Embark on a behind-the-scenes journey with Berglmir, the 3rd place winner in polygoniq’s Custom Garage Design Challenge. In this exclusive interview with Fox Renderfarm, the industry's top cloud rendering service provider and leading render farm, we delve into the intricacies of his project "Ready to Rumble", exploring the detail and the thoughtful design choices that shaped his work. As he reflects on his inspiration, artistic influences, and the experience of participating in the Custom Garage Design Challenge, Berglmir offers valuable insights into his journey as a 3D artist. Join us as we uncover the creative process behind his captivating renderings.
Fox Renderfarm: Hi Berglmir! We are honored to have you here! Please introduce yourself first to our readers.
Berglmir: Hi Fox Renderfarm! Thanks for having me. My "artist" name is Berglmir, which I have used for ages with games and other avatars, and is a minor character from Norse Mythology. I just like it, because part of my real-life surname is already present. On ArtStation you will find me as "Reynard", and/or "Blendini". I started working with Blender in October 2020 during the pandemic and fell in love with the software and its possibilities. I also like to doodle with pen and paper, love graphic design (and graphic novels aka Comics), but I see myself mainly as a hobbyist. My real job has nothing to do with art, and so this, playing the guitar, reading, and listening to music are my "batteries".
Fox Renderfarm: Congratulations on winning 3rd place in polygoniq’s Custom Garage Design Challenge! How do you feel about it?
Berglmir: Mainly surprised! :) I love taking part in these challenges, not for the win, but for the fun of it, and because it actually challenges me to think outside my usual comfort zone.
Ready to Rumble © Berglmir
Fox Renderfarm: As someone living in Europe, what draws you to the design of American muscle cars from this era?
Berglmir: I think American Muscle cars embody the essence of what cars used to be and could be. Everything is kind of exaggerated and overdone because you just could. During the same time in Europe, cars were - more or less - unreliable metal boxes, where "fun" wasn´t part of the design process.
Fox Renderfarm: How did you ensure that the different elements in your scene, like the cars and the garage environment, worked together cohesively?
Berglmir: I guess that´s the only thing I am - kind of - good at. Make sure each element goes with another, and I can cram as much detail as possible into one shot (which I very often overdo, making my scenes hard to follow, because there is too much detail in there…)
Fox Renderfarm: Could you describe your typical creative process from ideation to completion?
Berglmir: Whenever I start a new challenge, I have a vague vision of what could work in my mind. After that, I’ll do some googling to check if there are photos, images, or artwork available that capture my mind's image to a certain degree. Some of those inspirations I found on Reddit:
Inspiration Image © r/needforspeed
Inspiration Image © r/needforspeed
However, I wanted to make my scene a little bit more gritty, and also create an atmosphere of "work being done" to the cars.
Fox Renderfarm: What challenges did you face while working on this project, and how did you overcome them?
Berglmir: As stated above: My desire for detail vs. the best POV. Mine almost rendered scene only features 40% of the stuff actually in the scene. It´s always hard to decide. Eventually, I wanted to focus on the car and the garage behind it, and apparently it worked out. As you can see in these Viewport Screenshots, there are a lot of details that didn´t end up in the final render.
Viewport Screenshot © Berglmir
Viewport Screenshot © Berglmir
Fox Renderfarm: What are your favorite elements of the scene, and why do they stand out to you?
Berglmir: Obviously it's the long hood of the car, and I want to give a shout-out to artist Everhard who created this awesome model and provided it for free on Sketchfab. Additionally, I like the colour scheme and the contradiction to the muscle car of the Isetta model in the back.
Fox Renderfarm: Are there any artists whose work has inspired your approach to 3D design? How have they influenced your style?
Berglmir: Whenever I have time, I´m browsing through ArtStation, and there are so many talented people out there that I can´t name individual ones. All I can say is that every time I do, I feel humbled, but also inspired to do better myself. I especially admire artists who are able to create characters of all kinds from scratch. This is so far above my pay grade, that I can only stand in awe.
Fox Renderfarm: Have you tried or heard about Fox Renderfarm’s render farm services before? What is your impression of our cloud rendering services?
Berglmir: I know Fox Renderfarm, and I think it´s a great cloud rendering service. I don´t use it personally, because I don´t do animation. However, should I consider doing proper animation I would immediately enlist your services, rendering it myself seems like a really bad idea.
Fox Renderfarm: What did you enjoy most about participating in the Custom Garage Design Challenge, and how did it help you grow as an artist?
Berglmir: Creating something out of my wheelhouse (no pun intended). I usually do large-scale landscaping, and being motivated to create something that has a more interior feel to it was something new and challenging, but something I eventually really enjoyed, which led me to do more scenes with a smaller-scale focus.
Berglmir’s Social Media:
ArtStation: blendini.artstation.com
