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tiistai 13. tammikuuta 2015

Sculpting practice

Being bored I got started on one of my goals for 2015 by starting to practice sculpting. I had originally planned to go the traditional way with green stuff and other sculpting putties, but then decided that digital sculpting is probably more for me. 3D printing masters for casting seems to be on the rise with for example Infinity models being designed on a computer. I have access to 3D printing and I've done 3D design as a living in the past before progressing to hating excel and writing e-mails, so I figured learning a new 3D tool shouldn't be too hard and could somehow be seen as improving myself professionally :)

So I went ahead and fired up ZBrush after looking up some tutorials on youtube and started experimenting. After the first hassle of getting used to a new program I started toying with it. My first effort could not stand the light of day, but now my next try at least ended up looking like something. Sculpting a human seemed a bit daunting so I just started doing a bust of some creature from my imagination and seeing where it goes. Ended up with something relatively humanoid with quite a bit borrowed from the aesthetics of Warhammer Bloodletters. After a couple of hours I now have the basic shape finished and waiting for details like wrinkles, scars etc. which will probably end up taking many times longer than everything until this point.

 

All in all I was actually quite surprised how easily it came about considering that I haven't done any organic modelling in my life and it's been about a year and a half since I last did any product development related work anyways. After this I'll see how a whole body will turn out and maybe try to do something a bit more realistic. I had a grand plan of sculpting some Napoleonic Swedish/Finnish troops and getting them printed and maybe some masters cast for my own use so I can play the Finnish War of 1808. It's still quite far away, but if the learning progresses as fast I might actually succeed in doing it this year :)

13 kommenttia:

  1. Oh my, what a start! Inspirational stuff Sir.

    VastaaPoista
  2. That is impressive, especially since it came from your own mind. I do portraiture, but only from living subjects and cannot draw the things I see in my imagination. That takes a superior skill.

    What you've done here using unfamiliar software to create something in 3D demonstrates innate ability. I believe if you continue learning you will be able to achieve your goals this year.

    VastaaPoista
    Vastaukset
    1. Thank you Anne! I have quite a bit of background with various different 3D software and product design so the workflow and conceptualization usually comes quite naturally. Definately helps with things like these. Sometimes the 6 years spent getting my Engineering degree does come in handy with my hobbies too :)

      Poista
    2. I wish the time spent on my engineering degree were as useful!

      Poista
    3. That's why you have to pick your field to suit your hobbies :) Working with castings helps when working with lead and resin castings too :)

      Poista
  3. That's really excellent! Love the face shape...

    VastaaPoista
  4. A good start indeed. I would love to see the progress on this, and maybe a real-life printed bust all painted up.

    VastaaPoista
    Vastaukset
    1. Thanks Joakim! Progress will come in due time :) Working with wrinkles is a darn slow business. Dunno if I'm ever going to print it and paint it, but I guess it would be good practice too.

      Poista
  5. Fantastic stuff! Can't wait to see how it prints out and what you come up with next :-)

    VastaaPoista
    Vastaukset
    1. Something a little less fantastical next I think :)

      Poista
  6. Great sample, but get on with the historical miniatures now ! And start a part time business as well.

    VastaaPoista