Indholdsfortegnelse for May 2024 i 3D World

This month we help you boost your skills in a number of ways. Our cover artist shares his process for creating stunning visuals, I show you how to add stickers to objects in Cinema 4D and Redshift, plus we have a tutorial on creating epic stylised character renders using a range of software. 3D World is a great print resource for you 3D artists, but it’s not always possible to have your collection to hand out there. That’s exactly why we’ve decided to change things up a little, as all our subscribers will now have free access to our library of digital editions. So, whether you’re travelling or out working on location, there’s now an easy way to read your favourite magazine for all the best 3D content. To take…

The Gallery CG art to inspire ARTIST Sergey Solop SOFTWARE ZBrush, RizomUV, Marmoset Toolbag, Substance 3D Painter "Watching Game of Thrones, I was struck by Emilia Clarke's character and had the idea to make a portrait of Daenerys Targaryen. The first step is to find references; if you discover a fragment of video where the head rotates, you've won the jackpot! A successful sculpt needs three references: front, profile and three-quarters. You can put them all together and draw lines from the lips, nose and eyes, then when sculpting the likeness in ZBrush use SpotLight to overlay it on the model. I rendered using Marmoset Toolbag, but no matter what software you use, you need to look at the references and adjust the materials, skin, hair, and so on as…

Feature Bomper Studio There’s something happening in Wales right now as new creative shoots begin to emerge in the animation industry. One of those bright shoots is Bomper Studio, an indie animation setup based in Caerphilly. Recently, 3D World had the opportunity to hold a deep-dive conversation with Emlyn Davies, Bomper’s founder and executive creative director, and technical animator Mark Procter about the studio’s creative spirit, as well as its emerging position within the Welsh animation industry. It’s a thoughtful and inspiring introspection about making the creative leap. Of Bomper’s earliest days, Davies recalls: “We started out at a place called Welsh ICE, which was a bit like a business incubation centre. At ICE, the space was free for the first year.” For him, having an early-days’ base at ICE…

During our conversation, Bomper’s founder and executive creative director Davies also spoke about the wider Welsh animation industry and what it means for the studio, offering his insight into issues around IP. “We’ve been looking at our own IP,” he said. “We’ve been very fortunate to have had some development money from Creative Wales. We pitched an idea to them, because we want to put Wales on the global stage. They loved it. “We’ve now done quite a considerable amount of development on it: the script, characters, plotline, and worldbuilding. There’s been quite a lot that’s gone into it already. We did pitch it to Disney and they really liked it; especially because we were talking about mental health. There’s also another TV series that we pitched, and we had…

While the performance of the dog was what David Fincher wanted, its large wagging tail, which was 12 to 14 inches long, caused the viciousness to give way to cuteness and thereby had to be shortened to two inches. “This is one of those things where there is no plate photography, because this was something that came up during the process of editing,” explains Mavromates. “But in terms of that, what happens in that situation is you create your own plate photography. You look at the outtakes, and can patch together a clean background. The dog is running and we’re shooting through a chain link fence and the camera is moving.”…

01 CREATE BONES Go to the Add menu and select Armature to add a single bone into the scene, select it and move it to its location in your object. In Edit mode press ‘E’ and move your cursor in the direction you want your new bone to grow in. Do this for all the bones, and if you want a bone to extrude from the middle of a chain, just select the specific bone you want your new bone to emanate from. 02 LINK BONES TO OBJECT Now your bones are all perfectly positioned inside your model, you’re ready to link the armature to the mesh itself. Go into Object mode and select your mesh first, then your bones second. You’ll need to use Shift to select the two objects. Hit…

We explore the latest software and hardware tools to see if they are worth your time or money AUTHOR PROFILE Cesci Angell Cesci is a writer with a background in design and sustainability, covering everything from tech to lifestyle. When she’s not writing, Cesci is busy planning a house build with her other half. rabbitwrites.uk + PROS Wide range of customisable features 4k anti-glare glass display Pro Easy Stand and Pro Pen 3 included - CONS Can’t customise two-finger gestures Mac drivers may need troubleshooting PRICE £2,350/$2,500 | COMPANY Wacom | WEBSITE estore.wacom.com Many of you will be more than familiar with Wacom thanks to its high-standard tablet offerings. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out on your creative journey, if you’re on the lookout for a trustworthy…

AUTHOR PROFILE Paul Hatton After graduating with a first-class computer science degree, Paul Hatton has spent nearly two decades working within the 3D visualisation industry. + PROS Better clothing simulation tools Unreal Engine link support Roadmaps for further improvements - CONS Subscription fee Takes time to master GREATER CONTROL FOR FINE WRINKLES A new puckering feature makes it easier than ever to showcase fine wrinkles in an outfit. A certain amount of fine-tuning and fiddling is still required to create those extra details, but it’s now much easier than it was. Puckering can be achieved on pattern outlines, inner line segments, and also sewing lines. PRICE £30/$40 per month COMPANY CLO Virtual Fashion WEBSITE marvelousdesigner.com CLO Virtual Fashion has launched version 2024 of Marvelous Designer, and it’s stronger than ever.…

"I started this project with the intention of refining my anatomy sculpture skills, drawing much of my inspiration from the work of the Shiflett brothers. I love how they manipulate forms and bring a lot of intensity to their poses. To bring the sculpture to life, I began with a mannequin to establish the desired pose and composition. I then added the volumes, sculpted arches, and aimed for the right feeling to create an epic scene. Without a doubt, the part I enjoyed the most was sculpting the right hand, appreciating the gestures and skin detail I was able to achieve. The rendering was both a crucial and enjoyable part of the project, as working with light to convey the vibe of being truly amid flames was a rewarding challenge."…

BASED ON THE CONCEPT BY RUSSELL DONGJUN LU (artstation.com/artwork/oOd8GL) ARTIST Anton Komarov SOFTWARE Blender, ZBrush, Maya, Marvelous Designer, Substance 3D Painter, Marmoset Toolbag "My primary source of inspiration was an incredible concept piece called Penitent Knight by Russell Dongjun Lu. Additionally, I drew on extra inspiration from dark fantasy-themed games such as Dark Souls. The most challenging, yet also fun, part of the process creating this artwork was achieving believable surface definitions, from torn clothes to the corroded metal. It’s a combination of high-poly definition and texture work. To create the hood, I started with poly modelling, which helps me visualise the shapes I want for simulation in Marvelous Designer. I used ZBrush later on for detailing and breaking the flat surface. The hood was textured to get a worn-out…

CG props populate the house where the Brute lives and where the fight takes place with the Killer. “There is a lot of enhancement,” remarks Mavromates. “David wanted a lot of atmospheric dust that we added, and more little bits of Sheetrock flying around. A lot of the Chinese food boxes that are on the table and get knocked off, those are CG. But the bigger stuff, like the set itself, was real. The table was real. The blood is fake. The dripping blood that you see and all of the blood footprints, and even when the dog runs in and gets blood on its paws, that’s all added in post. The breaking glass is CG when the dog runs through the glass. The flame when Michael Fassbender lights the…

01 SET UP THE RENDER PASSES This tutorial uses Blender 4.0 and the Cube Diorama demo scene, which are both free at www.blender.org. Once the render layers have been chosen in the View Layers attribute palette under the Compositing Tab, which may need to be added via the Window Menu option, the artist may have to add nodes for the Image and Output. This can be incredibly confusing for artists used to other Content Creation software. 02 ADD THE EXR AUTO-PASS SAVER PLUGIN Exr Auto-Pass Saver is available at bit.ly/48woGGv, which will require a free GitHub account; but don’t worry, no coding or knowledge of coding is needed. All that’s required is to download the files and add the ‘Exr_auto-pass_saver.py’ file using Install in the Add-ons palette available at Edit>Preferences Menu.…

ARTIST Andre-Lang Huynh SOFTWARE Substance 3D Modeler, KeyShot "I created these mechs in VR using Substance 3D Modeler. Sculpting in VR is my preferred method of working and I've been using it for the past six years. I was previously using Adobe Medium for most of my work, but recently made the switch over to Modeler. Sculpting in VR is great as you can really get a sense of weight and feel for your model. I'm a huge fan of model kits and I approach sculpting mechs the same way I'd build one. Designing mechs with this workflow is so cool because it feels like playing with toys, creating each piece the way you want as you go along. I'd definitely recommend giving VR sculpting a try; it really changed…

BASED ON THE CONCEPT BY RUSSELL DONGJUN LU (artstation.com/artwork/rJZl02) ARTIST Marco Remonatto SOFTWARE ZBrush, Blender, Substance 3D Painter, RizomUV, Fibershop "For this project, I was focused on creating a character that blended creature-like features with human traits, as human eyes help the viewer to connect emotionally with the subject. The challenge was to make a creature that felt alive; not with a heroic or evil look, but alive. From the beginning, I knew I wanted a Tauren, and Russell Dongjun Lu's concept piece was perfect for that. I sculpted everything in ZBrush, with manual retopology in Blender and UVs in RizomUV. It was important for me to emphasise good UVs and topology, as it's a real-time character made for video games." artstation.com/marcoremonatto "HUMAN EYES HELP THE VIEWER TO CONNECT EMOTIONALLY…

“I think the main thing for me is that the tools don’t matter; it’s someone who has a good eye for composition. As students we learn a tool well and become specialists but, at its core, everything that we do is about storytelling, and if you’re a better storyteller then you’ll be a better CG artist. The advice that I wish I could give to my [younger] self is that the most important thing is telling a story and using the right tool for the right job. What really matters is the moment that the story hits the audience. Focus on the reasons why you’re making creative decisions rather than technical limitations. As a studio, pushing the story and what it means is most important and that’s at the heart…

The building where the assassination target resides was a combination of daytime plate footage captured with eight cameras shooting simultaneously at different lens lengths, while the night-time window action was all filmed onstage in New Orleans with Artemple compositing it into a digital reconstruction of the Parisian structure. “That was the one we started early and finished last because it was a constant massaging of how things look,” reveals Mavromates. “It was working out the facade and choreography to make sure that all of the colours were going to match. There was all of this massaging to get to the last layer, which was the vintage glass, and to put that on there to make sure that all worked. The vintage glass was a challenge we hadn’t had before, and…

3DCOAT FOR ENVIRONMENTS For me, and also true for many concept artists, the apex of concept art is found in the creations from Peter Jackson’s original The Lord of the Rings trilogy. In this particular project, I found my inspiration in the majestic statues of the Kings of Argonath from the first instalment. I created this as a personal project, just for practice. In my workflow, I use a combination of tools. I use 3DCoat for modelling tasks, Blender for my scene construction, Substance 3D Painter for the texture creation, and Photoshop for final touches. With 3DCoat, in addition to standard sculpting techniques, I make extensive use of the Stencils tool. This tool has become absolutely integral to my sculpting methodology. The Stencils tool is used to define specific areas…

Practical tips and tutorials from pro artists to improve your CG skills Great storytelling moments come from a personal and emotional connection. This story is about family and lineage, with its inspiration coming from the idea that we’re representatives of a long line of people that goes back to the beginning of time, and how the spirit of our ancestors reaches out from the past. The key to this story lies in the design of the main character: the lioness. In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through how I created her, as well as how I approached the 3D character design. There are many other elements that come together in the final piece, but we’ll keep the focus on the creation of the main character here. 01 CREATE A CHARACTER…

The Pipeline Present narrative in still-life images MAYA | ARNOLD | SUBSTANCE 3D PAINTER | PHOTOSHOP When I was listening to music, a new idea for a shot came to my mind. It was an image that would show loneliness and sadness at the same time. With that, I took my notebook and started writing. First, I listed all the elements that I wanted to be in the scene. I then chose the mood I wanted to work with and came up with the backstory behind the image, before starting to sketch and put my ideas on paper. 01 INITIAL MODELLING After collating all the different references I needed, I began the modelling process, first creating the whiskey glass, cigarette packet and ashtray. To begin, I made each of the objects…

01 MODEL IN PARTS In this example I'm going to use a little anthropomorphised virus model. It has a few separate parts including a body, teeth and eyes. Each model can have its own separate Layers to control, but as you can’t control all the parts in one go it takes some planning. The bulk of the Layers will be on the body model. Initially we’ll just focus on the shapes. 02 MAKE THE FEATURES The reason we want the parts all separated is simple: if we pose the lips from open to a smile or a frown, they also need to wrap around the teeth. If the teeth were in the same model it wouldn't work correctly. So, it’s best to model and paint elements like teeth in a completely separate…

Veteran artist David Levy, CEO at Pitch Dev Studios, on what you’ll get out of Vertex 2024 How do artists benefit from attending events like Vertex? After the Covid years, Vertex is like a breath of fresh air for artists itching to reconnect and revitalise their creative mojo. Being an artist can sometimes feel like a solo journey through the wilderness. But at Vertex we’re flipping that script! It’s all about mingling, swapping stories, and sharing skills. Because let’s be real, the magic really happens when we come together and bounce ideas off each other. Whether you’re a painter or 3D modeller, this is a chance to soak up inspiration, make new pals, and maybe spark a few collaborations. Let’s paint the town red – or blue, or whatever colour…

AUTHOR PROFILE Rob Redman Rob is the Editor of 3D World and also works as a creative director, producing 3D animations and VFX. When not at his desk, he can usually be found painting miniatures. robredman.co.uk + PROS Super fast print speeds Accurate prints with excellent detail Very high build quality - CONS Wifi dropouts MATERIAL CHOICES Not all FDM printers are built equally and not all will print all materials. Being able to reach differing temperatures, up to 300C, allows the SK1 to handle a wider variety of filaments, and it supports more than many, ranging from ABS to PLA. This means a single machine can handle more jobs, whereas some uses require multiple printers. Not all that long ago, it appeared that all FDM 3D printers were constructed…

PRICE £1,250/$1,430 COMPANY Revopoint WEBSITE global.revopoint3d.com AUTHOR PROFILE Paul Hatton After graduating with a first-class computer science degree, Paul Hatton has spent nearly two decades working within the 3D visualisation industry. + PROS No laptop or computer required Lightweight and portable High-definition colour capture - CONS Cheaper alternatives available Mobile scanning apps are more portable SINGLE-SHOT MODE This mode is perfect when it’s difficult to manoeuvre around an object quick enough. The continuous mode takes up to 15 frames per second, and that will be far too many frames if you’re not moving the camera around the object. Having the flexibility of this mode type enables artists to pick the right mode for each setup. The MIRACO is Revopoint’s flagship scanner, which aims to redefine the 3D scanning market. Most…