About the Reviewers
Sandra Gilbert started using Blender in the fall of 2000. Back then, there were not as many tutorials or educational resources available for Blender artists, so she, like many others, figured it out as she went along. Over the years, Sandra has seen not only Blender, but the community itself grow and mature. Now, there is a wealth of tutorials and educational materials available.
She is the Managing Editor of Blenderart Magazine. In 2005, she and her friend, Gaurav Nawani, decided to start Blenderart Magazine. Blenderart Magazine is a theme-based community magazine offering Blender tutorials, interviews, and making of articles.
Having been part of such a large open source community and watching how the community comes together to create and accomplish large projects, she knows that Blenderart's success is due in large part to the Blender community itself. The community supports their endeavor in many ways, the biggest being by contributing articles, tutorials, and images to be published in each issue.
Taylor Petrick is currently a student at the University of Waterloo in Canada. He took an interest in 3D graphics and modeling in middle school and has continued to develop his skills ever since. He has a strong programming background, with over six years of practical experience using C++ and technologies such as OpenGL, DirectX, and CUDA. Currently, he is working with ray tracing and investigating its potential for use in real-time applications.
He uses Blender3D both as a tool for his projects and to create artwork as a hobby. He first started using Blender to make models and animations for a video game project and has actively used it ever since. He is excited about 3D printing and how quickly it is entering widespread use. He is particularly interested in the Peachy Printer, a new low-cost option that interfaces directly with Blender.