Hello! My name is Dylan Valev and I am a senior hailing from New York studying IMGD with a Tech Art concentration. Art has always been something of interest of mine to pursue, but it wasn’t until my sophomore year of college that I really began learning the skills needed and actively engaged with the craft of creating. I’ve always enjoyed documenting and sharing neat things I’ve found & learned, and figured the best way to do so is to share through art! Expanding this interpretation to a medium, especially experimental, has allowed me to view it in new ways that is very fulfilling. Now, I’ve made it my main life goal to experience as much as possible, and share those life experiences through my own lens and style.
Nearly all of my art-making experience has been digital with the use of 3D Animation, Modeling, and most of all VFX with experimental shaders and particle effects (akin to one of my greatest inspirations, Taylor Swietanski!). On the other hand, I’ve had a significant amount of experience with programming in Unity with C# for both games and tech art purposes. Currently I’m trying to integrate my skills with programming more into my experimental shaders with audio visualizers, and maybe have that be expanded upon with skills picked up in this class!
Aside from class-related hobbies I enjoy writing poetry and other short forms of prose, and hope to also integrate that into a more cohesive interactive experience. Because of this, a lot of my creative inspirations are actually not a shared medium as my own, and are often my interpretations of them onto my medium of choice. These inspirations include many musicians from a variety of genres ranging from underground hiphop to IDM to bebop. Additionally, many other traditional artists inspire my work, such as CROM, Anthony Jordan, Satoshi Kon, John Stanmeyer, and Joshua Jackson.
My most recent creative project that I’m especially proud of is an animated short film made in Unity of my favorite Bulgarian poem called Nevermore. It was my most ambitious attempt at combining all of my knowledge of Unity, shaders, 3D animation, and storyboarding. Additionally, it served as my only way to express to my extended family overseas, reaffirming my love for art’s power to communicate and express oneself.
I’m hoping this class can expand the possibilities of how I can experiment with my shaderwork. Exploring art through interactivity is a passion of mine, so I’m really excited to see what everyone will make throughout the term!
Here are some of my favorite works:
INVENTIVE. This art is a strange vibe but I love it. In terms of color alone, you really play the gambit between no color and every color simultaneously. It’s alien, it’s weird and it’s awesome. Them there are the shapes, which are kaleidoscopic to the max. While some art is more static, others don’t stop moving, and flow like water. It’s quite fun and your specialization in shaders is really interesting. The lighthouse piece in particular reminds me of Return of the Obra Dinn, which I’m sure you’re either familiar with, or a fan of. This stuff is experimental as heck, and overall intriguing.
Thought-Provoking – I like how many of the videos convey a very deep meaning. There is a lot going on in each of the material and it suits it very well.
Striking: Definitely some of the most eyecatching art I’ve seen so far my attention was GRABBED. The alternating shapes and colors in the first video were ingrained in my head as the shifting kept me hooked. The colors and movement reminded me of a psychedelic effect that was balanced by the black and white effect which offered a refreshing new flow of art to consume. “Nevermore” was especially head-turning because of the narration and strong graphics moving in all types of directions.
Gorgeous – All I can say is wow! You make some really cool art, I can imagine music going along with the visuals. My favorite is the lighthouse one and the object that is morphing in the middle as it falls into a pool of waveforms. If there were moving picture frames I would have these videos looping in them everyday!
Dark: Your use of color (or lack thereof, sometimes) is incredibly fascinating. I could watch your animations dozens of times and see something new every time- you have really figured out how to make some really abstract art showing off both your technical and artistic knowledge. The lighthouse is one of your pieces that always catches my attention too- even though the subject matter is more concrete, it is an environment I want to see in a game and be able to walk around in. Great job! 🙂
Dark – The overall vibe of this is so mysterious, deep and dark. Your artistic vision seems very purposeful and decisive. The visuals are mesmerizing and the music you chose really accentuates that. Can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Striking- I’m really impressed with your work with shaders! Their all so intricately designed and leave the viewer with a sense of foreboding and other-worldliness.
Dark – your art is super cool and grungy and I like psychedelic feel of it! It kind of reminds me of the art/animation on a music album cover or music video
Detailed – oh my goodness your work is so lovely. The stylization you’ve developed has my jaw dropped.
Dark – All of your vfx work is phenomenal, and definitely gives off a dark and mysterious vibe that leaves you wondering about the subject. You have a strong style and I’m excited to see more of what you create! 🙂
Impressive – Very cool abstract colors with the dark and bright colors. I clicked on all the videos at once and it amplified the coolness.
Inventive – You have a very defined and unique style that is absolutely captivating. I find the way you make your stuff and describe it fascinating. The process is really cool and the results are just as amazing.
I think I may go with ‘dark’ since a lot of black, white, and grey tones are what is used in your work.
Quirky – I really like the uniqueness and style of your animations. The first one sort of reminded me of beaches and sunsets.
I adore the tripped out film noir, and your shaders are nigh hypnotic.