reveals, a little Photoshop work can not only improve your images, but
help to create effects that are difficult to achieve in most 3D
packages."
Sorry
about the lack of updates, I haven't done much personal artwork for a
bit. I've been settling into a new city and focusing on my job at the
Orphanage, working on shots for the movie "Hellboy" that is produced by
Revolution Studios and is to be released in April of 2004. See the
Hellboy trailer <HERE>
"Praying
Devil" image featured on the cover of 3d World #45. This issue is a
Horror fx special and features exclusive interviews with H.R. Giger,
Stan Winston, and Phil Tippet about designing the perfect movie
monster. <Link> to 3d World Magazine.
Named
a CG "Elite" at CGchannel. "His art certainly will leave an impression
on anyone that sees it. You may enjoy it, you may even be upset with
it, but you will not forget it. To express an emotion, an expression of
a feeling or a state of mind, Meats Meier truly understands the purpose
of art. This is why we award him with our CG Elite award, given to the
outstanding digital artist that he truly is." Read the whole interview
<here>.
Mother Nature featured on the cover of 3D User magazine
and 5 page interview inside. Also named an international artist/editor
along with Glen Southern and Julian Johnson Mortimer.
Featured
on CGNetworks.com. "What makes Meier's work so interesting is the
boundaries that seem blurred between the virtual, the real, traditional
mediums and the digital form. It's nice to think that creating art can
be made without any regard for hardware or software restrictions and
steep learning curves, but it seems though that Meats Meier has cracked
the code - which basically boils down to hard work." Read the rest of
this excellent article on the pages of CGNetworks.com
I was hired as a Technical Director at the Orphanage
in San Francisco, and am leaving Salt Lake City tomorrow morning. I was
somehow lucky enough to not only land a position with one of the
coolest VFX studios in the land, but also to be able to remain a
generalist in my work. I was scared that I would end up being forced
into specializing in something while the rest of the 3D world faded
from my brain. It will make it possible for me to not only continue
learning, but at a much faster rate. It will be interesting to me to
see how my style changes as I enter a new (more accepting and exciting)
environment, and work with talented artists every day...
I have a rented truck with my motorcycle and my computers in the back all ready to go.
Sorry, might not be able to get back to emails for a few weeks.....but really not all that sorry
Two images <Devil Chrome Bust> and <Creation> printed in the color section of Maya 5.0 Visual Quickstart Guide book by the Riddel Design Group. Link coming soon..
"Mother
Nature - Spring" image printed on the cover of the French magazine -
Studio Multimedia (special Maya edition). I also wrote a short tutorial
on the creation of this image that was included in this issue.
"Meats
Meier, artiste 3D et animateur, a accepte de nous offrir l?image
?deesse nature? pour illustrer la couverture de ce numero hors-serie."
Live interview on the Half-Life News page of PcGamingNetworks.
"Meats
work pushes the boundaries of imagination, talent, and today's
software. Taking the viewer into the realm of the impossible, his use
of computer graphics, or CG, and live footage will trick and amaze you
as you try to decipher just what is CG and what is "real".
Awarded
a "Maya Master" by Alias at the Global Users Association meeting at
Siggraph in San Diego. I was presented a certificate and a really nice
custom leather jacket (only ten exist) on stage in front of a crowd of
1800 people. Congratulations to the other Masters this year:
Scott Brew from LucasArts
Tejima-san from Polyphony
Daniel Roizman from Sony Pictures Imageworks
Rob van den Bragt from The Mill
Hiroyuki Hayashida formerly from Square USA
My
art was printed on several larger format posters and placed around the
venue, and at the end of the night, most of them had mysteriously
vanished...I was honored. HP also used my "Mother Nature" image on it's
flyers that were placed on each and every seat.
Six
images accepted into the new art book "EXPOS? : Finest Digital Art in
the Known Universe", with two images winning awards, a Master (Gold)
and an Excellence (Silver). Click <HERE> for more information.
Six
images accepted into the Art Journal Awards Gallery at Kota Press. This
month also features impressive works by Pascal Blanche, Can Tuncer,
Krishnamurti M. Costa, and many other great artists. <link here>
RenderAid.com has me in the "spotlight" this month <link>
. The site has been completely redesigned and is looking bettter than
ever. Renderaid is pretty new, making it really great for artists to
get a lot of exposure, so go on over and register.
Two
animations accepted into the Animation Gallery at RenderAid.com. The
animations at RenderAid are great because they offer them in two
versions (Quicktime and Avi) at four different resolutions, making them
very easy for everyone to view. Go to <RenderAid.com>
"Wa-hoo! Congratulations! You made it!!!" - Two images accepted into the 10th aniversary Spectrum art book entitled "Spectrum 10: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art" to be published by Underwood Books in October.
Two images nominated for an award in the "institutional" catagory: Nomination page <here>.
Recieved 2nd CGtalk choice award at the CGtalk gallery for my Luv Bot animation. See the gallery <here> I think that you have to be logged in to view..
Plugged on 3dFestival. "Resident CGTalk member Meats
Meier has recently posted his new demo reel. It's nothing short of
spectacular...." Also made the front page of CGtalk! <3dFestival>
Artist of the month of March at Infinitee Designs "His
professional artwork and original style sets him apart from the
pack......" : Infinitee Designs.
"Etcher" image printed in the Feb issue of 3dWorld
magazine. I was told that I almost got the cover, but in the end, it
was given to artist Rudolf Herczog - good job Rudolf! Runner up prize,
a full page print inside the mag- sweet!
"Devil Head" digital sculpture is entered into the CGtalk Hall of Fame and gets a coveted CGtalk choice award. Click here to go to the CGtalk gallery - excellent artists!
"Etcher" image printed in the book - "Maya 4.5
Fundamentals" by Jim Lammers and Lee Gooding. It has a lot of great
information and covers every aspect of Maya really well. I definately
recommend this book if you are trying to learn this program.
Featured on Cgchannel. "His work is certainly creative
and extremely stimulating. Hate it or love it, his art will certainly
leave an impression on everyone." ;) Click here to read.
Etcher image rated #1 Maya image for a time. 9 out of 12 images rated "Excellent" Renderosity gallery here. You can also leave comments at this gallery.....
Images accepted into the #1 3d gallery on the web - 3dartists - Raph.com. <Meats 3dartists Gallery> Also, check out all of the great artists at Raph.com
Images accepted into the Artists of Utah website. They also did a feature on the brick and mortar "Meats Gallery" during the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, UT. <feature>
I was featured on the IFC TV program iFilm@IFC. My
feature was sandwiched between Lisa Kudro's and Don Cheadle's.
"....Plus, The Future of Sex, a cutting-edge film about, well, the
future of sex. We've got the First Look....." Click here to see it.
"Creating the Future" article by Meats Meier and Leonard Teo - article at Inside CG. "Meats Meier is an artist who has recently shot to stardom in the 3D community with the release of his short film - The future of: ART...."
Creating the Future: Meats Meier
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
, 01 March 2001
Meats Meier is an artist who has recently shot to stardom in the 3D community with the release of his short film - The future of: ART. If you haven't already seen this short, you can check it out at iFilm. Meats shares with us the making of this wonderful short film, the highs and lows, the challenges and the satisfaction of having a production seen by so many people around the world. - Leo
The Making of The future of: ART
The future of: ART is about an artist's quest for a reason to use his new purchases, a new rtBot painting system.
The future of: ART is about an artist's quest for a reason to use his new purchases, a new rtBot painting system. He is sitting at a desk trying desperately to come up with an idea. When inspiration strikes, he finds that there are many obstacles to overcome if he wants to use his top of the line technological tools. In the end, the robot seems to end up with all of the glory.
My main point of the short was: technology is an amazing thing, but at this point, it is unusable to all but the most experienced. I was envisioning a world where the programs always had a million features added to them, but never improved on the core functionality.
It also laughs at the fact that great programs aren't going to make great art. I feel like a person needs to go through a little pain to create great art, and in my opinion, you can't skip this step no matter what the technology is. Artists may not have to clean their oil brushes anymore, but now the chore is replaced with keeping up with the tech itself. Learning new upgrades, figuring out evolving interfaces and file formats may not be a creative persons dream, but once you master them, they become second nature and the creativity can flow.
I created The future of: ART as an online demo-reel and exposure generator as well as an entertaining short. I was telling the world, "This is The future of: ART. One guy sitting in his basement (literally: five foot ceilings) has the power to create and find an audience within the same box. The "programs are overcomplicated" theme allowed me to showcase my unusual animation style.
This short was carried out in a fairly unusual way. Since I had spent so much time visualizing the story in my head, I never got around to actually creating storyboards. I worked from a rough outline and prayed for inspiration when I worked on the individual scenes. I usually have a lot of success with creating on the spot, it comes a lot easier to me than trying to write words on paper. I've been using Alias/Wavefront's Maya Since version 1.0, and doing most things within this amazing program has become second nature to me after staring at it for so many years. Seeing it evolve in 3D, I might as well be a Greek god creating my own myth. Getting up every morning with a predefined work flow may be mandatory when working with a crew, but when it is a single person, with one vision, it is easier to be a little more loose with the scripts, not having to convince any one else to understand your dream. Another reason I took advantage of the chance to work this way was because I'm sure it will be some time until I have the chance to again, as employers have this funny thing about wanting to know what they are going to get before they pay you to do it (it will be great, I swear!).
"Mother Nature" digital sculpture given another shiny CGtalk choice award for May. View Thread <
Recieved 2nd CGtalk choice award at the CGtalk gallery for my Luv Bot animation. See the gallery 
"Gasmask" image recieves the "Cream" award at the Gallery of 3D. 
"Devil Head" digital sculpture is entered into the CGtalk Hall of Fame and gets a coveted CGtalk choice award. Click 
Artist of the Month in Graphics Live Magazine. "Etcher" image also featured on the cover. To take a peek, click 
Received the Gold Award from the good folks at Kota Press.
