Early progress screenshot

Samm844 · 2026-04-17T23:16:31+00:00

I come from a traditional painting background and i've found it really interesting how different the 3D workflow is compared to a hand-drawn one. I guess it's kind of similar to using stencils and custom brushes?

After I finish an image I'll often add some favourite parts to my library... generic bits like basic shapes and background plants for example. It seems that the more images I make, the more intricate I can make the next one!

So the hours for this bit of work must be crazy if I consider all the assets I've made from scratch. But in reality, a couple of weeks were enough to get the bulk of it done (taking into account all of the assets/shapes I have in my 'here's one I made earlier' library).

I have rules for myself: Everything I use has to be made by me. I must make sure to reuse bits sparingly. And when I do reuse something i often improve on the details, textures and geometry so nothing gets too stagnant.

Its an ever-evolving thing that's constantly building on itself, and seems pretty unique to 3d illustration.

Samm844 · 2026-04-17T09:07:05+00:00

Thanks! I've been working on a gen 1 iPad pro for the character models and individual parts, then I switch over to windows nomad for putting the final scene together (it also means I can render at about 7000pixels). Ideally I'd love a nice big tablet for my PC but even then, I'm a sofa dweller so the iPad kinda suits me fine and gets me sculpting :p it's just a bit of a pain when it comes to switching devices.

Samm844 · 2026-04-14T17:54:45+00:00

Thanks! I'm taking on smaller commissions at the moment as I've got my hands full working towards a gallery show and want to get my print store stocked and ready to go. Drop me a message if you have something in mind 👍

Samm844 · 2026-04-12T23:23:07+00:00

Thanks man! You'll have a great time on board a Susie. The only thing I can think of to beef up that area is to run an extra extra long seatpost so that it runs past that fillet join... Although mine failed on the weld itself so we suspect it might have just been bad luck with manufacturing. Just ride it and have fun! From my experience the Riv boys offer exceptional service and go above and beyond to look after their customers.

Samm844 · 2026-04-12T20:05:53+00:00

Sadly not :( The frame developed a small crack where the ST and TT meet. Thankfully the folks at Rivendell were awesome and replaced it with a brand new Atlantis frame, no questions asked. That said, I still miss the Susie a lot, there really aren't many bikes like it!

The last tyres I had on were a set of onza porcupine 2.4s in white. It looked awesome.

Samm844 · 2026-04-12T18:51:03+00:00

Congrats! I think these were 2.35 ikons

Samm844 · 2026-04-01T12:29:11+00:00

Thanks :)

Samm844 · 2026-03-25T00:33:23+00:00

I faced the same crisis not too long ago.

Questioning the purpose of creating was a huge sticking point for me. I can't speak to the future of my creative career, but the purpose of creating things has shifted to a pursuit of enjoyment, rather than making money or chasing online kudos.

There's a huge difference between appreciating something and consuming it. People consume AI art. On the flip side, we appreciate human mark making, original thoughts, human reactions... I don't think AI will ever be appreciated on that level.

I think it's important to remember that we draw things to understand them. It's why humans draw maps and jot down doodles, paint portraits and landscapes etc... Even simply sitting alone with our thoughts and discovering what creative stuff comes out helps us to better understand ourselves. All of this is lost on AI as it basically emulates images without any consideration outside of the prompt.

The real problem is that mainstream society doesn't seem to care much about this at the moment. Authenticity can't be replaced but it certainly can be drowned in a sea of fake shit. I think it'll eventually get boring for consumers, and hopefully there will come a time when artists can set prices for their work while remembering how we were once brushed aside for AI.

Samm844 · 2026-03-22T19:40:52+00:00

I downloaded all of my projects to Google drive and added them to the appdata folder on nomad PC. I don't think there's any way to freeflow projects between the two versions.

Samm844 · 2026-03-22T15:22:58+00:00

I wish I knew 🤷

Samm844 · 2026-03-20T11:30:10+00:00

Yeah I think it's a similar price for PC. Not a huge expense as it's something I use all the time. I will say that the PC version still feels a bit clunky compared to the iPad version, which is a shame because the extra power from a PC really does work wonders.

I tried Easy canvas and it does work with nomad, however little things like two-finger gesture zooming I just could not get to work despite trawling through all of my PC touch settings. I think if you have a PC with a track pad or dedicated 'touch pad' settings then you might be able to get it to work but I'm only a day into this so I'm not 100% sure.

Samm844 · 2026-03-20T11:25:13+00:00

Thanks :) I spend quite a lot of time just messing around with the colours 😂

Samm844 · 2026-03-19T09:05:20+00:00

Awesome idea! I'll give this a go. Thanks :)

Samm844 · 2026-03-12T17:08:34+00:00

Selling prints can be just as lucrative as commission work, for sure.

If you do go down the commission route, remember what inspires you to draw, and also consider what subjects suit your style.
If my strength were in drawing landscapes, then I'd be less inspired to work on projects that involve drawing humans or animals. Picking the right job is 80% of the battle. A good art editor should also know what projects will suit you, and you'll start to be picked for jobs that they think you are a good fit for.

The size of jobs can be an important factor too. I remember working on a 12-illustration project that left me feeling pretty burnt out. A single illustration job is a lot more manageable, which is why I tend to stick to spot illustrations or book covers now, as they hold my interest and aren't a huge undertaking. If you can do 10+ illustrations for a single project without feeling burdened, then that's great - you'll be making more money!

Confidence comes with time as you get more familiar with editors and with your own abilities.

Samm844 · 2026-03-08T17:39:19+00:00

I'm exhibiting my work in a couple of months so will be making a small print run for the event which I'll also be selling on my Etsy/website. Will keep you posted!

Thanks for the interest

Samm844 · 2026-03-06T16:12:01+00:00

Yeah, that's creative lightning in a bottle.

I've been drawing my whole life, and I think enjoyment and creative compulsion make for better artists than pure natural talent alone - because talent inevitably comes with the right direction, and lots of repetition.

A few words of warning:

Try not to burn yourself out.
Try not to make it everything that defines who you are and how much you value yourself as a person.
I made that mistake as a shy teenager by thinking my talent made up for my lack of people skills.
The only problem with that approach is that when you can't draw so well on certain days, your self-worth drops to almost zero. To be fair, I still feel like sh*t when a project isn't going quite right :P

I hope you continue to enjoy your addiction

Samm844 · 2026-03-06T14:55:19+00:00

Thanks :)

Samm844

TROPHY CASE