Creator showcases are our way of giving extra attention to outstanding creators here on the Blender Market. These creators go above and beyond our high standards in both product quality and support. Why did we select Lech Sokolowski aka Chocofur this week? Looking through his product page feels like browsing a high-end furniture magazine. It is a visually incredibly appealing experience; his design is clean, simple and most importantly highly recognizable. Whether you are looking at the Contemporary Lounge Chairs or Lamp Models, you just know they are one of Chocofur’s. Their look is as distinct as it is polished, with minimalistic composition and beautiful, clean lines. An established Blender artist and tutorial author, Chocofur expects only the best of himself and his creations: “I believe nothing should be an excuse to compromise the quality of your products,” says Lech who has been using Blender professionally for more than 5 years. Why does he sell on the Blender Markets? How does he envision the future of Blender? And what is his advice to other Blender Market creators? Find out in a full interview with Lech.

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For people who might not know you, could you tell us a little about yourself and your involvement in the Blender Community?

My name is Lech Sokolowski (aka. lechu) and I've been using Blender professionally since 2009. You may know me from the tutorials posted on chocofur.com or Blender related articles I wrote for 3D Artist Magazine in the past. I try involving myself to Blender Community by creating high quality digital assets for lender professionals and by giving Blender some publicity wherever I work. That includes studios like Evermotion or Pixomondo and experiences with A+ clients like major car companies. In spare time I try sharing my knowledge and experience in written tutorials and articles, focusing mostly on the visualization and professional fields.

How did you get your start in Blender?

I've started using Blender during architecture studies as I needed software for visualizing my projects. Since I like doing things differently I refrained from so called "industry standard" tools and started looking for alternatives. Blender seemed to be the one I liked the most and is my tool of choice up until today.

Why did selling on the Blender Market appeal to you?

I really liked the idea of donating % of sales to Blender Foundation and I try supporting all Blender related projects in general. Blender Market is another step in professionalizing the Community and showing the world that Blender can be (and already is) a great alternative to other commercial 3D applications.

In your head, what does the future of Blender look like?

You may call me a dreamer but I really think in the following years Blender will become one of the most widely used 3D tools on the market. It's free, ready to go in a second you download it, the OS doesn't matter and 99.9% of people have the proper hardware to run it. No licensing issues, no mess, a simple 3D software solution which many look forward into for years. As every 3D application Blender has its limitations, cons and pros but from my personal experience I think it's already a complete tool to be used in small and mid sized architectural offices, advertisement / branding agencies or as a solid pipeline part in typical 3D CG studio. We just need to popularize it together.

Do you have any tips or suggestions for other creators?

I think nothing ever should be an excuse for to compromise the quality of your products. Blender Community needs artists who do things right and by saying that I really mean trying to deliver only the highest quality content. It's not about being excessively perfectionist, either. To me, the key thing is staying honest with yourself. Is the model really done properly, or do I just want to publish it quickly? Do people really need the script I'm working on and do I personally find it useful? I'd also say - never think you've finally learned a certain thing as this altitude really stiffs your creativity and closes your mind to interesting problem solutions. Work on your skills constantly, try improving time after time, face and accept all the failures and learn from them. And don't listen to people saying Blender doesn't count in professional use, they just don't know what they're doing :)

 

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Thank you Lech for taking the time to answer our questions. Is there another creator you think should be showcased? Let us know in the comments!