Dear Website Visitor:

As with most artists, I discovered my love of art at a very young age. I loved watching National Geographic documentaries, and reading books on nature. I began drawing monkey’s, snakes, tigers, and many other creatures found in nature magazines. I also discovered a love for aviation. This in turn led to my joining the Air Force in December, 1997. Throughout elementary, middle and high school, I won many art contests. It was during these times that I developed a need to create things. This frustrated my father because his garage would be in ruins by the time he arrived home from a hard day of work. I experimented with clay, fiberglass, plastic models and bike parts.

While I enjoyed these many hobbies, I did not clearly understand what I should to do for the rest of my life. So, I joined the Air force and became an aircraft and missile mechanic. I was stationed in Great Falls, Montana where the winters were much too cold to go out and do anything. I became bored having to stay inside my dorm room and in 1998 for my 21st birthday, my parents bought me a 6500 Macintosh computer. I had a good friend loan me a program called “Infinite” which helped create 3D images and I was turned on to it instantly. I was excited because I could now build whatever I imagined. No longer would I need to destroy garages; my creations could all be designed in my own little pixel world. I then discovered my passion. After fulfilling my time with the Air Force, I applied for art school to continue to feed my soul.

Since I completed my 3D modeling degree at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco my artistic abilities have changed dramatically because of my experience with Disney’s, ImageMovers Digital. I have learned about composition, color theory, anatomy, overall form, and understand what it means to work as a team in a production environment. I now have a clear vision of what I want to do with the rest of my life!

-Roger Ridley