Silo Q&A With Glen Southern
Freelance Artist at SGFX Studio

Hometown: Cheshire, UK
Current Location: SGFX Studio, Cheshire, UK
Website: http://www.southerngfx.co.uk
Modeling Tutorials: http://nevercenter.com/videos/tutorials

How did you get interested in 3D art? What do you enjoy about it?

I've been using 3D packages since the early 1990's in one form or another. I started with Imagine on the Amiga 1200 then moved to using 3D Studio on a 386 PC (The DOS version if anyone remembers that far back).

I was lucky enough to get an early introduction to ZBrush back in 1999 when it was seen as a novelty program rather than the high polygon workhorse that it is today. I was using it to compliment my 2D work and add quirky 3D elements to my images. At the same time I started to use Lightwave and I spent quite a few years using just those two applications.

I love the idea that I can turn my own 2D concepts into a 3D models. I use Clay and Wax for lots of projects and I get the same buzz from sculpting in 3D as I do with the traditional mediums. As long as I'm creating I find I'm a happy man.

What is your typical modeling workflow?

I like to work from my own concept designs where possible. If a client provides a concept I very often re-work it before I begin modeling. My preferred style is to Box model from scratch with no reference image in the viewports. This works for most jobs that don't need to stick exactly to a concept. I block out the basic form and stance of the character or creature then begin to refine each individual body part.

I work 100% quads if possible with strict adherence to polygon count. If I add Tris to a hand for example, I will turn them all to Quad before I move off to another area. As I reach the detailing stage I sometimes rip off a part of a model and re-build it using point-by-point modeling. This works well for me for things like faces or detailed rib cages where the polygon flow needs to be fundamentally changed and it is quicker to replace what's there rather than tweaking it to death. I sometime use the topology method to draw new topology in an specific area which works really well for clothing or armor.

I very often model in Silo with a light gray background, no gridlines and no buttons or interface showing. By remembering all the keyboard shortcuts and setting up the mouse with a wide range of combos Silo gives me a very organic modeling experience with limited clutter. I generally model in the perspective mode and occasionally switch into another viewport to check scale or silhouette.

How long have you been using Silo, and how did you get interested in it?

I love basic polygon modeling. I learned the basics with Lightwave with the help of people like Ken Brilliant and the early Dan Ablan Lightwave books. I had tried Maya and found it daunting at first and just as I was getting Maya to play nice for me I stumbled across Silo. I used it for a few days and I've been hooked ever since. The simplicity was the initial selling point but very quickly I realized it is powerful enough to do everything I need. I've tried most of the subdivision modeling packages on the market and I will always keep looking at new innovations and modeling solutions.

What do you like about Silo--why do you use it?

In Maya I used to have to keep downloading new scripts or getting a tool made for me when I struggled to do a specific job. The same goes for Lightwave with plugins. In Silo I found all the tools I needed right out of the box. After a while I had constructed my own interface and a whole range of buttons tailored to my needs. This was my modeling setup from then on. I only changed it with the upgrades and new Betas from the Nevercenter team.

I find that with Silo, ZBrush and Photoshop I can do pretty much everything I need. I use Silo on several different setups. My main machine is a quad core with 8 gig and twin 24" Dell monitors at 1900 resolution. I generally have Silo on one screen with reference material on the other. I also use it on my Laptop which is a Toshiba Tecra tablet and Silo performs more than adequately on that machine. I sometimes use my iMac for modeling but, to be honest, I find it a bit clunky when compared to my Quad core PC (ok, so we're all different!).

One piece of Kit I would not be without is my Ergodex. It looks like a Wacom with stick-on buttons and is fully configured for Silo, ZB, and Photoshop. The keys are movable and I've set it up in the shape of my hand so keyboard commands become second nature. I haven't mastered Silo with a Wacom other than for the sculpting tool. I'm not a Silo Evangelist: it simply does what I need it to do in a simple and efficient way.

What types of projects do you work on?

My work ranges from product design, games modeling, models for TV or film and lots of training. I work freelance from my Studio in Cheshire and have other business interests outside 3D modeling.

I really enjoy going out to studios and training artists on 3D modeling and I find I do as much training as I do modeling these days. My favorite type of job is being asked to create a creature and take it from initial concept to finished model. The sense of achievement when you can work on a project like that is immense.

I regularly work with a small team of guys in the UK and US and we share skills. Whenever possible I stick to 2D concept work and core polygon modeling leaving texturing/rigging/animation etc. to other people. It's not because I don't like to be an all-rounder; it is simply that I'm fast with a pencil and with Silo.

I occasionally venture out of the UK and I've freelanced in Europe, Lithuania, and in the US. I prefer working from my own studio as I get to see my family more regularly and that helps me maintain a more balanced approach to my work.

Want more from Glen?
View his 3D modeling tutorials here.