How old are you? 

16

Is 3D your Job? Do you want to be a full time 3d artist in the future? 

Just a hobbyist for now. I am trying to open up employment opportunities with this skill though.

How long have you been using blender? 

Since just before 2.8 came out, so maybe 2 yrs?

Why did you choose blender? Was there a reason? 

Blender was free, and I never felt restricted by it, so I’ve been happily married to this program ever since!

Why do you prefer 3d over other forms of art? 

I have always been interested in mathematics, and I haven’t found any art style that is so easily meshed with math as 3D, aside from math itself. One key characteristic of pretty much every render I do is that mathematics forms the backbone of each one.

What’s your advice for beginners? 

Communicate with more experienced artists!! Too often have I started a project and given up because I didn’t have the necessary foundation to progress (I can elaborate, but long story short: I learned 3D in a very wonky way) and I was unwilling to consult people for help. More experienced artists, from my experience, are very willing to help you out. I’ve learned a lot of what I know today from talking to other artists and learning their wisdom, and seeing how they might approach a problem you’re facing can be incredibly helpful.

Community Questions 

Where does your fascination for space come from? What got you so interested in it?

I honestly don’t know. I’ve been interested in space since being basically an infant, and the interest never really died down. If I had to give a one word answers, however, I would probably have to say “opportunity”

What got you interested specifically in space renders? 

I see space as a world of opportunity, and I guess by creating some cool space renders, it makes me feel like I am a part of this new field of opportunity.

Who inspired you?

I take inspiration from movies such as Interstellar, and also by other artists, it’s really inspiring to see someone do something incredible in blender, or just 3d in general, and you always want to get in on the action! Sometimes it’s a bigger inspiration when someone does something in blender than seeing something epic in a movie, like what got me interested in black holes was not necessarily interstellar, but rather a few blender users who made stellar recreations of gargantua.

Does the black hole use actual geometry or only very clever textures? (Will this question be covered in your black hole course?)

The black holes have two main components: the accretion disk and the lensing setup. The accretion disk is just a cylindrical object with a volumetric material, and the lensing is done through complex refraction. My black hole course covers this in meticulous detail, you should check it out, first few tutorials are public as of may 24th, on my YouTube channel, Samuel Krug.

Which render engine do you use for your renders? Do you use external render engines?

I only use cycles. I have learned how to really use cycles to it’s full potential, and I think that even though it has its shortcomings, it is the best render engine for me.

Do you use any software other than Blender?

I am fluent in a decent number of programs, such as unreal, world machine, and some others, but I primarily use blender, especially for stuff I post here on insta.

If you could name a black hole, what name would you give it?

Good question. Probably something really stupid because that’s consistent with my character. Actually, let’s do this: you guys name it, post it in the comments, and tag me, I want some good ideas people! Y’all are probably better than me at this!