Mix of artistic, creative and technical work

I would like to describe myself as a curious and creative person with a passionate interest in 3D visualization, architecture, design, urban planning, infrastructure and sci-fi. I like to combine my interest in 3D visualization with my other interests to transform sketches and design ideas of things like cars, buildings, houses and interiors into images and animations.

The reason I like 3D visualization is the mix of artistic, creative and technical work while I transform an idea into a 3D model. I'm particularly interested in modeling, lighting, rigging, animation and filmmaking. I am self-taught in 3D visualization and it has been an interest for many years, just like architecture and design.

I have previously worked as a model builder and built both physical and digital models of houses, buildings and terrains. I have also worked with developing websites, search engine optimization and created content such as text and images for websites. I have a three-year university education in building technology with a focus on building design and architecture. I have also read several courses in programming websites, applications and simple games.

Being a curious person, I like to discover, explore and learn new skills in my areas of interest. 3D visualization is one of these areas. I am trying to develop my skills in more advanced 3D modeling through various projects such as learning more about modeling cars by modeling a Julietta Concept Car by Lee Rosario. I have always had a great interest in car design and when I was younger I used to sketch and design my own car models in my spare time. Below is an image of the Julietta model in an early stage. Sometimes it can be a bit complicated to be a creative and curious person! Way too many new ideas, several ongoing projects and loads of new things waiting to be explored! On my list of things I want to learn more about are Godot Engine, Unreal Engine, advanced rigging and animations, visual effects, AR & VR, photogrammetry and filmmaking. Sometimes I dream of a small cabin by the sea or in the wilderness, far away where I can undisturbed transform creative ideas into 3D models and explore new technology and software.

Life is not just about 3D visualization! I prefer a healthy lifestyle and like to hike long distances in nature. When I'm in nature, I can recharge my inner batteries with new energy, reset my mind and generate new creative ideas.

Sometimes I want to challenge myself and hike extra long distances. I have many times considered hiking all the way from Ängelholm along the coast of the Bjäre Peninsula to Båstad, but always came to the realization that it is too far to hike in one day. Or maybe it isn't? At the end of July this summer 2023, I decided to test if I could hike the whole distance... (continue read below the image)

Yes, I managed to hike the entire distance! The walk went via Vejbystrand, Torekov and Hovs Hallar and took 10 hours and 22 minutes to complete. The total length was 56.2 km. Most of the hike was at sea level, but after Hovs Hallar it became a challenge to hike up steep, rocky and muddy paths up to 150+ meters above sea level and later back down to the lower level again! Especially hard considering how tired I was at the time! It was a wonderful feeling to reach the railway station outside Båstad at 21:45 in the evening! I had completed my challenge! At 22:30 the train arrived that took me back to Ängelholm where I had parked my car.

In 2020 I completed a similar hike from Ängelholm in the opposite direction along the bay of Skälderviken to the lighthouse on Kullaberg! That hike was also quite a challenge because I chose to hike via Håkull 187 meters above sea level on the way to the lighthouse! I look forward to new and challenging hikes in the spring and summer of 2024.

I'm also a big fan of sci-fi & fantasy and besides visualizing cars, buildings, houses and interiors, I also like to use my creativity and imagination to visualize spacecraft and sci-fi environments. I guess I have seen to many sci-fi movies and series in my life! I have so many ideas for exciting stories that I want to share with other sci-fi enthusiasts. A long-term project is to convert all these ideas into short sci-fi films.

3D visualization of the inside of a spacecraft for transportation of vehicles and passengers. Planning to make some kind of short animation/film with this spacecraft in near future.

My favorite 3D-visualization software is Blender! It's free and open source! It's incredibly powerful and has all the power and functions I need for my projects! Blender is constantly growing in popularity among creative people and companies around the world! More info on their website: Blender.org. I also use other open source and free software for my projects like Gimp, Inkscape, Krita and Darktable.

To transform my sketches and design ideas into realistic images and animations, I use a Lenovo Legion T5 computer with a AMD Ryzen 5 3600 6-Core Processor, 16 GB memory and a Nvidia RTX 2060 graphics card (GPU rendering with Optix! 😮🤪) and three 24 inch monitors. The image above is a 3D model of the Lenovo computer that I have done. To be able to realize bigger and more advanced projects in 3D and faster, I dream of a more powerful computer with better graphics cards or even better, a computer with multiple graphics cards!

For those who have not tested 3D visualization with digital content creation software like Blender and who wonder how it works, I have made a very short description...

Many projects start with a simple geometric shape like a cube, a cylinder or a sphere. The cube on the image above has six faces or eight vertex points or twelve edges placed in x,y,z coordinates in a digital space. Each face ,vertex or edge can be moved and each face and edge can be split into new faces and edges using different tools.

With the help of the tools, several cubes and other geometrical shapes have been transformed into a 3D model. Additional tools and settings have transformed the geometrical shapes like the cube's sharp corners into soft shapes. It takes a lot of knowledge and understanding of how the tools should be used to create a 3D model like this.

To finally transform the gray 3D model into a photorealistic image, the program's render engine is used which, based on lots of choices and settings, calculates how the light hits all surfaces of the 3D model depending on the environment, choice of material on the surface and type of light source. Most often, several different light sources are used. A sense of color and shape is an advantage in this process.

How long it takes for the computer to render the image depends on several factors such as the complexity of the 3D model, if there are other 3D models nearby, choice of material, the desired image quality, image resolution and graphics card. When I use the GPU + Optix technology to render, it takes anything from 25 seconds up to a few minutes for an image like this.

Perhaps you have become curious and want to try 3D visualization yourself!?

A great activity and place to find inspiration and to come up with new ideas is to take a hike in a forest, along a lake or a coastal scenery. While hiking, new ideas arises and ongoing projects are developed and improved while your senses scan the surrounding environment and harvests new and valuable input. While hiking your inner batteries are also charged with lots of new and creative energy. If I want to find extra inspiration and super charge my inner batteries, I try to visit places with a mind blowing forest like in the image above which is Söderåsen National Park in Sweden. An alternative to a forest is a hike along the coastal scenery in northwestern Skåne like Kullaberg nature reserve or along the beaches in Halland a sunny or windy day. I also find inspiration from books, movies, TV-series, music and social media. Check out my homepage about hiking in southern Sweden at www.naturvandra.se

When I have an idea that I want to transform into a 3D model, I often begin the creative process by collecting images and create a mood board for inspiration and making simple sketches with pen and paper or digital sketches with a Wacom tablet. If it's an architectural project, I start the project by making simple sketches of floor plans and facades. I also try to capture the feeling of living and walking around inside of the house myself while I sketch and later when I'm also doing the 3D-modelling.

If it's a sci-fi project, I use my imagination and try to capture the feeling of me as a pilot sitting in a futuristic spacecraft flying above the ground of an unexplored world or as a director looking for the best shots of a spacecraft animation.

When I feel that the sketches are ready, I start the work of creating all the 3D models for the project. If it's possible and fits the project, I might reuse one or more 3D models from previous projects. For my personal projects, I only use 3D models that I have made myself. It often happens that the original idea changes during modeling when a 2D sketch is converted into a 3D model. You see the project from a completely new perspective as a 3D model!

During the course of the project, I test different lighting settings to find the right mood and color temperature in the scene. I also try to move the objects around based on how they are affected by the light and how the shadow falls and to find the best placement based on the camera angle. A good way of thinking that I like to follow in an interior visualization, is Ludwig Mies van der Rohes "less is more". I also try different color schemes and material choices to achieve an appealing and realistic image.

When I switch between the computer's "raw" 3D model and the rendered image, it doesn't always match the image I had in my mind when I started the project. Then I have to go back and try to change the shape or placement of 3D models, light sources, colors and materials and camera angle until it matches better with the original image in my mind.

It's fascinating what you can do with today's technology and software in 3D creation! It feels like the possibilities are endless and the development is progressing fast, which means that there is always something new to explore and learn. Perfect if you are a curious person!

3D creation is like a bridge between an idea and an eye-catching presentation. Images and animations/films made with digital content creation tools are perfect as visual communication on websites and social media to sell, inform or instruct about an upcoming product that does not yet exist in reality like a concept idea of a new car or machine, a manufacturing process, a furniture, an apartment, a house, a building or large projects within urban planning and infrastructure to name a few examples.

I am particularly fascinated by the idea and the possibility of creating almost endless and realistic digital worlds for movies, games, virtual reality or augmented reality. I often dream of larger 3D creation projects such as recreating lost cities and civilizations like ancient Rome and Egypt or a Mayan city like Tikal with its surrounding jungle to its former glory in a digital world. A world that could be used to create entertainment and experiences in various forms for education, games and movies. Or use my imagination and create a digital world of an unknown and unexplored world with futuristic sci-fi cities in a galaxy far, far away!

My creative projects are not only about 3D visualization, architecture and design. I'm also interested in programming and to create homepages about other types of projects. I have some varying knowledge in both frontend and backend through PHP, SQL, HTML5, CCS3, JavaScript, jQuery. I also like to create content for websites and social media as well as search engine optimization(SEO) of websites. Besides this website, I also have two other websites about modern architecture in Copenhagen and hiking...

Since I have a great interest in modern architecture, I visit Copenhagen in the neighboring country Denmark, a couple of time each year to follow up on new and modern buildings and urban projects. I publish the buildings that I find most interesting and worth seeing on my architecture guide together with a map and tips for those interested in architecture who want to visit Copenhagen. The guide currently contains 110 interesting and spectacular buildings. I began this web project in 2009. Link to homepage: www.arkitekturguide.se

A great way to relax and find new inspiration is to hike in nature! I have several favorite places in southern Sweden that I like to visit, but which I also want to inspire others to visit with this website. This web project premiered in early 2023. Link to homepage: www.naturvandra.se