I'm getting something of a reputation for creating my images 100 percent in Bryce, and occasionally we see other artists similarly announcing their imagery as 100 percent pure Bryce. Alternately, I often see or read comments by others who deliberately explain or defend why their work isn't 100 percent pure Bryce. And based on what I've seen and read, I think people are misunderstanding what 100 percent pure Bryce really means, and why it both is and is not important. So I thought it was time I put my brain in gear and give this concept some attention. Here goes:

First and foremost, I hope nobody thinks the 100 percent pure Bryce label is a form of elitist mentality, because it isn't for me and I hope it isn't for others. I've never been a fanatical purist in my artwork, and frankly I have no affection or admiration for those who are. There is far too much pretension in the art world, and I don't want to add to the clutter already existing. Art really should transcend the tools; it should rise above any consideration of technique or even any consideration of artist identity. It should be about emotions, about how you "feel" when you see a piece. That is its true value and that is what's important.

When I use the phrase "100 percent pure Bryce," it is a very matter-of-fact description, because my work is 100 percent pure Bryce. And by "100 percent pure Bryce," I mean if you have a computer with absolutely nothing on it but the core operating system and Bryce, you can still create the images I do. So that part is a pretty simple thing to explain.

On the other hand, the "Why" (as in "Why don't you use other applications too?") is less simple and more easily misunderstood. And the "why" sort of changed over time, but I'll give it a good shot at explaining it anyways.

In the beginning, when I got my first computer and four modestly priced 3D applications (Bryce included), Bryce was the only one I could figure out and do any finished work in. I didn't know how to import anything or move any files, data, images or objects from one application to another. So in the beginning, the 100 percent Bryce was a default result of being ignorant of techniques to import material into Bryce, and of being incapable of mastering the other software.

Then I got Lightwave and started to learn it. I kept reading about techniques for bringing Photoshop images into Lightwave, but I didn't have (or know how to use) Photoshop. I thought "an image is the same regardless of which application it was done in," so I experimented with images I made in Bryce and found out I could import them into Lightwave. But I still hadn't learned how to import objects, so the import business was a one way street, Bryce images and texture maps into Lightwave, but nothing of Lightwave imported into Bryce. So, once again, due to my ignorance of technique, my Bryce work stayed 100 percent pure.

I finally did figure out how to import objects (such as Poser figures) into Bryce, but by the time I had reached that skill level, another factor was influencing my choices. I was starting my "activist" phase of loving Bryce and resenting those in the profession and reviewers in magazines who belittled Bryce. And I began showing my work around and continually encountered people who were frankly surprised that my work was done in Bryce, because they had such low expectations of it.

Well, me being a sucker for a cause, I decided I wanted to help change the industry's opinion of Bryce and I didn't want to give the legions of narrowminded professionals any opportunity to demean Bryce, and if my imagery was a mixed medium (such as a Bryce image "sweetened" in Photoshop), these narrowminded cynics could appraise my images in a positive light but give the credit to the other application's use to "improve" the basic Bryce part. So, at that point, I made a conscious choice to work entirely in Bryce, specifically to challenge these narrowminded souls to face the reality that if they like my imagery, they must give Bryce some respect, because nothing else was involved.

Now, of course, I'm doing artwork for the Bryce product ads and promotion, so it's imperative that I work entirely in Bryce, so the promotional text can honestly say "Created entirely in Bryce."

Should any of you restrict yourselves to just Bryce? Frankly . . yes and no. (I apologize if that sounds like a cop-out. It's not.) Yes, there are times when you should specifically discipline yourselves to work 100 percent in Bryce, and, no, there are times when you should not.

There are two situations when you should deliberately stay 100 percent within Bryce (even when you have other applications available and the skills to import their material into Bryce). One is in order to learn more about Bryce, You see, if you think that what you need must come from outside of Bryce (trees from Onyx Tree Pro or Tree Druid, for example) you might never attempt to build your own trees in Bryce. If you think that texture maps and ornamental patterns must come from Photoshop, you will never discover how easily and wonderfully they can be done in Bryce. If you think the "good stuff" is outside of Bryce, you will not likely find all the "good stuff" in Bryce. So restricting yourself to Bryce alone is a nice way of challenging yourself to discover more of what it is really capable of. Until the day that extensive tutorials exist clearly showing you all of Bryce's potential, you actually have to push yourself to discover its full potential, and you won't do that if you keep running to other sources for those things.

The second reason to deliberately choose to work completely in Bryce is to measure your artistic and technical skills against the artist to whom you aspire to be as good. If you use exactly the same tools as another artist, in essence you've leveled the playing field, and the skill of each artist is the only variable. It's easy to cop out and say "Well, his/her work is better because he/she has a more expensive tool, and if I had that expensive tool, I would be that good too." A lot of aspiring artists do exactly that as a way of trying to mask their lack of practice. If you want to succeed, you should be more honest with yourself, and face the reality that your skill is the real issue, not the tool used. When on artist discloses (for educational reference) which one or several software applications he/she used, it gives the beginner a much clearer way to measure his/her developing skills.

Those are reasons why an artist might deliberately choose to work exclusively in Bryce. But there are times when the artist deliberately should not. Regardless of how much I love Bryce, I won't try to fool anybody by pretending you can do anything in Bryce. Like every application, it has its limits, and sometimes your needs for an image or project may exceed those limits. If you are a pro, and the priority is an excellent result, you use any combination of applications that will result in a spectacular final image, will get the work done on time and on budget. Nobody is going to accept a less than spectacular image or project just because you want to say you did it 100 percent in Bryce or any other application. If you do that, you are putting process above result, and if you do that in business, you are a fool.

So, here is the essence of what I am trying to say. Learning is a process, and if you sometimes work 100 percent in Bryce to improve the process of learning, I would say you are doing a smart thing. But working for a client is business, and unless you join me in that rare situation where you are doing business with the software manufacturer, the client wants great results more than great process, and you should use any and every tool you have to deliver the best result.

What about the third alternative, the artwork you do just for the love of the art form and to express yourself? In that case, the tool really doesn't matter, and if you think it does, your priorities are misplaced. Art for the love of art is above tool descriptions, above techniques, and above even the identity of the artist. It is about how you feel when you see the image or piece. If an image makes you feel great, if it stirs your emotions, if it enchants you, it doesn't matter if it was done in Bryce, Softimage or MicroSoft Paint. What matters is that it touched you.

These are my opinions. I welcome your replies, and I'll be posting other opinions soon.