Alternatives to Photo Production

As we are in a period of social distancing, here are some artists who can create photo-realistic content from their sofas. From the scarily realistic to the wonderfully weird, check out these Instagrammers who are pushing the boundaries of the 3D-design landscape.

Lil Miquela is a virtual Instagram character created by Trevor McFedries and Sara DeCou. The project gained traction through the press in 2016 as people were debating her virtual identity.

Through her character, she explores love, friendship and rivalry. Her life could be described as a virtual soap opera. In 2018, again the press was stirred as a virtual ‘enemy’ - Bermuda - hacked Lil Miquela’s account and deleted all her posts, replacing them with photos of herself and stated that she would only turn the account back when Lil Miquela told her followers the ‘truth’. The ‘truth’ was shocking only in its obviousness: ‘I’m not a human being,’ she said when Bermuda relinquished her account. ‘I’m a robot’. It turned out to be an inside activation, however, it didn’t fail to grip her dedicated followers.

Miquela was positioned as a social-justice warrior of sorts. So, you know, during times of social distancing, if you are missing the office drama, give Lil Miquela a follow.

From a virtual Instagrammer to an artist who documents the creation of frighteningly realistic human portraits, Ian Spriggs. He uses a variety of tools such as Maya, V-Ray, XGen and Photoshop to create his work and documents the process on his feed. Perhaps he could create that all-important family portrait you’ve been after.

From people to places - Alexis Christodoulou creates impossible worlds and spaces designed to stray from reality and plunge you into the otherworldly. Taking inspiration from current design trends, his work depicts pastel, peaceful landscapes which are too perfect to see in the everyday. He states, ‘There are so many architectural spaces that I could go and experience, and I am almost worried that my spaces wouldn’t translate that well in the real world.’ However, it is precisely the escape from reality that makes his work so compelling.

Rik Oostenbroek is famed for his distinct style, utilising bold abstract shapes. He combines these shapes with type, people and product, creating bright, bold graphics.

Travis Ragsdale combines his distinctly bold, colourful style with type and product. He creates 3D, fun animations which lend themselves to the advertising industry. Ragsdale talks about how he is now able to integrate his personal style into his client work, something which took time to develop as he developed his career over time.

Adrian Newcomb has a specific, pastel style. His feed consists of weird and wonderful renders ranging from pickles to giraffes to dentures. His work will transport you into an otherworldly realm of possibilities, and possibly help you forget about any woes you are facing today. And that’s something we could all use a little of right now!