Introducing Madison. Eden. Exotica. If you’ve ever ventured over to Looks Could Kill, then you know all about these hotties. Part sex appeal and part kick ass, these girls definitely heat things up in the world of 3DX. But there’s more to these sexy sirens than meets the eye. That’s why we had to hunt down the creator of Looks Could Kill, Craigos, drill him with questions and discover all there is to know about his girls and how they came to be.
Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where did the name Craigos come from and where are you from.
The name craigos is something that was given to me a long time by a work colleague and it just kind of stuck. It’s an extension of my real first name, Craig, and at one time I used to tell people it was actually “CraigOS” (like MacOS), or “Craig Overseas”, to signify my move to another country. These days, it’s just the only name I could think of. Now that I think about it… maybe I should change it to craigos-x…?
What is your artistic background and specifically how did you get into creating 3DX? And it’s apparent with your work that you have an obsession for outrageously sexy girls! What lead to this revelation?
I’ve been doing 3D for a very long time. I actually began my real career in it. I have a background in film (my first and true passion) which actually led me in a very roundabout way to the 3D side of things. I remember one of my tutors pointing out a machine in the corner of a training room to me that had a copy of 3D Studio Release 2 (!) on it. I sat down with that thing, taught myself how to use it, and fell in love the idea that I could create any scene in any lighting condition I wanted. I love lighting. I love dramatic camera framing. 3D really freed me up creatively because I didn’t always have ready access to practical film or photography equipment to play with.
Around this time, I was also writing a lot of stories, one of which was about a woman named Madison Shaw — she is/was kind of a classic action chick who was out for revenge. I was totally into Anime/Manga and comics at the time. So I started using 3D and 2D to digitally storyboard my ideas for a film. Then I somehow found myself spending more time trying to create the perfect image of Madison. When “The Matrix” came out, there was a book released called “The Art of the Matrix” that had the entire film in comic-style storyboard form. This was inspirational to me — I decided to go down this path of comic-style illustrations of Madison (which were painstakingly created in Adobe Illustrator if you can believe that!), then her sister Eden, then later the fantasy character Exotica. It’s only very recently they (and I) have made the transition to 3D.
You’re right about the outrageously sexy girls. What man in his right mind wouldn’t be attracted to one? 🙂 Nothing really lead to that revelation for me outside of I am a man who has always found sexy, strong, and confident woman attractive — some of the “strongest” of those I believe are the women who are prepared to shed their clothes and share their bodies with the millions of unknown guys and gals who look at them in either magazines, movies, or the web. I am also kind of fascinated by the number of women out there on the internet who have turned their bodies into empires, for want of a better expression. Endless blogs, webcam sites, fan sites — they are money-making machines, and it’s an amazing industry I figured I might as well be a small part of 😉 That’s what prompted me to start sharing my private work with the world.
Let’s get the important question out of the way first. Is it strictly erotica only or have you considered sexually explicit work as well?
This is not the first time I’ve been asked this question! I honestly had no idea that 3DX was so popular until I started sharing my stuff. But in answer to your question, let’s put it this way: I would never consider doing explicit scenes with any of my three original characters. I am personally much more into the idea of pin-ups as opposed to porn. Part of the reason I chose the name “Looks Can Kill” for my sight is to reinforce the idea that a good-looking woman clothed (somewhat) can be just as sexy as a nude woman, or a woman in a sexual situation… sometimes even more.
That all said, I am considering branching out, maybe with new characters, and maybe they could be involved in more risqué scenarios… who knows! But for now I am very content perfecting my craft with the three stars of Looks Can Kill 🙂
You have your own site called Looks Can Kill (congratulations are in order) that features your three characters Madison, Eden, and Exotica. Can you give us some details about each of them? What is the ongoing story between the three?
Thanks! I could talk about the girls all day, to be honest, so I’ll try to keep this answer brief 🙂
Madison: She is an exotic dancer, a model, and a vigilante. She’s a 32DDD with a 22-inch waist and 33-inch hips. She lures you in with her body and then she kills you, because the only reason she’s allowed you to get near her is that you are probably on her hit-list 😉
Eden: Is a warrior from the past. A blonde goddess with a classic 32-22-34 profile. She has a particular affinity with nature, and a strange ability to control it when she gets enraged.
Exotica: Is their nemesis, and pure fantasy. She has impossibly big breasts, a dangerously thin waist, and Jessica-Rabbit-hips attached to thighs that could snap you in half. She is a warrior queen with a very specific and deadly agenda and she has both Eden and Madison squarely in her sights.
For those who are really interested in the characters, there are Q&A pages up at both dA and my site… something I did as a little bit of fun to help people get to know the girls 🙂
The connection between the three is, I believe, quite unique. Despite being born thousands of years apart, Eden and Madison are actually sisters — or half-sisters, to be more precise. They share the same father, a mysterious man who somehow travelled through time. Exotica is the primary reason for this — in her quest for a particular power (that Eden possesses) she triggered an event that sent Eden’s father into the future, to our time. Stuck there, he made a new life with a new woman and together they had Madison. Cut to twenty-something years later, Eden magically turns up in Madison’s world while being chased by Exotica. They discover how they are related, and join forces to put a stop to Exotica’s plans for world domination…
All while very scantily-clad 😉
Some of our members are wondering what are your inspirations for your characters?
As I alluded to above, I am inspired by a great many of the hottest women of the web. There is one woman in particular who caught my eye, a glamor and fitness model by the name of Ashley Lawrence (aka The Fembomb, www.fembomb.com). She became such a source of inspiration she became the first image a ever drew in 2D of someone other than Madison or Eden (at the time). She was even kind enough to do a photoshoot for me dressed as Madison — which was very cool and remain some of my favorite pictures of her.
The truth is that the Looks Can Kill girls are amalgamations of many of my favorite glamor models and actresses, such as Ashley, Jillian Beyor, Lucy Pinder, Angeline Joile, Rhona Mitra, Tanya Danielle, Tylene Buck, Marie Claude Bourbonnais, and, quite frankly, hundreds more great references I have in my library 😉
Let’s put you on the spot: Who’s your favorite of the three and why?
It has to be Madison — the original and the best! Why? Because quite apart from being the original inspiration for where I am with things today, she is just sexy as hell and epitomizes everything that Looks Can Kill stands for: a strong, killer babe who’s not afraid to get her gear off, haha!
It’s very appropriate that your three girls should cover three different sizes in breasts 🙂 ranging from large to huge! And what a magnificent selection of breast we get to chose from! Being a big tits buff myself I can absolutely appreciate such impeccable taste! So tell me about your fascination with boobs? Are boobs on top of the list for you? Other than their heavenly tits, what other body regions do love working with the most?
I am definitely a boobs guy, that is for sure. I am also a “fake” boobs guy. I can’t explain why, to be honest, outside of that I just find the perfect pair of “inflated” round breasts in (and out of) a tiny summer bikini totally appealing. I have done my entire life, as far as I can remember — and, as far as I am concerned, Ashley Lawrence has boobs that absolutely fit that description for me 🙂 For the record, I think she has the best breasts in the world. You all should check her out 😉
But seriously, if I had one other part of the body I spend the most time with (and I think this is reflected in my 2D and 3D work), it is a character’s eyes. Nothing is more powerful than a look, in my opinion. Looks Can Kill, right?
Apparently you do get some general concerns about the way you render the breasts. In real life terms they look fake so to speak. Is this intentional and what do you say to those who would seemingly like to see a more “natural” shape?
I do, and did, to the point of total frustration on dA. It has been a struggle trying to explain to the self-proclaimed “anatomy experts” why my renders look the way they do. Like I said, I am a fake boobs guy, so everything I do is on purpose — but a great many people wanted to give me anatomy lessons. Ultimately, the fans made me realize I should just ignore the nay-sayers and stick to my guns, so to speak 😉
To those who want to see more natural shapes, I suggest the internet. There are plenty of pictures and renders of naturally-breasted women out there to look at. It’s highly unlikely you will see any from me. Sorry 🙂
One of the things I should point out for the readers is that your site does have a free gallery, but it also has a membership area that costs the low price of just $20! Not monthly. Not Yearly. But just a one-time fee. It’s easily a great deal that people should go for, but for those undecided, could you tell us what they could see?
More! Lot’s more! There are over 1000 total images in the gallery and subscribers get access to all of them. They get access to bigger versions of my 2D stuff, along with full nudes. In the case of 3D, access to complete sets of images, including exclusive nude renders. I do think $20 one-time-ever is a pretty sweet deal — frankly, it helps me pay for my hobby and keep the site running. I have such a diverse fan-base now, it’s exciting to be able to put all the images up there and read people’s comments — which is another thing only members can do — but it does come at a price.
You started working the characters out in 2D before making the transition to 3D. What led to this change? Do you still work with both? Which medium do you now prefer?
The truth is the time it took to complete a 2D image. Because I was doing these things in Illustrator, it would take weeks to finish one. Plus, with my background in 3D, the 3D transition was inevitable. I had dabbled with Poser about 10 years ago and found it too crude. These days, however, the quality of imagery coming out of that application is astounding. I thought the time was right to give it another go and am loving how the girls have turned out, and how their renders are developing.
I have no preference either way, to be honest. I look at some of my 2D stuff and think it is just as sexy as the 3D, sometimes more, and wish I had more time to spend on it. No doubt, though, the 3D renders are really bring my “fantasies” to life 🙂
With your unique experience what are the pros and cons regarding working with 2D vs 3D? Did a background in 2D help at all with you 3D work?
My way of doing 2D I would not recommend to anyone, haha! Like I said, Illustrator takes time. But it helped me create a look I was going for — this kind of “Image Comics” vector style that I could never have achieved in Photoshop alone. Plus, to be honest, I can’t draw, let alone ink or paint! Being able to work in Illustrator allowed me to take time to perfect lines and bodies and faces and shading in a way you can’t really do in a paint program or on paper. Sadly, it just became too time-consuming to keep up as regularly as fans started demanding.
The advantage of having started in 2D, though, is that it has given me an edge in the post-work stage of 3D. I’ve spent a lot of time in Photoshop over the years and know it backwards, which makes the post-work part of the 3D process a little faster for me.
As a follow-up, where do you see 3DX going in the future?
It’s clearly a burgeoning business, much more than I realized. There is such a wide array of quality out there, too — from what I consider to be straight-up cheap 3D porn, to the “uncanny valley” of renders that are so real you just can’t tell, and everything in between! And you can see how the better artists are developing and emerging. Even looking through a few favorites’ profiles on dA you can tell that there are guys and gals out there who are interested in improving their craft and pushing the limits. And then you have sites like yours that are out there and willing to promote all of us. It’s great!
Your artwork is extremely stunning. The girls just pop out from in front of the screen. I’m not gonna ask you for your secrets, but what is your process in creating this vision in your mind to the characters we see in front of the computer? What tools do you use to help make it possible? Any tips for budding artists?
Thank you!
As far as my process is concerned, it usually starts with an outfit. It sounds a bit like a guy playing with a doll, but depending on what kind of mood I am in, I will dress up one of the girls in something and go from there. Then the pose — what kind of attitude goes with the outfit? Then the lighting — I’ve fallen in love with a few favorite lighting setups I’ve created in the past that do the best justice to the characters and their textures/shaders, so the lighting part is getting easier and easier. Then, of late, what environment are they in? It’s about trying to create a mood, but keeping the idea of Looks Can Kill in mind. Every image has to have the right “tude” to make it onto the site 🙂
I think I’ve mentioned a few of them already, but my primary tools of the trade these days are Poser Pro 2012, Photoshop, and a MacBook Pro in serious need of a memory upgrade. And if I was to give anybody any tips, the first would be to get yourself plenty of reference. The only reason I have been able to develop my craft, either in 2D or 3D, is because I spent a lot of time studying what others were doing. Looking at photographs of women, looking at anatomy (as much as people believe I never have), looking at comic books, watching movies, studying lighting, and so on. The second tip would be to stick with it. Your first renders or drawings are going to be awful, trust me. If you look at some of the very old 2D stuff on Looks Can Kill you can see just how ugly some of my first pictures of Madison were. But I put them up there as proof that commitment is worth it. I promise you, if you stick with it, be true to yourself and your goals or vision, and keep practicing your craft, your stuff will come out just the way you want it.
Our forum member CyCaDeLiC is wondering how much time do you spend for the post work in comparison to the posing and rendering time?
On average, I would say I spend about the same amount of time both posing, rendering, and post-working my 3D stuff. There are always bad creases or geometry intersections to fix in Poser renders (at least in my limited experience) that need touch up.
What are your plans for the future? What’s in store for us in 2012 and beyond?
2012 is about quality over quantity. I want to create some very sexy series with the girls, but also want to take my time with them to be sure they as as hot as they can be. I also would like to experiment with creating a “3D comic”… While Madison’s story was originally a film, it later turned into this faux comic. I created covers for it, mock pages, the works. I’d like to experiment with doing the same kind of thing in 3D, or maybe recreating some of my fake 2D pages in glorious 3D 🙂
And as I mentioned earlier, I also seriously want to experiment with other “models”. I recently bought a few more characters (mainly for the textures). I love the Looks Can Kill girls, but I think there is room for more. My very real fear is that people will get bored seeing the same three babes over and over again — though I hope not. I realize there is an audience for alternative body types. Maybe a few new girls (or 3D guests) will make their way to the site 🙂
Anything last words to our Affect3D readership?
I do want to thank everyone, and especially yourself and Supro, for their interest in me, my site, and my girls. The fans I (and they) have had over the years have been really amazing and supportive! I just hope you all enjoy where we’re going with the 3D side of things.
Lastly, where can we find you online?
I have a gallery at deviantART, a very small one at Renderosity. Madison has a Twitter account — she’s kinda bumbed she has so few followers! And I can always be reached at [email protected]
Thanks so much for the chance to be a part of Affect3D!
Kronman
July 15, 2012Great stuff. Keep it up.
stoper
February 27, 2012Awesome work, mate. Great style and models, love the erotic pinups approach as well. Going to contribute to your site for sure. Keep up the good work.
Epoch
January 19, 2012I had never seen your website before it was featured here, but color me impressed. As a CG comic artist who’s been in this business for 9 years running, I’ve been trying for an illustrated aesthetic similar to this, but have never been able to achieve satisfactory results. I think you should continue with the pinup work. I am in agreement with you 100% concerning the eroticism behind a scantily clad female in a provocative pose. I absolutely love pinups, and yours are amazing. I will be sure to keep an eye on your work from now forward.
CyCaDeLiC
January 18, 2012Thanks for asking my question. This was a very interesting interview of a greatly talented guy!
Alan said:
“I absolutely LOVE the way he renders breasts…and that’s probably because I too am a “fake boobs guy”. Love the shape, firmness, and spectacular roundness he gives the tits he illustrates. I hope he never caves to the haters and changes his style, ’cause it’s perfect for dudes like him and me.”
Word! Couldn’t agree to this more, loving Craigos’ style the way it is, imo the way the girls are presented is quite unique for nowadays and that’s a very good thing.
zetsu
January 17, 2012nice work, craigos!
DAMN! that image #11 is my favorite pose…?_?
*nose bleeds*
fredfred5150
January 17, 2012I’ve been a fan of Craigo’s work since the 2d days (I’ll never delete some of those “early works”)
Eden had always been my favourite of his three bad-ass girls, and shes even prettier in 3d
Friedland
January 17, 2012Happend to stumble across the Looks Can Kill website just a few days before it was announced to be featured here at Affect 3D.
Was just blown away and jaw have not left floor yet… 🙂
I have to consider Craig (-o) to be one of the best artists in erotic 3D I’ve seen for many years and as such I have definitly found somehting to strive for with my own dabblings.
If you havent yet, go back to the images on the site and pay particular attention to the level of realism, the textures, the attention to detail and the use of light. All evidence of a Masters Touch with a background in cinematics and craftmanship in “traditional” media.
Hardcore.. ? No. Please don’t ! Not these girls in anyways. Please leave something to the own imagination – like what it would be like to have a go with any of them. That is .. if you ever got close enough with both your heads still attached to the body … 🙂
For sure, the next $ 20.00 investment I’ll do in 3D will be to get a membership for life.
What I got left of it …
— John —
Katzekage
January 17, 2012Fantastic interview, it´s always good to now a little more personal things from an so talented artist.
One way or another it´s again a glorious part of Affect3d
Thanks for this, in honor Katzekage
Alan
January 17, 2012I absolutely LOVE the way he renders breasts…and that’s probably because I too am a “fake boobs guy”. Love the shape, firmness, and spectacular roundness he gives the tits he illustrates. I hope he never caves to the haters and changes his style, ’cause it’s perfect for dudes like him and me.
HLR
January 17, 2012Really amazing stills, so vibrant and realistic. I’d love to see what he can do with hardcore… if he ever decides to go there.