Danny van Ryswyk is the Second Nominee for the i.materialise Designer of the Year Award
After revealing Adrian Gögl as the first nominee for the 2014 i.materialise Designer of the Year Award, we are excited to announce Dutch digital sculptor Danny van Ryswyk as our second nominee. Danny creates stunning, surreal underground artworks with the aid of 3-dimensional software. Continue reading to see some of his incredible projects.
Self-portrait of Dutch digital sculptor Danny van Ryswyk
Danny van Ryswyk is an acclaimed Amsterdam-based digital painter and sculptor who creates surreal, paranormal sculptures using 3D CAD (computer assisted design) sculpting software and hand-painting techniques. His sculptures join child-like fantasy with the macabre and the fantastical world of nightmares. His work is dark, brooding, and a mysterious fusion of dream imagery and Victorian portraiture. In our blog post from August, we referred to his work as a “Dark Wonderland”.
White Rabbit figurine by Danny van Ryswyk
Danny started as an illustrator for the advertising world. In the nineties, he was one of the first to make the switch to digital techniques. In his hauntingly obscure computer-generated imagery, Danny creates surreal, underground artworks with the aid of 3-dimensional software. His work hovers along the lines of beauty and absurdity, and examines a reality that might exist beyond what science can explain or measure.
The Untitled figurine by Danny van Ryswyk
“The moment I visualize an idea, the real work begins. I never make a sketch, so nothing is written in stone at this stage. Instead, I make a mental projection of the idea and work from there. I can spend weeks, even months, working in 3D software on a sculpture that might contain many layers and parts. From there I can go two directions: namely, creating a digital painting or letting i.materialise create a 3D Printed sculpture of my model.”
Danny creates his sculptures in Zbrush, a 3D software specifically made for high-poly sculpting. His sculptures are then 3D Printed in polyamide, a material that will require several different painting methods during finishing.
Danny then cleans the plastic dust from his figure and thoroughly dries it before painting.
Painting a figure takes several layers of paint, and many brushes to reach tight, narrow areas.
Over the last several months, Danny’s 3D Prints have been met with huge success and been displayed at the 3D Printshow in London and Paris, the Affordable Art Fair in Amsterdam and Hamburg, as well as the Onassis Cultural Centre in Athens.
Danny van Ryswyk’s sculptures displayed at the Affordable Art Fair in Hamburg. Photo by Jaski Art Gallery.
Our jury was especially impressed by Danny’s creativity and inspiration. His sculptures are both 3D objects and paintings, instantly recognizable by their smooth surface, dark colors, and fine level of detail. We are therefore proud to announce Danny as the second nominee for the 2014 i.materialise Designer of the Year Award.
Danny van Ryswyk’s ‘White Rabbit’ at the Affordable Art Fair in Hamburg. Photo by Jaski Art Gallery.
“Thank your for the nomination, it is an honor for me! I’m looking forward to the announcement.” – Danny van Ryswyk
Stay tuned for our announcement of the third and last nominee. Click here to take a look at our 3D Printed award trophy designed by AmniosyA or click here to read about Adrian Gögl, our first nominee.
