MUDBOX 3D COMPUTER DESIGN - "THE CREATURE".
SHAPING AND BUILDING.
Through many Mudbox tutorials, I learned the program and completed an assignment called -The Creature.
Using many different tools, like waxing, sculpting and smoothing, I made the basic shape.
With geometry, sketching and shaping tools, and using a mesh function the creature was becoming almost life-like.
Sphere shaping tools helped me to bring out the facials features, bumps, and basic grooves.
BUILDING, TEXTURE AND SHAPES
This part of the design was focused on the creature's skin, hands, arms, legs and feet.
I did a lot of building up using the sculpting, stamping, waxing, blending and layering tools.
The work was intense, because I wanted the creature to look life-like.
I kind of had to think ahead about how it would move, if I wanted to take that further. This meant that its wrinkles, bumps and lumps needed to make sense where I put them. It had to have gravity wrinkles.
SHADING, SHADOWING AND LIGHTING
Working with materials, light, and colour texture is exciting, because the product kind of comes to life, but it is tricky.
I wanted the creature to look like it had something inside its skin. It needed to look like if you picked it up, it would be heavy like a watermelon.
So, as well as making it's skin wrinkled and bumpy, I added many layers of colours to give his final skin a deep colour of greenish-yellow.
On the creatures skin, I applied some shadows, a high gloss, reflective light, and now it's skin is shiny.
Do you think the creature is spongy or hard? If you guessed spongy, I reached my goal.
MUDBOX 3D COMPUTER DESIGN/3D PRINT - "TED ANDERSON"
BUILDING, SMOOTHING, MODIFYING AND SHAPING
After completing the creature, I was ready to create my original character, Ted Anderson. Ted is part human & part dog, his breed is grey Labrador. After researching and a lot of sketching, I came up with this design.
I used an FBX file (film box, which holds visual effects, used for 3D models and animations) in the shape of a standing cat, and build up the dog body that I wanted.
I was getting comfortable with the 3D tools on Mudbox, so I went to work creating his body shape, face shape, ears, tail, paw pads and limbs.
The most difficult thing was bringing down the ears using the create joint tools and making the tail much shorter with the smoothing tool. The glasses were downloaded on to Mudbox, and they fit perfectly.
COLOUR AND TEXTURE
I choose "Body Material" to look for the right silver grey colour like a grey Lab would have. I used the diffused tool to slightly change it.
Then the texture was made by the tapping brush. Ted's feet was detailed on the top to separate toes.
I was inspired to make Ted and Cindy (below), by the anime called Beastars, which is a series about half human & half animals.
I did not give Ted a lot of texture, because I have a 2D animation in my head of her, and he is quite smooth.
3D PRINTING
My 3D Ted was transferred to Maya (a professional 3D animation modelling, simulation and rendering toolset), his image was then transferred to the 3D printer, and overnight Ted was printed into an 8.89 cm (nearly 3.5 inch) toy which I painted with acrylic paint.
MUDBOX 3D COMPUTER DESIGN/3D PRINT - "CINDIA"
BUILDING, SMOOTHING, MODIFYING AND SHAPING
I wanted a female 3D character based on the breed Jack Russell. Her name is Cinda, and she is half human & half dog, and one of Ted Anderson's best friend.
I used Mesh for and started with a basic human body on Mudbox. This gave me a full body, head to toe.
I built up Cindia using the same tools for the creature and Ted, building up and sculpting out her form. The tail was very difficult, because I built it from a thin layer and bent it, so it was hollow, so closing it was challenging.
COLOUR AND TEXTURE
I used the colour and painting tool to give me a better idea on what she would look like. Her skin tone and dark ears were tricky, because I wanted them yellowish brown, but more dull than her hair.
I wanted her colours to balance, but also make sure she looked like a Jack Russell. I did not give Cindia a lot of texture, because I have a 2D animation in mind of her, and she is quite smooth.
3D PRINTNG & PAINTING
Cindia's printing came out beautifully. You can see that in her 3D print, she has more small angles from the printing on her form than Ted. Crisp and smooth surfaces though. Painting her with acrylic paints was a so much fun. She is 13.97 cm long (5.5 inches).
EXTRAS
I would like to thank my Digital Media Academy teacher Mr. Murray Bulger for supporting me during this semester. I have learned a lot, took risks, and did things I wasn't sure I could do. I am very excited to keep learning, and creating.
I am in the beginning stages of making my own animation series called "Ted & Friends", about 5 friends, anxiety and friendships. Please follow me on Instagram and YouTube at MEOWLARTS and stay tuned!
