Upload
mark-anthony-m-perez
View
26
Download
4
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
3DCreative Issue 90 - February 2013
Citation preview
Issue 090 February 2013
Gallery - 10 of the bestimages from around
the world!
Concept Artist for IdSoftware
Project Overview by Robert Craig
Gallery
Matthew Burke
Modeling Futuristic VehiclesThis issue texturing and shaders are the main subject matters covered by Arturo Garcia (3dsmax) and Renato Gonzalez Aguilante (Maya).
The Submarine PenAndrew Finch brings us the penultimate chapter of his Unreal Games Engine series, this time focusing on finalizing the lighting and adding details.
NEW! Character AnimationBrand new this month, Camilo Duarte Franco begins his Character Animation tutorial series with an in-depth look at the basic human walk.
Back by popular demand and within the pages of this months 3DCreative we start off our all new series of ZBrush Speed Sculpts. Daniel Bystedt kicks things off with some handy hints about the creation of his fantastic Oger creature.
Art ClassCover
imag
e by
Dan
iel B
yste
dt
NEW!
page 2www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
Contents
EditorialWelcome to the February
issue of 3DCreative! In this
months magazine we have
a fantastic array of artwork
from some of the top digital
artists around today. We
see a few new faces in
our tutorials section, and a
few old ones too. With an
inspiring Making Of and
fascinating interview, you
wont know where to begin!
We have the next instalments of Arturo Garcia and Renato
Gonzalez Aguilantes Beginners Guide to Modeling Futuristic
Vehicles tutorials. As always, Arturo covers the key skills in
3ds Max and Renato instructs in Maya. This month, they look
specifically at texturing and shaders, both imparting some
excellent tips on achieving that realistic futuristic render on your
sci-fi vehicles.
Andrew Finch starts wrapping up his Unreal Games Engine
tutorial series on creating a submarine pen, with the second-to-
final instalment on applying particle effects and completing the
final polish. Dont miss the next issue for the final instalment in this
fascinating and detailed series.
Brand new this month, is the first in a series of tutorials on
Character Animation by Camilo Duarte Franco. He starts his
series off with an excellent tutorial that gives an in-depth look at
the basic human walk, and how to transfer those observations into
your CG model. Watch out for those useful little hints on creating
realistic movement!
Next in our series on Speed Sculpting with ZBrush is a fascinating
one-off tutorial by CG artist Daniel Bystedt. Daniels tutorial gives
us some handy hints on creating a realistic sculpt and divulges
some of those universal sculpting tricks that can be used to create
features on any humanoid model.
Prepare to explore the processes behind the fun Art Class image
featured in last months gallery, in our bright Making Of by Robert
Craig, and find out more about digital artist Matthew Burke in our
interview, as he talks us through his rise from a small town in Iowa
to a successful position in the digital gaming industry. To cap it all
off, this months gallery also features some amazing new artwork
from some of our best artists, so prepare to be inspired!
Contents Whats in this month?
Matthew BurkeInterview - Concept Artist for IdSoftware
The Gallery10 of the Best 3D Artworks
Futuristic Vehicles3ds Max & Maya - Chapter 5
Character AnimationChapter 1: Walking
The Submarine PenChapter 8: Finalizing the Lighting
ZBrush Speed Sculpting 2Chapter 1: Oger
Art Class Project Overview by Robert Craig
Sample ChapterDigital Art Masters: Volume 7 - Filip Novy
About us 3DTotal.com Ltd Information & Contacts
006
012
024
038
044
052
062
076
084
Free Stuff!Wherever you see this symbol, click it to
download resources, extras & even movies!
Editor Jenny Newell
Lead Designer
Chris Perrins
Layout Matthew Lewis
Layla KhaniAz Pishneshin
Content Jenny Newell
Richard TilburyJessica Serjent-
Tipping
Proofing Jo Hargreaves
Marketing Emma Handley
Copyright 1999-2013 3DTotal.com Ltd. All Rights reservedAll products and websites created/published by 3DTotal.com Ltd including www.3dtotal.com,
www.3dcreativemag.com, www.2dartistmag.com all physical books, ebooks, emags, video content, texture
libraries and any future releases may not be reproduced in any form or by any means, without the prior
written consent of the publisher.
Image by Matthew Burke
Setting up your PDF reader For optimum viewing of the magazine, it is recommended that you
have the latest Acrobat Reader installed. You can download it for free,
here: DOWNLOAD!
To view the many double-page spreads featured in 3DCreative
magazine, you can set the reader to display two-up, which will show
double-page spreads as one large landscape image:
1. Open the magazine in Reader;
2. Go to the View menu, then Page display; 3. Select Two-up Continuous, making sure that Show Cover Page is also selected.Thats it!
Get the most out of your
Magazine!If youre having problems viewing the double-page spreads that we
feature in this magazine, follow this handy little guide on how to set
up your PDF reader!
page 4www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
Contributors
Contributing artistsEvery month artists from around the world contribute to 3DCreative, and
you can find out a little more about them right here! If youd like to get
involved in the 3DCreative magazine, please contact: [email protected]
Andrew Finch Aged 30 and living
in the great city of
Birmingham, in the
U.K. He has a degree
in 3D Animation
which inspired his
passion for environment art. He now works as
an environment artist at Codemasters. He says,
Working in the games industry is exciting: you
never know what the next project will be and
theres always something new to learn. This
helps to keep you creative and grow as an
artist. [email protected]
Arturo GarciaArturo Garcia is a
freelancer living
in Mexico, with 2
years experience
in modelling cars.
He uses 3ds Max
software, and his goal is to make models
become as real as possible even confusing
them with what is real!
http://dessga.cgsociety.org/gallery
Image by Alexandr Novitskiy
Camilo Duarte
Camilo Duarte is a Character Animator
from Colombia. His
previous works include
Star Wars: The Clone
Wars Season 5 in
Tokyo, and he has just finished the work on
a Spanish feature film entitled: Justin and the
Knights of Valour. He is currently waiting to start
some new exciting projects around the world.
http://www.camiloduarte.tumblr.com/
page 5www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
Contributors
Image by David Jankes
Would You Like to Contribute to 3DCreative or 2DArtist Magazine?We are always looking for tutorial artists, gallery submissions, potential
interviewees, making of writers, and more. For more information, please
send a link to your portfolio, or send examples, to: [email protected]
Daniel Bystedt Daniel studied CG
at Digital Graphics,
Nackademin in
Stockholm, Sweden
during 2007-2009.
Currently he is working
as Lead Modeler at Milford Film & Animation; a
great Stockholm based 3D animation company.
Recently he participated in the ZBrush 4R5
beta testing and his final image is now used to
promote the latest release of ZBrush.
http://dbystedt.wordpress.com/
Matthew Burke
Matthew Burke is a twelve year veteran in
the gaming industry
who is currently a
senior concept artist
at IdSoftware in
Dallas, Texas. Primarily using StudioMax and
Photoshop, Matthew Burke specializes in hard
surface modeling and mechanical design.
http://mburke.cghub.com/
Robert Craig
Rob started his career
at Electronic Arts,
working first as an
Environment artist
and then going on to
spend several years
specialising in Lighting. Rob is currently working
as an Art Director in the video games industry.
In his spare time, he likes to stay busy with
his own projects that allow him to stretch his
imagination and try out new things.
http://bob1982.cgsociety.org/gallery/
CG Artist Matthew Burke gives us an insight
into becoming successful in the world of
computer games design. From factory work
in Iowa to Terminator and Doom 4 in Texas,
Matt takes us through some of the key
moments of his life and career so far.
page 7www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
Matthew Burke Interview
Can you tell us a little about your
background and how you came to be where
you are now?
I was inspired to work in the computer games
industry through a delicious combination of
boredom and desperation.
I grew up in a small town in northern Iowa, in a
time before video games became popular. We
only had two, sometimes three, channels on our
color television, and so I found myself desperate
for entertainment. I found drawing and creating
artwork to be an inexpensive way to avoid
boredom, and once I grew old enough to leave
Iowa, I saw it as a potential way to escape
a professional career in either agriculture or
factory work.
After a few years of alternately traveling and
working menial jobs (ironically in factory work),
I managed to find a little stability in Texas and
enrolled in the Art Institute of Dallas. After
graduation I luckily managed to get a job at a
small, local game company. They took a chance
on a skinny Iowan artist and the rest is history.
Did you go into the games industry because
it was a local opportunity or was this
something that specifically interested you at
the time?
The idea of working in the gaming industry had
always been my long-term goal. But as a poor
graduate supporting himself through bar tending
and waiting tables, any career involving art
would have been more than welcome.
Youve worked on some prominent titles in
the past, but which ones proved to be the
most challenging and why?
Regardless of the studio or team, there are
always many challenges you face when working
on a game. For me, the first game title I ever
worked on has been the most difficult to date.
As the first and only concept artist on
Terminator: the Dawn of Fate, I struggled to
find a respective place in the studio. I wasnt
a very versatile artist at the time and I worked
slowly, using mostly pen and paper. I rarely
used thumbnailing and I struggled at mechanical
design, which was in high demand with the
Terminator license.
After several months of failed attempts, I finally
managed to find some success and with that,
started losing that shroud of insecurity. With
each additional approved concept came more
confidence, and with more confidence came a
willingness to stretch myself artistically.
I think failure should be a prerequisite for
success.
Are you confident enough now to take on
any challenge/subject or do you ever face
projects that you feel place you outside your
comfort zone?
I wish I could honestly portray myself as
someone who is capable of conquering any
challenge, undaunted to the end, but I still
suffer the perpetual doubt in almost every
image I produce. To overcome this I rely on
a small collection of friends who will give me
honest feedback and critique before I turn in a
completed piece. Once they have reassured me
that its good, I can breathe again and move on
to the next task, then start the process all over
again.
page 8www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
Interview Matthew Burke
Can you see yourself applying your artistic
skills within another industry or do you think
that the games industry is your nich?
Even after all this time working in the gaming
industry, I am not oblivious to how lucky I am
to get to do what I do. Driving to work in the
morning I remind myself to look at the dread on
the faces of people going to real jobs and so
never take what I have for granted.
However, there are times that I imagine what
it would be like to work in film. Who wouldnt
want to see their vision come to life on a movie
theater screen?!
With regards to your Roach and Pest Control
vehicles, did you get free reign to both
design and model them?
Yes! Both of those are personal works that
allowed me to explore outside of the usual
constraints of studio production requirements.
Its liberating to take a concept as far as you
would like without worrying about deadlines or
design requirements. Most importantly, it allows
me to traverse worlds outside of the project I am
currently working on.
The Roach design is the first part in a series
of mechs Im designing, and the Pest Control
Vehicle was a re-imagining of an interplanetary
pest control service idea that Allan Ditzig, a
good friend of mine, had several years ago.
Whilst being a concept artist is a fantastic job,
it is still a job. Having personal projects and
interests on the side is a great way to maintain
my passion. Its a good reminder as to why I fell
in love with art in the first place.
Do you favour a genre over any others and
are there any areas you would like to explore
more?
Obviously, I love the tech; partly because it is
such a delicate dance between reaching for the
I love the tech; partly because it is such a delicate dance between reaching
for the unimaginable and yet staying grounded and
functional.
page 9www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
Matthew Burke Interview
unimaginable and yet staying grounded and
functional. I would happily spend the rest of
my professional career working in this genre,
but from time to time I get the itch to explore
creature or character design, and maybe even
try something whimsical and cartoony for a
change of pace. Without a doubt though, I will
always have a special place in my heart for
sci-fi.
As someone who has been in the industry
for twelve years, what would you say have
been the most significant developments
over the years with respect to the games
industry?
Personally, I think the single most important
development is the recent popularity of
Kickstarter crowd funding. With Kickstarter,
small teams of truly inspired people can
potentially bring some refreshing new ideas to
light and make some incredible games that are
outside of the mainstream.
Do you ever see yourself using Kickstarter to
launch a personal project?
Absolutely!
What types of game have really impressed
you the most over the years with respect to
design?
I think the best way to honestly answer this
question is to list the games that I have faked
an illness to stay home and play. These include:
Shadow of the Colossus, The Elder Scrolls V:
Skyrim, Red Dead Redemption, Knights of the
Old Republic, Unreal Tournament, Fallout 3,
Quake lll: Arena, Batman: Arkham City and, of
course, World of Warcraft. At this point I would
need to convince my boss that I have contracted
the Ebola virus!
As someone who obviously likes games, do
you take inspiration from these with regard
to your own work or are they simply a form
of entertainment?
Of course! It is not uncommon for me to take
dozens of screen grabs of a game while Im
playing for inspection at a later time. Seeing
another artists world building or composition
helps me approach a task from a different
perspective or may inspire me to try something
less conventional.
Matthew BurkeWeb: http://mburke.cghub.com/
Email: [email protected]
Interviewed by: Richard Tilbury
Seeing another artists world building or
composition helps me approach a task from a
different perspective or may inspire me to try something
less conventional.
AVAI
LABL
E NOW
!
DVD,
Digi
tal D
ownlo
ad, S
ubsc
iption
All Tutorials Are Now Available As DVDs, Digital Downloads,
And Part of The Online Training Subscription
www.thegnomonworkshop.com
In this two volume series, Scott Patton shows the processes he uses to create a 3D character for feature films. The first volume explores Patton's fast and efficient method for concept sculpting, skipping the 2D sketch phase all together and designing the character entirely within ZBrush. He covers everything from blocking out the forms and fleshing out the muscles, to adding props, detailing with alphas and posing the character. The second volume covers methods for crcreating a final color rendering using ZBrush and Photoshop. Patton shows how he squeezes the most from ZBrushs powerful renderer to create both a wide and close-up shot of the character. He then shares creative Photoshop tips and tricks to quickly get to a finished piece of concept art from the ZBrush renders, covering topics such as adding and refining skin texture, hair, eyes, shadows and scars. Patton also discusses how to create backgrounds that enhance the character and ovoverall composition.
3D CHARACTER DESIGN SERIESWITH SCOTT PATTON
LEVEL UP YOUR DIGITAL SCULPTING SKILLS
TRAIN WITH KILLER ARTISTS
This month we feature: Fernando Ometto | David Jankes | Khiew Jit Chun | Babak Bina
Seid Tursic | Alexandr Novitskiy | Riccardo | Cornelius Dmmrich | Devis Buttazzoni | Henning Sanden
page 13www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
The Gallery 10 of the Best Please submit your images to the 3DTotal gallery!
Oliver Twist Seid Tursic
(Below)
After the Storm Henning Sanden
http://henningsanden.com/
(Above)
Assassin David Jankes
http://www.yeenke.com/
page 16www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
10 of the Best The GalleryPlease submit your images to the 3DTotal gallery!
Mr. Cobblepot Khiew Jit Chun
http://jckhiew.cghub.com/
(Above)
Strange Behaviour Riccardo
http://kidqube.com/
(Right)
Tom Waits Babak Bina
http://www.ocularite.com/
page 18www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
10 of the Best The GalleryPlease submit your images to the 3DTotal gallery!
Lemony Snicket Devis Buttazzoni
http://cgartdevis.blogspot.it/
(Below)
Bronze BustFernando Ometto
(Right)
Mercury Cornelius Dmmrich
1932 Lincoln KB Coupe Alexandr Novitskiy
http://arttalk.ru/profile/Tigerfather
Pro 64-bit version only $599 for Windows and Mac OS X, full-featured entry-level 32-bit version an incredible value at $399
Andersson Technologies LLC
Serving artists in over 70 countries since 2003
@willsummers: @geddy76 I've never used PFHoe but Syntheyes is a really great tracker with all the little professional tools you need to fine tune tracks
@julikt: Many people mourn the old Flame 3D trackerbut I can work better with Syntheyes on the side on alaptop. With clients in attendance.
@pete_shand: Getting my matchmove on with Syntheyes,so much easier to use than Autodesks Matchmover.
Fixing Shaky Shots
Virtual Set Extensions
Animated Character Insertion
Product Placementin Post-Production
Face & Body Motion Capture
Talking Animals
What Our Users Say About SynthEyesTypical Applications
Match-moving, Set Reconstruction,and StabilizationSynthEyesSynthEyes
Texture Extraction: clean plates, s
et modeling, panoramas
New Advanced Lens Grid Analysis
and Calibration Tools
See the tutorials
youtube.com/SynthEyesHQ
Sophisticated AfterEffects exporter with Pixel Benders
Futuristic vehicles are a common subject matter in the CG world. However, in this series we will be approaching
creating futuristic vehicles in a slightly different way. Our two amazing artists have been provided with a 2D
concept and technical drawing of a destructive deforestation vehicle. Over the eight-part series they will detail
a step-by-step guide on how to turn this 2D information into an accurate and exciting 3D model, from the initial
modeling phase through to the final rendering.
page 25www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
Beginners Guide to Modeling Futuristic Vehicles Chapter 05
Chapter 05 Software used: 3ds Max
Lets continue with the tutorial!
The next step in our tutorial is to prepare the
model for texturing.
To do this, we use the UV Mapping tools in
3ds Max. To explain this concept, I must first
introduce the texture map. This texture map is
the final paint or finish on your 3D piece, and
is created on a flat 2D plane. The UV map is
a template that maneuvers and edits this flat
texture map and applies it realistically to the 3D
contours of your sculpture.
The simpler UV map (UVW) will serve in
mapping the greater part of our project.
To start, we first create a simple box primitive
and assign the UVW Map modifier, found in the
list of modifiers in the right-hand panel (Fig.01).
We then apply a checker-patterned map (A),
and under the Standard material settings for
Diffuse Color, set the tiling to 5.0 (B). We can
then activate the checkbox (C) in order to view
the map on screen (Fig.02).
Now look at some of the basic parameters of
the UVW Map modifier (Fig.03). We can apply
a variety of different types of mapping to our
object, such as: Planar, Cylindrical, Spherical,
Shrink Wrap, Box, Face and XYZ to UVW. Each
of these settings is assigned preset coordinates
that allow us to map objects en masse
effectively.
Among the potential mapping mode
preferences, there are a few modes that I use
regularly.
First, the Planar mode creates a flat gizmo on
your object that makes it easier to see where
to apply texture on flat objects such as walls or
doors.
page 26www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
Chapter 05 Beginners Guide to Modeling Futuristic Vehicles
the number of repetitions of a particular texture
along their respective axes (C). The Flip and
Real-World Map Size options, as their names
suggest, allow you to rotate or resize the image.
Map Channel allows us to use multiple layers
of texture on the same object, and finally, the
Alignment settings allow us to align the axes
according to a number of set parameters (D).
I have demonstrated how these settings would
look when applied to number of basic objects in
Fig.04.
I will now move onto another modifier called
Unwrap UVW. This modifier allows us to cut,
manipulate or unfold any complex 3D object so
The Cylindrical mode creates a tube-shaped
gizmo that makes it easier to manipulate and
thus texture cylindrical objects such as pens or
tree trunks.
Finally, the Spherical mode creates a gizmo
sphere that is applicable to spherical and box-
shaped objects such as balls or crates. This last
mode is perhaps the most useful as it allows
the mapping of a large number of objects with a
variety of shapes (A).
There is the option to change the parameters for
each of these modes to make the generic gizmo
more applicable, and thus more effective for
our work (B). The U, V and W Tile functions set
that it becomes easier to edit texture or paint
finishes in Photoshop (Fig.05) (A).
In the example, I created a box and applied this
modifier (located in the list of switches above
the UVW Map modifier). In addition to the input,
we can now see many more parameters to set,
starting with the selection of vertices, edges and
faces (B1). Below this, you can see that you are
also able to select by IDs and angles (2).
Further down, there is the option to edit the
UVs. This is where we are going to use the
Unwrap function (3). Below this, Channel, Peel
Seams, Projection, and Wrap and Set allow us
to unwrap and develop an object quickly (4 and
5).
You may have already noticed that there is no
gizmo. Instead, there are a number of green
lines that indicate the cut markers on our object.
If you open the UVWs Editor (Fig.06), you will
see there are a number of new parameters
to manage. There is not enough time here to
explain them all, though I will try and cover the
most used settings.
Along the toolbar at the bottom left of your
screen, you will find the following (from left
page 27www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
Beginners Guide to Modeling Futuristic Vehicles Chapter 05
with. First, we create a rectangular box and
apply a checkerboard material, as a square
pattern works well with a box-type object. We
can see that the grid map is different on each
side of the box (Fig.07) (A).
This is easily remedied by applying a UVW Map
modifier across the box. First apply the Unwrap
UVW modifier and open the Edit UVWs window.
We see that the modifier has given a net image
of the separate faces, but by clicking the Pack
Custom button we can separate all the faces of
the box, modify the number of repetitions and
create a more uniform checkered pattern (B).
Since we now have separate faces, it is easier
to experiment with joining objects using the
Unwrap tools. Move to the bar in the lower left
corner and select the Vertices-Edge selection
tool. This will highlight one or more vertices in
to right): Individual, Face or Edge selection
of Vertices and a white cube that indicates
selection of vertices by element; then a selection
of parameters that are very similar to editable
poly, Grow, Shrink, Loop, Grow Loop, Shrink
Loop, etc. (1).
In the top left corner, there are parameters for
move, rotate, scale, freeform and symmetry (2).
Down the panel on the right, are different tools
to manipulate the mesh, though not all the
settings will be available to view. From the top
down, all the buttons are as follows: Quick
Transform allows us to align a group of vertices
or edges; Stitch allows us to attach segments
in four different modes; Explode makes a quick
cut; and the Weld section allows us to weld both
vertices and edges (3).
The last area is a work space in the center in
which we place all parts of our sculpture in
order to export to a rendering program such as
Photoshop (3).
Now, its time to imagine how all of these
settings and modes can be used in combination
with a UVW map.
We can apply different types of mapping
according to the geometry that we are working
blue. These indicate that in the objects 3D form,
these edges will meet (C).
You can move these different pieces together
and either weld or stitch the vertices using the
appropriate tools.
To do this, select one of the edges and click the
Weld/Stitch icon, then click on the second piece
that will join with your first to attach them. Once
the two parts are welded, they will be moved to
the work area. Heres how the individual parts
have been welded to create one unbroken
object (D).
Now we move on to the more interesting
modifications. Select one of the teeth of the
blade and apply a UVW map with a mapping
box (Fig.08). Now use the Unwrap modifier and
Explode the object to separate the parts (A).
page 28www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
Chapter 05 Beginners Guide to Modeling Futuristic Vehicles
Now, by moving and welding different vertices,
join various parts together to create a net (B).
Leaving this aside for a moment, lets go to the
shovel. The first job is to separate the groups
of IDs and rearrange them into groups that face
the same direction. We select one of the three
forward-facing IDs, and then apply a Square
Planar UVW map and collapse it. This is also
done with the other three IDs (D).
We now turn to the cover of the caterpillar. First,
identify the flats, then assign IDs and a UVW
modifier map to each. Attach them to form a
single object, then use the Unwrap modifier and
put all the UVW maps in order (Fig.09).
For the body of the vehicle, we apply the same
steps after assembling the various parts. First,
separate the image into sections and apply a
UVW map to each. Then select a section and
apply the Unwrap UVW modifier. In the editor,
we can see the section in terms of vertices only,
so its easier to move and bend the individual
objects. Fig.10 shows what happens if we join
those sections together and apply Unwrap.
Apply this technique to other parts of the
vehicle, organize the parts, and then finally
attach them together (Fig.11).
To continue with the hydraulic cylinder sections
(A), select each of the two ends in turn; apply
UVW map with mapping box and Unwrap (B)
(Fig.12).
For the cylinder, again apply a UVW map and
Unwrap modifier. Select the Seams tool and
draw down the length of the cylinder to create
the cut (C). Finally, order and attach all the
pieces using the Weld or Stitch tool (D).
We now start editing the exhaust pipe by
selecting one of the pipes and applying the
Unwrap modifier. As we have already edited
page 29www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
Beginners Guide to Modeling Futuristic Vehicles Chapter 05
this piece, we can immediately use the Peel
tool to unfold it and rank the pieces with Quick
Transform (Fig.13).
You can also unwrap the object by separating
the object into smaller parts, flattening the
mesh by applying face angle, then pulling all
the objects together. So, in our example, if you
select the faces of a section you can see that
this separates into smaller fragments. With this,
we use Projection and Planar Map, to make the
image easier to organize (Fig.14).
For the rest of pieces, we can apply some of the
techniques that Ive discussed. Once everything
is clustered together, we can separate the
parts into groups such as arm, body, shovel,
caterpillars and lower vehicle in order to render
later in Photoshop (Fig.15).
Arturo GarciaWeb: http://dessga.cgsociety.org/gallery/
Email: [email protected]
Futuristic vehicles are a common subject matter in the CG world. However, in this series we will be approaching
creating futuristic vehicles in a slightly different way. Our two amazing artists have been provided with a 2D
concept and technical drawing of a destructive deforestation vehicle. Over the eight-part series they will detail
a step-by-step guide on how to turn this 2D information into an accurate and exciting 3D model, from the initial
modeling phase through to the final rendering.
page 31www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
Beginners Guide to Modeling Futuristic Vehicles Chapter 05
Chapter 05 Software used: Maya
Introduction
In the previous chapter, we talked about how
easy it is to get realistic results by creating our
own textures in Photoshop. In this part of the
tutorial we will put those textures into practice
and begin to talk about shaders and how use
them to make the texture really stand out.
What is a shader?
Shaders allow the artist/programmer to specify
the rendering of a vertex or pixel in order to
change the shading and lighting. Broadly
speaking, the shaders are simple programs that
transform a vertex or a pixel (called fragment
by OpenGL).
Each vertex in a primitive shape possesses an
option called a Vertex Shader. Once the vertex
is processed by the shader, the primitive can be
assembled, processed and rendered as a series
of pixels, which can in turn be processed by a
pixel shader in the paint stage.
The shaders replace a section of video
hardware that is typically called Fixed-Function
Pipeline or FFP. They replace both vertices of
lighting and texture mapping on fixed, non-
programmable hardware with a programmable
to synthesize and applies ray tracing from the
camera to the scene through the image plane.
Intersections are calculated against different
objects in the scene and the intersection that is
closest to the observer determines the visible
object.
Alternatively, V-Ray and Arnold use Monte
Carlo rather than Scanline. The Monte Carlo
method is a numerical method that can solve
mathematical and physical problems by
simulating random variables.
For our project we will utilize the mental ray
rendering engine that is already incorporated
into Maya for sheer convenience.
Getting Started
To activate the shaders, open Maya and go
to Window > Settings Preferences > Plug in
Manager. A new window will open, which shows
the plug in called Mayatomr.bundle. Check that
the boxes next to Loaded and Auto load are
ticked (Fig.01). You do not need to repeat this
process every time you open Maya.
We will now make a test scene to see how our
shaders work.
First we create a sphere (Fig.02), and then
choose a light by clicking Create > Lights >
Directional Light. This will be the rim light, so
post this new light behind our sphere. You can
make it a little more powerful by changing the
Intensity settings to 1.8 in the Attribute Editor
shape. With the introduction of shaders, we
have the option to control the vertices in order to
get any effect.
In simpler words, the shaders are algorithms
that specify how a surface responds to light,
or a function that calculates the effects of light,
(these can be shaders for lights, cameras,
materials, shadows, etc.)
Currently, the shaders are not only for lighting
and shading, as their name suggests, but also
serve to create rich graphical effects such as
animations, particle effects, etc.
Which one is the best render to work with?
This will depend on the render engine. Today,
the 3D industry offers many types of software
depending on your requirements:
- RenderMan (Pixar)
- mental ray (Autodesk)
- Arnold (Solid Angle)
- V-Ray (Visual Dynamics)
Choosing your engine relies heavily on which
is more comfortable for you, and the types of
settings you are likely to be working with. For
example, RenderMan and mental rays Scanline
option uses a raytrace render, which determines
the visible surfaces in the that scene you want
page 32www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
Chapter 05 Beginners Guide to Modeling Futuristic Vehicles
At this point, we are only using simple light
settings to quickly test the shaders. So in the
Render Settings folder, use only the following
parameters (Fig.07).
Quality Tab
- Max Sample Level: 2
- Anti-aliasing Contrast: 0.500
- Multi-Pixel Filtering > Filter: Lanczos
(Fig.03). Next, open the Shadow tab and find
the section entitled Raytrace Shadow Attributes;
here, check the box next to Use Ray Trace
Shadows (Fig.04).
Now we will create a fill light and a kick light. For
this, we follow a similar process to adding a rim
light, but instead choose an area light from the
list: Create > Lights > Area Light. Once created,
boost the Intensity to 15 in the Attribute Editor
and change Decay Rate to Quadratic (Fig.05).
Next, duplicate the area light by selecting it,
pressing Ctrl + D and lowering the intensity of
this new light to 10 (Fig.06).
Common Tab
- Enable Color Management: On
- Default Input Profile: Linear sRGB
- Default Output Profile: sRGB
- Enable Default Lights: Off
Indirect Lighting Tab
- Image Based Lightning: Create (Fig.08)
- Final Gathering: On
page 33www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
Beginners Guide to Modeling Futuristic Vehicles Chapter 05
This will create a sphere that will cover our
entire scene. Select this sphere and move to
the Attribute Editor. Under Image Name, click
on the folder icon and search your HDR image
(Fig.09).
Developing the Shaders
If we check our initial plans for the model, we
can see that we need three main materials to
render: one metal, one glass and one brushed
metal material (Fig.10). In order to get these
page 34www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
Chapter 05 Beginners Guide to Modeling Futuristic Vehicles
results, we need to establish a base material.
In this case, we will use a shader that occurs
in mental ray entitled mia_material (Fig.11).
Mia_material has the ability to replicate almost
all materials that surround us, from a simple
Lambert to the most complex metal.
Metal Shader
The metal shader can be seen in Fig.12 and to
create it we first start with the main metal and
then begin to change some of the settings to
create a specific effect. Select the sphere and
assign a new mia_material (Fig.13). Within the
Attribute Editor, assign the following parameters
under the mia_material1 tab (Fig.14):
Diffuse Color
Click the checkbox button to load your texture.
Reflection
- Reflectivity: 0.9
- Glossiness: 0.4
BRDF
- Use Fresnel Reflection: On
- If you want modify the parameters, go to
Refraction and play with Index of Refraction
(Fig.15).
page 35www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
Beginners Guide to Modeling Futuristic Vehicles Chapter 05
Brush Metal Shader
The brush metal shader can be seen in Fig.16
and to create it, first, we need to create a map
for the brush strokes. In Photoshop, add noise
to your canvas and apply Motion blur to create
the thin lines (Fig.17). The map should typically
vary between mid-gray and white. Apply this
map to the re-color option at a scale that is
suitable to depict brushing. Then, again in
Attribute Editor, set the following parameters:
- Diffuse Color: White
- Diffuse Weight: 0.0
- Metal: On
- Glossiness: 0.80
- Anisotropy: 0.1 and use the rotation to align
the highlight properly in the map.
Glass Shader
The glass shader can be seen in Fig.18 and the
settings are as follows:
- BRDF: BRDF Fresnel must be on
- Index Of Refraction: 1.6 / 1.5
- Diffuse weight: 0.0
- Reflectivity: 1.0
- Transparency: 1.0
Conclusion
It is important to always guide yourself with
reference images. Make sure to notice how the
light hits the material, and how much is reflected
off. Also consider how much of the environment
is reflected on the object, and how the hue or
color of the environment impacts the light quality
on the object. These are key aspects to consider
when trying to create realistic shaders.
In the next chapter we will continue lighting our
scene and begin working towards the render
in post-production. See you in the next issue,
thanks for reading.
Renato Gonzalez AguilanteWeb: http://www.vimeo.com/renatogonzalez
Email: [email protected]
modo image by Teodoru Badiu www.theodoru.com
Meet modo.
In this six-part series, digital artist Camilo Duarte Franco breaks down six of the most
common and popular styles of character movement. Over the next few issues, you will
encounter detailed industry-verified techniques that explain a variety of realistic character
walks, from rigging simple animations to more complex character-prop interaction. Look
out for the accompanying videos that demonstrate some of the software processes and
prepare to discover a ton of tips and techniques to apply to your own artwork.
C H A P T E R 0 1Walking | February 2013 | Issue 090
C H A P T E R 0 2Walking up Stairs | March 2013 | Issue 091
C H A P T E R 0 3Walking to Running | April 2013 | Issue 092
C H A P T E R 0 4Running and Jumping | May 2013 | Issue 093
C H A P T E R 0 5Sneak Movements | June 2013 | Issue 094
C H A P T E R 0 6Pushing Weight | July 2013 | Issue 095
page 39www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
Character Animation Chapter 01 Walking
Chapter 01 Walking Software used: Maya
Planning
As a professional animator, I can talk with some
authority about some of the basic movements
inside animation productions.
On a large-scale animation, you can use tools
or cycles to develop a generic walk, stop or run,
though if you want to add a little personality
to your shot, you have to understand whats
happening inside the curves.
First, it is important to have a clear idea of the
process of movement, so I begin researching
types of movement and the specific influences
it has on body shape and muscle so as to make
the movement as realistic as possible.
Personally, I prefer to make a video and
interpret the mechanics in the pose, such as the
relationship between the legs and hips. After
that, we can cast some poses and play with the
timing to add personality to the walk.
You need to consider the following, when
designing your character:
important to recognize the relationship between
the legs and upper chest, and how it rotates and
shifts when accelerating and decelerating.
When working with a character, make sure to
pay attention to its anatomical design. You may
find that the proportions are not the same as the
human figure you have made a reference sheet
of. This means you have to adjust in each of the
poses.
Now, with the character in Maya, make a quick
keyboard shortcut that selects the whole body
(Fig.02). This will make it quicker and easier to
1. Where is the character coming from, and
where are they going?
2. What is the goal of the shot?
Once this is determined, you can begin to form
an image of the way your character will walk.
First, create a good reference sheet composed
of three or four movement shots in order to
understand what is happening in the hips when
walking.
You can now begin to sketch out the basic line
of action; this is an imaginary line that links the
feet, hips, shoulders and head (Fig.01). It is
page 40www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
Chapter 01 Walking Character Animation
center of the contact point in each pose, as any
misalignment will cause your character to be off
balance.
Next, create basic rotations in the upper chest.
From observation, I have noticed that the chest
rocks in sync with the lower body. To create a
realistic walk, therefore, include a main rotation
on the frame of your character (Fig.04).
You should also consider the shoulders; these
should be thought of as the brows of the body,
and the arms, and should be modified so as to
get a nice arc in the movement later. Also, add
manipulate the image. Locate the Script Editor
> Edit Clear History, then choose and select the
keyboard controls you plan to use and drop to
the main shelf to create a button.
Blocking Process
I tend to start the process with the hips and legs.
Block the translations and rotations on the hips,
specifically using X rotation, as we will use this
to play with the balance in the body. You can
tweak this curve to create an acceleration and
deceleration effect (12) (Fig.03).
Find the point of gravity of your character. It
is important to get as close as possible to the
X rotations in the head as this will complement
the full body swing and make the whole
animation more natural.
At the end of this process, check that the
character has enough spacing for his body
shape, and then play with the timing to make the
walk more unique (Fig.05), (Video.01 02).
Spline Process
As a lot of the bodys movement is grounded
in the hips, it is good practice to start here
and move to extremities later. Add in the little
rotations on the hips (translate Y), fix the pops
in the knees and check the curves to ensure the
movement is smooth.
When working with the hips on a character,
you can use translate Z to create the effect of
acceleration, and translate Y to smooth out the
ups and downs.
If you copy the pattern of movement in translate
Y on the hips to the upper chest, and offset the
movement by one or two frames, you can mirror
the movement and create the smooth ripple
of movement that naturally occurs in the body
(Fig.06).
You can add slow ins and outs in the shoulders
and arms to create contrasting curves to the
hips and upper chest.
Working specifically on the steps, you need
to hone the foot and toe rolls. The subtlety of
page 41www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
Character Animation Chapter 01 Walking
movement here will depend on how many keys
you add in each time frame.
Try to capture the weight in the foot before the
roll and move them forward, though be careful
with the momentum when the foot is in the air.
The curve of movement should be clean. I tend
to create a motion track in the feet to control the
highest keys and smooth out the movement.
The toe roll works in the same way, though
focuses on movement at the start and end of
the step. The amount of keys depends on the
shoe or how fleshy you want the foot to appear
(Fig.07).
Fig.08 depicts the contact pose after the
pass position. Take two or three frames for
this movement, depending on the effect you
want. Its not advisable to take a single frame,
as it can look too fast for natural movement.
Taking your time and allowing the character to
amble or lope in a natural fashion will make the
movement more realistic.
Finally, you can add more details such as head
accents, eye darts and some finger overlapping.
These will add a few unique traits to your
characters movement and should match the
impression you are trying to impose (Video.03
05).
Camilo Duarte FrancoWeb: http://www.camiloduarte.tumblr.com/
Email: [email protected]
Credits and thanks to:
Josh Sobel
Bonnie Rig V1.0
http://www.joshsobelanimator.com
Brian Horgan
Ghost Script
http://www.graphite9.com
chapter 08 - finalizing the lighting
In the modern world so many things seem to become popular and then disappear just as quickly as they arrived, however the games industry has proven
itself to be ever present and continues to develop and thrive. For any CG artist the games industry continues to be the most obvious and abundant form
of employment, but taking the step from a modeler to creating a games level at a professional standard is no easy task. In this series of tutorials industry
professional Andrew Finch will be talking you through how to make a very cool playable games level using the Unreal Development Kit. Whether you are
looking to create a cool portfolio piece or just looking for a fun project to try, this tutorial series is perfect for you.
page 45www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
The Submarine Pen Chapter 08 Finalizing the Lighting
Chapter 08 Finalizing the LightingSoftware used: UDK, 3ds Max and Photoshop
Welcome to the eighth part of my tutorial series
in which Im guiding you through the process of
creating an environment using UDK software.
This is an intermediate-level tutorial and so you
should have at least a basic working knowledge
of this software.
This tutorial is about the process of creating an
entire environment, therefore I wont be focusing
on producing an amazing asset, but rather just
giving a broader overview of the whole process.
In the last chapter, we completed a first pass of
the lighting to give us an idea of the colors we
will be using to illuminate our scene. We also
placed decals around the environment to help
add that extra level of realism and break up
repetition in the textures.
In this chapter I want to continue by adding the
smaller details to transition this environment
from a mediocre scene to a professional-looking
portfolio piece. To achieve this, I will look into
adding extra lights to highlight areas of the
environment that I want to show off. So lets get
started!
As I said earlier in this project you should create
all of your own assets to be placed in the scene.
Due to the time restrictions on this project Im
having to use assets already available in the
UDK library.
Fig.03 gives an idea of the final lighting scheme
in the scene with all light assets in place. In
order to maintain the atmosphere, I have only
placed enough assets to light the darker corners
and cast some interesting shadows.
You can see I have placed three lights along the
bridge in the foreground. Ive placed these here
as I think it will warn the player of a potential
walkway and also indicate the height of the
bridge from the submarines perspective.
Realistically, a work environment has more than
one kind of light. For example, an office has
strip lights that flood the room, but also desk
lamps or even PC monitors that add small pools
of light. The same principle goes for our sub pen
Fig.01 shows three assets I have set up in
advance and prepared to be placed in the
scene. These assets also have an illuminating
element, so when they are placed in the scene
each object will emit a small amount of light;
however, these alone wont be enough to
illuminate the scene so I will later boost this with
extra omni lights.
Fig.02 shows the light asset placed in the
scene. I have tried to imagine where lights
would be placed in real life and placed the
objects accordingly; places such as doorways,
hazardous spots or walkways are usually most
appropriate. Its also best to keep it simple
when placing lights as you dont want to over-
complicate the scene.
page 46www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
Chapter 08 Finalizing the Lighting The Submarine Pen
environment, as we have sunlight cascading
through the entrance and small light assets
placed around the scene. I also want to add a
strip light along the higher parts of the level. This
will help create bigger shadows on the floor and
lower parts of the level.
Fig.04 shows the strip light asset in the UDK
library as S_L_Light_SM_fluorecent01b.
Fig.05 shows the strip light placed around
the scene. I have placed the strip light assets
behind the wire assets in order to highlight the
wire and create some interesting silhouettes. It
was difficult to see the wire before this light was
placed, though now it springs to life and adds
some real depth to the composition, which is
very important when trying to create a realistic
element in your artwork.
The last light I will place in the scene is a floor
light that is attached to a wire. Fig.06 shows this
light asset.
Fig.07 shows the light asset placed in the
scene. You can see that Ive placed it directly
on the floor and behind the wire mesh fence.
Ive done this for the same reasons that Ive
placed the strip lighting behind the wire assets.
The floor light will illuminate the scene from
behind the fence, casting some nice shadows
and adding an extra layer of depth to our
composition.
page 47www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
The Submarine Pen Chapter 08 Finalizing the Lighting
Fig.11 shows how I then continue to place
similar sized omni lights over the other light
assets around the scene. In this image, I want
the lights on the platform to have a warmer color
so as to distinguish them from the lights placed
Fig.08 shows the scene with all the light
assets placed in the scene and a new light
bake. In my opinion, the environment is now
looking a little bit too warm and over-lit. A
submarine pen is supposed to be a cold and
dangerous environment, but this lighting setup
is contradicting that. To remedy this, we can
select and delete the red and orange omni
lights as they are no longer needed. I think the
light assets will provide us with enough light to
illuminate the scene.
Fig.09 gives an impression of the environment
with an updated light bake. The image now
looks a lot darker and colder and fits with the
atmosphere I am aiming for.
The scene is still a little too dark, though
this is easily resolved by boosting the light
being emoted by the light assets and letting
the LightMass (bounce lighting) calculations
illuminate the darker areas of the environment. I
much prefer the overall impression of this image
when compared to Fig.08.
To boost the light emitted from the light assets,
we can place a simple omni light just in front
of the light asset. Shown here in Fig.10, the
omni light has a small radius and a colder blue
coloration. Keep in mind when placing the light
that the LightMass calculation will bounce the
emitted light around the nearby area and help to
illuminate the dark corners, so dont worry if the
radius of the omni light is smaller than you think
it should be.
on the walls. By keeping the brightness and
radius settings the same, I ensure that these
lights are not too warm, but just warm enough to
give the desired effect.
page 48www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
Chapter 08 Finalizing the Lighting The Submarine Pen
The longer strip lights have a larger surface area
of light so this needs to be replicated in the omni
lights we place. I increase the radius of the omni
lights to accommodate the size of the assets
and also double the brightness to emulate the
power of the light being emitted from florescent
tubes. Fig.12 shows the larger omni lights
placed in the scene.
This is the same room that originally contained
the large red omni light that was deleted earlier.
I still want this room to have a red hue, so as to
distinguish this area as one of danger, so I give
the smaller omni lights a red coloration. I also
make the radius of the lights larger as I want
them to be more noticeable and have a greater
impact on the environment (Fig.13).
To further more add interest to our environment;
I decide to add some lights under the ground.
In Fig.14, you can see how I have placed
eight small, orange omni lights along the pipes
running underground.
I then change the color to help distinguish
them from the lights placed above ground. This
page 49www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
The Submarine Pen Chapter 08 Finalizing the Lighting
serves the same purpose as the strip lights, by
giving the scene an extra layer of depth that was
already present, though not discernible due to
the previous placement of light.
Fig.15 17 show the final scene with the
lighting now complete.
This scene is still not complete, as I want to
add finishing touches such as: lens flares,
color balancing and depth of field, to add that
extra level of realism. I will go through all those
processes in the next and final chapter of this
tutorial series.
Until next time, try experimenting with different
lighting setups and see how changing a few
settings can really change the mood of your
environment. Thanks for reading!
Andrew FinchEmail: [email protected]
LIGHTING TECHNICAL DIRECTORTAMIR DIAB
PIPELINE TECHNICAL DIRECTORBORAE CHO
COMPOSITORJOSE JULIAN KARAM LOPEZ
PREVISUALIZATION SUPERVISORNICHOLAS MARKEL
SENIOR RIGGERGIORGIO BERTOLONE
DIGITAL COMPOSITORFRANK AKRONG
ROTO ARTISTROTO ARTISTROTO ARTISTCHRYSTIA SIOLKOWSKY
DIGITAL COMPOSITORJUSTINE CODRON
VISUAL EFFECTS SUPERVISORGEOFFREY HANCOCK
GENERALIST TDEMANUELE BIGNONE
DIGITAL ARTISTSANTHOSHI BALASUBRAMANIAN
SENIOR ANIMATORMIKE DHARNEY
ANIMATORANIMATORANDREW PARK
PAINT/ROTO ARTISTABEL VARGAS
ANIMATORPHAN WIANTRAKOON
ANIMATION SUPERVISORDAPHNE DE JESUS
EFFECTS ARTISTBILL WATRAL
COMPOSITORCOREY COATES
ANIMATORJUANI GUIRALDES
ANIMATORROLAND VALLET
ANIMATORANDREW LAWSON
CREATURE TECHNICAL DIRECTORSCOTT JONES
ANIMATION SUPERVISORSENIOR ANIMATOR AARON GILMAN
COMPOSITOR SAPTARSHI CHAKRABORTY
CG SEQUENCE LEAD PIETRO PONTI
TEXTURE ARTIST JAMIE BOWERS
JUNIOR COMPOSITOR MOISES FLORES CABRERA
VISUAL EFFECTS ARTIST JOSE YAPOR
ANIMATOR JOHN WONG
CAMERA TECHNICAL DIRECTORCAMERA TECHNICAL DIRECTORCAMERA TECHNICAL DIRECTOR LOUIS COX
DIGITAL COMPOSITOR GIANCARLO D'ERCHIE
SENIOR ANIMATOR AMY LU
PAINT/ROTO ARTIST MARCELA A. SILVA
WITNESS CAMERA OPERATOR JAMES ROBERTS
VISUAL EFFECTS ARTIST GIA SADHWANI
PREVIS ARTIST MATT WEAVER
or Digital Paint Artist
SENIOR DIGITAL PAINT ARTIST ADAM BRADLEY
SENIOR PAINT ARTIST CESAR RODRIGUEZ BAUTISTA
LIGHTING TECHNICAL DIRECTOR MATT WHEELER
SENIOR LIGHTING ARTIST JUSTIN HAMMOND
DIGITAL PAINT ARTIST ALEX BERSON
CHARACTER RIGGING SUPERVISOR GERARD VAN OMMEN KLOEKE
LIGHTING TECHNICAL DIRECTOR KIERAN TETHER
PAINT/ROTO ARTIST MICHAEL PLOTNIKOV
LEAD ANIMATOR STEPHEN KING
PREVISUALIZATION ARTIST JOSH LANGE
DATA I/O ADMINISTRATOR MARY-MARGARET CONLEY
COMPOSITOR ROMMEL SHAMOUN
LEAD ANIMATORSENIOR ANIMATOR CEDRIC LO
DIGITAL COMPOSITORARTHUR LOBO
COMPOSITORJOOYONG LEE
| Jessica Chan, Animator | John Wong, Animator | Serguei Kalentchouk, Character TD | The Twilight Saga: Eclipse | Shawn Walsh, Visual Effects Executive Producer | Brian Harder, Creature Rigger | Veronica Marino, Matte Painter/ Compositor | Robert Bourgeault, Lighting Lead | Ori Ben-Shabat, Compositor | Jacob Curtis Miller, Lighting Artist | Derek Stevenson, Matchmove Lead | Thor | Daphne De Jesus, Roto/Paint Artist | Anna Tonrungroj, Roto/Paint Artist | Eric Petey, Animation and Rigging Lead | Rex Fang, Animator | Kristin Sedore, Senior Lighter | Toy Story 3 | Daniel Holland, Sets Artist | Tristan Ikuta, Simulation & Effects Artist | Bill Watral, Additional Simulation & Effects Artist | Transformers: Dark of the Moon | Serguei Kalentchouk, Rigging Lead | Jooyong Lee, Roto/Paint Artist | TRON: Legacy | Craig Calvert, CG Supervisor | Brenda Li, Roto/Paint Artist | Jose Julian Karam Lopez, Digital Compositor | Christopher Ahrens, Lighting Artist | Alberto Landeros, Digital Compositor | True Grit | Tom Piedmont, Roto/Paint Artist | Uncharted 2: Among Thieves | Mike Yosh, Lead Animator | Up | Bill Watral, Visual Effects Artist | WALL-E | Daniel Holland, Production Artist | Bill Watral, Effects Artist Mark Shirra, Layout Artist | Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II | Nathan Hocken, Lead Animator | Ian Cumming, Senior Artist | Claire Roberts, Artist Christine Hubbard, Artist | Allan Dilks, Artist | Watchmen | Shawn Walsh, Visual Effects Supervisor | Lon Molnar, Visual Effects Supervisor | Sean Lewkiw, Technical Head of 3D | Ty Duperron, Modeler | Pearl Hsu, 3D Artist Matthias Lowry, Digital Compositor | The Wolfman | Karin Mattsson, Animator | Joshua Herrig, Lighting Artist/Look Dev Artist | Zombieland | Mike Rhone, Visual Effects Artist to name a few. A small selection of VFS Animation & Visual Effects alumni credits include | 2012 | Zeke Norton, Previsualization Supervisor | Jamie Bowers, Texture Artist | Christine Peterson, Digital Compositor | Anuj Patil, Senior Technical Director | Alice in Wonderland | Ken Kaiser, Animator | Veronica Marino, Compositor | Phan Wiantrakoon, Animator | John Iskandar, Visual Effects Artist | Jacob Curtis Miller, Digital Artist | Geeta Basantani, Digital Matte Painter | Andrew Lawson, Character Animator | Assassins Creed: Brotherhood Zack Mathew, Animator | Wilson Mui, Team Lead Animation | Avatar | Michael Cozens, Lead Animator | Tamir Diab, Technical Director | Patrick Kalyn, Animator | Chrystia Siolkowsky, Motion Editor | Ben Sanders, Animator | Alfredo Luzardo, Layout Technical Director | Aaron Gilman, Character Animator | Jami Gigot, Texture Artist | Bioshock 2 | Jacob Palmer, Animator | Bobs Burgers | Tammy Dubinsky, Animator | Nathan Keane, Animation Effects | Jake Biberdorf, Animation Supervisor | Coraline Brian Demoskoff, Animator | The Dark Knight | Gia Sadhwani, Digital Effects Artist | Freddy Chavez, DMR Compositor | Pietro Ponti, Lead CG Lighting Artist | Dead Rising 2 | Fredrick Fass, Animator | Dead Space 2 | Wayne Gonsalves, Environment Art Lead | Despicable Me | Justine Codron, Lighter | District 9 | Neill Blomkamp, Director/Co-Writer | Shawn Walsh, Visual Effects Executive Producer | Samson Wong, Matchmove Artist | Robert Bourgeault, Lighting Lead | Richard Sur, Lighting Technical Director | Paul Copeland, Visual Effects Artist | Julianna Kolakis, Creature Texture Painter | Jelmer Boskma, Modeler | James Stewart, Creature Supervisor | Derek Stevenson, Matchmove Lead | Drag Me to Hell | Thomas Schelesny, Visual Effects Supervisor | Dragon Age II | Nathan Zufelt, Senior Cinematic Animator | Family Guy | Michael Loya, Storyboard Artist Fast Five Rommel Shamoun, Compositor | Anthony Di Ninno, Animator | Fringe | Bob White, Visual Effects Artist | Scott Dewis, CGI Supervisor | Futurama | Claudia Keene, Prop Designer | Gears of War 2 | Scott Dossett, Senior
A small selection of VFS Animation & Visual Effects alumni credits include | 2012 | Zeke Norton, Previsualization Supervisor | Jamie Bowers, Texture Artist | Christine Peterson, Digital Compositor | Anuj Patil, Senior Technical Director | Alice in Wonderland | Ken Kaiser, Animator | Veronica Marino, Compositor | Phan Wiantrakoon, Animator | John Iskandar, Visual Effects Artist | Jacob Curtis Miller, Digital Artist | Geeta Basantani, Digital Matte Painter | Andrew Lawson, Character Animator | Assassins Creed: Brotherhood Zack Mathew, Animator | Wilson Mui, Team Lead Animation | Avatar | Michael Cozens, Lead Animator | Tamir Diab, Technical Director | Patrick Kalyn, Animator | Chrystia Siolkowsky, Motion Editor | Ben Sanders, Animator | Alfredo Luzardo, Layout Technical Director | Aaron Gilman, Character Animator | Jami Gigot, Texture Artist | Bioshock 2 | Jacob Palmer, Animator | Bobs Burgers | Tammy Dubinsky, Animator | Nathan Keane, Animation Effects | Jake Biberdorf, Animation Supervisor | Coraline Brian Demoskoff, Animator | The Dark Knight | Gia Sadhwani, Digital Effects Artist | Freddy Chavez, DMR Compositor | Pietro Ponti, Lead CG Lighting Artist | Dead Rising 2 | Fredrick Fass, Animator | Dead Space 2 | Wayne Gonsalves, Environment Art Lead | Despicable Me | Justine Codron, Lighter | District 9 | Neill Blomkamp, Director/Co-Writer | Shawn Walsh, Visual Effects Executive Producer | Samson Wong, Matchmove Artist | Robert Bourgeault, Lighting Lead | Richard Sur, Lighting Technical Director | Paul Copeland, Visual Effects Artist | Julianna Kolakis, Creature Texture Painter | Jelmer Boskma, Modeler | James Stewart, Creature Supervisor | Derek Stevenson, Matchmove Lead | Drag Me to Hell | Thomas Schelesny, Visual Effects Supervisor | Dragon Age II | Nathan Zufelt, Senior Cinematic Animator | Family Guy | Michael Loya, Storyboard Artist Fast Five Rommel Shamoun, Compositor | Anthony Di Ninno, Animator | Fringe | Bob White, Visual Effects Artist | Scott Dewis, CGI Supervisor | Futurama | Claudia Keene, Prop Designer | Gears of War 2 | Scott Dossett, Senior Animator | Halo: Reach | David Helsby, Animator | Matthew Turner, 3D Artist | Rajeev Nattam, 3D Artist | Happy Tree Friends | Brad Rau, Animator | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | Pietro Ponti, TD Generalist | Gia Sadhwani, Digital Effects Artist | Teh-wei Yeh, Lighting TD | Kieran Tether, Digital Artist | Harry Mukhopadhyay, Lead Effects Technical Director | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 | Henry South, Digital Artist | Horton Hears a Who! | Brent Wong, Lighting Technical Director | Arun Ram-Mohan, Lighting Technical Director | How to Train Your Dragon | Tyson Erze, Visual Effects Artist | Jiyoung Lee, Texture Artist | Fredrik Nilsson, Animator | The Illusionist | Yann Tremblay, Senior Animator | Iron Man 2 | Teh-wei Yeh, Digital Artist | Stephen King, Animator | Simeon Bassett, CG Sequence Supervisor | Nicholas Markel, Previsualization Supervisor | Kieran Tether, Digital Artist | Joshua Herrig, Lead Lighting Artist/Look Dev Artist | Ben Sanders, Animator | Allen Holbrook, Animator | King of the Hill | Michael Loya, Director | LA Noire | Upinder Dhaliwal, Motion Capture Data Editor/Cinematics Editor | Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of GaHoole | Tim Rowlandson, Animator | Mars Needs Moms! | Shraga Weiss, Character Modeller | Kirk Chantraine, Motion Capture Technical Director | Joel Pennington, Motion Capture Technical Director | Mass Effect 2 | Kolby Jukes, Principal Artist | Brian Sum, Concept Artist | Bartek Kujbida, Senior Cinematics Animator | Megamind | Rani Naamani, Animator/Character Lead | ModNation Racers | Eric Gabas, Senior Environment Artist | Monsters vs. Aliens | Jiyoung Lee, Texture Artist | Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian | Nicholas Augello, Technical Animator | Adam Yaniv, Animation Supervisor | Zeke Norton, Previsualization Supervisor | Rex Ahn, Pre-Visualization Lead | Joshua Herrig, Lead Lighter | Ben Sanders, Supervising Animator | Ai Saimoto, Lighting Lead | Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief | Dave Mah, Animator | Ryan Lim, Concept & Creature Artist | Richard Sur, Lighting TD | Julien Stuart-Smith, Look Development | Jeffrey Burt, Lead Layout Artist | Piranha | Lon Molnar, Visual Effects Production Executive | Christopher Buzon, Tracking/Lighting | The Princess and the Frog | Claudia Keene, Key Assistant Animator | Rango | Cedric Lo, Lead Animator | Scott Jones, Creature Lead | Kieran Tether, Digital Artist Red Dead Redemption Josh Lange, Senior Animator Rio Graham Silva, Character Animator | Rock Band 3 | Mike Krentz, Artist | Scott Pilgrim vs. the World | Joel Meire, Animator | Shrek Forever After | Javier Solsona, Character Technical Director | Tom Piedmont, Rotoscoper | SpongeBob SquarePants | Andrew Overtoom, Animation Director | Star Trek | Teh-wei Yeh, Digital Artist | Nicholas Markel, Previsualization Supervisor | Kieran Tether, Digital Artist | Aruna Inversin, Digital Compositor | Star Wars: The Clone Wars | KahJeng Cheong, Cloth Simulation Artist | Jim Hatibarua, Animator | Ivy Ho, Lighting Technical Director | Cedric Lo, Animation Supervisor | Brandon Chien-Chia Huang, Animator | Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty | Alvaro Buendia, Cinematic Artist | Sucker Punch | Ben Dishart, Senior Surfacing Artist | Jeff Tetzlaff, Model/Texture Lead | Tuba Yalcin, Effects Technical Director | Jeffrey Burt, Lead Layout Artist | Ferda Guray Ayaokur, Track/Matchmove Artist | Tangled | Lino DiSalvo, Supervising Animator
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
PROMETHEUS
BRAVE
THE AVENGERS
ARGO
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED
JOURNEY
THE BOURNE LEGACY
THEN YOU'VE SEEN THE WORK OF VFS ANIMATION & VISUAL EFFECTS GRADS
VFS CONNECTS THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY.
LEARN MORE AT VFS.COM/3DTOTAL
CG STUDENT AWARDS
SCHOOL OF
THE YEAR2010, 2011
& 2012
WRECK-IT RALPH
THE TWILIGHT SAGA:BREAKING DAWN
PART 2
WATCHED A BLOCKBUSTER LATELY?
This four-part tutorial series focuses on creating a realistic and detailed sculpt within a set time limit. Artists are given a time limit of three hours and
a base mesh, and over the series, strive to demonstrate some of the best methods of creating a perfect humanoid portrait. Each tutorial will cover a
different character from concept to post-production, and aim to pass on some useful techniques to aid you in creating your own speedy 3D images
(perfect for portfolio building!). There are no set specifications, and artists are free to be as creative as possible under the set time limit, so stand by for
some interesting outcomes in this fascinating series.
page 53www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
ZBrush Character Sculpting 2 Chapter 01
Chapter 01 Software used: ZBrush
Introduction
When doing a speed sculpt its important to
work on the big shapes and be loose and
experimental. This allows you to make a whole
bunch of character or creature concepts for
a client (or yourself) in a short period of time,
without getting stuck on details.
For this image, even though it wasnt important
to add details like small wrinkles and pores, I
found that I had the time to do so later on in my
3 hour limit. The majority of time (2hrs 45mins)
was spent on modeling; the rest, and more, (1hr
10mins) was spent on the render.
Rough Modeling
I start the model by loading the DefaultSphere
from LightBox (hotkey ,). I then pull this
sphere a little with the Move brush, just to get
basic shape to start off with (Fig.01). To avoid
stretching, I convert the image to a dynamesh at
a fairly low resolution (40), since I only want to
work on the big forms at the beginning.
I start blocking out something that resembles a
humanoid skull and chest. I find it useful to use
the Trim Dynamic and Clip brushes at this early
stage to get some coarse features in the model.
jaw stand out, I mask it off with the Mask Lasso
brush while looking at the model from the side. I
then pull out the jaw with the Move brush.
Dont forget that you can move the faces in the
brushs direction by pressing the Alt button while
moving. I do this quite often as you dont have to
rotate the model around when using this feature.
Its also good to work with the Standard brush at
a low Z intensity (Fig.03).
Refining the Features
At this time, I feel that I have the general form of
the character pretty much complete, so I want to
progress a bit in the subdivisions.
I now start scribbling out some features on the
face with the Dam Standard brush (Fig.02).
These are used as a kind of sketch just to get
my ideas flowing. I dont intend for these sketch
carvings to stay there forever, so I can smooth
them out later with the Smooth brush.
I also find it helpful to suggest the eye sockets
and the cheekbones early on. When I started
I didnt really have any idea of what kind of
character I wanted, but now there is an idea in
my head that he should be an ogre-like brute.
I continue working on the profile of the character
with the Move brush. In order to make his lower
page 54www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
Chapter 01 ZBrush Character Sculpting 2
and place it on the figure correctly (Fig.05). Its
helpful to activate Transparency when doing
this. The Transparency button can be found in
the lower right side of the document.
When the eyeball is in place, it is easier to
sculpt the eyelids. Fig.06 shows the highest
and lowest point of the upper and lower eyelids
(marked with arrows). I then use the SubTool
Master (ZPlugin > SubTool Master > Mirror) to
mirror the eye to the other side of the face.
I continue to refine some of the details. Fig.07
shows a few of the bone structure adjustments:
1. The flat part of the frontal bone.
2. A simplified diagram of the nose.
3. Fat pockets above the upper eyelid that I
First, I re-dynamesh the model (Ctrl + drag
on the document) and subdivide it into three
sections. When working with DynaMesh, I
usually set Blur to 0 in order to keep the texture
of the model fairly rough.
In Fig.04 I have marked in red the T overlap
in the upper part of the eye socket. This is
something easily over-looked as the fat and
tissue in this area hides the bone structure; but
I find it useful to exaggerate this at the start of a
model to get the correct proportions. I also add a
small ear and more fat hanging from the jaw.
In order to sculpt the area around the eye, I
always bring in a sphere to help me get the
correct shape. I add the Sphere 3D (Tool >
Subtool > Append) into the model, scale it down
sculpt with the Clay Buildup brush.
4. Wrinkles radiating from the mouth can be
found above and below the mouth on
an old human being, but here Ive only
sculpted them above the mouth.
5. Wrinkles going around the mouth are
mostly seen on the lower jaw but can
also be found less pronounced above the
mouth.
6. Fat that builds up on the neck tends to
create folds that encircle the neck. These
are created when a person tilts their head.
The characters face feels a little bit empty at
this point, so I decide to give him a bit more
character by adding some teeth with the
Curve Tube brush. As you only can work with
the insert brushes on a subtool with a single
page 55www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
ZBrush Character Sculpting 2 Chapter 01
subdivision, I switch to the eye subtool when I
add the teeth.
After the base geometry is in place I start
pushing the teeth around with the Move brush to
get a better shape. You can also mask off one
tooth at a time and use the Scale Transpose line
(hotkey S) to flatten them. To get a sharper
look I add some finish with the Trim Dynamic
brush (Fig.08).
As Im feeling indecisive about how I should
tackle the big features in the face, I decide to
add some more wrinkles with the Dam Standard
brush (Fig.09). I always do this on a separate
layer so I can turn the layer off and protect
the wrinkles when I want to work on the basic
shape. Its also good practice to add a new
layer, sculpt and then merge with your old layer
if the sculpting turns out well. This is a good way
to give yourself more scope to experiment and
correct your work.
After adding all of the wrinkles, I start to add
volume to the area between the wrinkles to give
them a much fleshier feel. This is easily done
with the Standard brush on a low Z intensity
(Fig.10).
I want to create a quick pose for my character
in order to break up the symmetry. To do this, I
use the Transpose Master and activate Layer so
that the new pose will be put on a separate layer
for each subtool. I go to ZPlugin > Transpose
Master and press TPoseMesh to create a new
tool for posing.
When posing any kind of head I usually just use
the Mask Lasso tool to mask off the head and
rotate it with the Rotate Transpose line (hotkey
R). I drag out a transpose line from the middle
of the head and then move the transpose line
by dragging the line (not the white or red rings)
to the position where the head meets the neck.
Now I can rotate the head by dragging the white
ring on the transpose line that is in front of the
head.
page 56www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
Chapter 01 ZBrush Character Sculpting 2
When I am done with posing, I select TPose
> SubTool (ZPlugin > Transpose Master) to
transfer the pose to the model. After the pose is
done I add some asymmetry in the face with the
Move brush (Fig.11).
Adding the Detail
Since I have some time left on my 3 hour limit,
I decide to do some skin detail. I create two
separate passes on two different layers that I
will later combine.
The left-hand figure in Fig.12 shows the skin
wrinkles on the character. I do a new version
of the Standard brush (Brush > Clone) and use
alpha 58 for the alpha slot. I then set the stroke
to Spray with a low value on Stroke > Flow and
set the Brush > Orientation > Spin Rate to 10. I
use this brush to sculpt the small skin wrinkles.
Its a pretty fast way of adding skin structure, but
make sure you apply this effect evenly.
The right-hand figure in Fig.12 shows some
skin bumps. To make these, I created a new
version of the Standard brush (Brush > Clone)
with alpha 47 in the alpha slot. I set the stroke to
Spray with a low value on Stroke > Flow and a
high or top value for the Stroke > Placement.
Adding Color
Now that the sculpting is done, I want to do a
quick polypainting on the character. I change
my brush to Standard, turn off Zadd and turn on
RGB. These buttons can be found in the middle
upper part of the UI. I create a new layer and
page 57www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
ZBrush Character Sculpting 2 Chapter 01
paint it with a gray color. After that I switch to
black and start to add some value to different
parts of the face (Fig.13).
To add some grime in the skin I import a
concrete texture (Texture > Import) and bring
it into a spotlight (Texture > Add to Spotlight).
Before I start painting, I increase the spotlight
radius to make it easier to see my model when
painting. After that, I increase the contrast in
the image by dragging the Contrast icon on the
spotlight wheel (Fig.14).
To go into Paint mode in spotlight, I press the
hotkey Z on the keyboard and paint the concrete
on a new layer (Fig.15).
page 58www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
Chapter 01 ZBrush Character Sculpting 2
After doing the concrete painting, I turn off
spotlight (Shift + Z) and return to my base layer.
Now I change Brush > Alpha and Texture >
Polypaint mode to 2 (Colorize) and paint the
base paint layer with color (Fig.16).
As ZBrush only has Normal blending mode on
Polypaint layers, I need to create a mask based
on my concrete layer and paint the darker color
on a new layer. To do this, I turn on the eye
icon on the concrete layer, click Tool > Masking
> Mask by Intensity and create a new layer
(Fig.17). The masking will be on the new layer.
After this is done I turn off the concrete layer,
activate Rec on the new layer with the intensity
mask and paint it in a dark color. I fine-tune this
tone by dialing down the layer opacity until I find
a level I like (Fig.18).
Daniel BystedtWeb: http://dbystedt.wordpress.com/
Email: [email protected]
Designing New WorldsThis brand new series focuses on designing an alien world, from concepts to final illustrations. Gerhard Mozsi kicks off by looking at characters.
Harpoons and Spear-based WeaponsIn the final part of our Weapon Design series, Daniel Baker talks us through how to design a sci-fi harpoon.
Custom Brushes for CharactersWeve reached the penultimate part of this series, and Bart Tiongson delivers this scary-looking Yeti, whilst talking through his processes.
Digital Painting MagazineIssue 085 January 2013
The GalleryAndrey Pervukhin,Edvige Faini,plus more!
InterviewAndree Wallin
ArticlesSketchbook ofAekkarat Sumutchaya
Cover Im
age by Ignacio Bazan Lazcano
A brand new series by Ignacio Bazan Lazcano, walking through how to
paint a complex scene, step-by-step.
NEW!
NEW!
3DTotal presents the new issue of 2dartistmagazine: a downloadable monthly magazine for concept art, digital & matte painting for only 2.99 (approx $4.79 - 3.69)
visit www.2dartistmag.com to preview the latest issue, subscription offers and to purchase back issues.
OU
T NO
W!
OU
T NO
W!
Robert Craig gives us a closer look at the creation of last issues playful gallery image Art
Class. Taking us from the initial idea through to polishing and post-processing, Robs detailed
demonstrations are chocked-full of useful tips for creating your own Art Class-inspired scenes.
I keep the modeling fairly simple, using basic poly modeling and
subdivision techniques.
page 63www.3dcreativemag.com Issue 090 February 2013
Art Class Making Of
Art ClassSoftware used: Maya
Introduction
After coming up with the initial idea for a scene,
I like to first do some work on developing the
overall look and composition of the image in
Maya. The aim of this phase is to block out the
shapes, camera and lighting early on and get
these elements working together nicely.
This part is the equivalent to a 3D sketch for
me, and although many of the elements will be
replaced later on, I find it valuable to work out
the composition and experiment a bit with a
simple version of the scene.
Also I find that by working like this, I have a
better idea of my scene before getting into final
details. That way I can better choose which
areas benefit the most from extra attention to
detail, and avoid wasting time creating things I
later find I dont need.
Part 1: Drafting the Shapes
First off, as Im making an indoor scene, I block
out the walls with a basic elongated cube shape
and create a new camera positioned inside it.
Next I create some basic poly shapes as a quick
way to visualize the main forms inside the room
(Fig.01).
At this stage I already have a few ideas for the
objects Id like to see in there, such as a black
board, desks, chairs and toy boxes. I quickly
make some basic low poly representations of
those objects as a starting point to work out
the overall weights and masses of the scenes
composition (Fig.02).
Usually I just start with whichever primitive
is closest in shape to what I want to make,
subdivide it a bit, then move points and extrude
faces until I have a reasonable representation of
the shape I want.
I like to stay low poly for this stage so that I can
play around with scale and form pretty quickly.
Once I feel like I have a decent arrangement,
I usually add some lighting to start to get a
feel for what part the lighting will play in the
composition.
Initial Lighting
Although a lot of artists I know prefer to leave
lighting until the latter stages of a project, I firmly
believe in lighting early. The reason for this is
that having a decent idea of what the lighting
is doing can be a big help when it comes to
working on other parts of the scene.
If you were to fully model a scene and be tied to
a layout that you dont want to change, it can be
harder to find a light angle that gives the perfect
shading to the scene and draws attention where
you want. Its nice to establish your lighting
early and then have the chance to work objects,
layout and camera into the lighting, rather than
the other way around.
At this stage Ill use a simple lighting setup to
allow for quick iteration and fast render times
(Fig.03). Later on Ill replace most of this
lighting with something a bit more complicated,
but at this stage Im just trying to work o