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This website is a log of my many hobbies and passions with art, illustration and computer graphics. It will hopefully over time
fill up with helpful advice to encourage, inspire and guide others with similar interests.

November & December 2022 - rab3D Home Page

Another couple of busy months has meant little progress with the content on this website, but I have now completed the large project for an American education consortium. Hopefully this means 2023 wil allow me to get back to my personal projects and restart video production for the Different Angle 3D YouTube Channel.

Robert Burke - Portraits & Art

In the run up to Christmas I made time for a few more traditional artwork commissions. The following portraits are from each of the traditions mediums I work in.

Robert Burke - Portraits & Art - Recent commissions of Storm the Black Labradore
Storm the Black Labradore - Acrylic on 20 x 16 Canvas

Robert Burke - Portraits & Art - Recent commissions of Rigby the Shitzoo
Rigby the Shitzoo - Soft Pastils & Pastil Pensils

Robert Burke - Portraits & Art - Recent commissions of Toby the Cat
Toby the Cat - Pencil on Bristol Board

I am continuing to improve my traditional art skills and frequently work in pencil, soft pastel and acrylic paint, mainly producing pet portraits. If you would like to commission a portrait please visit my Robert Burke - Portraits and Art website for more details, or use the Contact form from the about drop-down of the top menu.

Robert Burke - Portraits & Art - a collection of pet and animal portraits
A Collection of Some of my Traditional Animal Portraits

It would help me Immensely if you would like my "Robert Burke - Portraits and Art" Facebook page and share it with others. The further my websites are spread throughout the web the better the chance I will have of maintaining and continuing with future Blender and drawing tutorials.

Robert Burke - Portraits & Art Facebook Page

Robert Burke - Illustration

My technical Illustration website showcases a little of what I can do towards the creation of the more technical type illustration, graphics or animations.

If you are in need of technical or engineering type illustration for your technical manuals, training or sales literature and websites, please don't hesitate to contact me via the contact link on the illustration website www.robertburkeillustration.co.uk.

Robert Burke - Illustration

Follow my Technical Illustration page on Facebook

Robert Burke - Robert Burke - Illustration Facebook Page

3D Computer Graphics Using Blender 2.80 - Modelling Methods, Principles & Practice 3D Computer Graphics Using Blender 2.80 - Modelling Methods, Principles & Practice 3D Computer Graphics Using Blender 2.80 - Modelling Methods, Principles & Practice 3D Computer Graphics Using Blender 2.80 - Modelling Methods, Principles & Practice

August to October 2022

It's been a few months since posting anything here as I have been extremly busy with paid work, which unfortunately has to take priority over hobby time. It's a good thing though with energy prices doubling and inflation running in double figures the extra income is always very welcome.

I must apologise to anyone following my Different Angle 3D YouTube channel, which is on hold for the rest of this year. I do intend to continue with the free video tutorials, but need to find an income streem as my book is now out of date and sales are few and far between.

Robert Burke - Portraits & Art

With COVID restrictions lifted I there are more country fairs and craft fairs to exhibit my artwork, but unfortionately I had repurposed the old wooden display frames I used to use pre COVID. Fortunately I was given a damaged pop-up gazebo and with the help of Blender redesigned it into a suitable display frame for use at fairs.

Robert Burke - Portraits & Art - Display Framework for art Fairs
Reputposed Gazebo to Art Fraimwork

The framework was put to good use at Whittington Country Fair where I picked up a number of commissions for pet portraits.

Robert Burke - Portraits & Art - New display stand
New Stand for Art and Country Fairs

Robert Burke - Portraits & Art - Recent commissions of Tammy and Roxy
Recent commissions of Tammy and Roxy

These are two recent commission of Tammy the spaniel and Roxy the labradore. Both portraits were drawn using a combination of soft pastels and pastel pencils on Clairfontain pastilmat..

July 2022

Robert Burke - Portraits & Art

As mentioned last month I have finally got my traditional Portraits and Art website updated to include the mediums of soft pastels and acrylic paint. The new pages are live at robertburkeart.co.uk


New - Round Gallery Panorama with links to different galleries
Clicking the links in the panorama above will open the specific robertburkeart.co.uk webpage in a new tab.

You can navigate the panorama by left mouse button clicking and dragging the image. The up arrows on each door allows you to click through to open the specific gallery page.

Robert Burke - Portraits & Art - New round gallery panorama
My latest portrait commission - Ruby the Fox Red Labrador

This is my latest commission, Ruby the fox red Labrador who features in the panorama above and on the soft pastels page.

June 2022

Robert Burke - Portraits & Art

My traditional artwork website has been receiving some attention this month as I haven't added much to the site since it was first created back in 2017. As I have expanded the traditional mediums I work in from originally just pencil, to now include colour pastel and acrylic paint on board or canvas, it's time to bring some colour to the site. Not live yet the screenshot of the new style which should hopefully be live sometime in July.

Robert Burke - Portraits & Art - New round gallery panorama
New - Round Gallery Artwork Panorama with links to different galleries

As usual I have continued to include Blender in my workflow and it has been invaluable in creating the virtual 3D gallery for my Portraits and Art website. The below is a wide angle render of the inside of the gallery which will be fully navigable from the portraits and art websites home-screen banner.

Robert Burke - Portraits & Art - New round gallery panorama
New - Round Gallery Artwork Panorama wide angle view from inside the virtual gallery


April and May 2022

This has been a crazy couple of months, not only for me, but for the whole world. Since the attacks, invasion and war against Ukraine waged by Russia, we are seeing daily scenes of death and destruction most of the world thought had been consigned to history. The indiscriminate bombing and shelling of cities and towns across Ukraine has caused many thousands of civilian deaths and turned cities to rubble. This is reminiscent of when Hitler waged the Blitz again UK during the second world war. When our cities became too dangerous many people were moved to safer rural areas. My mother as a child remembers being evacuated to the small rural town of Chirk on the Welsh borders. Seeing the similar plight of millions of women and children fleeing Ukrain, we have opened our house to give safe shelter to the family of a Ukrainian friend.

Robert Burke - Portraits & Art

With the UK government declaring we must now live with COVID19, it is likely the art fairs, exhibitions and the art societies that have survived the lock downs will be getting back to full programs. As most of my new work is done for commissions, I don't have many soft pastel or acrylic artworks to show. So to build a portfolio to show at exhibitions, I have started to build a collection of my own work. The first acrylic painting in the collection is Dotty our Sprocker Spaniel.

Robert Burke - Portraits & Art - Dotty my Sprocker Spaniel Pet portrait - Acrylic on Canvas
Dotty our sprocker Spaniel Pet portrait created with Acrylic on Canvas


March 2022

Different Angle 3D

Continuing on from last month, the next two videos in the Plasma Cutting Table project have now been put online.

Video No 17 assembles the legs and base of the Plasma Table using the wire frame reference cube to size and position the angle iron. The tutorial uses the knife tool together with magnet snap to cut accurate mitres on the base frame.

Free Blender 2.9 detailed video tutorial course. 017 DA3D Design and Model a Plasma Cutting Table

Video 18 explains the use of Blenders Boolean Modifier then uses the Array modifier to create an array of table slats. The table slats are created using the array modifier and then used to cut the slots in the top frame using the Boolean Modifier.

Free Blender 2.9 detailed video tutorial course. 018 DA3D Design and Model a Plasma Cutting Table

The next video in the project will look at adding castors to the base frame of the table together with the bottom shelf.

Don't forget to subscribe to the Different Angle 3D channel so you are informed when the new videos are put online.


February 2022

Different Angle 3D

This month I have managed to get the first two videos online for the Plasma Cutting Table project.

The first Video No 15 looks at the design considerations and sets up a wire frame reference cube that encompasses the external dimensions of the table. This reference cube can be used to layout the steel sections without having to consider the individual components size, as this is automatically constrained by the wire cage of the cube.

Free Blender 2.9 detailed video tutorial course. 015 DA3D Design and Model a Plasma Cutting Table

The second video in the project uses Blenders Asset Browser to import a length on 75 x 50 box section steel which is positioned within the cube using Blenders powerful magnet snap tool.

Free Blender 2.9 detailed video tutorial course. 016 DA3D Design and Model a Plasma Cutting Table

Don't forget to subscribe to the Different Angle 3D channel so you are informed when the new videos are put online.

Robert Burke - Portraits & Art

This is Ralph a Labrador drawn in soft pastels and commissioned recently as a birthday present. I am hoping to concentrate more on traditional artwork this year with a growing list of personal works that I will hopefully complete as the year progresses.

Robert Burke - Portraits & Art - Golden Retriever Pet portrait - Acrylic on Canvas
Black Labrador Pet portrait created with Soft Pastels


January 2022

Different Angle 3D

Though I have been working on content for the next batch of videos, I haven't yet got any ready to put online. It's quite a time consuming process mapping out the best way of presenting information so the viewers get the best learning experience and then writing scripts and creating content. Hopefully the Plasma Cutter Table videos will start to be uploaded next month, but it's all dependant on how much paid work I have to take on to keep putting food on the table.

Free Blender 2.9 detailed video tutorial course. Plasma Cutter Model

Don't forget to subscribe to the Different Angle 3D channel so you are informed when the new videos are put online.

Robert Burke - Portraits & Art

I am really enjoying working with acrylic paint on canvas, and still learning a few new techniques with different acrylic media. This is a recent Golden Retriever portrait created for a commission that was sent to South Africa.

Robert Burke - Portraits & Art - Golden Retriever Pet portrait - Acrylic on Canvas
Golden Retriever Pet portrait created with Acrylics on Canvas

Robert Burke - Illustration

I have continued with the updates on my Illustration website this month. A new Case Study of the illustrations I produced for the Domestic Building Services Panel (DBSP) of the Chartered Institute of Building Service Engineers, to update their Domestic Heating Design Guide. 100 illustrations were created for the guide ranging from complex schematic drawings to simple wall construction sections with a number of 3D visualisations as well.

As an engineer with over 25 years experience in the construction and heating industries, I was able to return the high resolution images to the DBSP on time and without the need for guidance on the technical correctness of the illustrations, that an illustrator without engineering and heating system experienced would have required.

Robert Burke - Illustration
Click on the image to go to the Case Study

A few more case studies will be added over the coming year.