Introduction

 Hey there, I'm Valdis Matas. I'm a visual fx artist. I created this blog to showcase my work, talk about tips and tricks that I've learned over the years for developing special effects, as well as any other thoughts that I'd like to cast out into the vast sea of the internet. 
 As a FX artist, I'm tasked with creating  fire and water, lasers and magic, gunfire and explosions. Every time you cast a magic missile, blast someone with a plasma launcher, or annihilate a city with a nuclear strike, someone like me has to craft what it is going to look like.
 I'm not just an FX artist though. I enjoy character and environment painting, and I'm getting a lot of general experience as a modeler and animator at my school as well. I love coming up with stories and trying to render them out visually.

Any comments and criticism on my work is greatly appreciated! Read on and enjoy!

-Valdis