Inspired by He-Man and Predator, Rayce Bird grew up wanting to create characters that stretched the limits of imagination. So when he applied for enrollment at the University of Idaho, one major screamed at him: Virtual Technology and Design.
NBC Universal, Syfy Network | Courtesy
Rayce Bird is pictured competing in Face Off, “Return to Oz,” a Syfy television series in which makeup artists compete to create characters for a grand prize.
“I was a graphic designer for years and I wanted to create characters like Gollum,” Bird said. “At the time, my brother was going here and we were up for games a lot. Me and my wife fell in love with this place and they just happened to have this program, so I decided to take the plunge and move up here.”
Between football practice, classwork and his family, Bird said he had little time for fun. So he got a job at a tattoo parlor where he could get paid for his art.
“I had a lot of regular jobs, but there weren’t a lot of graphic design jobs that were part time,” Bird said. “Then I found the tattoo job and everything fell into place.”
During his senior year, Bird was introduced to the Syfy channel’s reality competition series “Face Off,” in which makeup artists compete to create characters for a grand prize. With finals approaching, Bird thought, “What’s the worst that could happen?” and applied for the show.
The risk paid off. In addition to never having a bottom look, Bird ultimately won the season and the grand prize pack: $25,000 worth of makeup supplies, $100,000 in cash and a new car.
Ever since, Bird has been busy between concept art for films, makeup characters for conventions and design work for Idaho laboratories, designing a simulator for extreme environments.
Now he’s returned to his alma mater to inspire a new generation of artists with two events — the first pertaining to his road to success, and a Photoshop workshop with VTD majors.
“Me and my family actually miss this place, so being able to come up here and teach was kind of a big deal.” Bird said. “It gave me an excuse to visit.”
For the first event, Bird shared his experiences on “Face Off” and how they shaped his career and his character in general. For the second, he inspired creativity in VTD majors by creating a character in Photoshop in two hours using Google images of a kiwi and obsidian as inspiration.
“(The first lecture) was more about sharing what I’ve been through and being able to inspire people. Even if it’s just on a small level, it’s worth my time,” he said. “The second one — even if you’re designing a business model, I believe you should sketch it out, and I think everyone should be creative and innovative.”
Bird said he knows firsthand that the road to success doesn’t come easy. His advice to students is to always be a student and know there is always a reason to not do something, but to not let it hold you back.
“Learn what you’re getting taught and make yourself better as a student,” he said. “You have to make sure you’re saying something different than everyone else.”
Bradley Burgess can be reached at [email protected]