Learning 3D Modeling on Your Own: April 2013

Friday, April 19, 2013

Interview with Dan Fine

Example of commercial work as a 3-D Artist.

Could you give a brief introduction of who you are and what you create?

My name is Dan Fine. I work in the commercial industry as a freelance 3-D modeler in NYC.

How did you get into 3-D Modeling/Animation? And how long have you been doing it?

I started using 3-D packages my Junior / Senior year at Windsor High School. We didn't have access to any top tier 3-D software so it was mostly Bryce 3-D and Animation Master. The teachers in my art department were very supportive of my interest in computer art and were a big part of my decision to pursue some sort of 3-D related career at SCAD. I didn't decide to specialize in modeling until I had worked in the industry for a couple years.

Did you acquire your skills through a formal education such as a college/university, and/or are you self taught?

Bachelors degree from Savannah College of Art and Design.

What software(s) do you use? Which is your favorite one and why?

Most of the work I do is in Maya but there are jobs where I'll dip into XSI or Zbrush. I can't say I have a favorite, I appreciate certain aspects of each package. I really like Maya's modeling tools, XSI has really solid curve and extrusion tools and a lot of other great strengths like ICE and Arnold that I'd like to explore more. Occasionally a job requires enough detail where displacement maps are needed and Zbrush has been my go-to for that, even though it's interface is pretty lack luster.

What type of modeling do you prefer and why?

Character modeling. It's a really fun technical and artistic challenge to make an efficient, accurate, workable character from a design or concept.

What do you like most about your job and why?

The people I work with really make my job enjoyable. It's great feeling to be part of very a talented group of artists who get to make dope commercials everyday. Many bonds have been formed over long hours and bottles of whiskey.

The other best part about my job, is that I get paid to make the weirdest stuff!

What process do you go through for your personal modeling/animation projects?

I don't do personal projects. I love what I do as a career but don't feel the need to go home and do more of it. Staring at a computer screen in my spare time is something I try to avoid.

What was your first major project?And how did you feel about it?

It's hard to say what my first major project was… Everything felt pretty major coming right out of school! Probably any of my first jobs at Psyop, maybe Milk or Michelin. I'd never worked with a team of people that size before and they had a proper pipeline, which was fairly foreign to me coming from smaller studios. Being around so many senior artists and knowing the expectations of the studio was very stressful. I was overwhelmed and found it really hard to relax until my booking was over.

Is there any certain model that you have created that has been your favorite?Why?

MiO - Naked Mole Rat. It's a simple / hilarious character, and there's a pretty great reason why his crotch is pixelated…

What is/was the most challenging part of modeling/Animation for you?

Speed and efficiency. To me, the difference between someone who is a decent modeler and one who's really good, is being able to quickly and accurately interpret a design into a clean / workable mesh for production.

What are some important lessons you have learned through your experience? And what are some typical mistakes to avoid while producing a good 3-D Model?

Modeling is pretty straight forward when you have the basic concepts down. It would be a mistake to not have a good handle on the other parts of the production. How you choose to model something for a job is determined by what people are going to do with it later in the pipeline.

What inspires you? And/or who inspires you?

The Natural History Museum is a very inspiring place to be, especially the animal halls…I also look at a lot of photography and illustrations…I tend to gravitate towards the natural world for inspiration because it's so amazingly complex and came from such humble beginnings.

If you had the chance, what company or artist would you like to work with on a project?

I'm very happy to be working at some of the best studios in NYC. For right now, I'm exactly where I'd like to be.

How do you stay motivated/focused?

Coffee and Fu-Schnickens

What advice do you have for people who want to get into Modeling/Animation?

It's a really good idea to have a strong generalist background even if you decide you want to specialize in something.

Do you have any other hobbies besides 3-D Modeling/Animation that affects your style?

Rock climbing, fishing, camping, taxidermy, stupid cat gifs…

Is there anything else about Modeling that would be helpful for beginners to know?

Always use references… Unless you have a photographic memory, chance are it's not gonna look like what's in your head.

What can we expect to see from you in the future?

More weird characters, and probably a couple tampon commercials to pay the bills.

Thank you to Dan Fine for taking the time to do an interview with me. I hope to see more from you soon.

Resources

Vimeo, Your Videos Belong Here. Dan Fine on Vimeo.Retrieved April 15, 2013, from http://vimeo.com/dansofine

Dan Fine. WORK OF THE DAN. Retrieved April 15, 2013, from http://www.danjfine.com/

Interview with Ricardo Orellana

Please visit Ricardo Orellana!!

Could you give a brief introduction of who you are and what you create?

My name is Ricardo Orellana, 3-D Artist with primary focus in 3-D modeling and Digital Sculpting and Texture paint as a secondary skill.

How did you get into 3-D Modeling/Animation? And how long have you been doing it?

My 1st contact with 3-D as back in 2006 when I took a Cinema 4D course. I was in an architectural school at the time and I took it mostly to improve the quality of my 3-D perspectives for arch viz, which I was doing with VectorWorks and Art.Lantis. I was really enjoying more doing perspectives than drawing floor plans. When I saw everything the C4D could do, I got so excited I kept working on architecture during the week and during weekends I would do some 3-D on my own. Then I decided I enjoyed more creating spaceships and monsters than living rooms so I decided to go to the entertainment industry.

Did you acquire your skills through a formal education such as a college/university, and/or are you self taught?

A little of both. When I did the course of Cinema4D, they didn’t really teach us how to model or texture. It was a brief overview of all the basic features, pretty intensive course. When I started taking Todd’s class, I learned about proper topoly and mesh flow. And even Farrar’s basic texture and lighting class helped me to get acquainted with Maya. But I never took any advanced modeling or texturing. Most was by my own; with the aid of Google, 3-D magazines and books I use to buy. Even Gnomon school had some free tutorials explaining advanced Maya concepts. During my 1st internship here I also got to learn Zbrush, which I asked for some tips from my work peers until I was pretty much set to be on my own. Even today I still keep learning new features. It never stops. But things like Digital Tutors make it a lot easier.

I noticed you got a Master's degree in Fine Arts, Does that help with your ability to do models/Animation? Or is it more of an interest/side hobby for you?

The Master is when I did the ATEC program at UTDallas. The undergrad degree was the Architectural school back in Brazil.

What software(s) do you use? Which is your favorite one and why?

Maya, Softimage, 3-D Studio Max, Mudbox, Zbrush Cinema 4D, BodyPaint3D, Vue, Photoshop

Hard to say, as every one has its pros and cons. I still prefer to work in Maya most of the time, since it’s the one I have easier access to on my computer. 3-D Studio has some great modeling tools, but horrible interface and navigating and some of the ways it does things I find it pretty dumb. Softimage I could say is my favorite since it has some good modeling tools and has an absolutely clean and user-friendly interface. However it’s Windows only and I’m a Mac user. I have no patience in exporting the model I’m working on as an OBJ file and doing dual boot on my computer every time I need to throw that model into Zbrush. Vue I use the least since it’s mostly for background landscape and Cinema4D, I barely use it now. Mostly just for the BodyPaint feature for 3-D texturing.

What type of modeling do you prefer and why?

Cartoon. Sometimes I like the challenge of creating something realistic but I often found cartoon-like shapes more appealing to me. It’s nice to be able to make something stylized looking. And they are not necessarily easy. Because they are cartoon, they don’t behave as normal characters would. So to be able to create intricate animation, the mesh sometimes is quite challenging. It may look simple on the outside, but wire frame wise it can be quite complex.

What do you like most about your job and why?

That every day is a different day and you never know what’s going to happen. There is no chance in getting bored. And problem solving. Sometimes I may have to make something look like velvet for example. If don’t know how, I keep researching on the Internet or ask my supervisor the best way to do it and at the end of the day when you achieve it, you have that sense of victory. And even when a task it’s simple and I don’t need to be fully concentrated, I can simple put my headphones and enjoy some good music.

What process do you go through for your personal modeling/animation projects?

I don’t have an established workflow. I may start sometimes with a simple plane and keep extruding it until I get the shape. Other times I do a sculpt 1st and retopography. It really varies from case to case.

What is the average amount of time it takes for you to model?

That’s really from case to case. A character usually can take from 3 days to a full week. There were other characters that I did in one day only. Some intricate models took me about a month or two in my spare time. Professionally, it’s how much time you are given. It’s hard to keep track of the time because you may finish something, and even with the supervisor approval, you can expect some changes from the clients. If you deal with indecisive clients, your one-week model can extend to one-month model.

What was your first major project?And how did you feel about it?

It was working as an intern on The Amazing Spiderman feature. How did I felt? Pressured. It was my 1st time in Hollywood, working with the big boys and I was the only one carrying the UTDallas flag, among other interns, majority from Ringling, followed by SCAD and CalArts. But it’s nice to look back and recall I had this chance.

Is there any certain model that you have created that has been your favorite?Why?

Tough one. I usually hate my models after a month or so, hehe. I always expect to create a new model and see which one I may take it away. But the Baiana model and the Dragon still hold up for me, due to it’s complexity and how it turned out. Also I like how the helicopter I modeled. I cannot say I really have a favorite one.

What is/was the most challenging part of modeling/Animation for you?

Modeling realistic human figure. It’s easy to get away with fantastical creatures, or stylized shapes, but a realistic human figure evolve deep anatomy study and since humans are something we know how it looks like, if you make one mistake, people are going to notice. (The eyes looks weird…the lips looks odd to me…something’s strange with his feet)

What are some important lessons you have learned through your experience? And what are some typical mistakes to avoid while producing a good 3-D Model?

Knowing exactly what you are going to model and it’s primary use at 1st. From past experience I did some models and I caught myself spending too much time modeling a specific mesh to reproduce a muscle shape that works only for one pose. Whenever the character get into another pose, that mesh got completely messed up. Now I learned that a lot of things can be achieved by keeping the mesh simple as possible. It helps to plan ahead if you know how it’s going to be used. I can model a skirt with all the wrinkles in it, which may work for a stiff showcase but if it’s going to be animated, then I would just do a tube and let the animator apply a cloth sim. Things like that can help save a lot of time.

What inspires you? And/or who inspires you?

My grandpa was a really hard worker. From artist perspective, my 1st inspiration, which made me choose the art path, was Boris Vallejo. But I follow the work of other modelers like Alessandro Baldasseroni, Pascal Blanche, Andrew Hickinbottom and Carlos Ortega.

If you had the chance, what company or artist would you like to work with on a project?

As every artist dream it would be great to be part of a Disney or Pixar project. Not to discard Dreamworks. From VFX perspective, I like a lot the work from MPC and Weta Digital.

How do you stay motivated/focused?

To know that my next portfolio piece could open a brand new opportunity for me and to remember everything I went through to be where I am now.

What advice do you have for people who want to get into Modeling/Animation?

For both fields mentioned above, take at least a basic rigging class. It helps to understand how a good topology for animation works. For shapes and form, anatomy. Both human and animal. Remember, people will notice if something off with a realistic person or animal.

Do you have any other hobbies besides 3-D Modeling/Animation that affects your style(i.e. Sports, painting, etc.)?

Sometimes, I do 2D painting to distract myself from modeling. Otherwise, going to the movies or hanging out with someone. Sport wise, swimming and hiking, or just sightseeing.

Is there anything else about Modeling that would be helpful for beginners to know?

Learn about topology. Shape is really important. Anatomy as mentioned earlier. And be prepared that as a modeler you may have to learn to model everything. Realistic, Toon, vehicles, guns, assets, etc.

What can we expect to see from you in the future?

A 2D painting that I’m doing on my spare time. But since is something I’m doing without any hurry, I have no prevision on when I may finished it, hehe.

Thank you to Ricardo Orellana for taking the time to do an interview with me.

ALL IMAGES BELONG TO RICARDO ORELLANA!!

Resources

Pascal Blanché's Derelict Planet. Retrieved April 13, 2013, from http://www.3dluvr.com/pascalb/gallery.html

The Art of Ricardo Orellana. The Art of Ricardo Orellana.Retrieved April 14, 2013, from http://ricardoorellana.carbonmade.com/

Friday, April 12, 2013

Modeling a Basic Pawn Piece

Step by Step guide to modeling a Pawn Chess Piece

Start up blender. (It should begin with a new file, if not go to File > New.)
Press Numpad 5
Press Numpad 1
Press Tab (Edit mode)
Next, left click above the cube - - this will move the insertion point
Press Shift + A - - this will bring up the specials menu
Go to Mesh > UV Sphere
Press B.
Select the bottom part of the sphere.
Press X / delete key - - Delete the faces
Press Ctrl + TAB to go into Mesh Select Mode. ((Refer Pic 1.2))
Select face
Click on the top of the cube
Press X / delete key
Press B
Select Entire cube
Press W
Select Subdivide
Press A to deselect
Press Ctrl + TAB to go into Mesh Select Mode.
Select edge
Edge Loop Select (alt + right mouse click) the top edge of cube
Press E then IMMEDIATELY left click to bring up the arrows
Grab blue arrow and go upwards towards the sphere a little bit
Press S
Go towards the center to scale down
Press Middle Mouse Button and move your view so you can see the top of the cube
Move cursor over to the right until you are happy with the roundness and left click to confirm
Press numpad 1 - - Puts you back in Front view
Press A to deselect
Next press B and select the sphere
Then press R
Press Z and rotate the sphere until the lines of the sphere match up with the lines of the cube ((I rotated mine to a right a little bit))
Press A to deselect
Edge Loop Select (Alt + RMB) the bottom of the sphere
Press Shift + Alt + RMB the top edge of the cube - - This will add another edge loop selection to the already selected piece
Press W
Press A to deselect
Press the Blue arrow and move it upwards towards the bottom of the sphere
Next you can Press A to deselect
Press B
Select the bottom edge of the cube
Press S
Next Select (B) the upper edge of the cube and bring towards Sphere
Press S to scale it wide
Stretch the bottom pawn down
Next select (b) bottom edge
Press S and scale inwards
Next Alt + RMB each horizontal edge
Then round (Shift + Alt + RMB) each edge

Great! You have completed a very simple basic looking Pawn Piece for a Chess Board! If you feel like doing something a bit more challenging, add in more details and play around with your basic shape.

Different types of Modeling - Polygonal Modeling

There are several different types of modeling. Right now I will do a quick overview of Polygonal Modeling. I intend to include more information as I find out more about the type of modeling I am experimenting and learning with.

Polygonal:

Made up of shapes called polygons

Involves points(vertices), lines(edges), and planes(faces)
Very heavy on the processing power
Is very precise in details
Takes a lot of time to create with but less adjusting time
Oldest type of modeling
Downside: everything is made of flat surfaces so if the polygons arent small then the model will appear to be edgey, especially when zoomed in

Within Polygonal Modeling there are two different techniques.
- Box Modeling
  
  Box Modeling - Steven Stahlberg © 2002-2013 | The CGSociety - All rights reserved.
  - often starts with a box/cube
  - It can be scaled and translated
  - can add more faces by adding more edges
  - Similar to sculpting clay
  - tends to make nice looking grids
  - Happens to be ideal for subdivision modeling
    - Subdivision Modeling
      - allows modeler to create hard surfaces with beveled edges and high poly count in a short amount of time
      - Very common to use
      - creates clean models
      - allows for great detail
        
        Extrusion Modeling - Nnso'n © 2007-2011 | Phung Dinh Dzung - All rights reserved
- Extrusion Modeling
  - starts with an edge or a polygon
  - extrudes new polygons from around the bounding edges
  - artists that draw a lot or are familiar with contour drawing prefer this method
  - often uses reference pictures and starts on the other edges to create a silhouette of the object, then continues to extrude inwards until the object is completed

Resources

Chopine, A. (2011). 3D art essentials: The fundamentals of 3D modeling, texturing, and animation. Oxford: Focal Press.

Kerlow, I. V. (2009). The art of 3D computer animation and effects. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons.

Nnso'n. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.phungdinhdung.com/Studies_paper/Realistic_face_modeling.shtm

Stahlberg. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://wiki.cgsociety.org/index.php/Image:T_ss_maf_02.jpg

Friday, April 5, 2013

Learning the Blender Interface Part 3: Shortcuts

Shortcuts Cheat Sheet

Numpad:
1 : Front perspective view
2 : Rotates upwards in small increments
3 : Right perspective view
4 : Rotates to the right in small increments
5 : Orthographic* / Perspective views
6 : Rotates to the left in small increments
7 : Top view
8 : Rotates downwards in small increments
9 :
0 : Camera view / Perspective view
. : Centers and zooms in on the object selected
/ : Global / local view

--------------------------------------------------------
Edit Mode:
U - UV mapping
W - brings up Specials menu
R - Rotates
E - duplicates along the z axis
A - selects / deselects all
S - Scale
F - merges faces
K - cuts the object
X - Delete menu
C - Brings up a circle that adds selections to the first selection

Ctrl + E - Edges enu
Ctrl + F - Faces menu
Ctrl + V - Vertices menu
Ctrl + R - Creates a ring that will cut the object
Ctrl + I - Inverse selection(s)

Shift + A - Constructs meshes to be added
----------------------------------------------------------
Object Mode:
Shift + S - Snap
Shift + D - Duplicate
Shift + G - Select Group Menu

Ctrl + Q - Quit
Ctrl + W - Brings up a save menu
Ctrl + U - Save start up file
Ctrl + O - Open file
Ctrl+ P - Set Parent
Ctrl + A - Apply transformation menu
Ctrl + G - Group select objects
Ctrl + C - Copies
Ctrl + V - Paste
Ctrl + N - Reloads start up file

Infographic about me

Take a look at my experiences. There is barely anything with 3-D modeling. I plan to change that starting now and I will compare my changes after every 6 months as I continue to grow and become more professional. I would like to be able to show how 3-D modeling is being used in our society today, so keep an eye out for a blog post that will have that information in the near future.

By the way, take a look at Ami Yamato. She has recently sparked my creativity to try and come up with innovative ways to blog. I am sure after I have settled into this new concept, I will be able to easily present information in creative ways.

Learning the Blender Interface : Part 2 - What you see on the screen

I will discuss "what-you-see" when you first run Blender and how to simplify it in this video.