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3dtotal: Hi Eric! Just browsing through your site http://www.ericprovan.com and what’s this? A new demo reel! [Clicks download]. Okay, I’m told it will be here in 11 mins and 30 secs so we can talk about that later. For now let’s start by hearing a little bit about yourself.
Eric: Hey Tom! First of all, thanks for this opportunity, I’m truly honoured. Okay, where to start? I am Spartacus, err Eric Provan. I currently live in LA with my radical wife, Holly (just married!) and my slightly less radical three-legged cat, Keek. Since graduating from Fullsail in June of 2005, I have worked at 2Ksports - Kush Games, The Jim Henson Creature Shop, and I am currently working at Sony Pictures
Imageworks as a character modeller on Alice in Wonderland. When I’m not creating things, you can find me strumming my guitar, eating pizza, watching Arrested Development, beating
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up little kids, and sometimes doing them all at the same time!
3dtotal: That’s a pretty busy 4 years! What’s been the most memorable moment that’s come out of working for all those fantastic companies? And is there any one event that really boosted your career forward?
Eric: Ah man, tough question. It would be impossible to pick just one moment. I have been so lucky in my career so far. 2KSports - Kush Games took a huge chance on me, and for that I will be forever grateful. The Jim Henson Creature Shop gave me the rare chance to work under the name of one of my heros. Sony Imageworks, well, Sony Imageworks is Sony Imageworks! The trip so far has been a surreal one. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it will continue to be so fun. Honestly, I think the biggest boost in my |
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career so far has been the jobs that I didn’t land, the interviews that didn’t go perfectly, and the test’s that didn’t turn out well.
3dtotal: Now, I’ve been told that our website www.3dtotal.com had a bit of an effect on you in the early years, and wouldn’t you know it ... I am the founder of the aforementioned site! So please bear this in mind and continue to tell us a bit more about your experiences with 3DTotal!
Eric: www.3dtotal.com was the first 3D related site that I came across in the early days of my schooling at Fullsail. It quickly became my home because of the wonderfully helpful forum community. At the time I started posting, I was very new to the 3D world and, quite frankly, very nervous about posting my work. I was a sensitive beginner but I was able to get the kind of feedback I needed at 3DTotal without feeling like the world was coming to an end. I find the community to be constructive, informative, and most importantly to me, positive. Always positive |
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3dtotal: There’s a hell of a lot of character in your characters. Where do all your ideas and inspirations come from? And why do you love creating them?
Eric: I’m the creepy guy that sits in the corner of an airport with his hood on, and stares at people as they walk by. I love people and all their imperfections. Call me crazy, but I find the chick who works at the local supermarket who has funny-looking elbows, abnormally large ears, and |
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scratches her neck until it’s nearly bleeding when she gets nervous, 1000 times more interesting – and in fact more beautiful – than the Paris Hiltons and Linsey Lohans of the world. So, I suppose my ideas and inspiration come from observing people – that and the fact that my Mom dropped me a few times when I was a kid. Why do I love creating characters? I’m not really sure. Maybe I have a God complex? Of course, if I was God, everyone would look pretty damn funny.
3dtotal: A lot of people now have very scary images running through their heads! That would be great image for you to do - a whole supermarket scene packed full of whacky characters. Does sketching play much of a part in your work? When you’re out and about, or for planning your projects?
Eric: A supermarket scene packed with wacky characters, hmm [grabs sketchbook]. Absolutely! Sketching is a huge part of my work flow, both at work and in personal projects. I always feel at peace when I’m sketching.
3dtotal: In 2005 your work was, err ... how shall I word this? ‘Average to good’? A bit harsh I know, but what I’m leading up to say is that by 2007 and 2008, your work was absolutely amazing! Can you tell us some of the secrets that lead to this massive development?
Eric: You’re being too kind by saying ‘average to good’. I cringe when I look at my older work. However, I keep them on my site because I’m very proud of the progress I’ve made in the few years I’ve been doing this. The bottom line is that I’m insanely passionate about 3D art. Just thinking about my passion for art makes me want to jump on a couch and shake the hell out of Oprah. Of course, ‘passionate’ is my romantic way of saying ‘obsessed’. A normal day for me is 9-10 hours at the studio, a bowl of frosted mini wheats, a quick cuddle session with my cat, and then 6-7 hours of working on my personal work. This can put quite a strain on my relationship with my wife, but she’s a sassy gal and seems to have no problems keeping my soul in check. Plus, I buy her new shoes every now and then. It’s hard to sum up, but here are a few things that I found very helpful in my progression: anatomy, anatomy and anatomy. I was never particularly interested in photo real art, but I realised early on that you have to learn the rules of anatomy and proportions before you can break those rules. Read every lighting/rendering book you can find. It’s amazing what a nice lighting and rendering setup can do for an average model. Get as much feedback as possible. I find that people completely removed from the 3D world are great at picking apart my work. And of course: practice, practice, practice.
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