AJ Jefferies’ art is unmistakable. Whether he’s indulging in passion projects or designing campaigns for companies including Cadbury’s, Virgin Atlantic, and MTV, this UK-based 3D illustrator and animator’s work is eye-catching, playful, and colorful — and large, sometimes up to 10K in resolution.
In this conversation with Chris, AJ breaks down his career so far, from how Toy Story inspired his early adventures in computer graphics, learning 3D and illustration in Bournemouth, and joining a two-person studio in Norwich where he remains to this day. AJ also talks about the essential tools in his workflow, how V-Ray helped boost his render times, and the future of rendering technology.
Links:
Chapters:
3:40 Amigas, Pixar, and Rolls-Royces: Introducing AJ
9:02 Finding his focus and style
12:55 MDI Digital’s work
19:21 Illustrators and other CG artists
21:48 Tools for CG work
26:41 Lighting and photography
34:40 A faster future
38:31 Cheating in Substance
43:11 V-Ray saves the day
45:59 Personal animation pieces
Chris is a CG industry veteran and Director of Chaos Labs. He can also be heard regularly as the host of the CG Garage podcast which attracts 20,000 weekly listeners. With a background in both VFX and Design, Chris has worked for Gensler, Digital Domain, Imageworks and Method Studios. His credits include Maleficent, Oblivion and Tron: Legacy.