Cyberpunk Community Interview Series

[Gothic_Wizard]

Today we start off our series of community member interviews with PikaPod. A very talented 2077 virtual photography artist who clearly is a Goro simp
All kidding aside she was kind enough to answer our burning questions about her craft, herself and the game we all enjoy. You can see some of her images at the end. Check it out below and give her a follow on the socials.

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First can you tell us a little about yourself, where you grew up and what attracted or inspired you to get into this art form?

Hi! Thanks for having me! I grew up in the Pacific Northwest but now live in the UK. I’ve always loved photography in real life and have been taking game photos for years but never knew what to do with them. With photomode now becoming more prevalent in games, instead of screenshots of scenery or cut scenes, I’m now able to explore and take shots of what I want, how I want. That freedom has made all the difference. What pushed me to go further with it and share would have to be the pandemic. Since I couldn’t go out and take pictures, I did it in Cyberpunk 2077.


How did you learn this form of digital art?

A lot of trial and error


What drew you to cyberpunk 2077 or/and the cyberpunk genre as a whole?

For as long as I can remember I’ve been into the cyberpunk genre. There’s just something about the grittiness and juxtaposition of this type of dystopian future that I find fascinating. That and the aesthetic. What can I say? I love neon and avant-garde design. Cyberpunk 2077 became an escape during the pandemic. Wandering the streets and discovering the little hidden details helped me get out of my head and taking photos became a creative outlet.

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You can read the rest of the interview at the site in my sig. [...] Hope you enjoy.

 

[Gothic_Wizard]

Today we have a community interview with Vermilion. An amazing virtual photo artist who I've been following for some time. We sent some probing questions and here is their reply. Enjoy and let us know in the comments if there is any other notable community member you'd like for us to interview in the future.

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First can you tell us a little about yourself, where you grew up and what attracted or inspired you to get into this art form?
Hello there, first of all I want to thank you for this interview. Never really done anything of this sort before, so it’s rather… exciting! My name is Yahya, though online I go by Vermilion or Vermi. I’m 24 and Lebanese… sort of – I’m pretty much a cultural nomad. I was born in and spent most of my life in the UAE. I am an accountant, metal-head, cat-lover, bodybuilder, guitarist, and gamer.

To be honest, I’m not precisely sure what got me into virtual photography, but my journey began when I bought Skyrim on PC around 10 years ago.

Skyrim drew me into the genre of RPGs and made me realize my love for character creation and design. It allowed me to express my creativity through different faces. And with mods, of course, the world was limitless. I could design characters that expressed moods, characters that were inspired by movies, songs, or other games, and characters that simply came out of the constant desire to test new mods. On top of that, I’d flesh them out with bios, backstories, likes/dislikes, and other random little details that made them special and dear to me.

I believe Nexus Mods was among the main reasons I got into and stayed interested in virtual photography. As I write this, I recall seeing mod showcase pictures (mainly portraits of pretty elves lol) that made me go “I wanna be able to do that as well!”
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Full interview with pics of their work can be seen at the site in my sig.

 

[Gothic_Wizard]

Today we have another community interview with the very talented Holopointz. Holo is an amazing 2077 photo artist you may have seen some of his rendered images floating around the Twitter or some art sites. He was kind enough to share his thoughts with us about 2077, his craft and him doing the spicy side of art for the game. With that said the gallery at the bottom of the article will contain some of his NSFW art. Be warned if that is an issue for you. Hope you find this as insightful as I have, enjoy!

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First can you tell us a little about yourself, where you grew up and what attracted or inspired you to get into this art form?
I grew up in the Pacific Northwest in the United States. I started making short films and websites as a kid, spent a lot of time PC gaming playing things like Delta Force and Warcraft 3 so video games and visual media have been something I've been passionate about for a long time.

I've seen a lot of memes from artists that imply if you do vanilla art you will hardly get any notice, but if you do spicy art you'll get tons of attention. Do you feel those memes are accurate for better or worse? What are your thoughts on that?
I actually haven't not seen these memes but I can understand the sentiment. I think anything in visual media is becoming more and more saturated as the tools become more accessible so as more people turn to digital art it will become more and more difficult to stand out. For me, it's not something I really think about I just make things that make me happy and hopefully other people can get some enjoyment out of them too.
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Full article at Cyberpunk News Online, link in my sig.

 

[Gothic_Wizard]

Today our Community Interview is the amazing ZweiZwei. You probably saw her pics on the Twitter if you peruse the #Cyberpunk2077PhotoMode tag. Let's be honest her Valerie is hot and I'd date her. My tastes aside however, for only getting into this art form less than 2 years ago her images are stunning. And on top of that she also does mods, specifically the pose pack many Virtual Photo folks use as well as clothing. Thanks for her time, enjoy!
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First, can you tell us a little about yourself, where you grew up and what attracted or inspired you to get into this art form?
Thank you for the opportunity! I'm just a girl from New York City who currently lives in Los Angeles that likes rock and roll, video games, and black eye makeup. I got inspired to get into virtual photography by seeing amazing shots by other creators and wanting to see what I am capable of. It's currently one of my favorite outlets. As for modding, oh boy... it all started when I wanted more custom appearances for my V and for Johnny and the rest is history.

How did you learn this form of digital art?
Experimentation, trial and error, and with lots of help from amazing people. You know who you are. <3

What drew you to cyberpunk 2077 or/and the cyberpunk genre as a whole?
Blade Runner was always one of my favorite movies and I've always been in love with the dark future aesthetic. Rainy nights, neon lights, and a dystopian world of vast technological advancements where you could do whatever you want and be who you want to be are just what I will always love.

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Full interview in the link in my sig

 

[Gothic_Wizard]

This week we are going all the way to Asia for our next 2077 artist, R SIX. You may have seem some of their art on the socials, some of the most amazing portraits of Valerie I have seen to date. Check out the gallery at the end of this article for some wonderful examples of their work. Without further delay the interview, enjoy and let us know your feedback in the comments!

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First can you tell us a little about yourself, where you grew up and what attracted or inspired you to get into this art form?
Hey everyone, first i like to thank you for giving me this opportunity, my name is raja and i am 33, I live in India (South India)
You all know me as R SIX, I am a casual gamer, dog lover, small you tuber, video editor.

First i was looking ways to have more fun in cyberpunk 2077 and i visited nexus mods for some mods to download and i saw the community gallery page and i was amazed by their work, I was very curious to find out how they did this and it became my daily hobby.

How did you learn this form of digital art?
I really don’t know anything about virtual photography in the beginning, all i did was experiment with all things like lighting, mods, poses and worked on improving them, it was very fun to learn and i am still learning.
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Full interview in the link in my sig

 

[Gothic_Wizard]

We come back to this side of the world, the UK, for our next interview. The wonderful Zombie who I've had some most excellent conversations with. Not only very talented as you will see below but she has a lot to say about her art and 2077. Comment below your feedback and any other artists, modders or notable folks in the community you'd like us to get for the community interviews. So buckle up, as she fires shots at all the Goro simps and enjoy. Please note some of the images at the end of the article of her work is NSFW, be warned if that is an issue for you.

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First can you tell us a little about yourself, where you grew up and what attracted or inspired you to get into this art form?
I originally come from the land of Buckinghamshire where I would play Sega and draw if I wasn't playing outside. Having moved to the South West of the UK as a teenager, I started using computers, got into design, sign writing, carpentry and taking pictures with my camera. The thing that made me get into this art form was, by chance. I had been off social media sites for 3 years until one day I found a little thing called photo mode in a game called Cyberpunk2077, then signed up for Twitter to share my captures. A bit late to the party but hey ho, timing is everything and it certainly came at the right time in my life.

How did you learn this form of digital art?
Through alot of trial and error. Self taught and still learning as I go. Trying different apps to find the one that suits my style and personality. Mainly the Vํp community has a huge hand in helping me learn new ways and techniques to better my captures through their own work and amazing support. Inspiring me every day. Especially Lisa West VP and Akilles. They have been with me since day one of my adventure, giving me the confidence within myself, to enjoy gaming in a new way I never knew existed before. And that is priceless. Especially now I've gotten to know so many more amazing individuals along the way.

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Full interview in the link in my sig

 

[Gothic_Wizard]

This week we have the amazing VP artist Speed Star on deck. We dive into their thoughts on 2077, their art and what they would like to see from 2077 franchise in the future as it pertains to virtual photography. Take it all in and comment below your thoughts and if you have someone else you'd like us to interview. Enjoy!

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First can you tell us a little about yourself, where you grew up and what attracted or inspired you to get into this art form?
I’m V Speed Star, but most people call me Speed or Speedy. I’ve lived in different countries around the world. I first discovered virtual photography when I participated in Cyberpunk 2077’s first ever Photo Mode contest #Shutterpunk2077 back in January 2021. I wasn’t sure if I was going to keep on taking captures after the contest concluded, and I’m glad I stayed!

How did you learn this form of digital art?
It went back to my childhood when my father used to take me to rooftops taking pictures (actual film photography) of airplanes landing on the runway. I mainly take landscapes in real life, and I took some of the techniques I learned in real life photography and applied them in virtual photography.

What drew you to cyberpunk 2077 or/and the cyberpunk genre as a whole?
I’m always fascinated by the Cyberpunk genre, especially franchises such as The Matrix, Bladerunners, Ghost in the Shell, etc.

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Full interview in my sig link

 

[Gothic_Wizard]

We head over back to Europe for our next interview with Patolini. We explore in a pretty in depth interview their thoughts on 2077, their process for making virtual photo art and how they got into this hobby, enjoy and let us know what your thoughts below;

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First can you tell us a little about yourself, where you grew up and what attracted or inspired you to get into this art form?
Hi, my name is Pat, online I go by the username Patolini and it's many versions. I've spent most of my life in the small(ish) city of Nottingham, being in Poland and moving when I was too young to remember. I've been dabbling in and out of VP as early as 2017, starting with a racing game called The Crew, and moving onto other titles such as Project Cars, Gran Turismo and plenty other racing titles I'm forgetting the name of. It was very rare that I played to specifically take photos back then, it was just something I did here and there when finding a cool spot, or using a unique car, or to remember an interesting online interaction. I believe this is what began my love for photography, but it remained just a little thing I'd do every now and then until Cyberpunk came along...

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Full interview at the link in my sig

 

[Gothic_Wizard]

This week we talk to Dinoboy5551. He caught my attention with his amazing NSFW 2077 themed art. A very talented virtual photo artist. He is one of only a few I have seen that writes little stories about the characters via dialog in the series of images. Very creative. Take a read and let us know what you think in the comments below. WARNING: Most of the images in the gallery at the bottom are NSFW.

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First can you tell us a little about yourself, where you grew up and what attracted or inspired you to get into this art form?
I grew up in the Mojave desert in California. Middle of nowhere type place since that is where my mom lived. Didn’t really have much in the way of computers or even video games growing up, besides the occasional times I visited my dad. Moved in with my dad full time at the beginning of high school, which is when I really got into computers and games. As for what got me into this art form? I have always enjoyed making stuff in games like Gmod and forge in Halo. Started messing around in SFM which is what got me to try and make actual artwork.

How did you learn this form of digital art?
Just from messing around in games and SFM. I have recently started going to college for 3D animation. Which has helped improve my artwork quite a bit. It is also why I moved to Blender.

What drew you to Cyberpunk 2077 or/and the cyberpunk genre as a whole?
Originally I got drawn into the cyberpunk genre by the Ghost in the Shell manga and the Stand Alone Complex anime series based on it. The actual game itself drew me in near release when I watched the cinematic trailers. Didn’t keep up with it much until launch.
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Full interview at link in my sig

 

[Gothic_Wizard]

Our new Cybercast (podcast) is now posted with amazing community streamer Lucy J Robyn! We talk her background, how she started gaming and what drew her to 2077 plus much more. She is a fascinating person and I encourage you to check out her content. You can find all her links in the video description, enjoy and thank you to her for doing this with us! Listen at the link in my sig.

 

[Gothic_Wizard]

INTERVIEW: Community Modder Seracen​

This week we talk to the Cyberpunk 2077 modder most famous for his alternate appearance mods, Seracen. We catch up with him as to how he got into modding, what he likes and doesn't about 2077 and what mods he is most proud of plus future projects. Enjoy!

First can you tell us a little about yourself, where you grew up and what attracted or inspired you to get into modding?
I am a first generation American actually, born in the South. I didn't get into gaming until I was maybe 10. As for modding, I'd dabbled in some of the Elder Scrolls games, and a few Bioware games as well. But something about Cyberpunk just spoke to me. And while the modding scene uses a lot of unofficial tools, it's robust and welcoming. I also just didn't want to say goodbye to Night City. So modding was a way for me to stay engaged with the content!

How did you learn scripting/coding?
I took a few classes in high school, and did some IT freelance in college; but I mostly learned the systems for modding by myself, or through community tutorials.

What drew you to cyberpunk 2077 or/and the cyberpunk genre as a whole?
I think early 90s anime really got me into it. Armitage and Outlaw Star were among the first I ever saw. I also liked Johnny Mnemonic, and of course Matrix. So I've always been a fan of the genre. It saddened me that there were so few AAA titles in the genre, but I have enjoyed Deus Ex and a few others, and hope this is a sign of more to come.

Full interview at link in sig

 

[Gothic_Wizard]

This week we talk to 2077 streamer and Virtual Photographer Valerie Silverhand. We discuss her artistic background, how she got into digital art and her thoughts about 2077 and where she'd like to see it go. Enjoy and comment below.

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First can you tell us a little about yourself, where you grew up and what attracted or inspired you to get into this art form?
I’ve been an artist and gamer about as far back as I can remember. I grew up as the “always drawing” kid in the Sacramento area of Northern California, and when my dad bought my sister and I an original Nintendo Entertainment System in the early 90s, and I was instantly hooked on gaming too. I ended up following my creative passion and attended the Academy of Art in San Francisco, completing a BA in Fine Art Illustration. I’ve been happily painting and gaming in Bay Area ever since. After art school, I began a career as a professional fine artist and illustrator but always found myself drawn to other creative outlets such cosplay, photography, and video editing. The first time I came across “photomode” was in Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018). The game is gorgeous, and I enjoyed experimenting with the photomode, but options for it were pretty limited. It wasn’t until I discovered Cyberpunk 2077 that I really fell in love with virtual photography.

How did you learn this form of digital art?
Probably like most – trial and error? I started on a base Xbox One so my graphics left something to be desired, but I just loved using virtual photography to capture story moments and make up my own for my character. Since Cyberpunk2077 is in first person, I felt I could connect to my V more using photomode to see her. To be honest, virtual photography was probably the biggest reason I decided to switch PC gaming. Once I became a PC player I really started connecting to the fan community and so many kind people stepped up to teach me, answer my questions and inspire me to improve my craft. The comradery that came with virtual photography has been super rewarding. I owe most of my skills to other virtual photographers who pointed me toward tools and techniques.
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Full interview in the link in my sig