Since the release of SketchUp 4, 3D visualization with SketchUp has been a hobby for Nomer Adona. He once worked in the visualization industry – only using free-hand drawings to visualize his concepts – and now teaches art and design at Saigon South International School (SSIS) in Vietnam.

Nomer began integrating V-Ray for SketchUp into his visualization process with the plug-in’s first beta release, and continues to use it on a regular basis. “V-Ray is considerably fast in comparison to other rendering engines. I have no doubt that the combination of quality and speed is the main reason why visualizers like me love V-Ray for SketchUp,” Nomer said.

In addition to teaching art and design to his students at SSIS, he’s become a well respected teacher within the SketchUp and V-Ray communities by publishing online tutorials on his personal blog, nomeradona.blogspot.com. Since 2009, he’s also been a contributing writer for SketchUpArtists.org, where he shares his SketchUp and V-Ray for SketchUp experiences. According to Online Editor and Co-Founder of SketchUpArtists, “Nomer is a master of 3D digital still life and interiors. He has a passion for bringing 3D and art together and his expertise has always inspired and amazed. His work always reveals his skills in composition and the knowledge of how colors work, whether it’s hand drawn illustration, photography or 3D rendering … he is a true SketchUp artist and render master.”

We asked Nomer a few questions about his experiences as a teacher of art, design, SketchUp, and V-Ray for SketchUp. Here is what he had to say.

What made you want to teach art and design at Saigon South International School?

First of all I love teaching: I love inspiring, motivating, engaging people particularly in art and design. I also love sharing my knowledge and learning from other people. I found teachers in international schools to be open minded, knowledgeable and most of all full of life experiences in a multi-cultural world. I found that most students in international schools are risk takers, inquirers, opinionated and reflective. The environment of teaching in an open arena is much more appealing than working in a four-walled architectural office.

Saigon South International School (SSIS) is a very prestigious school in Asia with a strong academic and a balanced program. It has a beautiful suburban campus overlooking a river and the facilities are first-rate. Most of all, its greatest assets are the students and the teaching faculty, the reason I opted to stay and would want to continue teaching in this school.

Do you teach your students how to use V-Ray and/or SketchUp?

SketchUp was introduced in our school. We tried to implement using this software from middle school to high school. Last year our middle school started introducing in connection with the math curriculum. I am also regularly teaching my Integrated and IB art students to use SketchUp. This year we are piloting the introduction of the V-Ray for SketchUp engine.

Have you worked any jobs in 3D visualization, or has it been only a hobby for you?

Since 1990 my work was mainly conceptualization, and you have to be a visualizer in order to express your concepts. Back then I only used free-hand drawing. Everything changed when I bought my first computer 1997 and I began studying visualization using 3ds Max. Such study was on and off since most of my work was conceptualization, and I found that hand sketching was faster than modeling digitally.

My interest with 3D digital visualization was revived when I was introduced by a colleague to SketchUp 4, which was very quick way of doing conceptual work. Because I was teaching already then, visualization became a hobby, a way of releasing my creative expression. From time to time, I’d accept rendering services, but it was not really my main job.

When did you begin using V-Ray for SketchUp, and how did you learn how to use the plug-in?

When you grow with 3D visualization, you start looking for different possibilities. Through the Sketchucation.com forum, I learned that the development of V-Ray for SketchUp was ongoing. When the first beta version of V-Ray for SketchUp was released (the one with ASGvis watermarked), I tried and started using it. Since then, I started using it regularly. Much of my learning was through trial and error, since there were very few online learning resources at that time (the manual was not even there). The ASGvis forum was always a very good place where I could post questions and read other user's discoveries.

What do you like about V-Ray and SketchUp?

The quality it produces. It is considerably fast too against other rendering engines. I don't have any doubt that the combination of quality and speed was the main reason why visualizers like me love V-Ray for SketchUp.

What is your favorite project you’ve designed with V-Ray and SketchUp so far, and why is it your favorite?

My favorite was when I used it for my worship series painting. I used the software basically to study lighting before painting. It was an unorthodox approach on how 3D digital media visualization could be used with traditional painting media. I think this is the way I want to pursue my art.

What or who inspires you?

I love media exploration. Discovering new things and then sharing what I have discovered with others is what inspires me most. When it comes to people, the guys who inspire me are "Biebel" and some Filipino visualizers like "architekthura" and "celes."

View Nomer Adona’s blog at nomeradona.blogspot.com, and read his posts on SketchUpArtists.org.