jonathan herbert
ILLUSTRATOR
ILLUSTRATION
Today Herbert's studio, located near South Street
Seaport in New York City, features two Silicon Graphics
Indigo2 Extreme workstations and a Personal IRIS(R) 4D/25
he uses as a file server. The Indigo2 systems run Wavefront
Explore(TM) and Barco Creator(TM). But things were not always so
luxurious. "I started in the computer illustration business in about
1984 when it was based on PCs," he recalls. "In most cases, I had a
partner who was doing photography. We were mixing photographic special
effects and computer graphics--I had all of 16 colors to work with.
We'd shoot slides off the screen with a 300mm lens and then take the
film to a company that would sandwich images together in an analog fashion.
"I was fortunate to be working with clients who were
interested in computer illustration--which, at the time,
was a very new medium. Due to the nature of their products
they were often attempting to portray amorphous concepts, but
of course they wanted them given an interesting treatment. That
gave the art directors a need for a high-tech form of imagery, and
it gave me a great deal of creative freedom."
WORKING IN 3D
"In doing that work," he continues,
"I began getting more requests for sophisticated 3D
imagery. However, I was using a very primitive PC-based system.
The model-building capabilities were extremely limited, and it only
had a one shadow light source. It was very difficult to work with
intuitively. Naturally, I started feeling the limitations of my tools;
I went hunting for something that wouldn't restrict my creative potential.
I soon determined that I had to have a Silicon Graphics system; there was
no doubt in my mind. That was what was being used by the people
whose level of excellence I aspired to.
"My first system, in 1990, was a Personal IRIS 4D/25TG
running TDI Ex-plore. It was an extraordinary leap for me,
and something of a gamble. I spent my entire previous year's
income to get it. It was quite a relief when the system and software
paid for themselves in the first three months. Not to mention the fact
that they were a joy to use." In 1994, moving up to advanced
technology is even easier and more beneficial than it was in 1990.
High performance entry level systems from Silicon Graphics now cost
less than some Macs.
