Monday, August 06, 2012
Chapter 7: "One fine detail"
Still in the process of Insanity.... But he's getting farther along than he was before. Right now I an flipping through Chapter 7 of Eric Keller's book, which has been quite helpful with working on Insanity.
Well, I threw the book and the wacom tonight and got myself some "Strawberry Sonoma" red mango instead with a ton of sprinkles and strawberries. (A full-blown meal's worth).
BUT TOMORROW-- My Insanity's On like Donkey Kong!! waka waka waka ;-)
Ahem. Seriousness.
I find that adding in details is difficult for me. What in the HELL? I love details to a fault. I guess it's just the modeler state of mind versus the sculptor state of mind. I mean, where are his veins and wrinkles anyway?
This chapter is perfect timing for it all. It teaches how to work with polypainting (which honestly I find to be very finnicky thus far) and detailing with alphas.
I'm thinking of color... he is a demon, but I was thinking corpse. Pastey-Bluish-Greenish? I don't know. Is that ethical for a demon? Technically they are usually red? And he has picthfork-like hair. I keep going back and forth. But it's all a matter of playing around at this point.
But it order to be a play, I need to know how to play, right?
I see tons of errors as well. Flatness or sagginess or pinches from too much detailing in maya... Lots of work to do.
For my first 'concept' model. Not too bad, I guess, so far.
I'm considering re-doing his hair in Maya eventually so I can make it dynamic and animatable. But for now he's for 'show'. Perfect. He's got a long way to go, but here is Insanity for now.
Well, I threw the book and the wacom tonight and got myself some "Strawberry Sonoma" red mango instead with a ton of sprinkles and strawberries. (A full-blown meal's worth).
BUT TOMORROW-- My Insanity's On like Donkey Kong!! waka waka waka ;-)
Ahem. Seriousness.
I find that adding in details is difficult for me. What in the HELL? I love details to a fault. I guess it's just the modeler state of mind versus the sculptor state of mind. I mean, where are his veins and wrinkles anyway?
This chapter is perfect timing for it all. It teaches how to work with polypainting (which honestly I find to be very finnicky thus far) and detailing with alphas.
I'm thinking of color... he is a demon, but I was thinking corpse. Pastey-Bluish-Greenish? I don't know. Is that ethical for a demon? Technically they are usually red? And he has picthfork-like hair. I keep going back and forth. But it's all a matter of playing around at this point.
But it order to be a play, I need to know how to play, right?
I see tons of errors as well. Flatness or sagginess or pinches from too much detailing in maya... Lots of work to do.
For my first 'concept' model. Not too bad, I guess, so far.
I'm considering re-doing his hair in Maya eventually so I can make it dynamic and animatable. But for now he's for 'show'. Perfect. He's got a long way to go, but here is Insanity for now.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Friday, June 15, 2012
Reincarnating Medusa.
I opted out from taking a shot at zbrush on Insanity, as I originally planned. I figured I'd brush up of my zbrushing by doing the step by step page flip of Chapter 6 constructing medusa and her snake heads from scratch.
As my Uncle once said in regards to my love for cooking-- Always follow a recipe down to the detail the first time around so you know exactly what to expect from its outcome before adapting it the second time around.
Here was the final result.
I'm now completely comfortable with subtools, basic retopology, masking, and I am learning which brushes I enjoy using in the process. I feel confident enough to work on my own character now.
In this time I was also able to get some valuable feedback to my character's model as well that will help to achieve proper functionality if I decide to rig him for animation later on.
As my Uncle once said in regards to my love for cooking-- Always follow a recipe down to the detail the first time around so you know exactly what to expect from its outcome before adapting it the second time around.
Here was the final result.
I'm now completely comfortable with subtools, basic retopology, masking, and I am learning which brushes I enjoy using in the process. I feel confident enough to work on my own character now.
In this time I was also able to get some valuable feedback to my character's model as well that will help to achieve proper functionality if I decide to rig him for animation later on.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
BACK ON IT.
I've created a time and progress sheet for building this character. His name is Insanity. His illustration I created back on June 2nd, 2000. I've decided to build him as a model because I am now (finally) onto chapter 6 of Eric Keller's "Introducing Zbrush", which is Advanced Sculpting Techniques. His chapter includes the building a medusa head... I figured it would be a good chance to work on Insanity, learning everything in the chapter with my own character-- and ending with his own crazy 'do.
Yes he still has a very long way to go. In Maya he is 227,342 polygons. There are obvious anatomy problems. And he definitely looks too "cute" to his initial illustration.
Since it's been a while since I've worked in zbrush, I've decided to spend the evening playing around in the program refreshing myself with the notes that I'd taken while going through the book: A basic breakdown of the drop downs, brushes, and hotkeys. I also hit my advanced modeling notes for Maya from back when I was in college under the instruction of Danny Williams. His notes are priceless artifacts of the trememdous vat of talent he has.
Since I am focused on improving, I decided it was best to document my progress. I will post the progress sheet when I complete Insanity.
My major focus for this is anatomy: I spent a lot of time studying musculature and the skeletal system. A great book that has been glued to me since the start of this is "Cyclopedia Anatomicae". It's truly a lifesaver if you want to learn about A+P in detail. When I went out to lunch to study, I had someone ask if I was studying to be a doctor! Haha! Flattery that made me blush. I would love to take an anatomy class at some point in the future... but overall learning the bones and muscles will prove useful to my charcters modeling especially and also as I need to take instruction from collagues when making adjustments.
And that's a lot too learn. Rightly difficult. But I like to learn, as I like a challenge.
When hand modeling, I came across an interesting site with some fun facts:
http://www.eatonhand.com/hw/facts.htm
-Each hand contains (plus or minus)
-29 major and minor bones (many people have a few more)
-29 major joints
-At least 123 named ligaments.
-34 muscles which move the fingers and thumb
-17 muscles in the palm of the hand and 18 muscles in the forearm.
-48 named nerves
-3 major nerves.
-24 named sensory branches.
-21 named muscular branches
-30 named arteries and nearly as many smaller named branches.
I also built a custom shelf in Maya, which included simple scripts to make life easier:
-A custom layout button with a tear off for my dual monitor and grid removal
-Delete History with Center Pivot
-Delete History and Export Selection
-Convert selection to Vertices
(Again, small scripts, but complete time savers for me)
Timewise, definitely not the best standing record with me. I'm usually very fast. But I had made a conscious decision to model everything from scratch to freshen up insteading of importing from my junkyard. I'm still building my junkyard! Hands, Feet, Ears, Wings, Heads, props... you name it!
Tonight and Tomorrow and for the next week or maybe longer, it's onto zbrush again. My intention is to learn digital sculpting better than any other computer skillset I have, to match my initial concept and orthographic sketches, and to keep out of trouble, I guess.
Just an update. It's been a while.... Back on it.
Yes he still has a very long way to go. In Maya he is 227,342 polygons. There are obvious anatomy problems. And he definitely looks too "cute" to his initial illustration.
Since it's been a while since I've worked in zbrush, I've decided to spend the evening playing around in the program refreshing myself with the notes that I'd taken while going through the book: A basic breakdown of the drop downs, brushes, and hotkeys. I also hit my advanced modeling notes for Maya from back when I was in college under the instruction of Danny Williams. His notes are priceless artifacts of the trememdous vat of talent he has.
Since I am focused on improving, I decided it was best to document my progress. I will post the progress sheet when I complete Insanity.
And that's a lot too learn. Rightly difficult. But I like to learn, as I like a challenge.
When hand modeling, I came across an interesting site with some fun facts:
http://www.eatonhand.com/hw/facts.htm
-Each hand contains (plus or minus)
-29 major and minor bones (many people have a few more)
-29 major joints
-At least 123 named ligaments.
-34 muscles which move the fingers and thumb
-17 muscles in the palm of the hand and 18 muscles in the forearm.
-48 named nerves
-3 major nerves.
-24 named sensory branches.
-21 named muscular branches
-30 named arteries and nearly as many smaller named branches.
I also built a custom shelf in Maya, which included simple scripts to make life easier:
-A custom layout button with a tear off for my dual monitor and grid removal
-Delete History with Center Pivot
-Delete History and Export Selection
-Convert selection to Vertices
(Again, small scripts, but complete time savers for me)
Timewise, definitely not the best standing record with me. I'm usually very fast. But I had made a conscious decision to model everything from scratch to freshen up insteading of importing from my junkyard. I'm still building my junkyard! Hands, Feet, Ears, Wings, Heads, props... you name it!
Tonight and Tomorrow and for the next week or maybe longer, it's onto zbrush again. My intention is to learn digital sculpting better than any other computer skillset I have, to match my initial concept and orthographic sketches, and to keep out of trouble, I guess.
Just an update. It's been a while.... Back on it.
Thursday, April 05, 2012
In the Meantime.... Another Excerpt.
Her phone rang, the cheery tune so poweful, it could have set the basement in shambles with its strength.
She picked up. The other end of the line was static. The number was unavailable.
“Becky?” The static broke and then returned.
“Tad? Where are you?”
“Becky?”
“Hello?”
“Can you meet me? Hello?”
“Yeah, Tad, hey.” She stepped outside. “Can you hear me?”
“I’m by you job. Over at the payphone. Hello?”
“Yeah, I’m here.”
Besides her reasons for leaving prior to his call, she’d hadn’t spoken to him since she had seen him last, only to say a quick thank you and let him know how her grandfather was doing. The next couple of days, she told him that she was going to be busy and didn’t know if she would be able to talk, for the most part, she just wanted to be by herself. He hadn’t called. The moment that she had hung up the phone after telling him, she wanted to call him back, and couldn’t.
Not having a phone was one of the most inconvenient things about him, though it was better on Becky’s part because she wouldn’t appear so needy. For all of the times she thought about calling him, and couldn’t, he would have ran, if she had his number at reach. Anyway, she would have gotten she fed up with herself she might have thrown it out, and let him call her. Just the way it was almost, maybe it was a good thing that he didn’t have a phone. She would have been sitting in her room, needing to get her mind off of everything, the thought of him would settle in, and she would look at the phone, hear his voice of the other end of the line, and that would sometimes be enough to break her away from it all or other times in would weave her in tighter where she would have to force herself to do something else. The past three days she hadn’t slept right, and was more exhausted from thinking than anything. She would have liked not to have the number to her brain. That would have been nice. To disconnect herself for a few days.
She began thinking about her grandfather, walking never helped when she wanted out, and could have switched places, if it was possible, just so that she wouldn’t be on the end of not knowing, the thinking end. Sleep was the only break that she had, and she couldn’t even manage to get in more than three or four hours, if she laid in bed for entire afternoon. Her mind was all over the place. How she could have traded places. She had to wipe it all away before she saw Tad, nobody wanted to see anyone in the condition that she was in, one moment up there and going about her day and the next moment so down she couldn’t have been bulldozed out of the ground. Her feet were getting so heavy that she stopped in the middle of the parking lot. There was no way to see could see him and pretend that everything was okay, that she was fine. She hadn’t wanted to talk to anyone, because she didn’t think that she could. There were no words, just distance, to explain how she was feeling. Nobody, not even her own mother knew, could compete with how much she loved her grandfather.
He was going to die. She knew.
Nobody was going to be able to help her away from that circling thought.
She couldn’t get a hold of herself. The air, fresh as it was, was cold and there was so much of it spinning about her that she felt alone. It was more alive than ever before.
There was one car at the end of the parking lot, an old beaten up buick, sitting infront of a payphone. Becky wished suddenly that Tad had a phone being it was almost three in the morning, and it wasn’t very often that she was out by herself at that time. She saw him someone sitting on the curb next to the car, huddled over, cigarette in hand. It had to be him, she kept telling herself. He didn’t wave her over, if it was. Maybe he didn’t see her. She walked over.
“Tad?” She called at a distance. He was so hidden, the lights didn’t give him a face, when he looked up. “Hey.” She walked over when he stood up and opened up the car door for her, and got inside.
The interior was shredded and reeked of mold, and the window was tapped with a garbage bag. Worse, the ignition was ripped out and wired, and there was a crow bar sitting by her feet. She stared at him as he got in the car.
He felt it. “What?” Then without waiting for her to answer, “It’s my friend’s car. He lost the key, so I wired it. Don’t worry.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s alright, he wants to get another car anyway.” He said, twisting the wires together. He ducked down, searching around the wheel. “Where the hell’re the lights on this thing?”
“You stole it?”
He stopped, and fixed his hat. “No, don’t worry. It’s just for the next couple days. He was going to dump it, anyway. It’s a piece of shit.” He lit up a cigarette.
Becky felt like getting out of the car and going home, she didn’t know why she was even there to begin with. She sat there in someone else’s car, someone else that was going to walk out of there house in the morning to go to work and call the cops. He was acting as if he didn’t know it was a fellony, pleading not guilty so honestly, there was a second where Becky almost believed him. There was no way that someone would have their car broken into and wired because they couldn’t find their key. His lying was too good on something so bad, she was uneasy. Her hand was on the handle.
“Hey,” He leaned in, and took her hand. “I’m sorry. I just… It’ll be alright.”
“Just tell me.” She wanted an explanation.
“I don’t know. What? Tell you what?” He let go of her hand, opened up the door, and got out. “Come on. I didn’t steal it I told you. It’s just a fucking car. Shit! The guy was going to junk it anyway. Look at it.” The car rattled as he kicked the frame.
As if the problems that she had weren’t enough, there came another. All that she needed was a chance to get away, to feel good, to get her mind off of things, and he was fuming as if she had done something wrong, asked something so severe that he couldn’t handle to give her a straight answer. He was off, rocketing back and forth with his arms wrapped over his face, mumbling to himself. She couldn’t hear what he was saying, and began guessing, overflowed with questions that she could use to help read his mind, because she was too afraid that she would worsen the situation if she were too ask what was wrong. She blamed herself that he wanted out so badly that he would leave the car, being so intrusive and badgering, not giving him the benefit of the doubtm, hearing him enough to respect that he was telling her the truth, as slight as it may have been. She was a mess, everything was mess, that she was beginning to trip over herself, couldn’t push her garbage aside to clear herself an easy path. The more she tried to push aside, the more stuff that piled on her, it almost seemed as if some power above had a bout with her, raining garbage just when the clouds parted. If he were telling her the truth, he wouldn’t have been so frustrated, or maybe he was frustrated because the truth wasn’t good enough for her. It could have worked both ways. As it came be to, however, all that mattered was that he was against the rings, already hit, waiting for a rematch. Becky couldn’t stand the thought of him fogged up to the eyes, hating on her. They hadn’t even had a chance to get closer than liking each other, yet. She pushed open the car door and got out, to go back home, just wanting to leave. It wasn’t the right time to talk to anyone yet. She wasn’t ready. She was a bombshell.
He grabbed her hand as she walked by.
It felt so good to feel his hand in hers. She couldn’t turn to face him for she knew that he didn’t want to see her get upset. She tried to stay strong, but it felt so good to have his hand in hers that she thought if she had sat it the car and just taken it from there, nothing would have ever went wrong, she would have never started. It had been so long since she had that kind of energy ride through her hand, there was something so intense within their grip, she never wanted to move again. It washed away everything at contact so simple and unproblematic that it made her start to cry.
She picked up. The other end of the line was static. The number was unavailable.
“Becky?” The static broke and then returned.
“Tad? Where are you?”
“Becky?”
“Hello?”
“Can you meet me? Hello?”
“Yeah, Tad, hey.” She stepped outside. “Can you hear me?”
“I’m by you job. Over at the payphone. Hello?”
“Yeah, I’m here.”
Besides her reasons for leaving prior to his call, she’d hadn’t spoken to him since she had seen him last, only to say a quick thank you and let him know how her grandfather was doing. The next couple of days, she told him that she was going to be busy and didn’t know if she would be able to talk, for the most part, she just wanted to be by herself. He hadn’t called. The moment that she had hung up the phone after telling him, she wanted to call him back, and couldn’t.
Not having a phone was one of the most inconvenient things about him, though it was better on Becky’s part because she wouldn’t appear so needy. For all of the times she thought about calling him, and couldn’t, he would have ran, if she had his number at reach. Anyway, she would have gotten she fed up with herself she might have thrown it out, and let him call her. Just the way it was almost, maybe it was a good thing that he didn’t have a phone. She would have been sitting in her room, needing to get her mind off of everything, the thought of him would settle in, and she would look at the phone, hear his voice of the other end of the line, and that would sometimes be enough to break her away from it all or other times in would weave her in tighter where she would have to force herself to do something else. The past three days she hadn’t slept right, and was more exhausted from thinking than anything. She would have liked not to have the number to her brain. That would have been nice. To disconnect herself for a few days.
She began thinking about her grandfather, walking never helped when she wanted out, and could have switched places, if it was possible, just so that she wouldn’t be on the end of not knowing, the thinking end. Sleep was the only break that she had, and she couldn’t even manage to get in more than three or four hours, if she laid in bed for entire afternoon. Her mind was all over the place. How she could have traded places. She had to wipe it all away before she saw Tad, nobody wanted to see anyone in the condition that she was in, one moment up there and going about her day and the next moment so down she couldn’t have been bulldozed out of the ground. Her feet were getting so heavy that she stopped in the middle of the parking lot. There was no way to see could see him and pretend that everything was okay, that she was fine. She hadn’t wanted to talk to anyone, because she didn’t think that she could. There were no words, just distance, to explain how she was feeling. Nobody, not even her own mother knew, could compete with how much she loved her grandfather.
He was going to die. She knew.
Nobody was going to be able to help her away from that circling thought.
She couldn’t get a hold of herself. The air, fresh as it was, was cold and there was so much of it spinning about her that she felt alone. It was more alive than ever before.
There was one car at the end of the parking lot, an old beaten up buick, sitting infront of a payphone. Becky wished suddenly that Tad had a phone being it was almost three in the morning, and it wasn’t very often that she was out by herself at that time. She saw him someone sitting on the curb next to the car, huddled over, cigarette in hand. It had to be him, she kept telling herself. He didn’t wave her over, if it was. Maybe he didn’t see her. She walked over.
“Tad?” She called at a distance. He was so hidden, the lights didn’t give him a face, when he looked up. “Hey.” She walked over when he stood up and opened up the car door for her, and got inside.
The interior was shredded and reeked of mold, and the window was tapped with a garbage bag. Worse, the ignition was ripped out and wired, and there was a crow bar sitting by her feet. She stared at him as he got in the car.
He felt it. “What?” Then without waiting for her to answer, “It’s my friend’s car. He lost the key, so I wired it. Don’t worry.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s alright, he wants to get another car anyway.” He said, twisting the wires together. He ducked down, searching around the wheel. “Where the hell’re the lights on this thing?”
“You stole it?”
He stopped, and fixed his hat. “No, don’t worry. It’s just for the next couple days. He was going to dump it, anyway. It’s a piece of shit.” He lit up a cigarette.
Becky felt like getting out of the car and going home, she didn’t know why she was even there to begin with. She sat there in someone else’s car, someone else that was going to walk out of there house in the morning to go to work and call the cops. He was acting as if he didn’t know it was a fellony, pleading not guilty so honestly, there was a second where Becky almost believed him. There was no way that someone would have their car broken into and wired because they couldn’t find their key. His lying was too good on something so bad, she was uneasy. Her hand was on the handle.
“Hey,” He leaned in, and took her hand. “I’m sorry. I just… It’ll be alright.”
“Just tell me.” She wanted an explanation.
“I don’t know. What? Tell you what?” He let go of her hand, opened up the door, and got out. “Come on. I didn’t steal it I told you. It’s just a fucking car. Shit! The guy was going to junk it anyway. Look at it.” The car rattled as he kicked the frame.
As if the problems that she had weren’t enough, there came another. All that she needed was a chance to get away, to feel good, to get her mind off of things, and he was fuming as if she had done something wrong, asked something so severe that he couldn’t handle to give her a straight answer. He was off, rocketing back and forth with his arms wrapped over his face, mumbling to himself. She couldn’t hear what he was saying, and began guessing, overflowed with questions that she could use to help read his mind, because she was too afraid that she would worsen the situation if she were too ask what was wrong. She blamed herself that he wanted out so badly that he would leave the car, being so intrusive and badgering, not giving him the benefit of the doubtm, hearing him enough to respect that he was telling her the truth, as slight as it may have been. She was a mess, everything was mess, that she was beginning to trip over herself, couldn’t push her garbage aside to clear herself an easy path. The more she tried to push aside, the more stuff that piled on her, it almost seemed as if some power above had a bout with her, raining garbage just when the clouds parted. If he were telling her the truth, he wouldn’t have been so frustrated, or maybe he was frustrated because the truth wasn’t good enough for her. It could have worked both ways. As it came be to, however, all that mattered was that he was against the rings, already hit, waiting for a rematch. Becky couldn’t stand the thought of him fogged up to the eyes, hating on her. They hadn’t even had a chance to get closer than liking each other, yet. She pushed open the car door and got out, to go back home, just wanting to leave. It wasn’t the right time to talk to anyone yet. She wasn’t ready. She was a bombshell.
He grabbed her hand as she walked by.
It felt so good to feel his hand in hers. She couldn’t turn to face him for she knew that he didn’t want to see her get upset. She tried to stay strong, but it felt so good to have his hand in hers that she thought if she had sat it the car and just taken it from there, nothing would have ever went wrong, she would have never started. It had been so long since she had that kind of energy ride through her hand, there was something so intense within their grip, she never wanted to move again. It washed away everything at contact so simple and unproblematic that it made her start to cry.
Monday, March 19, 2012
ANOTHER PROJECT, ANOTHER TIMESHEET.
So progress is currently underway on the fleshing out of one of my characters in 3D. I decided to go with Maya this time around-- as I'm rusty after almost a year away from the program and wanted to get acquainted with the it once again.
I have always favored building a model over most of the other features encompasses 3D software. Even this task has been neglected for a very long while due. I've had the itch and it felt good to scratch at it today. All of the techniques I was taught in college were washing back on me as I navigated through an all but familiar interface.
One of my favorite features of Maya is the ability to customize a shelf through the script editor, which Max offers as well through Macroscript. That was my first step-- followed by some hotkey assignments. My main goal is to get back to Maya but get back to Maya working even FASTER than before.
With the Project, my favorite Shelf Button so far has been a custom layout orthographic split with a tearoff perspective panel for my 2nd Monitor. My favorite hotkey: Hide UI elements. I'm only in the preliminaries so these two shortcuts are simple but pretty effective for me.
My technique is slowly coming back to me, although I am trying a different approach than I have in the past. I started bare minimal with 4 sided boxes:
I'm really trying to be more conscious of my polycount. Only carving in geometry where I NEED to create more detail. I'm trying to keep the polycount as low as possible in Maya before bringing it into Zbrush. Not because my computer can't handle it, but because I don't want to over complicate the model should I need to animate it later on.
I look it at as the less vertices to weight skins, the better... And skinning has to be one of my LEAST favorite tasks.
I'm always tracking my progess with a Timesheet. I got this idea from Kim Lee, owner of Worlds Away Productions and a friend and confidant of mine who I worked with in the past. He always stressed that it's was good to try to be conscious of how long you spend on a model. It gives a good competitive goal too. I always like to try beat my last record, even if the model is more complicated. That's just my nature.
I've kept my timesheet to four columns:
1). DATE
2). TIME SPENT
3). POLYCOUNT
4). DESCRIPTIONS AND/OR PROBLEMS
As far as modeling technique, I'm excited to say that this week I will be flying out to Los Angeles for a day later on this week to join in at the Zbrush User Group where I will watch my old instructor (and mentor) present his incredible talents to a mass amount of wide-eyed digital sculpting fans, along with two other very talent artists.
Danny Williams, founder of lunchcrunch.org and a phenomenal 3D modeler/sculpter, had generously taught his students his tricks of the trade at the School of Visual Arts back a few years ago. I luckily was fortunate enough to be part of that. I can proudly say that I had learned some crucial "rules" that I still execute to this day. Without his classes and a bookful of notes, I'm not sure if I would have the same love for 3D modeling or the same inner faith that I continue to hold for 3D modeling as I do currently.
Anatomy-- is the same needed nod. You've heard this time and time again, I'm sure. I'm not expert on anatomny by far (Wish I was), but by my desk-side a large anatomical reference of the human male that I ordered a while back from http://www.anatomicalfigures.com. This is one of the best purchases I've ever made. My browser, too, has been open all day making sure I have access to the proper reference(s) needed.
The character I'm modeling?
Well, that's for another day.... Maybe you can guess as I proceed along?
Keep it fun right?
Anyways, I'm hoping to the "maya" portion of "it" completed before I head out of town for my Zbrsuh crash course. I will post the character's designs as soon as the model starts taking a recognizable shape (perhaps my next post). For now, here's a semi-obvious tease:
The current stats of the timesheet (which I will post at the end of this project) stands at 1972 polys and about 5.5 hours of life investment.
The Zbrush meeting is leaving me SUPER excited about the next few days! It is the perfect ammunition to drop me back into Zbrush for Chapter 6 of Eric Keller's Introducing Zbrush book. Next Chapter: Advanced Digital Sculpting.
That's one thing about my job at the airlines that I will miss when I finally get the courage and appropriate skillsets to leave... The priveledge of traveling the distance for such a worthwhile and unbeatable opportunity.
I have always favored building a model over most of the other features encompasses 3D software. Even this task has been neglected for a very long while due. I've had the itch and it felt good to scratch at it today. All of the techniques I was taught in college were washing back on me as I navigated through an all but familiar interface.
One of my favorite features of Maya is the ability to customize a shelf through the script editor, which Max offers as well through Macroscript. That was my first step-- followed by some hotkey assignments. My main goal is to get back to Maya but get back to Maya working even FASTER than before.
With the Project, my favorite Shelf Button so far has been a custom layout orthographic split with a tearoff perspective panel for my 2nd Monitor. My favorite hotkey: Hide UI elements. I'm only in the preliminaries so these two shortcuts are simple but pretty effective for me.
My technique is slowly coming back to me, although I am trying a different approach than I have in the past. I started bare minimal with 4 sided boxes:
I'm really trying to be more conscious of my polycount. Only carving in geometry where I NEED to create more detail. I'm trying to keep the polycount as low as possible in Maya before bringing it into Zbrush. Not because my computer can't handle it, but because I don't want to over complicate the model should I need to animate it later on.
I look it at as the less vertices to weight skins, the better... And skinning has to be one of my LEAST favorite tasks.
I'm always tracking my progess with a Timesheet. I got this idea from Kim Lee, owner of Worlds Away Productions and a friend and confidant of mine who I worked with in the past. He always stressed that it's was good to try to be conscious of how long you spend on a model. It gives a good competitive goal too. I always like to try beat my last record, even if the model is more complicated. That's just my nature.
I've kept my timesheet to four columns:
1). DATE
2). TIME SPENT
3). POLYCOUNT
4). DESCRIPTIONS AND/OR PROBLEMS
As far as modeling technique, I'm excited to say that this week I will be flying out to Los Angeles for a day later on this week to join in at the Zbrush User Group where I will watch my old instructor (and mentor) present his incredible talents to a mass amount of wide-eyed digital sculpting fans, along with two other very talent artists.
Danny Williams, founder of lunchcrunch.org and a phenomenal 3D modeler/sculpter, had generously taught his students his tricks of the trade at the School of Visual Arts back a few years ago. I luckily was fortunate enough to be part of that. I can proudly say that I had learned some crucial "rules" that I still execute to this day. Without his classes and a bookful of notes, I'm not sure if I would have the same love for 3D modeling or the same inner faith that I continue to hold for 3D modeling as I do currently.
Anatomy-- is the same needed nod. You've heard this time and time again, I'm sure. I'm not expert on anatomny by far (Wish I was), but by my desk-side a large anatomical reference of the human male that I ordered a while back from http://www.anatomicalfigures.com. This is one of the best purchases I've ever made. My browser, too, has been open all day making sure I have access to the proper reference(s) needed.
The character I'm modeling?
Well, that's for another day.... Maybe you can guess as I proceed along?
Keep it fun right?
Anyways, I'm hoping to the "maya" portion of "it" completed before I head out of town for my Zbrsuh crash course. I will post the character's designs as soon as the model starts taking a recognizable shape (perhaps my next post). For now, here's a semi-obvious tease:
The current stats of the timesheet (which I will post at the end of this project) stands at 1972 polys and about 5.5 hours of life investment.
The Zbrush meeting is leaving me SUPER excited about the next few days! It is the perfect ammunition to drop me back into Zbrush for Chapter 6 of Eric Keller's Introducing Zbrush book. Next Chapter: Advanced Digital Sculpting.
That's one thing about my job at the airlines that I will miss when I finally get the courage and appropriate skillsets to leave... The priveledge of traveling the distance for such a worthwhile and unbeatable opportunity.
Monday, March 05, 2012
Back On the Webfront.
Not my favorite type of gig, but a gig none-the-less. And a task that seems to filter itself in my general direction on quite a few occasions now. So, I made an arrangement with myself to make my life on the web-front easier.
I created a questionnaire. One that avoids being too time intensive to fill out and is precise in obtaining the information needed to recreate the clients vision. Most importantly, it curbs me from working blindly. I will soon attach it to my web design section and add in a few links and images where you will be able to see some of the sites I've worked on and/or completed.
Here is the homepage of the site I am currently working on:
(This is being created while I build up one of my characters in Maya and get him ready for sculpting for Chapter 6 of Eric Keller's "Introducing Zbrush")
My feeling on this type of art called 'web design'. Complete Love-Hate.
I love the layout part in Photoshop. And the coding end of it is comfortingly repetitive sometimes. But other than that...
To me, web design has always been the type of work that seldom feels like an artistic journey, and always settles as technical and organizational. The layout in photoshop is the best part, but unfortunately, the quickest part.
And the quips of what works with what nowadays, and what format and resolution size, and what plugins are downloaded on personal computers, what browsers. What fonts are installed and what colors correlated with the World Wide Web. Fixed or Fluid Layouts. It's all just so nit-picky. Bitchy, really.
Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to have the work. And even more happy to lend a hand to a few friends in need of launching businesses and such. But when it all boils down to it, my honest opinion of web design:
To me, it's more web development. Or Lisa-as-a-web-designer-development...
Web design is one of the least advanced visual artforms out there because it's too conservative to be freeing-- which is what makes art "art" to some of us artists out there sometimes. Now I'm sure many would argue, but on the level of rules: One must jump through many, many different sized hoops to get their site working on ALL sized-and-shaped browsers. And even still, features such as that PNG format hadn't figured out transparency until what year again? Has it yet? I don't know. But transparency (such a popular tool in many other computer art related programs) shouldn't even be an issue. To work around the transparency issues is brilliance? No. It just feels like it's a few steps behind being artsy to me.
Now with Mac and PC mobile devices? Reformating. Finding that prefect script and readjusting it to work for your website-on-the-road = Total Techy Time In. Hours of research maybe. I'll do it. *Grunt*. If only to learn it and learn that I probably never want to do it again.
I like to attempt to hone in my inner geek, yes. And I can do it well sometimes, but web design once the design part is over with... I'm completely washed up to shore. And cranky even.
Now this is non-specific to any of my clients and/or friends, but a general cry of anguish. Content?! Please fill in ALL the blank areas, because I don't know what to do with them. hehe. Really. I'll draw smiley faces all over the place. What is there to convey in words? It is difficult, but I'm just the artist here.
This is where my lovely questionnaire surfaces and thankfully has been a saving grace this time around. But in the past making up content is no fun.
The current wesbite near to complete is a site for a friend of mine, who I'm sure knows how much I loathe web design. And if not, he knows now. It's called Walk Safely Chasing Dreams. He's reaching out to all people trying to pursue what they love most and to not give up on achieveing it. Go for it. But do so carefully. And if your anything like me -- do so with lots of graceful complaining.
If you want to check out the site, give you're input, or spread some motivation around, or even buy a t-shirt, send my friend an email. The custom contact form works although the Products Page is still underway.
I'm no marketer, but motivation of dreams and inspiration is always a powerful feeling to spread around. I don't know what inspires me sometimes, but I keep on plugging away at my artwork for some reason-- even this blog. Inspiration stays with me somehow and when it fades something always brings that inspiration back... and its in my nature to inspire others and keep inspiring... even if I complain.
So do me the favor, check it out and enjoy:
DAVID JOHNSON'S
WALK SAFELY CHASING DREAMS
Please be mindful most sublinks aren't working yet. But I will post again once when the site is fully up and running and all inforamtion and social links are provided.
Thanks (as always) for stomaching through my (web design) rants.
I created a questionnaire. One that avoids being too time intensive to fill out and is precise in obtaining the information needed to recreate the clients vision. Most importantly, it curbs me from working blindly. I will soon attach it to my web design section and add in a few links and images where you will be able to see some of the sites I've worked on and/or completed.
Here is the homepage of the site I am currently working on:
(This is being created while I build up one of my characters in Maya and get him ready for sculpting for Chapter 6 of Eric Keller's "Introducing Zbrush")
My feeling on this type of art called 'web design'. Complete Love-Hate.
I love the layout part in Photoshop. And the coding end of it is comfortingly repetitive sometimes. But other than that...
To me, web design has always been the type of work that seldom feels like an artistic journey, and always settles as technical and organizational. The layout in photoshop is the best part, but unfortunately, the quickest part.
And the quips of what works with what nowadays, and what format and resolution size, and what plugins are downloaded on personal computers, what browsers. What fonts are installed and what colors correlated with the World Wide Web. Fixed or Fluid Layouts. It's all just so nit-picky. Bitchy, really.
Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to have the work. And even more happy to lend a hand to a few friends in need of launching businesses and such. But when it all boils down to it, my honest opinion of web design:
To me, it's more web development. Or Lisa-as-a-web-designer-development...
Web design is one of the least advanced visual artforms out there because it's too conservative to be freeing-- which is what makes art "art" to some of us artists out there sometimes. Now I'm sure many would argue, but on the level of rules: One must jump through many, many different sized hoops to get their site working on ALL sized-and-shaped browsers. And even still, features such as that PNG format hadn't figured out transparency until what year again? Has it yet? I don't know. But transparency (such a popular tool in many other computer art related programs) shouldn't even be an issue. To work around the transparency issues is brilliance? No. It just feels like it's a few steps behind being artsy to me.
Now with Mac and PC mobile devices? Reformating. Finding that prefect script and readjusting it to work for your website-on-the-road = Total Techy Time In. Hours of research maybe. I'll do it. *Grunt*. If only to learn it and learn that I probably never want to do it again.
I like to attempt to hone in my inner geek, yes. And I can do it well sometimes, but web design once the design part is over with... I'm completely washed up to shore. And cranky even.
Now this is non-specific to any of my clients and/or friends, but a general cry of anguish. Content?! Please fill in ALL the blank areas, because I don't know what to do with them. hehe. Really. I'll draw smiley faces all over the place. What is there to convey in words? It is difficult, but I'm just the artist here.
This is where my lovely questionnaire surfaces and thankfully has been a saving grace this time around. But in the past making up content is no fun.
The current wesbite near to complete is a site for a friend of mine, who I'm sure knows how much I loathe web design. And if not, he knows now. It's called Walk Safely Chasing Dreams. He's reaching out to all people trying to pursue what they love most and to not give up on achieveing it. Go for it. But do so carefully. And if your anything like me -- do so with lots of graceful complaining.
If you want to check out the site, give you're input, or spread some motivation around, or even buy a t-shirt, send my friend an email. The custom contact form works although the Products Page is still underway.
I'm no marketer, but motivation of dreams and inspiration is always a powerful feeling to spread around. I don't know what inspires me sometimes, but I keep on plugging away at my artwork for some reason-- even this blog. Inspiration stays with me somehow and when it fades something always brings that inspiration back... and its in my nature to inspire others and keep inspiring... even if I complain.
So do me the favor, check it out and enjoy:
WALK SAFELY CHASING DREAMS
Please be mindful most sublinks aren't working yet. But I will post again once when the site is fully up and running and all inforamtion and social links are provided.
Thanks (as always) for stomaching through my (web design) rants.
Friday, March 02, 2012
Computers: Keep On Updating Yourself!
It's not the computer that you need to find tune and fresh install, it's YOU. Speaking for myself, if I can't keep updated on my computer software interests of choice -- I don't deserve to work as a professional computer artist.
It is true even with traditional mediums. If I hit a road block, I make sure I pratice my hand-eye coordination by copydrawing or attempting a portrait until my own inspirations strike.
And they have....
It all started with a contest the Deviant Art was hosting. They were looking for a worldwide attempt at creating the cutest original monster. While brainstorming I thought of three great "stories". I've been trying to think like Bobbby Chui ever since seeing his seminar even if my work is far lacking in luster than his.
The contest: I knew I wouldn't have enough time and I didn't want to be swayed by the money by producing quick crap. I also predicted that I wouldn't have enough people to vote for me. So, I archived these ideas-- and they've been festering in me.
I sketched the first one out the other day. (I won't post it yet because it's incomplete at the moment). The tone conveyed from my mind-to-page so far has transformed from a light and childish vision to semi-dark and semi-depressing bit of chicken-scratch. I'm just thankful I'm loosening up with my sketches. I'm getting better at my gesture drawings, too. :) I will try to produce a few different versions. Although, I prefer the feeling that surfaced in the original. Ironic.
But back to case in hand. I was freshly inspired. And my hand drawings have prospered as such.
Computer roadblocks, though? Well, I finally myself re-learning Maya today and it's frustrating to say the least. The most difficult was the set-up (Although I remember that importing image planes was never truly fun). And now that I am started and hashing out the basics of one of my characters with some box modeling-- it's coming alllll coming back to me.
Still, I safeguard myself by taking notes. Hot-Keys essentially are the saving graces of each indivdiual program. YOU CAN'T GET MAD AT YOURSELF or THE MOUSE or THE COMPUTER, if you know your hot keys and know them well.
The truth is-- I can't choose one program, I won't let go of one program to another. I'm fair. I'm open. I'm a universal computer software girl and I have a true love for art and working with a variety of tools.
Am I a tool? Only if the program or computer controls me.
And that, my friends, is exactly the reason enough to keep updated.
It is true even with traditional mediums. If I hit a road block, I make sure I pratice my hand-eye coordination by copydrawing or attempting a portrait until my own inspirations strike.
And they have....
It all started with a contest the Deviant Art was hosting. They were looking for a worldwide attempt at creating the cutest original monster. While brainstorming I thought of three great "stories". I've been trying to think like Bobbby Chui ever since seeing his seminar even if my work is far lacking in luster than his.
The contest: I knew I wouldn't have enough time and I didn't want to be swayed by the money by producing quick crap. I also predicted that I wouldn't have enough people to vote for me. So, I archived these ideas-- and they've been festering in me.
I sketched the first one out the other day. (I won't post it yet because it's incomplete at the moment). The tone conveyed from my mind-to-page so far has transformed from a light and childish vision to semi-dark and semi-depressing bit of chicken-scratch. I'm just thankful I'm loosening up with my sketches. I'm getting better at my gesture drawings, too. :) I will try to produce a few different versions. Although, I prefer the feeling that surfaced in the original. Ironic.
But back to case in hand. I was freshly inspired. And my hand drawings have prospered as such.
Computer roadblocks, though? Well, I finally myself re-learning Maya today and it's frustrating to say the least. The most difficult was the set-up (Although I remember that importing image planes was never truly fun). And now that I am started and hashing out the basics of one of my characters with some box modeling-- it's coming alllll coming back to me.
Still, I safeguard myself by taking notes. Hot-Keys essentially are the saving graces of each indivdiual program. YOU CAN'T GET MAD AT YOURSELF or THE MOUSE or THE COMPUTER, if you know your hot keys and know them well.
The truth is-- I can't choose one program, I won't let go of one program to another. I'm fair. I'm open. I'm a universal computer software girl and I have a true love for art and working with a variety of tools.
Am I a tool? Only if the program or computer controls me.
And that, my friends, is exactly the reason enough to keep updated.
Sunday, January 08, 2012
Out of the Holiday and Into a New Year.
Here's what's added to my sktechbook over the 2011 holiday season! I've been drawing while I fly. When I'm stuck away from the computer it's really the only thing I can do to stay fresh.
All images that are posted to this blog/site are copywrite of the real sketch (or just plain copywritten to me). So, please respect my work and feel free to ask me for permission should you like to use my work for something personal or professional. I am very easy going so.... let me know! www.lisamarie.biz -- under my Info section you will find a working contact form.
For the above, I wanted to add some scenery and perspective to my characters. This year I'd like to enhance my skills in environment, prop, and background designs with my 2D designs. For my digital and 3D work, I also have a lengthy checklist.
Within the next week or so, I'll be posting the final rendition of a largescale 3D project that's had been keeping me busy for 2011. I am hoping 2012 brings the same feeling of accomplishment, because this project was a long trek of planning, learning, and a hardknock lesson in working as an independent.
And I'd like another shot at it all, because I know I can do even better next time around. For now, I wrap up 2011 work year and I balance in some quality "me" time:
My newest additions to the Aw Series, a series of characters intended for younger audiences. (Bottom Row-- 3rd Over).
I hope you all had a happy and healthy holiday season. And I am wishing you all the best for 2012. Whatever you do: Keep inspired! It's difficult for me sometimes, but looking at the world around me, I've been finding inspiration in everything.
All images that are posted to this blog/site are copywrite of the real sketch (or just plain copywritten to me). So, please respect my work and feel free to ask me for permission should you like to use my work for something personal or professional. I am very easy going so.... let me know! www.lisamarie.biz -- under my Info section you will find a working contact form.
For the above, I wanted to add some scenery and perspective to my characters. This year I'd like to enhance my skills in environment, prop, and background designs with my 2D designs. For my digital and 3D work, I also have a lengthy checklist.
Within the next week or so, I'll be posting the final rendition of a largescale 3D project that's had been keeping me busy for 2011. I am hoping 2012 brings the same feeling of accomplishment, because this project was a long trek of planning, learning, and a hardknock lesson in working as an independent.
And I'd like another shot at it all, because I know I can do even better next time around. For now, I wrap up 2011 work year and I balance in some quality "me" time:
My newest additions to the Aw Series, a series of characters intended for younger audiences. (Bottom Row-- 3rd Over).
I hope you all had a happy and healthy holiday season. And I am wishing you all the best for 2012. Whatever you do: Keep inspired! It's difficult for me sometimes, but looking at the world around me, I've been finding inspiration in everything.
Thursday, December 01, 2011
QUICK STUDIES.
My solo one beer drink-and-draw on the train ride back home from a "Business and Legal Issues" seminar hosted for visual artists. The sketches were done really quick-- maybe under 5 minutes, definitely under 10.
Sketching people on the train has always been great practice for me in making quick and precise decisions.
Sketching people on the train has always been great practice for me in making quick and precise decisions.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
No More Piss Poor Planning.
The science of this post: GOOD PLANNING PUTS YOU IN CONTROL OF YOUR TIME.
The difficulties of strategizing then executing plans and time management has always been one of the largest challenges for me. I've constantly struggled to correct the notions of being more timely than prompt, spending too much time on one thing and not enough time on another thing, allowing myself to get sidetracked by interruptions...
I won't downplay myself, I am super disciplined and admittedly a sucker of spending almost all of my free time on my artwork, whether personal or professional, but I have never quite been on a set schedule, which makes planning near to impossible.
So on my research to find the BEST way to begin to organize my time and life, I came across a great bulletlist of statistical studies and interesting facts that were recorded and documented by Dr. Donald E. Wetmore over years of attending seminars. The link to this list is here.
Of the list, it states that "The average person uses 13 different methods to control and manage their time." There is a said to be hundreds of different options for the time-seeking individual to attempt and yet only 24 hours available in a day. So which ways are the best ways and the ones worthy of practice? Who knows. I decided to hone in (a lot) on this subject:
SO HERE'S MY QUICK ANALOGY:
-I define the value of my time in a day by setting goals vs. requirements with the key being able to balance the time for both.
GOALS need at least these 2 things to be effective:
-Be practical/measurable so it is known when these goals are achieved.
-Lead to some sense of Self-Improvement
REQUIREMENTS need to be determined:
-Viewed and handled with higher priority than goals.
-Considered in advance to avoid delay of goals.
RELAXING needs to be in there too:
-Adding slots to do this will allow ample time to shave when
running behind schedule. This area can be the FIRST area to
be adjusted when goals / requirements on the list are not yet
achieved.
It is said that "1 hour of planning will save 10 hours of doing." And lately I've found myself taking a half hour out of my night to plot out a strict time schedule for my next day by following a military method called: "Backwards Planning".
The first step of Backward Planning is to list your tasks and then prioritize them. I try to give myself a small bit of leeway inbetween each task, because I've read now that it almost always takes twice as long to complete a task as what is originally assumed a task would take. Perhaps this is because deep down inside we want to be (or are) over-achievers by nature or perhaps this is where good planning becomes 'piss poor planning'? I don't know, but I'm sure it's fixable when finetuning planning as into skillset...
In any event, the advantage of planning a day backward is that each preceding action has a deadline set ahead of time and can be adjusted to coincide with the starting point of the first task.
I'll go into scheduling another time, because it all goes hand in hand.
Today, I experimented with Brush Settings in Photoshop while keeping an eye on some renders of 3D work that I am trying to finalize. Bobby Chui's class provoked me to play around with the brush settings-- something that is a MUST that I've never done before. I believe I've discovered my digital sketching brush, which I'm very excited about.
Tomorrow I will start to apply some of the technical tips that Bobby offered to my digital painting, as well as looking into finding my digital stroke -- to mimic the organic look of real pencil shading, whether this be through brush settings or creating a custom brush. It is something that has been bothering me about digital painting for a while, as well.
I also took Bobby's advice. I found an artist whose style and journey I would like to observe and I figured I would dedicate my next post to her. My artist of the day will be Carol Kieffer Police.
Keep checking back because I am a faithful to this capsule as a special requirement, if not as reoccuring requirement. ;)
And, again, thank you all so much for reading.
The difficulties of strategizing then executing plans and time management has always been one of the largest challenges for me. I've constantly struggled to correct the notions of being more timely than prompt, spending too much time on one thing and not enough time on another thing, allowing myself to get sidetracked by interruptions...
I won't downplay myself, I am super disciplined and admittedly a sucker of spending almost all of my free time on my artwork, whether personal or professional, but I have never quite been on a set schedule, which makes planning near to impossible.
So on my research to find the BEST way to begin to organize my time and life, I came across a great bulletlist of statistical studies and interesting facts that were recorded and documented by Dr. Donald E. Wetmore over years of attending seminars. The link to this list is here.
Of the list, it states that "The average person uses 13 different methods to control and manage their time." There is a said to be hundreds of different options for the time-seeking individual to attempt and yet only 24 hours available in a day. So which ways are the best ways and the ones worthy of practice? Who knows. I decided to hone in (a lot) on this subject:
SO HERE'S MY QUICK ANALOGY:
-I define the value of my time in a day by setting goals vs. requirements with the key being able to balance the time for both.
GOALS need at least these 2 things to be effective:
-Be practical/measurable so it is known when these goals are achieved.
-Lead to some sense of Self-Improvement
REQUIREMENTS need to be determined:
-Viewed and handled with higher priority than goals.
-Considered in advance to avoid delay of goals.
RELAXING needs to be in there too:
-Adding slots to do this will allow ample time to shave when
running behind schedule. This area can be the FIRST area to
be adjusted when goals / requirements on the list are not yet
achieved.
It is said that "1 hour of planning will save 10 hours of doing." And lately I've found myself taking a half hour out of my night to plot out a strict time schedule for my next day by following a military method called: "Backwards Planning".
The first step of Backward Planning is to list your tasks and then prioritize them. I try to give myself a small bit of leeway inbetween each task, because I've read now that it almost always takes twice as long to complete a task as what is originally assumed a task would take. Perhaps this is because deep down inside we want to be (or are) over-achievers by nature or perhaps this is where good planning becomes 'piss poor planning'? I don't know, but I'm sure it's fixable when finetuning planning as into skillset...
In any event, the advantage of planning a day backward is that each preceding action has a deadline set ahead of time and can be adjusted to coincide with the starting point of the first task.
I'll go into scheduling another time, because it all goes hand in hand.
Today, I experimented with Brush Settings in Photoshop while keeping an eye on some renders of 3D work that I am trying to finalize. Bobby Chui's class provoked me to play around with the brush settings-- something that is a MUST that I've never done before. I believe I've discovered my digital sketching brush, which I'm very excited about.
Tomorrow I will start to apply some of the technical tips that Bobby offered to my digital painting, as well as looking into finding my digital stroke -- to mimic the organic look of real pencil shading, whether this be through brush settings or creating a custom brush. It is something that has been bothering me about digital painting for a while, as well.
I also took Bobby's advice. I found an artist whose style and journey I would like to observe and I figured I would dedicate my next post to her. My artist of the day will be Carol Kieffer Police.
Keep checking back because I am a faithful to this capsule as a special requirement, if not as reoccuring requirement. ;)
And, again, thank you all so much for reading.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
THOUGHT REORGANIZATION.
So I have no work to post, yet again. But I had the chance to experience an incredible masterclass out in the Los Angeles area on Monday hosted by artist Bobby Chui at a gallery called Nucleus.
I left feeling overly-eager to outside eyes with my compulsion to feed out masses of business cards through the "skill" of networking. But I also left feeling rejuvenated and with a newfound vengeance to approach my digital painting.
His seminar was not purely on his technique, but moreso therapeutic reinforcement, which is very similar to the podcast in my post-- What I expected from him and his seminar to the tee. Sort of what I needed. The portion of his class that was based on his techniques were, through and through, simple but genius workarounds covering all of the photoshop and digital painting basics: lighting, tonality, composition, design, color, textures, brushwork. All awesome tips, which I will hold close while forging to become a better photoshop artist.
The class even came along with a bag of swag. Gotta love that swag, right?
I built up a list of questions beforehand for Bobby, but once the Q+A began I sort of froze because it seemed most people were asking more advice on excelling as a successful artist over photoshop techniques. I felt a bit embarrassed.
I asked if he ever felt stagnated by the "rules" of artistic guidelines and if he would advise throwing the rules to the wind. Rules like the rule of thirds, the golden ratio, gesture to clean-up, positive/negative space. I always felt my best rendered drawings were the ones that started from drawing an eye and worked outward without visualizing the rest of what I was even going to be drawing... And they just became blind creations. Then, as I learned art, I've started followed the rules, and had decent work result with them. It was definitely tough to get over that hurdle of how I did my drawings in the past and how I should technically being do them now.
It's a learning curve, like working on the computer. And I still don't feel as if I can capture that same feeling in the eye. Maybe it's just me unable to adjust to the variances in artistic maturity. Maybe it's not in the eye, but in the head.
Here's two examples of what I mean:
Huge and Obvious differences. Across the board.
One of the exercises that is predominant in Bobby's workbook was on visualizing what you want to draw before drawing. So I assume that he realizes how difficult of a skill this for many artists.
He answered my question with a small story. It seemed like a joke at first and I was afraid that I wouldn't get it (which is why I fear jokes), but I did (afterward of course) as I driving back to my accommodations, was relaxed, and had the chance to reflect everything. He mentioned:
"A lighthouse off in the far distance from a massive boat on a dark and foggy night. Both were shining there lights brightly and were blinding each other. The captain of the ship called out to move out of the way or else he was going to crash or run off its path, in which the other responded that they weren't moving and would not budge-- and the argument continued to go back and forth until finally the lighthouse claimed that would not move. He was a lighthouse and could not move."
Yes, it was painfully philosophical. The type of answer that circled globally around the brain until it landed somewhere inside and resonated. The type of answer that one would have to really reach up for and plunk out of the sky of too many thoughts. But there was (again) so obviously a front and face value moral:
IT IS WHAT IT IS. HOWEVER IT GOES, IT GOES. HOWEVER IT WORKS, IT WORKS.
Really, I wanted to find out how he went about selecting and organizing his brush library. If keeps the same library for most projects or if he builds his base and then puts together a library when adding detail. One of the things he did demonstrate during the lecture was that he wasn't ALL hand painting. He did incorporate some usage of photo textures... which settles my dilemma in my last post.
The other notable thing he said was to pick one artist a day and analyze their style of work. He emphasized to find more than one artist to mentor as great assistance in developing a style unique to oneself and separate from others. I seem to do a TON of mentoring.
As far a marketability, he covered that too, speaking on the importance of spreading yourself out near to viral through cyber and social medias, easily stressing that if your work isn't online and/or quick to view it's virtually nonexistent on a global level, because connecting through the Internet is one of the most standard, not to mention most popular forms of communication, in today's society.
He mentioned to be always be honest about yourself and yourself disadvantages to your client, but chase that quickly with your advantages so that you then outweigh those disadvantages-- therefore making you special because you can point out what makes you special-- and also making your client special that you are being both genuine and loyal. And then back that up with proof of evidence. Build up a list of the tight relationships, whether small or large, and stay in constant contact-- even if it's just to email them to let them know that you are available. Connect all of the dots and craft yourself to have more assets than liabilities.
Sounds easy, but.... It's not.
I like his way of thinking, though.
I must try to put this methods and his ways of thinking to practice. What doesn't work after a few attempts, he said, to try a different approach. There is a book that he mentioned: "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People". A motivational read, it sounds like, which is always useful to get the brain thinking the right (positive) way. One I will definitely be picking up. He gave an example within that helps to organize a list urgent and non-urgent priorities into shifting quadrants on a scheduled timeline. Speaking of the topic of planning and time management, more on that tomorrow. I've been thinking about that troubling feat for the past week now.
I started this rant by spreading Bobby's advice and throwing it out there to whoever decides to read and I'll finish by dwelling once again on my own unforeseeable future.
One of my small goals is to not to start something else until I finish what I first started. I don't know if it's good or bad, but I do know the process of this last piece of art is TAKING A VERY LONG TIME.
It's OK, because it takes time to find what I do and don't like.... so I have to be fair to myself by giving it a chance. I feel once I get develop my chops for it that I will like enjoy the experience a lot more and I will inevitably get better.
Yesterday, Bobby Chui's class gave me a small boost of faith and a large boost of knowledge.
Presently, I'm eager to plow through the painting and move on to something else.
Today, I found myself just starting to reorganize my entire life and thought processes.
Tomorrow, if I keep on this path, I will be closer than I was before. And it WILL be awesome. ;)
I left feeling overly-eager to outside eyes with my compulsion to feed out masses of business cards through the "skill" of networking. But I also left feeling rejuvenated and with a newfound vengeance to approach my digital painting.
His seminar was not purely on his technique, but moreso therapeutic reinforcement, which is very similar to the podcast in my post-- What I expected from him and his seminar to the tee. Sort of what I needed. The portion of his class that was based on his techniques were, through and through, simple but genius workarounds covering all of the photoshop and digital painting basics: lighting, tonality, composition, design, color, textures, brushwork. All awesome tips, which I will hold close while forging to become a better photoshop artist.
The class even came along with a bag of swag. Gotta love that swag, right?
I built up a list of questions beforehand for Bobby, but once the Q+A began I sort of froze because it seemed most people were asking more advice on excelling as a successful artist over photoshop techniques. I felt a bit embarrassed.
I asked if he ever felt stagnated by the "rules" of artistic guidelines and if he would advise throwing the rules to the wind. Rules like the rule of thirds, the golden ratio, gesture to clean-up, positive/negative space. I always felt my best rendered drawings were the ones that started from drawing an eye and worked outward without visualizing the rest of what I was even going to be drawing... And they just became blind creations. Then, as I learned art, I've started followed the rules, and had decent work result with them. It was definitely tough to get over that hurdle of how I did my drawings in the past and how I should technically being do them now.
It's a learning curve, like working on the computer. And I still don't feel as if I can capture that same feeling in the eye. Maybe it's just me unable to adjust to the variances in artistic maturity. Maybe it's not in the eye, but in the head.
Here's two examples of what I mean:
Huge and Obvious differences. Across the board.
One of the exercises that is predominant in Bobby's workbook was on visualizing what you want to draw before drawing. So I assume that he realizes how difficult of a skill this for many artists.
He answered my question with a small story. It seemed like a joke at first and I was afraid that I wouldn't get it (which is why I fear jokes), but I did (afterward of course) as I driving back to my accommodations, was relaxed, and had the chance to reflect everything. He mentioned:
"A lighthouse off in the far distance from a massive boat on a dark and foggy night. Both were shining there lights brightly and were blinding each other. The captain of the ship called out to move out of the way or else he was going to crash or run off its path, in which the other responded that they weren't moving and would not budge-- and the argument continued to go back and forth until finally the lighthouse claimed that would not move. He was a lighthouse and could not move."
Yes, it was painfully philosophical. The type of answer that circled globally around the brain until it landed somewhere inside and resonated. The type of answer that one would have to really reach up for and plunk out of the sky of too many thoughts. But there was (again) so obviously a front and face value moral:
IT IS WHAT IT IS. HOWEVER IT GOES, IT GOES. HOWEVER IT WORKS, IT WORKS.
Really, I wanted to find out how he went about selecting and organizing his brush library. If keeps the same library for most projects or if he builds his base and then puts together a library when adding detail. One of the things he did demonstrate during the lecture was that he wasn't ALL hand painting. He did incorporate some usage of photo textures... which settles my dilemma in my last post.
The other notable thing he said was to pick one artist a day and analyze their style of work. He emphasized to find more than one artist to mentor as great assistance in developing a style unique to oneself and separate from others. I seem to do a TON of mentoring.
As far a marketability, he covered that too, speaking on the importance of spreading yourself out near to viral through cyber and social medias, easily stressing that if your work isn't online and/or quick to view it's virtually nonexistent on a global level, because connecting through the Internet is one of the most standard, not to mention most popular forms of communication, in today's society.
He mentioned to be always be honest about yourself and yourself disadvantages to your client, but chase that quickly with your advantages so that you then outweigh those disadvantages-- therefore making you special because you can point out what makes you special-- and also making your client special that you are being both genuine and loyal. And then back that up with proof of evidence. Build up a list of the tight relationships, whether small or large, and stay in constant contact-- even if it's just to email them to let them know that you are available. Connect all of the dots and craft yourself to have more assets than liabilities.
Sounds easy, but.... It's not.
I like his way of thinking, though.
I must try to put this methods and his ways of thinking to practice. What doesn't work after a few attempts, he said, to try a different approach. There is a book that he mentioned: "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People". A motivational read, it sounds like, which is always useful to get the brain thinking the right (positive) way. One I will definitely be picking up. He gave an example within that helps to organize a list urgent and non-urgent priorities into shifting quadrants on a scheduled timeline. Speaking of the topic of planning and time management, more on that tomorrow. I've been thinking about that troubling feat for the past week now.
I started this rant by spreading Bobby's advice and throwing it out there to whoever decides to read and I'll finish by dwelling once again on my own unforeseeable future.
One of my small goals is to not to start something else until I finish what I first started. I don't know if it's good or bad, but I do know the process of this last piece of art is TAKING A VERY LONG TIME.
It's OK, because it takes time to find what I do and don't like.... so I have to be fair to myself by giving it a chance. I feel once I get develop my chops for it that I will like enjoy the experience a lot more and I will inevitably get better.
Yesterday, Bobby Chui's class gave me a small boost of faith and a large boost of knowledge.
Presently, I'm eager to plow through the painting and move on to something else.
Today, I found myself just starting to reorganize my entire life and thought processes.
Tomorrow, if I keep on this path, I will be closer than I was before. And it WILL be awesome. ;)
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Finding a Style in Photoshop: DIGITAL PAINTING OR PHOTOMANIPULATION?
A decision or a hybrid of both? It's been a difficult journey the past couple of weeks. I must say, some of the darkest days of my life, personally and on this journey to become a professional.
Finding inspiration is one of the most difficult challenges faced sometimes. Which is why sometimes I feel deviating to help craft others visions works well against doing personal work all the time. At the end of this post, I may or may not have figured out all of the things that inspire me to keep on going on with this or why. Such is life, I guess.
Lately, I've been trying to find my style and sense of capabilities in Photoshop by attempting to digitally paint one of my drawings. I've been exploring techniques to assist me in creating faster workflow, experimenting with features unique to the program, as well as utilizing this training I've already been taught either through school or own my own time with ImagineFX and online tutorials. I've also been trying to keep documented what I did and how long it took me to do so... so I can remember my process for the next attempt.
I have always been a faithful fan of Photoshop in the line up of the millions of others out there. I really admire the podcasts that artists have been putting out there displaying the process of creating a piece of art-- the video themselves are authentic in their creativity.
Sometimes I photo-Chop and blend together images I find online to create something. At those times I focus on color, tone, placement, and balance. However, I can never say I've handpainted from scratch. I've always wanted to be loose with brushes, colors, blending, but was afraid that I wouldn't be able to find my style, afraid I'd mess up with my lighting and use of colors, and also that my final rendering might look flat.
I've always considered that a photoshop artist should be equipped to know both, so I stepped over my fear because it was something I had to overcome anyways to become a better and more versatile artist. So I've wrestling through working with limited reference to the subject I'm painting (at least in regards to the same lighting conditions I imagined out of a colorless pencil sketch). And mostly concentrating now on working with the way the "texture" looks on these subjects from different photographs. The lighting I'm having to feel out-- is naturally the most crucial part to avoid making the image look flat.
Yeah, so it's been a frustrating artistic journey, but I'm resilient and I'm relentless. And I will continue to build up the anticipation by not sharing the sketch I decided to pick.
I'm watching and reading as many tutorials as I can. My goal is to complement my traditional skills and style with my digital skills and ultimately to rediscover that style to become a better computer artist.
Until then:
Today I came across two great podcasts of two great digital artists at work:
One, by my shouted out favorite, BOBBY CHUI
The other, my newest discovery, VIET-MY BUI
One day perhaps I will create video demos like these, too. And hopefully they will inspire others as these inspire me.
Finding inspiration is one of the most difficult challenges faced sometimes. Which is why sometimes I feel deviating to help craft others visions works well against doing personal work all the time. At the end of this post, I may or may not have figured out all of the things that inspire me to keep on going on with this or why. Such is life, I guess.
Lately, I've been trying to find my style and sense of capabilities in Photoshop by attempting to digitally paint one of my drawings. I've been exploring techniques to assist me in creating faster workflow, experimenting with features unique to the program, as well as utilizing this training I've already been taught either through school or own my own time with ImagineFX and online tutorials. I've also been trying to keep documented what I did and how long it took me to do so... so I can remember my process for the next attempt.
I have always been a faithful fan of Photoshop in the line up of the millions of others out there. I really admire the podcasts that artists have been putting out there displaying the process of creating a piece of art-- the video themselves are authentic in their creativity.
Sometimes I photo-Chop and blend together images I find online to create something. At those times I focus on color, tone, placement, and balance. However, I can never say I've handpainted from scratch. I've always wanted to be loose with brushes, colors, blending, but was afraid that I wouldn't be able to find my style, afraid I'd mess up with my lighting and use of colors, and also that my final rendering might look flat.
I've always considered that a photoshop artist should be equipped to know both, so I stepped over my fear because it was something I had to overcome anyways to become a better and more versatile artist. So I've wrestling through working with limited reference to the subject I'm painting (at least in regards to the same lighting conditions I imagined out of a colorless pencil sketch). And mostly concentrating now on working with the way the "texture" looks on these subjects from different photographs. The lighting I'm having to feel out-- is naturally the most crucial part to avoid making the image look flat.
Yeah, so it's been a frustrating artistic journey, but I'm resilient and I'm relentless. And I will continue to build up the anticipation by not sharing the sketch I decided to pick.
I'm watching and reading as many tutorials as I can. My goal is to complement my traditional skills and style with my digital skills and ultimately to rediscover that style to become a better computer artist.
Until then:
Today I came across two great podcasts of two great digital artists at work:
The other, my newest discovery, VIET-MY BUI
One day perhaps I will create video demos like these, too. And hopefully they will inspire others as these inspire me.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
MY FIRST DIGITAL SCULPT.
Today I finished Chapter Five. When is enough detail enough? Well, I'll learn eventually. I'm better under pressure, otherwise I tend to lose myself in the fine details.
My test of quick modeling was my first real "modeling" job. I had a week long deadline and was to complete four background character statues according to their accompanying stylesheets. My longest took my 36 hours, my quickest was 9.
That's when I got the confidence to be able to tell myself that I could be a modeler. My biggest challenge was make choices and sticking with them. It still is one of my biggest frustrations.
This model-- Well Zbrush is damn near evil with the amounts of detail you can try to attain. And I love detail.
This model at it's lowest division is 96 polys, at it's higgest-- 6,291,456.
I still don't know if that's good or bad.
As I mentioned, I'd like to customize this skull seeing as it's almost Halloween and I'm tempted. I was looking into it, but now that the skull was modeled as one piece, I'm not quite sure how to split the geometry up into two without taking it into Maya or Max... So I'm not sure if it's worth the R+D right now against the urgency of moving onto the remaining chapters. There's learning Dynamesh and a whole lot more plugins to tear into after getting through this book.
Here's where my attention deficit creeps in.
Note to Self: I'm sure eventually I'll learn how to do what I'd like to do if I just keep the peripherals on.
Monday, October 17, 2011
In the Meantime.... An Excerpt.
With continued efforts working through Chapter 5 of Eric Keller's "Introducing Zbrush", and nothing fully completed to show for it as of yet, I've decided to post an excerpt from one of my books. A couple people have wondered when my writing will surface on my site. By a couple, I mean an exact couple-- as in two. So, to honor the requests of my two inquiries: Here is a sample of my latest novel. It has held at approximately 220 pages since 2002 and has now reached 243 over the years.
I promise to finish it one day. Even if it remains forever unpublished and its just for me. Even if it years from now. I have to promise that to myself, and as this is public, I lend that promise echoing off to whoever reads this blog.
It's one of my favorite works in progress.
Here is a two-three pages sample. Enjoy!
"His sheets smelt like puke. Every breath he took, he could taste it in his mouth. He felt in on his pillow as he moved his hands about it to grope his discomfort. He couldn’t pick his head up to move his pillow to the floor, and couldn’t turn from the smell.
The room was dark, the moonlight too meek to creep itself inside.
Tad had been lying there since he had woken up on Saturday night until the morning, watching the sunrise light his room, his curtains too far away to draw and his music too far of a stretch to play. He had fallen asleep only from his hunger, he had not eaten since he had been in bed, and woke again to the darkness of Sunday to lie. His thoughts were worn out and wasted, and there was enough time laying there to evaluate his entire life, to weigh the choices that he made with the consequences that he endured, many of them that tipped the scale on him, crushed him underneath, and left him overrun with repent.
A glass of water was sitting on his dresser across the room. It had been sitting there since Saturday afternoon, and still held a few sips. Most of it had evaporated over the course of time. Tad was so dehydrated that his lips were chapped and felt foreign to his body, and his mouth couldn’t build any mucous to wash up a better taste on his tongue. He hadn’t exercised his jaw that to lick his lips or swallow hurt. The glass of water was so obsessing, that it did not seem so impossible.
He slid his hand across the bed and gripped a bedpost, pulling himself closer toward the wall. His back was nothing more than a board that kept his body together, and was of no advantage to him, as he used his arms to get him moving and his head to slide himself up the wall to sit. The pressure on his ribs and backbone coiled him, and he gasped the pain back and cringed, as his lungs couldn’t take in the air. He was afraid to move, and didn’t move until he adjusted.
Tad traced his course along the wall, poised himself, the long way. It took almost a minute for him to baby-step over, each step small enough to keep from pulling the strain farther up his back. He wasn’t as thirsty as before, more determined, because it was too late to stop, his head down, eyes closed, concentrated on suppressing the pain, at least as he moved. He tried to view it as therapy, needing to do it, in order to strengthen himself again, and the more he laid in bed, the weaker he would become. He needed to drink the water, and when he finally had, he wished it were bottomless, and drank it so fast that it made him pant.
He could hear nothing except his heart beating, and took slow deep breaths.
His stomach had feasted on itself, and water invaded it like it had washed over a rested vampire, blessed on the way down and garlicky hot as it rushed back up. He hung over his dresser and turned toward the garbage in one movement, spattered the water back out in the same manner that it had entered. Tad gagged air, forced up his sickness over and over again with nothing, and wrapped an arm around his stomach, compressed and empty.
The sweat was hot seeping from his pores, and he needed to cool down. He fell back on the wall, fearful about leaving his bedroom. Tad didn’t even want to turn on the light, afraid to see what he felt. He left his room quiet, not able to stand the smell of himself, with a change of clothes, and headed toward the bathroom.
The hallway was dark.
An entourage of boisterous voices and following laughter were clear from downstairs, some familiar and others unrecognizable, all obscene and unsheltered at once.
The door to the bathroom subdued the sound, and suddenly everything seemed too peaceful. There was something besides showering that had driven Tad inside. It was the nicest most restored room of the house, even the black tiles shined with untouched luster. There were no windows, and the color of the bathroom, mostly blacks and plums, made it dark inside, the dim lights overhead the bathroom sink, only added to produce enough light to see.
There was one mirror in the bathroom, the medicine cabinet, above the sink. He couldn’t see it from the doorway and avoided as he undressed. He took his time and was gentle. Everything was aching, and he couldn’t even bend down to pick up his own clothes to put in the hamper.
He needed to brush his teeth. They were thick and soft with layers of residue. The toothbrush was in the cabinet, and the mirror was unavoidable.
His face looked better than he had imagined. It usually worked like that with Viller, a deep cut that trimmed the middle of his nose and the depression his under left eye, sacked red, with a small vessel burst inside. It wasn’t swollen enough to not be able to see only to blur his vision the few times he blinked. He wished he were blind, blinking had only delayed the sight that stared back at him. It would take a day before bruise turned and the cuts to scar over, and a few days for them to go away.
Tad reached to open the cabinet, and saw another blotch on the back of his arm. His back was covered with large dark patches that spread into one another like a disease, the welts tender, lifted the smoothness of his skin. He couldn’t twist his neck to see them all, as they ran down his back and in places on the backs of his legs.
He couldn’t remember much of the night, though had a reminder every time he moved. It was his punishment. Tad turned away from the mirror with a bottle of painkillers in his hand.
He didn’t need to pour as many tablets into his mouth, as he had, maybe one or two. The bottle had a hundred white, round pills. Maybe he could forget entirely. He didn’t need to feel anything for he felt enough, even if he couldn’t remember.
A mouthful of pills filled his mouth. He gagged at their taste.
He was being stupid, and irrational, and didn’t want to be hospitalized, again, even if he did want to die. It wasn’t easy, as he wished. The only thing easy was the concept, all he needed to do was swallow and then let himself die, and instead he gagged. Most of them went into the toilet bowl, a few ingested, too far back to choke up.
It would have worked faster if he had snorted it.
An hour later, after showering, he couldn’t manage to properly put his change of clothes on without concentrating. It was no longer that he felt injured, because he didn’t feel anything at all, his body didn’t even feel like it had bones in it anymore. His reach for the door handle seemed to take long hours, and he became confused which way he had to turn it to open.
Downstairs, the voices were still loud, now distorted and slow, and the change of atmosphere made his ears ring. He held his head, and grabbed hold of the railing, blind in the dark, as he made lethargic steps to the first floor. When he got there, he didn’t know why he was there. He didn’t even know he was in his own house.
He needed food. That was why he was down there. Two steps away from him was the kitchen, he didn’t think he was going to make it, and had the impulse to just lie down on the floor. He was suddenly really tired, his body felt too weak to carry him. He was breathing so shallowly, he thought he had forgotten to breathe and sucked in some extra air. He couldn’t keep his balance, too sluggish to hold onto the wall, and trudged over to the refrigerator.
There was beer that filled most of two shelves, containers of leftovers that looked like mush, and dried up pizza on paper plates, and a carton of eggs. The only thing in the refrigerator that looked edible was the tray of uncooked meat, and Tad knew that it wasn’t his to eat, even if he had the skill to cook. He closed the refrigerator, and opened the freezer. Nothing would have been simpler than ice cream.
It was freezer burn vanilla ice cream, solid as a rock as he dug in the spoon. He almost passed out in the working, and put it in the microwave with a bowl ready to pour it in. He sat down at the kitchen table, looked at it, and felt like throwing up.
His brother was sitting there with his arm around a lady in her late twenties named Angel, a pretty blonde with overdone dark makeup, too much skin, and barely any clothing. She seemed humored at his aggravation, as Tad took no note of him.
The spoon in Tad’s hand shook and his thumb began to twitch.
“What’s the matter with you?”
He heard his a voice echoing in his mind, too deep and measured to be anything human. Tad was nodding off, though he couldn’t have been tired. He spoon felt limp in his hand, as he lost control of its reflexes, the spasms trembling up his arm.
“Hey!” Viller grabbed his wrist.
“Is he alright?” Angel asked, standing nervously. Her voice light and pitched high with a heavy New York accent. “What’s a matter with him?”
Tad followed the hand up to the face.
His pupils were pinpoints under his hat, and his face bloodless. It was obvious if he was thinking anything, and could have passed for the dead. There was barely any pulse on his wrist.
“What are you on?” Viller growled low.
“He’s scaring me, Viller.” Angel crept next to him, and set her hands on his shoulders with a massage and kissed at his neck.
“I’m fine.” Tad’s speech was slurred, barely comprehendible. He began to eat his ice cream. “I’m hungry.”
“What did you take?” Viller pushed Angel off of him, and rose.
“My back hurt.” Tad felt nauseous, and ate slower. “I took some Tylenol.”
“You throw up again, we’re going to have problems. You understand me?” Angel rapped her arms of Viller, and nestled herself up against him, her hands drifted up his shirt. “You better clean you’re mess up.” When her turned his attention back to the lady, he trapped her up against the wall wild with a kiss.
Tad couldn’t finish the whole bowl. His stomach had shrunk to the size of a prune, and he found he couldn’t even force it down. He didn’t want to get sick, so he left it there, and decided he needed to find someplace to lie down before it happened. He got to his feet to fast, and tried to catch his self on the chair before he fell. He took the chair down with him. He needed to sleep, at least close his eyes.
Viller hauled him to his feet. “You little shit! How much did you take? What the hell did you take? Mother—” He dragged Tad back up the stairs and threw him to the floor in his room, crouching down close. “Go ahead, kill yourself. You think I care? I want to see you kill yourself. I don’t want to see you get up again.”
Tad spent the night on the floor, and days getting over the effects."
I hope that you enjoyed the excerpt. If you'd like to read some more samples of my work, please feel free to send my an email through my website @ www.lisamarie.biz. I have a contact form under my INFO section.
As far as completion of chapter 5, I will most likely have something to post by the end of the my workday. The hiccups in my schedule with the airlines sometimes keeps my inconsistent sometimes, but my job is my job. If I have time, I'm even hoping to add additional touches onto the finalized project to make it my own. I guess if it should take me longer than planned, that would be why.
I might at well try to make it portfolio worthy while I have the downtime.
So, please keep patient with me, keep that bookmark active and thanks again for taking the time to read. I appreciate it very much.
I promise to finish it one day. Even if it remains forever unpublished and its just for me. Even if it years from now. I have to promise that to myself, and as this is public, I lend that promise echoing off to whoever reads this blog.
It's one of my favorite works in progress.
Here is a two-three pages sample. Enjoy!
"His sheets smelt like puke. Every breath he took, he could taste it in his mouth. He felt in on his pillow as he moved his hands about it to grope his discomfort. He couldn’t pick his head up to move his pillow to the floor, and couldn’t turn from the smell.
The room was dark, the moonlight too meek to creep itself inside.
Tad had been lying there since he had woken up on Saturday night until the morning, watching the sunrise light his room, his curtains too far away to draw and his music too far of a stretch to play. He had fallen asleep only from his hunger, he had not eaten since he had been in bed, and woke again to the darkness of Sunday to lie. His thoughts were worn out and wasted, and there was enough time laying there to evaluate his entire life, to weigh the choices that he made with the consequences that he endured, many of them that tipped the scale on him, crushed him underneath, and left him overrun with repent.
A glass of water was sitting on his dresser across the room. It had been sitting there since Saturday afternoon, and still held a few sips. Most of it had evaporated over the course of time. Tad was so dehydrated that his lips were chapped and felt foreign to his body, and his mouth couldn’t build any mucous to wash up a better taste on his tongue. He hadn’t exercised his jaw that to lick his lips or swallow hurt. The glass of water was so obsessing, that it did not seem so impossible.
He slid his hand across the bed and gripped a bedpost, pulling himself closer toward the wall. His back was nothing more than a board that kept his body together, and was of no advantage to him, as he used his arms to get him moving and his head to slide himself up the wall to sit. The pressure on his ribs and backbone coiled him, and he gasped the pain back and cringed, as his lungs couldn’t take in the air. He was afraid to move, and didn’t move until he adjusted.
Tad traced his course along the wall, poised himself, the long way. It took almost a minute for him to baby-step over, each step small enough to keep from pulling the strain farther up his back. He wasn’t as thirsty as before, more determined, because it was too late to stop, his head down, eyes closed, concentrated on suppressing the pain, at least as he moved. He tried to view it as therapy, needing to do it, in order to strengthen himself again, and the more he laid in bed, the weaker he would become. He needed to drink the water, and when he finally had, he wished it were bottomless, and drank it so fast that it made him pant.
He could hear nothing except his heart beating, and took slow deep breaths.
His stomach had feasted on itself, and water invaded it like it had washed over a rested vampire, blessed on the way down and garlicky hot as it rushed back up. He hung over his dresser and turned toward the garbage in one movement, spattered the water back out in the same manner that it had entered. Tad gagged air, forced up his sickness over and over again with nothing, and wrapped an arm around his stomach, compressed and empty.
The sweat was hot seeping from his pores, and he needed to cool down. He fell back on the wall, fearful about leaving his bedroom. Tad didn’t even want to turn on the light, afraid to see what he felt. He left his room quiet, not able to stand the smell of himself, with a change of clothes, and headed toward the bathroom.
The hallway was dark.
An entourage of boisterous voices and following laughter were clear from downstairs, some familiar and others unrecognizable, all obscene and unsheltered at once.
The door to the bathroom subdued the sound, and suddenly everything seemed too peaceful. There was something besides showering that had driven Tad inside. It was the nicest most restored room of the house, even the black tiles shined with untouched luster. There were no windows, and the color of the bathroom, mostly blacks and plums, made it dark inside, the dim lights overhead the bathroom sink, only added to produce enough light to see.
There was one mirror in the bathroom, the medicine cabinet, above the sink. He couldn’t see it from the doorway and avoided as he undressed. He took his time and was gentle. Everything was aching, and he couldn’t even bend down to pick up his own clothes to put in the hamper.
He needed to brush his teeth. They were thick and soft with layers of residue. The toothbrush was in the cabinet, and the mirror was unavoidable.
His face looked better than he had imagined. It usually worked like that with Viller, a deep cut that trimmed the middle of his nose and the depression his under left eye, sacked red, with a small vessel burst inside. It wasn’t swollen enough to not be able to see only to blur his vision the few times he blinked. He wished he were blind, blinking had only delayed the sight that stared back at him. It would take a day before bruise turned and the cuts to scar over, and a few days for them to go away.
Tad reached to open the cabinet, and saw another blotch on the back of his arm. His back was covered with large dark patches that spread into one another like a disease, the welts tender, lifted the smoothness of his skin. He couldn’t twist his neck to see them all, as they ran down his back and in places on the backs of his legs.
He couldn’t remember much of the night, though had a reminder every time he moved. It was his punishment. Tad turned away from the mirror with a bottle of painkillers in his hand.
He didn’t need to pour as many tablets into his mouth, as he had, maybe one or two. The bottle had a hundred white, round pills. Maybe he could forget entirely. He didn’t need to feel anything for he felt enough, even if he couldn’t remember.
A mouthful of pills filled his mouth. He gagged at their taste.
He was being stupid, and irrational, and didn’t want to be hospitalized, again, even if he did want to die. It wasn’t easy, as he wished. The only thing easy was the concept, all he needed to do was swallow and then let himself die, and instead he gagged. Most of them went into the toilet bowl, a few ingested, too far back to choke up.
It would have worked faster if he had snorted it.
An hour later, after showering, he couldn’t manage to properly put his change of clothes on without concentrating. It was no longer that he felt injured, because he didn’t feel anything at all, his body didn’t even feel like it had bones in it anymore. His reach for the door handle seemed to take long hours, and he became confused which way he had to turn it to open.
Downstairs, the voices were still loud, now distorted and slow, and the change of atmosphere made his ears ring. He held his head, and grabbed hold of the railing, blind in the dark, as he made lethargic steps to the first floor. When he got there, he didn’t know why he was there. He didn’t even know he was in his own house.
He needed food. That was why he was down there. Two steps away from him was the kitchen, he didn’t think he was going to make it, and had the impulse to just lie down on the floor. He was suddenly really tired, his body felt too weak to carry him. He was breathing so shallowly, he thought he had forgotten to breathe and sucked in some extra air. He couldn’t keep his balance, too sluggish to hold onto the wall, and trudged over to the refrigerator.
There was beer that filled most of two shelves, containers of leftovers that looked like mush, and dried up pizza on paper plates, and a carton of eggs. The only thing in the refrigerator that looked edible was the tray of uncooked meat, and Tad knew that it wasn’t his to eat, even if he had the skill to cook. He closed the refrigerator, and opened the freezer. Nothing would have been simpler than ice cream.
It was freezer burn vanilla ice cream, solid as a rock as he dug in the spoon. He almost passed out in the working, and put it in the microwave with a bowl ready to pour it in. He sat down at the kitchen table, looked at it, and felt like throwing up.
His brother was sitting there with his arm around a lady in her late twenties named Angel, a pretty blonde with overdone dark makeup, too much skin, and barely any clothing. She seemed humored at his aggravation, as Tad took no note of him.
The spoon in Tad’s hand shook and his thumb began to twitch.
“What’s the matter with you?”
He heard his a voice echoing in his mind, too deep and measured to be anything human. Tad was nodding off, though he couldn’t have been tired. He spoon felt limp in his hand, as he lost control of its reflexes, the spasms trembling up his arm.
“Hey!” Viller grabbed his wrist.
“Is he alright?” Angel asked, standing nervously. Her voice light and pitched high with a heavy New York accent. “What’s a matter with him?”
Tad followed the hand up to the face.
His pupils were pinpoints under his hat, and his face bloodless. It was obvious if he was thinking anything, and could have passed for the dead. There was barely any pulse on his wrist.
“What are you on?” Viller growled low.
“He’s scaring me, Viller.” Angel crept next to him, and set her hands on his shoulders with a massage and kissed at his neck.
“I’m fine.” Tad’s speech was slurred, barely comprehendible. He began to eat his ice cream. “I’m hungry.”
“What did you take?” Viller pushed Angel off of him, and rose.
“My back hurt.” Tad felt nauseous, and ate slower. “I took some Tylenol.”
“You throw up again, we’re going to have problems. You understand me?” Angel rapped her arms of Viller, and nestled herself up against him, her hands drifted up his shirt. “You better clean you’re mess up.” When her turned his attention back to the lady, he trapped her up against the wall wild with a kiss.
Tad couldn’t finish the whole bowl. His stomach had shrunk to the size of a prune, and he found he couldn’t even force it down. He didn’t want to get sick, so he left it there, and decided he needed to find someplace to lie down before it happened. He got to his feet to fast, and tried to catch his self on the chair before he fell. He took the chair down with him. He needed to sleep, at least close his eyes.
Viller hauled him to his feet. “You little shit! How much did you take? What the hell did you take? Mother—” He dragged Tad back up the stairs and threw him to the floor in his room, crouching down close. “Go ahead, kill yourself. You think I care? I want to see you kill yourself. I don’t want to see you get up again.”
Tad spent the night on the floor, and days getting over the effects."
I hope that you enjoyed the excerpt. If you'd like to read some more samples of my work, please feel free to send my an email through my website @ www.lisamarie.biz. I have a contact form under my INFO section.
As far as completion of chapter 5, I will most likely have something to post by the end of the my workday. The hiccups in my schedule with the airlines sometimes keeps my inconsistent sometimes, but my job is my job. If I have time, I'm even hoping to add additional touches onto the finalized project to make it my own. I guess if it should take me longer than planned, that would be why.
I might at well try to make it portfolio worthy while I have the downtime.
So, please keep patient with me, keep that bookmark active and thanks again for taking the time to read. I appreciate it very much.
Thursday, October 06, 2011
Forging Onward at Full Speed.
I feel more comfortable now.
My biggest gripes:
I don't know if it's because I'm reading a book that semi-outdated or because it's something that I'm doing wrong, but...
-There is no longer a noise material in the material palette. And, at that, not many materials to choose from.
-The fibers display oddly under the BEST quality render setting vs. preview settings
-Switching between sculpting on models vs. painting materials on a tool seems uncooperative (with some materials).
I'm sure it is just my hardships at being a novice and, eventually, as I progress deeper into this book, that I will figure out these inconsistencies that I'm having.
As far as undo, there is a way to undo changes (Preferences > Memory > Tool Undo), HOWEVER, you cannot undo a transformation, which has driven me absolutely bonkers in trying to complete this chapter.
However, sprinkled in the basic ideas of 2D illustrations of Zbrush.
I can say that I have learned what for, how, and why I need to be able to switch back and forth between 2D and 3D modes, and I can fully grasp the benefit of both methods, as separate elements and within unison of each other.
Now conquered, the 2D/3D confusion has always made me skeptical of Zbrush.
So, here it is. Chapter 4 of "Introducing Zbrush" by Eric Keller.
Tomorrow it is on to Chapter 5. And hopefully some drawing.
Forging onward at full speed... That's how I do it.
My biggest gripes:
I don't know if it's because I'm reading a book that semi-outdated or because it's something that I'm doing wrong, but...
-There is no longer a noise material in the material palette. And, at that, not many materials to choose from.
-The fibers display oddly under the BEST quality render setting vs. preview settings
-Switching between sculpting on models vs. painting materials on a tool seems uncooperative (with some materials).
I'm sure it is just my hardships at being a novice and, eventually, as I progress deeper into this book, that I will figure out these inconsistencies that I'm having.
As far as undo, there is a way to undo changes (Preferences > Memory > Tool Undo), HOWEVER, you cannot undo a transformation, which has driven me absolutely bonkers in trying to complete this chapter.
However, sprinkled in the basic ideas of 2D illustrations of Zbrush.
I can say that I have learned what for, how, and why I need to be able to switch back and forth between 2D and 3D modes, and I can fully grasp the benefit of both methods, as separate elements and within unison of each other.
Now conquered, the 2D/3D confusion has always made me skeptical of Zbrush.
So, here it is. Chapter 4 of "Introducing Zbrush" by Eric Keller.
Tomorrow it is on to Chapter 5. And hopefully some drawing.
Forging onward at full speed... That's how I do it.
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
"The Eulogy of You and Me"
I WAS ON YOUR SIDE, but still let you ride alone. ELSE I SHOULD WEIGH YOU DOWN.
I WISH I WAS PERFECT, but I make mistakes. NOR CAN I TAKE THEM BACK.
I AM A LOVER, and always will be. IF THERE CAN BE SO MANY SIDES TO THE MEANING.
YOU ARE A WARRIOR, with tears of sweat only. THERE IS NO OTHER SIDES TO THE MEANING.
I TRY TO GET THAT I DO GET IT, and you are gone anyway. I TRY TO UNDERSTAND THAT I DO UNDERSTAND, and you are gone anyway.
For me, Right now, your distraction is ammunition that is fueling my ambition.
To you, Right now, my distraction is your ammunition that is destroying your ambition.
I SEE THE MEMORY MORE VIVID THAN WHAT TENDS TO BE FORGOTTEN, as I wish that you saw what I wish I could fail at seeing. ONLY TO HELP US MOVE FORWARD, instead of continuing to look back. As I do. And as I've done so many times before.
I wish we were perfect, I was perfect, you were perfect, for you and for me.
YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, if you could understand. I WISH YOU COULD. I wish that it could be.
FOR FAREWELL TO OUR YEARS KNOWN, as someone close and dear. YOU AND I ARE STILL IN PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS WITHOUT EACH OTHER.
My Love. My emotions. Real and raw, open and trusting. Will ALWAYS be there.
I WISH I WAS PERFECT, but I make mistakes. NOR CAN I TAKE THEM BACK.
I AM A LOVER, and always will be. IF THERE CAN BE SO MANY SIDES TO THE MEANING.
YOU ARE A WARRIOR, with tears of sweat only. THERE IS NO OTHER SIDES TO THE MEANING.
I TRY TO GET THAT I DO GET IT, and you are gone anyway. I TRY TO UNDERSTAND THAT I DO UNDERSTAND, and you are gone anyway.
For me, Right now, your distraction is ammunition that is fueling my ambition.
To you, Right now, my distraction is your ammunition that is destroying your ambition.
I SEE THE MEMORY MORE VIVID THAN WHAT TENDS TO BE FORGOTTEN, as I wish that you saw what I wish I could fail at seeing. ONLY TO HELP US MOVE FORWARD, instead of continuing to look back. As I do. And as I've done so many times before.
I wish we were perfect, I was perfect, you were perfect, for you and for me.
YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, if you could understand. I WISH YOU COULD. I wish that it could be.
FOR FAREWELL TO OUR YEARS KNOWN, as someone close and dear. YOU AND I ARE STILL IN PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS WITHOUT EACH OTHER.
My Love. My emotions. Real and raw, open and trusting. Will ALWAYS be there.
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
I Always Do It By the Book.
So, I have been filling up my day in Zbrush, slowly flipping through the pages of Chapter 3 of Introduction to Zbrush, by Eric Keller. And I have to say, as he sort of implied, as well, do the exercises (the chores, really). If I can work with 3D tools in Draw mode to duplicate a model, which has been a difficult, enraging and an overall slowwww process, I will know how to navigate better and what to expect from each tool under each tab in experimenting with my own work later on.
This, however, has involves a lot of saved versions and opening/closing of the program, backtracking to old files, googling, walking away, temptations of distraction, nailbiting, and a series of flipflopping between both good/evil thoughts.
But this is how I do it. Always by the book. I've always been studious that way, and if I don't have a teacher, I like to have a strategic trail of learning, like crumbs that lead to a huge (yummy) piece of cake. I do better with a set curriculum.
So, being I don't have enough to post here while hurdling over roadblocks and potholes with my running shoes and pajamas on, here are a few images that I completed from my going through my last book page by page.
The Book "Vue 7 From the Ground Up" by Ami and Vladimir Chopine. Eon is currently on version 9.5 to date for their Xstream addition, which allows inter-navigation between its programs and other 3D applications such as Maya.
It is primarily built for environment modeling. And it does this well, with its advanced terrain editor that is very similar to Zbrush is its handling of dense geometry and data management, its unique material editor vast with options, and its useful (but technical) function editor.
I really like the program. And was inspired to try to learn it after seeing the 2nd Pirates of the Caribbean, Dead Man's Chest and doing my geeksearch.
I was near to complete the entire book, but a project came on, and then other interests plowed me down... plus I was starting to hear of other solutions for the same effects that would mimic Vue's results. So, I unfaithfully deterred. Shame on me. Sigh.
I still like it, though, and can definitely say I can navigate it on a junior level. But technicalities--- there's that need for a TD, again. Google just isn't enough sometimes.
And the render settings, having not gotten to that chapter, at some points became rather complicated. Some say that the render features are lacking, but I have yet to really dive into the rendering chapters to make judgement for myself.
Again, the program has a LOT of potential. And I know I will revisiting it one day.
So here's a breakdown of examples on my topic of the studying with a page-to-page technique: (Mind you, crazy amounts of Patience and Time is required)
CHAPTER 3+4:
Terrain and WaterScape.
I combined these two chapters here. The subject speaks for itself. Two very important features. But the chapter 4 was really only aimed for creating water for still images.
CHAPTER 5:
New Beginnings Tutorial.
The focus of the chapter was focusing on plants and how to create and adjust them in the plant editor.
CHAPTER 6:
Little Flying Machine Tutorial.
Learning about objects was no fun. I didn't like modeling in Vue at all. Working with booleans was really tempermental--but all in all allowed a small sense of being able to build objects.
CHAPTER 8:
Cookies and Milk Tutorial.
This chapter was a breakdown of the power of the material editor.
CHAPTER 9:
Library Courtyard at Dawn Tutorial.
The Function Editor and dealing with filters. Another tedious area in Vue, but it was great training to fight through. This was by far the most difficult chapter, because I wanted to get beyond plugging in numbers and truly understand the nodes I was connecting and how they were influencing each other.
CHAPTER 10:
Populating Your World Tutorial.
Dealing with building or adjusting ecosystems.
CHAPTER 12:
Cloud Precipice Tutorial.
The cloud system is more advanced in 9.5 I read in 3D World, but the atmosphere editor was quite handleable when it was in version 8. I believe this around where I stopped, because there is supposed to be another cloud layer in this image.
I know there are other images from other chapters, but they are probably lost among lost drives. The chapters I didn't get the chance to get to include planets, wind, cameras, integration, animation, rendering, and python. The latter end (last two) of which I cringe to but may need to reference and understand in order to fully grasp the program's capabilities.
Back to Zbrush, and page by page, I finished Chapter 3 today and am into Chapter 4! A small accomplishment, but worthy enough. It suggests skipping onward to chapter 5 or 6 if interested in digital sculpting, but I'm kind of glad that I didn't, because I'm learning how to model with zspheres. I hear a lot of people talking about this feature as of late.
I am actually having a lot of fun with this feature. Modeling with Zbrush zspheres has been very interesting thus far. It allows the user mobilities to work in pieces of the mesh (and enables UNDO's). The fans are accurate when saying Zbrush is famed for it's fluid approach to sculpting organic objects. For building them? I think Pixologic is onto something that makes it a frontlining piece of software for the crazed industry.
This, however, has involves a lot of saved versions and opening/closing of the program, backtracking to old files, googling, walking away, temptations of distraction, nailbiting, and a series of flipflopping between both good/evil thoughts.
But this is how I do it. Always by the book. I've always been studious that way, and if I don't have a teacher, I like to have a strategic trail of learning, like crumbs that lead to a huge (yummy) piece of cake. I do better with a set curriculum.
So, being I don't have enough to post here while hurdling over roadblocks and potholes with my running shoes and pajamas on, here are a few images that I completed from my going through my last book page by page.
The Book "Vue 7 From the Ground Up" by Ami and Vladimir Chopine. Eon is currently on version 9.5 to date for their Xstream addition, which allows inter-navigation between its programs and other 3D applications such as Maya.
It is primarily built for environment modeling. And it does this well, with its advanced terrain editor that is very similar to Zbrush is its handling of dense geometry and data management, its unique material editor vast with options, and its useful (but technical) function editor.
I really like the program. And was inspired to try to learn it after seeing the 2nd Pirates of the Caribbean, Dead Man's Chest and doing my geeksearch.
I was near to complete the entire book, but a project came on, and then other interests plowed me down... plus I was starting to hear of other solutions for the same effects that would mimic Vue's results. So, I unfaithfully deterred. Shame on me. Sigh.
I still like it, though, and can definitely say I can navigate it on a junior level. But technicalities--- there's that need for a TD, again. Google just isn't enough sometimes.
And the render settings, having not gotten to that chapter, at some points became rather complicated. Some say that the render features are lacking, but I have yet to really dive into the rendering chapters to make judgement for myself.
Again, the program has a LOT of potential. And I know I will revisiting it one day.
So here's a breakdown of examples on my topic of the studying with a page-to-page technique: (Mind you, crazy amounts of Patience and Time is required)
Terrain and WaterScape.
I combined these two chapters here. The subject speaks for itself. Two very important features. But the chapter 4 was really only aimed for creating water for still images.
CHAPTER 5:
New Beginnings Tutorial.
The focus of the chapter was focusing on plants and how to create and adjust them in the plant editor.
CHAPTER 6:
Little Flying Machine Tutorial.
Learning about objects was no fun. I didn't like modeling in Vue at all. Working with booleans was really tempermental--but all in all allowed a small sense of being able to build objects.
CHAPTER 8:
Cookies and Milk Tutorial.
This chapter was a breakdown of the power of the material editor.
CHAPTER 9:
Library Courtyard at Dawn Tutorial.
The Function Editor and dealing with filters. Another tedious area in Vue, but it was great training to fight through. This was by far the most difficult chapter, because I wanted to get beyond plugging in numbers and truly understand the nodes I was connecting and how they were influencing each other.
CHAPTER 10:
Populating Your World Tutorial.
Dealing with building or adjusting ecosystems.
CHAPTER 12:
Cloud Precipice Tutorial.
The cloud system is more advanced in 9.5 I read in 3D World, but the atmosphere editor was quite handleable when it was in version 8. I believe this around where I stopped, because there is supposed to be another cloud layer in this image.
I know there are other images from other chapters, but they are probably lost among lost drives. The chapters I didn't get the chance to get to include planets, wind, cameras, integration, animation, rendering, and python. The latter end (last two) of which I cringe to but may need to reference and understand in order to fully grasp the program's capabilities.
Back to Zbrush, and page by page, I finished Chapter 3 today and am into Chapter 4! A small accomplishment, but worthy enough. It suggests skipping onward to chapter 5 or 6 if interested in digital sculpting, but I'm kind of glad that I didn't, because I'm learning how to model with zspheres. I hear a lot of people talking about this feature as of late.
I am actually having a lot of fun with this feature. Modeling with Zbrush zspheres has been very interesting thus far. It allows the user mobilities to work in pieces of the mesh (and enables UNDO's). The fans are accurate when saying Zbrush is famed for it's fluid approach to sculpting organic objects. For building them? I think Pixologic is onto something that makes it a frontlining piece of software for the crazed industry.
Monday, October 03, 2011
TAKING NOTES.
I try never to underestimate this. The mind plays these crazy tricks on you sometimes. One remembers up until they have to remember something else, and then after they've learned that something else, they get distracted into learning about that something else as well that other piece of information that accompanies that. As so on and so forth.
Information overload? All the time.
.....Yeah. I just try to take quicky notes. And organize them so that I can have a fast reference. Just in case of memory overload. Computers AND human beings suffer from this both with age and overzealous applications.
I was considering posting some quick notes, but I'm still organizing them so that they are presentable and as to-the-point as possible for the frustrated novice. Zbrush is understandable, but intense to say the least.
And to push my promise into tomorrow, I'm still fighting through deforming pre-built meshes and trying to move these pieces into place to create a one whole distinct spaceship model. Tomorrow I present my masterpiece and reveal the long way I have to go with learning, proudly and humbly.
My Biggest Tip:
-What the flop?! Why can't you just delete?!
*Gotta delete the layer, because you can't under a transformation. SO MAKE LAYERS to separate what's already complete to avoid messing up the rest of your work.
*CNTL+N will clear the entire layer. (This is the closest thing to deleting that I found so far)
As far as my mentors... It's difficult to narrow it down, because I see so much good work out there. It's overwhelming, really.
There are a couple that I don't even have to research to shout out. Three awesome individuals of which I got to attend college with, Mashru Mishu, Han-Chin Lee, and Thomas Chun, and one of which I gratefully had the privilege of having as my instructor, Danny Williams. These guys are the biggest mentors. As they are great at what they do!
I've once again revisited Zbrush Central and am excited to be back and hopefully to become an active member of the group. In closing, I believe that you can never take too many notes and that you can never have too many mentors.
Information overload? All the time.
.....Yeah. I just try to take quicky notes. And organize them so that I can have a fast reference. Just in case of memory overload. Computers AND human beings suffer from this both with age and overzealous applications.
I was considering posting some quick notes, but I'm still organizing them so that they are presentable and as to-the-point as possible for the frustrated novice. Zbrush is understandable, but intense to say the least.
And to push my promise into tomorrow, I'm still fighting through deforming pre-built meshes and trying to move these pieces into place to create a one whole distinct spaceship model. Tomorrow I present my masterpiece and reveal the long way I have to go with learning, proudly and humbly.
My Biggest Tip:
-What the flop?! Why can't you just delete?!
*Gotta delete the layer, because you can't under a transformation. SO MAKE LAYERS to separate what's already complete to avoid messing up the rest of your work.
*CNTL+N will clear the entire layer. (This is the closest thing to deleting that I found so far)
As far as my mentors... It's difficult to narrow it down, because I see so much good work out there. It's overwhelming, really.
There are a couple that I don't even have to research to shout out. Three awesome individuals of which I got to attend college with, Mashru Mishu, Han-Chin Lee, and Thomas Chun, and one of which I gratefully had the privilege of having as my instructor, Danny Williams. These guys are the biggest mentors. As they are great at what they do!
I've once again revisited Zbrush Central and am excited to be back and hopefully to become an active member of the group. In closing, I believe that you can never take too many notes and that you can never have too many mentors.
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