About Me: The Man Behind the Pixels
Hi, I’m Marc van den Berg—though in the digital art world, you might know me as “Zomerbijtje”.
If you’re wondering about the website name, it’s Dutch for ‘Crystal Mountain’ (or ‘Kristalberg’ in my native Dutch). It represents the clarity I strive for in my work and the peak challenges I love to climb. Today, I call the beautiful, green landscapes of Ireland my home, but my journey to this point has been anything but linear.
From Healthcare to Hardware: My Journey
My professional path is a bit of a plot twist. I didn’t start in front of a high-powered rendering rig.
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The Healing Years: I actually began my career in healthcare, working in general and psychiatric nursing. That world taught me a profound amount about human psychology, emotion, and vulnerability—traits that, unexpectedly, became my secret weapon when creating art.
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The Tech Pivot: Eventually, my love for logic and structure led me to pivot into technology. Today, I work as an IT consultant, solving complex digital puzzles by day.
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The 20-Year Passion: Parallel to all of this, I have spent the last twenty years mastering the art of 3D rendering. It is the perfect bridge between my analytical IT brain and my deeply observant nursing background.
Why Daz3D? The Art of the Tweak
People often ask me why I’m drawn to 3D art and, specifically, Daz3D. The answer is simple: absolute control.
I am a self-proclaimed perfectionist. I love the fact that there is always one more thing to tweak. Whether it’s the subtle subsurface scattering on a character’s skin, the micro-adjustments of a dramatic rim light, or the precise physics of a fabric drape, Daz3D gives me the playground to manipulate reality down to the pixel.
“For me, rendering has evolved far beyond a casual hobby. It is a compelling pursuit of reaction.”
When I share my work, I rarely get a lukewarm response. It usually triggers something visceral in people. I get instant admiration for the technical execution, disbelief that a digital render can look so breathtakingly real, and occasionally, a bit of loathing from those who find the hyper-realism unsettling. I welcome it all. If my art provokes a strong reaction, I’ve done my job.
The Purpose of This Blog
This space serves a dual purpose for me:
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A Living Portfolio: A curated gallery of my best renders, character designs, and visual concepts developed over two decades.
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An Experience Console: A place where I can document my rendering workflows, share IT tips that optimise production, or just concepts of things I learnt to do and want to share.
Whether you are here to critique my work, learn a few rendering tricks, or hire me for a consultation, I’m glad you stopped by.
