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Charlotte’s 18th Birthday Sculpt

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For my amazing girlfriend, Charlotte Spafford, I made an 18th birthday present.  I thought it would mean more making something from scratch. It was really fun to do and I learnt lots so here’s an overview:

Ideas began to percolate.  I gave myself about 5 evenings.  This was perfect as Charlotte was working Wednesday through Friday so I could work in secret.  Initially, the idea was a 3D print from work.  Content was in the liquid state of mind.  I knew it had to be romantic, full of love and an 18 somewhere for the great occasion!  Such ideas came top me as I sketched both of us together in Photoshop.  Joy.  Love and art is peanut butter and jam.

The ol’ marble, romantic, renaissance styled statue came to the mind through sketches!  

(at this point it takes extreme faith in that you can pull your project off out of these gestural quickies…. it’s a proposed inner knowing about ability.  I’ve never really sculpted anything in Zbrush before.  It’s just a tool.)

Time to educate myself on the type of sculpture I was going to make. The trick is to refine a creative vision then do some background, targeted study. Scott Eaton mentioned it’s important to learn how to draw what you’re sculpting first.  To be able to produce a drawing of what you’re created from understanding (no reference)  requires hardcore drawing with reference.  I’ve been told to test such understanding by study drawing then reproduce without reference.  Here, I study knowing the vision and that every stroke brings me closer.

Quick ones to get balance, composition….. togetherness….

Also, collected reference imagery is important to have handy at all times. I return to such a beautiful collection to “get that feeling”, anatomical reference, ideas, textures, and real statue reference etc!

Below is the final sketch that carried me through the rest of the way. Although it’s quick and sketchy, I felt right about it.  Time to introduce 3D to my 2D friend.

I made the extremely simply, low polygon count basemesh in Wings3D.  All quads, identical for both me and Charlotte. I then tweaked higher densities to pull the male/female out of us in Zbrush….

Here I found something very useful in Z Brush.  You can actually pose your characters on a separate Tool Layer.  This enables us to pose our people, then have them return to the Jesus Pose for adding definition.  Or, in my case, to restore a botched pose job.

Below is my first attempt at posing something in ZBrush. I have to admit, once familiarized, it’s the most intuitive and creative body poser around!  Using the ctrl+click drag masks, I could easily rotate on joints with little deformation!  I did a paint over near the end of one night. I think that introduces a whole new avenue of creative brainstorming to bring 2D and 3D together. Here I painted the number, base and our mops!  The ideas just kept coming.  I thought nerd glasses would make sense….. I ctrl+clickdragged them too (nerd)….

The final pose process below (on a new Tool Layer).  Once again, I am really impressed with ZBrushed transform tools and masks


(The wrap around idea from the sketch is realized! Awesome!)

The final CG result with base:

And the result in Charlotte’s hand!  Thanks to my favorite place, http://OffloadStudios.com for making dreams come true – once again!  Oh and she really liked it hahaha

ps: I really like that hand.

Observation: Design?

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Tonight was interesting.  I felt like I didn’t know what to do, but it was going to be artistic.  Sure I could have worked on my dino sculpture, posed tutorials, refined my ‘damaged’ entry but I had a feeling that something was missing from within.  I found a photo of some old autos and thought I’d do a focused study to get my hand back at the environment paints.  During, the lacking feeling persisted as if my worth or motivation was in question.  My mind was thinking damn hard.

After warming up into it, an un-pin-pointable feeling took me over.  I realized at that moment that creative process flows.  Barriers limiting such potential are the root of creative stagnation.  My initial sluggishness wore out as the logic was lessened by that right brain momentum!  I could feel it pour in as I was reminded of how awesome it feels to scribble and combine different sources.

As some relationship advisors recommend, less thought is best.  Sitting down to work on a piece must have silence.  Thought and planning is great for placement and goals, but let the “process” flow and happiness will find you no matter what you’re working on! 

Laters,
Matt

Relaxing Robots: Initial Sketch

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Robots need to relax…. this came after Sean McGraths’s photograph.  I’ve been thinking I need to refine my work, plan it out a tad more and attack every element with a splash of study.  Therefore, the image below is the groundwork for some areas my life will expand into….

Cheers!
Matt

Love

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I think I might spend the rest of my life sharing what love is.  Think of this painting as a first of a many part series.  Next project might be a sculpture, poem, book, movie, picking up a piece of garbage or moving a caterpillar off a road….

Fall is Here!

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A moutain study inspired by epic “Mt. Cheam” that rests outside my home town.  Coming home, the clouds cleared revealing freshly laid powder in the sun!

FFFFOUND!

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I like to share art reference related websites!  I find having beautiful imagery passing through your perception makes everything better!  And I mean everything – your visual vocabulary, artist’s voices, attention and energy – you name it!  

FFFFOUND! has a wonderful interface for browsing lots extremely pleasant.  The trick is to use the “tiles” view (shortcut V), then bust the J shortcut for passing by hundreds of awesome images.  The database is fed via human preference so I promise you’ll see amazing things!

All the best,
Matt

Offload Studios Inc.

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I have the best job in the world.  

It’s tough to sleep knowing I’m awakening to limitless potential!

You’ve got to check us out at http://OffloadStudios.com! We’re pinoneering utter awesomeness when it comes to giving digital art the appriciation it deserves!  My life’s path seems to all add up creatively to fuel into this new workplace!  Fine Art Sculptures!  Toy Prototyping!  Player Created Game Content!  All outputing through our hands!  

Lizard Study

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I paint lizards. (emotional charged statement I know…. can you feel it?) What are these for you ask? It’s a secret…. but it does have 3D lizards.

Love Compositions!

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Did some “beforehand plans” of a digital painting for a close friend of mine 😉  Nothing feels closer to home than doing paintings for someone else.  Everything falls into place much easier and you learn some things about how you feel as it visually pops out of nowhere!  Nothing helps a coloured piece better than a solid black and white shot with an eye for composition, contrast and distinguishable shapes!

Thanks for viewing!

Love,
Matt

Belief.

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Hello,

The first thing in achieving what you want artistically is affirming the belief in yourself. Whatever you’re aiming for – feel it already there, here and now!

Try this when you set out to do something and you’ll feel great + the results will be there!

Love,
Matt