Mymentalray had the opportunity to talk to mental ray artist Jeff Patton

MYMR: Hello Jeff is our Pleasure to make this interview a reality.
Jeff: Hello, I'm very happy to speak with you.

MYMR: Tell us how and why you got started in the cg industry and what kind of training do you have?
Jeff: While I've always had an interest in computers and graphics, I didn't start learning 3D software until about six years ago. As far as training goes, I'm self-taught with the aid of books, videos, and helpful forums such as this one.

MYMR: When you are not cooking some Cg what do you do in your spare time?
Jeff: I enjoy photography, playing disc-golf ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disc_golf ), fishing, and most importantly, just spending time with my family.

MYMR:Why did you get started with Mental ray and how long was that?
Jeff: I first started with mental ray when it was bundled with 3dsmax6. For some reason, it just clicked with me. I enjoyed working with mental ray and found that it fit well into my workflow.

MYMR: Did u try another render engines before mental ray.
Jeff: I had mainly used the built in scanline/radiosity engine(s) before mental ray. However, I had also spent some time with an early version of Brazil called “ghost”.

MYMR:We all know your are very active, knowledge full and helpful in all the forum , where does the drive to teach come from?
Jeff: I'd have to say that drive actually stems from the forums themselves. I have learned a great deal from forums (especially CGtalk.com). Heck, I feel that I've practically been given a free education on 3d graphics from many of the various CG forums. As such, if I can pass some information/experience along that helps someone else out, I'll gladly do so. It's my way of paying back the kindness and generosity that has been shown to me…and to be honest, it's really a great feeling to actually help someone solve an issue.

MYMR:What do you think is the future of MR and lighting in general.
Jeff: Realism (physical correctness), simplicity, and speed. I'd have to guess that the current push to make physically correct materials & lighting will continue to make life a bit easier for the visualization community.

MYMR:What would you say to people who wants to get into high-end rendering. Where is a good place to start.
Jeff: First, learn as much as possible about your favorite software application. Spend time exploring the tutorials that ship with your software. They may not be glamorous, but they will provide the building blocks to more advanced rendering. Online forums are also excellent resources for information and assistance. Second, be observant of everything around you. Notice how practically everything around us has chamfered edges, and isn't perfectly square or flat, etc.. Likewise, take plenty of pictures for reference, as well as textures.