Skip to Sidebar Skip to Content
Maker Stations
Anonymous

  • Sign In
  • About
  • Archive
  • Tips
  • Ideas
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • -For Members Only
  • Checklist
  • IKEA Setups
  • WFH Essentials
  • Quick Lunch Recipes
  • -Featured
  • Cat-Friendly Setup
  • Filmmaker Setup
  • Apple Setup
  • Secret Space
  • Travel Setup
Tags
  • Desk Tours
  • Cable Management
  • IKEA Setup
  • Design Setup
  • X/Twitter
  • Home
  • About
  • Submissions
© 2025 Maker Stations - Published with Ghost & Aspect

3D Artist Desk Setup in Brighton & Hove, UK

  • Makers by Makers
    Makers Makers
    • •
    • February 06, 2022
    • •
    • 14 min read
    • Share on X/Twitter
    • Share on Facebook
    • Share on LinkedIn
    • Share on Pinterest
    • Email
    James’ 3D Artist Desk Setup in Brighton & Hove, UK
    • 3D & VFX Artist Setup
    • Design Setup
    • Cable Management
    • Desk Tours
    • Gaming Setup

    Name: James TF

    Location: Brighton & Hove, United Kingdom

    Occupation: VFX & 3D Motion Graphics Artist

    Room size: 16 m² (172 ft²)

    Cost of the setup: ~$12K

    Social media: Instagram

    Website: James TF

    Hey, James! Tell us a bit about yourself

    Hello! And thanks for taking some time to have a look at my workstation (or should I say maker station?) and hear a bit about what I do.

    I work full time as a freelance visual effects (VFX) artist, as well as a 3D motion graphics designer (MGFX). I’ve been in the industry for around six years now.

    For those of you who are clueless as to what that means. I’m typically tasked with creating special effects for TV shows & advertising and commercials.

    It can be a super varied job. One week I’m creating black holes and space nebulae (I typically work for about 6-7 months of the year on a space documentary for Science Channel/Discovery), and the next week I’m animating a diaper commercial (yes, that’s happened, but thankfully only once!)

    A wide desk made of upcycled scaffolding boards
    When James isn’t parked at his desk, he’s a keen climber and boulderer, skier, hiker, as well as occasional gamer

    I got interested in Visual Effects from a pretty young age, mostly from watching the behind the scenes extras on DVDs of my favourite films at the time (LotR Trilogy, Star Wars, you know, the usuals for an 11-year-old).

    I was big into video games too. More specifically, the modding scene on games like The Elder Scrolls series.

    Battlestations from Gamers Across the Globe
    Tech lifehacks and personal stories behind each gaming setup.
    Maker StationsEditorial Team

    This eventually led me to create some of my own (in hindsight, very badly), but it had me hooked and wanting to learn more about how digital assets were created.

    I realised the crossover of these two seemingly unrelated at first fields, and the rest is history!

    I studied VFX at the university in London. After I graduated, I landed my first job at a relatively small studio focused on TV advertising.

    After getting around three years of industry experience, I made the decision to start my own company and work on a freelance basis.

    It’s been incredibly rewarding so far.

    I’ll talk a bit more about how this happened further on. It ties in with the current coronavirus pandemic, and sparked the creation of my workstation/studio which you’re reading about!

    If you’re interested, you can check out the kinds of things I get to work on from my studio over on my website.

    Home Office Desk Setups
    Inspiring interviews with makers across the globe about their workspaces.
    Maker StationsEditorial Team

    I used to love working on side projects and creating short films in my spare time.

    However, as I’ve become busier and busier with work, I find it hard to be sitting at a desk for more time than I need to be.

    To add to this, I have a rare form of autoimmune arthritis. The best medicine for that is to move.

    Thankfully, I’ve been symptom-free for quite a while now after developing healthy work habits to keep me moving, which tie into my workstation as well.

    I’m hoping to get back into creating short films in 2022.

    Can you describe your home setup?

    Item Model
    Monitor LG C1 48” OLED 2021
    Monitor mount Ergotron HX
    Monitor light bar Philips Hue Play x2
    Laptop MacBook Pro 2021
    Speakers Bose Companion 3
    Headphones Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 250 OHM
    Keyboard GMMK Pro /w MATT3O / DEV / TTY MT3 Keycaps
    Mouse Logitech MX Master 3
    Chair Herman Miller Sayl
    Desk shelf IKEA Malm
    Laptop stand Bestand TI-Station
    Web camera Logitech StreamCam
    Tablet Wacom Intuos Pro L
    Hard drive TerraMaster D4-300 NAS
    Display Alexa Show 5

    If I were to summarise my studio in a few words, I’d go with efficient, optimised, focused, laid-back & calming.

    I think these are all important ideas to promote as a designer.

    I started using this room two years ago. I’m still constantly moving things around to get the setup just right, but I think I’m finally content with its current configuration...

    How long that will last though, who knows.

    3D plan of James’ living room. It's a great way to visualise the space and make design changes before buying any furniture

    One of the perks of being a 3D artist is that I’m able to build a 3D plan of where I work. This helps to visualise how things will look.

    This can sometimes help avoid dragging my sofa from one side of the room to the other at 2 am when I’ve had an epiphany of a “better” layout.

    Looking at my workspace, there are a few things that make it work for me.

    The key feature has to be the screen LG C1 48” OLED 2021.

    I’ve always thought it’s all well and good investing in the fastest GPU/CPU to get the best performance on whatever software or games you may be playing.

    However, the way you interface with that content is through your screen. If it isn’t up to scratch, then the money you’ve spent on the flashy internal hardware is in some ways wasted.

    James’ living room and his home office setup in the UK
    James hates the feeling of being crammed into a small space. “When you’re using a mouse, graphics tablet, often a notepad and drawing pad, that extra space is invaluable”, he says

    I’m keen on having a lot of desk real-estate too. My desk measures two metres wide (78,7''), and about 70 cm (27'') deep.

    I found a designer on Etsy and he built it for me out of upcycled scaffolding boards.

    There is also a fair amount of empty space in the centre of the room. This is by design too.

    I wanted to have an open area that I can use to move around in. Whether this is for yoga, some basic stretching, or flailing around in VR.

    Unlock Exclusive Desk Tours & Workspace Inspiration

    Become our Productivity Patron for just $5/month and get insider access to 100+ workspace interviews, expert tips, and exclusive content to upgrade your setup.

    Become a member

    Already have an account? Sign in

    Makers Makers
      Makers Makers
        On this page
        Please check your inbox and click the confirmation link. Oops! Something went wrong while processing your subscription. Please try again later or contact us if the issue persists.

        Read Next

        • Apple Studio Display Desk Setup in Lisbon, Portugal 8 min read

          Apple Studio Display Desk Setup in Lisbon, Portugal

          Makers Makers
          Makers Makers
            May 18, 2025 • Cable Management • Desk Tours • Minimal Setup
          • PC Desk Setup for Gaming and Working from Home in Zurich, Switzerland 6 min read

            PC Desk Setup for Gaming and Working from Home in Zurich, Switzerland

            Makers Makers
            Makers Makers
              May 11, 2025 • Standing Desk Setup • Cable Management • Design Setup
            • Hybrid Work & Racing Simulator Setup in England 6 min read

              Hybrid Work & Racing Simulator Setup in England

              Makers Makers
              Makers Makers
                May 4, 2025 • Desk Tours • Sim Racing Setup • Multi-Monitor Setup
              • 15 Small Home Office Ideas That Make the Most of Tiny Spaces 10 min read

                15 Small Home Office Ideas That Make the Most of Tiny Spaces

                Makers Makers
                Makers Makers
                  May 3, 2025 • Home Office Ideas • Small Space Setup
                • How to Cat-Proof Your Desk Setup Without Hurting Any Feelings 5 min read

                  How to Cat-Proof Your Desk Setup Without Hurting Any Feelings

                  Makers Makers
                  Makers Makers
                    May 3, 2025 • WFH tips • Home Office Ideas
                  • Best IKEA Desk Accessories for Tiny Workspaces 8 min read

                    Best IKEA Desk Accessories for Tiny Workspaces

                    Makers Makers
                    Makers Makers
                      May 3, 2025 • Home Office Ideas • IKEA Setup • Small Space Setup
                    • The Best Desk Storage Ideas That Don’t Take Up Space 6 min read

                      The Best Desk Storage Ideas That Don’t Take Up Space

                      Makers Makers
                      Makers Makers
                        May 3, 2025 • Home Office Ideas • Small Space Setup
                      • Why Your Desk Setup Feels Off — And How to Fix It 15 min read

                        Why Your Desk Setup Feels Off — And How to Fix It

                        Makers Makers
                        Makers Makers
                          May 2, 2025 • Home Office Ideas
                        • The 5-Year Desk: How To Future-Proof Your Setup Without Chasing Trends 5 min read

                          The 5-Year Desk: How To Future-Proof Your Setup Without Chasing Trends

                          Makers Makers
                          Makers Makers
                            May 1, 2025 • Home Office Ideas
                          • 8 Must-Have USB-C Hubs That Actually Look Good on Your Desk 5 min read

                            8 Must-Have USB-C Hubs That Actually Look Good on Your Desk

                            Makers Makers
                            Makers Makers
                              May 1, 2025 • Home Office Ideas

                            Subscribe to Newsletter

                            Join me on this exciting journey as we explore the boundless world of web design together.

                            Please check your inbox and click the confirmation link. Oops! Something went wrong while processing your subscription. Please try again later or contact us if the issue persists.
                            Maker Stations
                            • About
                            • Archive
                            • Tips
                            • Ideas
                            • Advertise
                            • Subscribe
                            • -For Members Only
                            • Checklist
                            • IKEA Setups
                            • WFH Essentials
                            • Quick Lunch Recipes
                            • -Featured
                            • Cat-Friendly Setup
                            • Filmmaker Setup
                            • Apple Setup
                            • Secret Space
                            • Travel Setup
                            Tags
                            • Desk Tours
                            • Cable Management
                            • IKEA Setup
                            • Design Setup
                            • X/Twitter
                            • Home
                            • About
                            • Submissions
                            © 2025 Maker Stations - Published with Ghost & Aspect