Scott had created a number of Ardania-Inspired images, and has kindly offered them up here for download.

Along with his pics, I was able to coerce Scott into providing a bio and answering a few questions. So Enjoy!

BIO:

First of all, I cringe every time I have to do one of these! But here goes . . .

I did not begin on my Commodore 64 when but a wee lad. As a matter of fact, I didn't even take typing in high school nor have a desire to go anywhere near a computer until I met my wife-to-be 11 years ago. At that time, I was as traditional as they come and wanted nothing to do with a push button tool . . . and at the time my wife was using a 512k MAC to do here reviews for a laser disc magazine! Well, on one fated night I sat down to play with MACPaint and never looked back!

Now we have over a dozen MAC and Window machines, some of which I built myself, in our home studio. I’ve gone from the ultra-simplicity of MACPaint to every 2d/3d app imaginable (Painter, Photoshop, Live Picture, Illustrator, Poser, Bryce, Adobe Dimensions, Ray Dream Designer, InfiniD, Strata Studio Pro, Electric Image, to 3D Studio Max, Motion Builder, and Maya, to name a few).

Yeah, I was hooked and on fire like never before as I found the power to create my 2D visions in 3D with animated characters and sound, and then, fly through them. Suddenly, I went from doing commisions on the side to gaining the skills to realize my dream to make a living from what I love: ART!

I went from creating 2D graphic design for web sites and software packages, to my first full-time gig in the gaming industry at Cyberlore Studios in Northampton, Mass. There I spent over 5 years working my magic with 3D Studio MAX in every area of environment design, character design, modeling and animation, cinematics and special effects. Titles worked on: Deadlock II: Shrine Wars, Majesty, MajX Expansion pak, Cinematic for Pool of Radiance II, Borg Assimilator, Risk: Global Domination.

I moved on from Cyberlore to work as 1 of 3 artists on the demo team for ATI Technologies in promoting their very successful line of 9700 and Fire GL graphics cards. Using Maya and ATI's proprietary real-time engine Sushi, “the team” created a great number of real-time demos that can be seen at http://www.ati.com/products/catalyst/dx9demos.html

I am presently redefining myself, (everyone needs to from time to time!) and have been upgrading my studio and skills, and working on a new demo reel and personal project called 'Whisper and The Great Butterfly.

When I'm not pushing the pixels I enjoy hiking, biking, x-country skiing, travel to new and exotic places with my family . . . and dreaming of my next creation.

Who or what is your artistic inspiration?

WHAT=Paintings, Books, Movies, and the Great Outdoors! Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Adventure!!!

WHO=The artists, authors, directors and actors of these works of art.

In my youth I devoured Sinbad adventures, Jason and the Argonauts, all the Hercules and Samson movies, and Flash Gordon. I love the classics like Ben Hur, Mutiny on the Bounty, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Wizard of Oz, War of the Worlds, and westerns were big on my list . . . and then came Star Wars . . . and I could never get enough of Bruce Lee!

I lived in the worlds of Ray Bradbury, Jules Verne, Jack London, Zane Grey, Edgar Rice Burroughs (I dwelled in the jungle with Tarzan most of my childhood), Marvel Comic Books and then came Tolkien! Presently I lose myself in the worlds conjured by Robert Jordan, Terry Goodkind and George R. R. Martin.

The art that captivated me were the illustrations and classics of N. C. + Andrew Wyeth, Maxfield Parrish, the Hudson River painters; Church, Cole, Bierstadt, . . . Alex Ross, Frazetta, Vallejo, Parkinson, the Hildebrandt brothers, . . . Escher, Dali, Rembrandt, van Gogh, El Greco, Turner . . .

What's your favorite game audio/art -- not including yours, of course.

Legends of Zelda, The mysterious realms of Myst, Diablo I + II, WarCraft, Quake III Arena, and NeverWinter Nights. Honestly though, I have to portion my time and find I would rather be creating art than playing it when I have to chose. . . though I usually end up sacrificing sleep!

Why did you get into the industry?

As a boy I was always creating vast worlds in the backyard where I would merge my HO car racing sets with thousands of toy soldiers and models I had built . . . digging valleys and deep ravines, forming mountains and commandeering the garden hose to fill my lakes and streams. I would actually write a script for the heroes in my world and the Great Campaign would begin. It was quite a stretch of the imagination as all the parts were of a different scale and varied in the amount of detail, so when I realized the control I could exert in creating these worlds in the computer . . . well, things began to get really exciting.

As a traditional artist, the flat canvas was very limiting as I could never go behind the mountains . . . into the deep gorge . . . above the clouds . . . and animating by hand 2D drawings . . . well, we all know why Disney is changing their template!

So not only were the tools available, but in the last 10 years leagues of artists and animators with the same vision have found the power of the 'team' and the favor of the market and we're all making history now!

What tools can't you live without? Why?

Digitally: The arsenal of new tools before mentioned. Also, my digital still and movie cameras. Traditionally: My graphite and kneaded eraser! I still LOVE to draw and always will! My reference library of books, movies I have accumulated over the years, and, of course, my family and home which give me inspiration and support in all things I do.

What music do you listen to while working?

When I'm concepting, I will listen to music without words or old familiars that won't create confusion or distract me. When animating, I take the advice of Milt Kahl and listen to silence(!) so I can get the timing right.

MUSIC= Cat Stevens, Neil Young, Clapton, Andreas Vollenweider, J. J. Cale, Pink Floyd, U2, Herbie Hancock, Joe Satriani . . . Berlin Lounge, Moby, Phish, Better Than Ezra, Euphoria . . . and, yes, there's the classical library to pull from when the need arises.

Majesty-Dragon would like to thank Scott for his time and efforts and hope to see more good things from him in the future.

More Awesome Graphics Below