Wayne Robson: Frequently Asked Questions
Freelance 3d Character Artist, Digital software trainer, Author and Digital Sculptor

Which application do you prefer for digital sculpting, Zbrush, Mudbox

I own both and have also released multiple DVD's and books on using them ( so you could say I'm the only person who is a recognised expert in both.) Both are fine appllications and I will always use whatever is the most powerful at any given moment. As a freelance artist and corporate trainer I do not have the luxury of being a 'fan' of any one particular app.

Which is best Zbrush or Mudbox?

To be honest they both do different things and it isn't fair to compare them. While on the face of it they may seem to be marketed at the same market, they are in fact totally different tools aimed at different types of artists. After using Zbrush for years I've now moved onto Mudbox 2009 and was one of the beta testers and advisors for it.

Why did you Leave Kurv Studios?

The DVD industry is becoming less of a cottage industry and more or a corpoate thing. At this moment I'm taking a break and although I have 4 offers to do tutorial DVD's from different companies 'on the table', I wont be taking any of them up for a little while. For a little while I wnat to release as much as I can for free to give something back to the world of 3d thats provided me with a very nice living.

Why dont you continue to give tech suport etc on your old DVD's?

Simply put, I dont record for Kurv anymore, so please direct all support queries etc to Kurv studios on their support forum.

How do you come up with your idea ?

This isn't going to be vey helpful at all to people, but they just appear in my head. normally when I close my eyes when tired, I get a 'machine gun' of images. Yes I now that sounds 'odd' but I promise you it is indeed the truth. One of the reasons I model so fast is the longer I leave it the more the idea fades away and I forget the specifics(I usually can only remember one or two of the hundreds of images that 'flash past'). So to retain the design I must get it down as fast as possible, although as I get time to do go back and then redo them 'properly'.

Can you please do me a free video on how to do ‘X'?

I don't do requests as a rule as they have a nasty habit of getting out of hand. Plus a large ammount of my 'video time' is spent recording bespoke private ones for clients.

Are you available for freelance work?

Yes, I'm always intersted,time and schedule permitting for interesting projects. Send me an email with as many details as you can and I'll get back to you as soon as I'm able to.

How I can I book you to train workers at my company?

Get in touch via email and I will pass on all the relevant information that you need to know. I offer training on both major the sculpting aplications and their intergration into popular pipelines.

Can use you artwork / designs for my own work?

Providing I am notified and get credit for the designs I've made I have no problem with people doing their versions of my sculpts The only reason I would and have denied this is if the sculpt has been for a customer and they own the copywrite for it. In which case the permission is not mine to give. All private work shown here is subject to very strict copywrite and their use without permission is strictly enforced.

How long does it take you to record a DVD?

It realy does depend to be truthful. Some like the mudbox ones were done in 21 hour mega sessions for each (counting the prep work etc...) Whereas the ZBrush ones take longer as they are indepth and at thetime I didn't have a free constant 21 hours to record them in one sitting. So vol 1 and 2 were recorded over the space of about 10 days with recording some days and not others. Although I do still do main project sculpts in one session, the perperation is what takes the most time to ensure the person watching gets the very most out of it.

How long did it take to write 'Essential ZBrush ?

Essential ZBrush took 12 months to complete from the inital approach and planning stage to the hand in and passing through the various edits. Why so long? To be honest it's due to it being a very large book (as large as the other 2 books that are out put together)...I dont do anything by halves. ;).

Will you write another book ?

Yes, one is already in the process of being written that should see the ligth of day in mid 2009. I've not yet annouced what it will cover at this time.

Why do you do 3d and digital sculpting ?

To put it simply, because I enjoy it, it helps to keep me (sort of) sane and its a never ending challenge. (Plus I also seem to be pretty decent at it.)

What is your favorite model of your own?

Its always whatever I'm working on, although I'm very proud of 'The Leech' and many of the images I did for the Mudbox 2009 beta testing.