Week 3 & 4 - Blending the Tank Bug Photobash

Blending all the photos together into a finished piece of art seemed daunting at first, until I got the hang of it. I first added some more pattern by overlapping another photo in places where it was needed: on the chest plate I added a piece of a big whose shell looked similar to a metallic surface with vertical lines using a clipping mask and reducing the opacity. On the boots I used a piece of one of the black beetles than overlapped a grey-metallic one over it to make it fit into the colour palette and with the rest of the textures. 

I used a lot of reference, especially for the metallic surface and the latex-like suit underneath. A lot of the times it was just a matter of tweaking the lighting so it would come from the right, as well as increasing the contrast by painting over some areas. On the skirt I used an ink brush to draw the claw scratches and a noisy brush to add a bit of wear to the metal. Also, on the helmet I used a cloud like noise brush in order to obtain more variation in the surface and give the impression of worn out and slightly dull metal. 

After getting the hang of it and understanding the workflow, things went smoothly and, even though I know I still have a lot to learn, I am now a bit more confident in my photobashing skills. 

After getting some feedback, I will see what can be refined more, and update with the final, polished version. 

My Comfort Zone

Getting out of my comfort zone is a very scary thought and maybe this fear is what keeps me from growing faster and better as an artist.

Ever since I started to draw I enjoyed creating characters and drawing humans the most, maybe because of the complexity of it, both in terms of technique and in terms of conveying the character's personality and backstory through their looks, their clothing and generally the way they are drawn. 

That being said, I am also confident in my storytelling skills. I have been writing stories and following online writing classes ever since I was little, and I believe this will help me think up the stories behind my character's design, adding a plus of creativity and detail. That, if I practice applying this skill in game art.

My style is generally stylized, maybe towards the cartoony side. I won't lie: I find realistic stuff boring most of the time and I am mostly inclined towards the fantasy-medieval themes. Even in 3D, I lean more towards a stylized look, which can be seen especially in my first year house project, and maybe the gladiator, but I will have to work more in 3D to be sure. 

On the other hand I dislike drawing vehicles, robots, mechanic things... not because I wouldn't want to do it, but because it involves leaving my comfort zone and making mistakes, things that make me highly anxious and self-conscious. 

Also, I still find the 3D modelling workflow quite daunting, especially Substance Painter and Substance Designer, which are very new to me. 

Since the industry can be harsh and the character artist is one of the most sought out jobs, I am aware that I might not become one right after graduating. That being said, I want to get out of my comfort zone and go into the environment art more, developing more diverse skills. I plan on starting making some personal projects, creating some small props and then increasing the complexity of the object, going to environments. 

I also would like to practice the process of creating 3D art more, beginning from the mood boards and sketches, to detailed concept art and blockout and ending with the modelling (with all its steps: low poly to high poly/ high poly to low poly, texturing, presenting in engine). I will also learn more and practice using Substance Painter and Designer so I get more confident in working with them (as well as the other programs, since I sometimes still get confused when using them and it slows me down). 

Last but not least, I want to reinforce my existing skills, since they are the things I enjoy doing and that I do best and I shouldn't neglect them either.

Week 3 - Pumpkin Unwrap and Bake

The unwrapping took a little bit longer than I would have liked, since the forms were mostly organic and I couldn't straighten them out to make them fit better and make it easier to pack into the texture space. I ended up having to move the leaves on another texture sheet since they didn't fit with the rest unless I sized them down, and since I was offered the resources,I might as well use them. To be honest, I think if I had given myself more time I might have been able to come up with better ways of using the budget I was given, texture wise, but I didn't want to sacrifice time and fall behind with my projects, so I decided to just use another texture sheet for only the leaves. 

The bake turned out well after a few tries where I changed the cage until it fit. There is a bit of artifacting, but it's only in the places where the leaves and vines are stuck to the main pumpkin, so they won't be visible. The bake for the leaves came out well after only two tries, since there weren't as many details. But because they are subtle, the first version didn't capture the details well, they were barely visible because the cage was too far out, so I decreased the distance and they baked well this time.

Week 3 - Material and Surface Properties

Since first year, I've liked drawing glass and metal since I could recreate the reflective surface (not perfectly though, I still have problems with putting in the right amount of contrast) without much of a thought. I enjoyed this task and got so engrossed in it that I didn't notice time passing and finished it in a day of working continuously. It still has its flaws and, after getting feedback, I will most likely have changes to do and some more contrast to add. 

This time I turned the image to greyscale from the beginning hehe.

I first drew some thumbnails to establish what the best composition would be. The second and third thumbnail were quite cramped, so I chose the first one. I sketched the objects and encountered problems in placing them properly on the page. I made the bottles too big, not leaving enough space for the metal pot, so the metal utensil  propped on it didn't have any space left on the page. I had to tweak that in order to not have to redo the whole sketch, so I moved it as if it were turned towards us, which had to be conveyed by using foreshortening (gave myself more work and had to pay for my mistake, but it was a good exercise).

I started to shade, focusing on keeping the right contrast, since it is a big part of conveying reflectivity in a drawing. At some point I noticed that the forms were starting to stray from the round shape of the bottle, making it look flat, so I did my best to fix that and pay attention to it during the process of shading by keeping the rest of the lines curved in the form of the bottle.

For the final stages I tried to strengthen the contrast, but I think it will need a bit more than what I added. Also the bounce light on the lemon might be a bit too strong now that I look at it. After I get feedback, I will make the corrections and update the final version in this post.

After getting feedback, this is the final result:

I did my best to fix the symmetry in the light bottle, though looking back at it I realise I could have done more in regard to that and it is something to keep in mind for future tasks. I also darkened the dark bottle even more, to brink forward the light bottle. I also got rid of the corner of the round glass object behind the bottle, as it was useless. I think the dark bottle looks a bit plain, so more highlights and contrast could have added more interest. On the other hand, I am really happy how the metal pot and the other object turned out as well as the overall composition. 

Week 2 - Shape and Pattern

The shape and pattern task took a lot more time to finalise and was a bit more difficult than the first week task since it had more detail to be captured through shading, values and the right contrast between objects' tones and linework. The shell especially was a challenge, because it has so many intricacies. Since it was a light object, I had to portray these through line and subtle shading. 

I drew some thumbnails first, in order to establish what composition worked best and how it fits on the page. Ultimately, I chose this one because I feel it leads the viewer's eyes upwards, from the shell - that would be the main point of interest - to the flowers and then the vase. 

Then, I started building the composition, sketching the big shapes of the objects to make sure they fit on the page and have the general forms and lines. This is where I encountered a problem and noticed that since the line at the top of the bottle was curved downwards and the ones at the bottom curved upwards, it looked like the vase was gigantic. The point where we view the vase was somewhere in the middle and both the top and bottom part of the bottle extended so much they curved drastically and created the illusion of viewing a humongous vase. I fixed that by moving the point of view a bit upwards, as if we are viewing the objects from farther up than in reality.

I think the placing of the objects and making them fit in the drawing space has always been a challenge for me. It might help using grid lines for that, but I always forget to do that and jump right into sketching the objects. I have to introduce this step in my process somehow. Visualising how the objects look from above was surprisingly easily. I think the perspective exercises from last year helped me learn how to visualize this kind of thing, along with my own visual memory.

I started to shade, but ended up straight away making the flower petals, which are a very light tone, look flat and overworked, without much tonal variation. So I turned the reference image into grayscale to make it easier to recognize and vary the tones and introduce contrast, while not allowing myself to get tricked and darken the light objects while adding the details. 

This was the end result before feedback:

After getting feedback, I realize that the textile folds in the background have too much contrast, distracting the viewer from the actual points of interest. The drawing would overall need much more contrast, the vase having similar values with the background. I will tone down the background and darken the vase to make it stand out more. I will darken the cast shadows too, since it will help bring out the shells. The curved line of the shell is too harsh, so I will tone that down and bring the object forward through contrast rather than line. The flowers could use more contrast too and maybe some more indication of the subtle veiny pattern of the petals that I used on some of them. 

I will update this post with my post-feedback work as soon as I make the changes to the drawing.

After applying the feedback I'd been given, this is the final result: 

I have toned down the folds in the background so they wouldn't stand out like ugly dark cuts. I also toned down the line around the big shell, since it made it look almost cartoony and plane, breaking the three dimensional effect I was aiming for. I also did a bit more work on the glass and on the flower petals, as well as on the white shell. 

Overall, I really like how this turned out, especially the reflection of the flower on  the vase, as well as the shell and the flower petals. I think the glass could have been even more detailed and maybe the contrast bigger, but otherwise I am pleased with the final work.

On the topic of pattern and shape, in this post I would also like to discuss a bit about Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss", since it is most known for its heavy use of geometrical forms and patterns.

Gustav Klimt - The Kiss, 1907-1908

"The Kiss" is one of Klimt's most famous works, showing Byzantine influences through its mosaic like look. The two figures are both covered in geometrical patterns, all but the hands and the feet and face of the woman, so carefully and delicately painted, her eyes half closed in a content expression. Even though the clothes are heavily detailed with the patterns, the simplicity of the face as well as its pale colour contrasts with the rest of the painting, making it the central focus. The two lovers' silhouette in itself is rounded and flowing, symbolising the youth and love between them. The swirling shapes are mostly used on the woman's clothes, spirals and circles making up her robe, indicating femininity and inocence. Meanwhile, the man's clothes are adorned with squared shapes, symbol for balance and stability, only broken up by small areas of swirling shapes. The stability and safety reflects also in the way he leans over the woman, in an almost protective way. 

Although viewed as controversial during that period of time, the painting is considered one of Klimt's most succesful works, depicting love through its patterns and carefully thought out composition. 

Week 2 - Tank Bug Photobashing

First time photobashing... Well it's certainly an experience. Scary at first because it looked like I was just sticking pieces of photos to a paper, just mashing them together and it honestly looked bad. So while working on it, there was always the fear that I wasn't doing something right. But I went on with it, trusting the process and just trying to figure out the tools and workflow of photobashing.

I used the beetle carapaces to make the armour and used match colour to match the colour to the helmet, making it look metallic. From the moment I drew the sketch for this I knew I wanted it to look like metal while preserving the idea of bug parts. Rather than having a mutant bug soldier, maybe they just wear insect inspired armour. The green accents I thought about later after finding the reference for the helmet, which had some kind of grass green details that I liked and decided to keep. In order to repeat that colour and add more variety into the pallette I added it on the shield and then on the lining of the skirt-like armour. At this point I had only added some shadow and light with a soft brush so they still looked like they were just thrown together.

I added highlights to make the armour look more metal-like. I also decided to make the suit under the armour a latex material because I felt it fit more than the basic turtleneck blouse I first gave her. I made the light come from the right, so for some armour parts I had to change the lighting. I also increased the contrast on the existing highlights and shadow to make the metallic look. I also added the green line on the pants to repeat the colour pattern. 

I still have the helmet, boots and gauntlet to work on, but I feel it finally looks like it's coming together. 

Week 1 - Insect-Human Photobashing

For the insect photobashing task I began by browsing for interesting-looking creatures so I could get an idea of what I was going for. I searched specifically for bugs that could serve maybe as armour or weapons or that simply make for interesting shapes and details. 

From the get-go I knew I wanted my character to have a helmet so that I could use the interesting shapes to the fullest. This is, in my opinion, the best and most efficient way to replicate the look of the insect I'm going for. Also, I usually like to concentrate the detail on the top part of the character, to guide the viewer's eyes there. After all, when we first meet someone we look at their face, so I want to make the helmet the most interesting and most detailed part of the composition. 

At first, the moths inspired me the most and the idea of an agile moth-like lady assassin came to mind. I used curved lines and sharp forms in order to recreate a lean, slender and feminine look, but also aggressive and fast. I think the overall triangle shape reinforces that.

The second design is a bit weak. I think I had to get a bad idea down on paper too so I could come with a better one in the end. The overall vibe is child-like, which with maybe some modifications might turn into something, but I think it lacks a general pattern/idea that would hold the composition together and make it make sense. 

The last one. I absolutely love it. This one is definitely a tank, her armour made of beetle shells, her shield of a bugs wings. I like how the spider eyes give the impression that she will most definitely see you, target you and charge at you. It doesn't look like her armour is actually made of bugs, but more like she is some sci-fi cyber soldier whose armour imitates insects. The only thing I think I will change are the wing-like spikes on the boots, which imply agility, going against the idea of a tank character with heavy bulky armour. I first added them to repeat the shape on the glove, but now it doesn't seem like a good idea anymore. 

As you might have guessed, I went for the last design. But the first one will remain in my drafts for possible future projects. 

Week 2 - Pumpkin Retopology

The second week of the project I spent retopping the pumpkin in 3ds Max. There were a lot of elements to take care of, such as the vines and leaves. It took longer than I would have liked, but I somewhat expected it since the design phase, where I made things harder for myself. Even so, I believe the final asset will be worth it. 

The mouth of the pumpkin posed the biggest challenge, because of the stitches that demanded a lot of attention. I concentrated most of the detail there, then, using triangles, I decreased the polygon count for the rest of the pumpkin, that isn't that detailed. 

The lid and stalk were also a bit more detailed. With the vines, after modelling the first one, I just copied it and conformed it to the rest, tweaking a few things in order for it to fit the high poly model. Same with the leaves. 

Inside, I left the pumpkin hollow, since the interior isn't important and I would just waste time and budget on it. 

I ended up with a final count of 1557 tris. I might use some of the rest to add more topology to the model, making sure all the details will bake properly, then proceed to unwrap it. 

Week 1 - Pumpkin

After reading the brief for the pumpkin project, I had a vague idea of what I wanted it to look like, or at least the vibe I wanted it to give. I knew most Halloween pumpkin carvings are scary-looking and I did want to preserve that feeling, but I also wanted to add something: a cartoony, cute childish vibe that makes things that are supposed to be scary even more unsettling. Like children in horror movies. Or Tim Burton's animations. 

So I went digging for reference.

I plan placing a candle inside the pumpkin and using a particle system in UE4 in order to light the inside of the pumpkin, so I gathered reference for the candle too. I then made a quick sketch to cement my idea: 

My friend even told me it gives Tim Burton movie vibes, so I guess that's a win.

I then went into Zbrush to model my pumpkin. 

I gave it a tear drop-like shape because I wanted it to have a more unique silhouette. I think it gives it that kind of cute, dumb and pityful look that combined with elements like the stitched mouth make it look kind of unsettling. Also, even though I knew It would make my job a bit harder later on with retoping, I didn't want to keep the symmetry, since I believe it would have made the design a little boring. 

This is the final model in Zbrush:

I believe I achieved the cute-creepy look I was striving for. Though I must admit, sometimes the controls of Zbrush give me the creeps more than any Halloween pumpkin 😅. 

The Art of "Journey"

Journey, indie video game produced by Thatgamecompany (besides great video games they seem to also have a great sense of humour), won the hearts of players from all over the world, including myself, with its breath-taking visuals and unique gameplay. I chose to write about this game because I first started playing it a few days ago, and I couldn’t put it down until I got to the end. The story world is immersive and fascinating through its simplicity. You never know what is waiting over the next dune. The premise of the game also intrigues players: you are thrown in a desert without knowing anything about your quest. Soon enough though, your eyes are directed towards the mountain in the distance, contrasting with the sun shining behind it.

With a rather simple art style, it is one of the games that shows best how employing basic colour theory and composition techniques can take you a long way.

Take this image for example:

Journey - Thatgamecompany; screenshot

It is such a simple piece of art, but it somehow managed to take my breath away. It made me linger in the moment instead of charging right back into the action of the game.

It uses only two complementary colours and their tones: blue and orange. The dark blue gives off a surreal, eerie feeling, making the player wonder what mysteries wait to be discovered. It creates expectations and makes them want to continue playing. The orange creates a much warmer vibe, reassuring in a sense. The place where the character stands is still safe, but you must leave it in order to continue your journey.

The lighting also plays a great role in directing the player’s attention to the next checkpoint. The light beam contrasts with the rest of the image, which is darker.

The only fine details in the drawing can be found on the character in the foreground, where the viewer’s eyes are first directed. They are then led towards the light beam, framed by the columns. The character is also the darkest in the image, attracting the player’s attention first.

It also uses the Rule of Thirds: the character is placed where the lines meet, while the altar and the light beam are in the middle of the page.

As for the shape language, the triangular shape of the character indicates dynamicity, rather than masculinity or force, since the character's form is rather small and thin, indicating agility and speed. This way, the purpose of the character (making the journey) as well as the way they move and travel is made clear from the beginning. The triangle shape is repeated in the altar far away. The sqaure shape of the collumns symbolize their stability in the face of the passing time and disaster that hit the old civilization which built them. 

Overall, Journey uses simple forms, complementary colours and lighting in order to catch the viewer’s attention and keep them immersed in the game’s world, while also creating dynamic pieces of artwork. 

Week 1 - Reinforcing Skills Line and Line Weight

This week I reinforced my knowledge and practice my skills regarding line and line weight.

I first drew a thumbnail in order to have a general view of my composition and make sure I know how to fit it into the page. Still, I must admit I had some problems in this part, but the use of grids helped a lot. I chose not to draw the garlic because I felt that from the angle I viewed the composition, it wouldn’t add much to it. I also decided that I would try to make the flowers slightly bigger than they are in reality, in order to direct the attention towards them, since I believe they are the most interesting part of the composition and good subjects for a line and line weight themed drawing.

I sketched the vase and flowers first, since they take the most part of the page and are the focus point of the composition. I had too little space left on the left side so I moved the frame line a bit farther out.

After sketching the rest, I realised the pineapple was touching the edge of the frame too so I moved that a bit farther down too and shortened the pineapple leaves. I later changed the shape of the stems to more organic and rounded forms since they were too angular.

I then started adding the details and line work. I conveyed the darker areas through thicker, darker lines and used lighter ones for the objects that are further away or less of an interest point. I concentrated the details into the flowers mostly and a bit in the vase too.

This is the final result: