ADVENTURE SKULL INTERVIEWS: BLOODY CHROME
2022 UPDATE: RIP Baz. Not long after this interview you passed away, and I will forever be grateful for the skills and knowledge you shared with me over instagram DM’s. You were always kind and eager to show how Blender can be twisted and contorted to do whatever you wanted. Thanks again, we are all here for such a short amount of time and you were robbed by a short life. RIP. RIP. RIP.
The artwork and interview below are the words and work of BLOODY CHROME! I really appreciate you taking the time to answer some questions Baz, it was a blast as usual -Michael Steinheiser x Adventure Skull
My name is Basil, you can call me Baz, and I basically am an illustrator, designer, and animator. I'd have gotten a real job had I paid more attention in school, but here we are.
- Did you go to school or are you self taught?
I'm self-taught, or perhaps more accurately, I'm internet taught. I learned how to do most of what I do from online tutorials, forum posts, and from Youtube especially. There's really not much you can't learn online these days.
- What are your feelings on art school?
I don't really know too much about art schools since I've never attended one, other than the fact that they are very expensive to attend. If money wasn't an object then that route might be worthwhile, but for people like me, it's a no-go. Really not much of a reason to attend art school these days with the resources available online. With regard to getting to know other artists, we have the social medias with the Twitter and the Instagram. You can meet like-minded people, admire their work, and by posting your work online you'll attract people who would potentially hire you and stuff.
- What are you doing now for study?
I don't really take time out to study for the sake of study. If I need to know something to get a job done, I'll learn it while doing the job itself. At the moment I'm learning my way around Unreal 4 and Houdini as I work on a new project. My free time is spent being idle, lazy, glutinous, socially withdrawn, and as invisible to the world as possible. There are patches of social activity dotted throughout my days, but they are few and far between.
VVVVVVVVRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
- What gear do you use?
I use a PC, a fairly decent one. In the past I had an iMac that lasted me for about 8 years. This was back when Apple products were sturdy and the OS was quite stable.
- How do you feel about Taco Bell getting rid of the cheesy fiesta potatoes?
I don't give a fuck.
- Is Virtual Reality in your workflow? Do you think it’s going to impact what you do in the future?
Not yet, but I've been looking into it more and more lately. I like the potential of VR, despite the many issues it has. At some point I'll dip my virgin toes into this pool of wonder.
- Are you passionate about anything outside of art?
I'm no art geek, so my passion isn't necessarily for art, but just for the ability to make cool shit. I can appreciate art, and art history, but I don't go nuts over that stuff. Outside of that, I like food. A lot. I also love animals. I'm passionate about sleep. When my body sees it fit to allow me to zonk out, the bliss is immeasurable. Dreaming is awesome too, I love it. A good, weird dream is a hell of a thing.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/forgearts/magnum-force-playing-cards
- Who are your biggest influences?
Movies and cartoons are perhaps my biggest influences with regards to my early life as a kid. Then it was psychedelic drugs.
- Any artists who you think are underrated? Tell us about them!
There are so many that are underrated that it would be unfair to only list a few, but I'll say this. Step outside your usual box (for example, concept art people who only follow other concept artists, or comic book artists who stick to their little niche). Humble yourself with the work of those that came before you, but don't worship them as gods. They were once like you, and in many ways still are. Marvel at what the next generation of artists are doing and don't be a gatekeeping prick. This isn't a competition, and there's plenty of work to go around if you know where to look, and especially if you know how to create your own opportunities.
- Music/movies/shows: which is your go-to when making art?
I used to listen to a lot of synthwave music a few years back. It would help me get into a good productive mindset. Nowadays, for the most part, I don't have anything on while I work. My old brain can only pay attention to one thing at a time. Those precious few neurons need to be firing for the task at hand. Occasionally I'd put on an audio book or podcast, but it ends up as just background noise and I eventually turn it off.
- Are there any game-changing addons or gumroads you'd like to share with us?
If we're talking about Blender, the absolute best addon is Animation Nodes, and it's totally free. I'm still wrapping my head around it after years of use. You'll want to the get branch of the addon that has Extra Nodes, with added functionality. Here's the link, go fly: https://blender.community/c/graphicall/0hbbbc/
You can find more work by Bloody Chrome on his Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC0sbWRKk3Rif37Ecu2tS2Hg
Vimeo: www.vimeo.com/user2667171
@bloodychrome on instagram.
Thanks for taking some time to give us an insight into your work Baz!
-Adventure SKull X Michael Steinheiser