INTRODUCTION
Hello! My title is Aymeric Rondol, and I am a 3D generalist artist from France. I by no means had a choice between modeling, surfacing, lighting, and many others. I’ve all the time discovered all facets of 3D to be very attention-grabbing, which has allowed me to work on many various types and forms of productions, resembling video games, motion pictures, and TV collection. I have been fortunate sufficient to work for a variety of firms, and due to all these years of labor, I’ve gained stable skilled 3D artwork expertise.
I began studying Blender after a good friend informed me that some limitations with Maya could possibly be overcome with Blender. After finishing a number of tasks with it, I can say that Blender is certainly a software program with nice potential. I have been utilizing Maya for a very long time, however Blender offers me the sensation that something is feasible. The shading system is so developed that I could make supplies like Substance Painter or Designer instantly in Blender, and the identical goes for procedural modeling, whether or not with the “Modifiers” system or the Geometry node. Blender is a superb software for all types of procedural tasks.
INSPIRATION
I actually favored the ideas of Thaigraff Nat. This mixture of road artwork, mecha, and Japanese type was improbable. It has been some time because the “samurai chess” ideas caught my consideration. Nonetheless, after engaged on a number of tasks in Blender, I lastly felt able to embark on this massive challenge.
I selected Bishop as a result of I used to be drawn to his tremendous protect and armor.
BASE MESH
After making my alternative, I needed to first learn to flip the idea right into a 3D mannequin. This concerned discovering a pose that revered the 2D idea and functioned nicely in 3D, in addition to figuring out the way to interpret the character and deciding on the suitable supplies to offer it a plausible look.
To translate a 2D pose into 3D, I exploit the identical methodology as if I had been making a prop or setting. I like to start out by blocking out my mannequin. For the armor half, I exploit a barely completely different methodology that fits me nicely. I like to make use of the “crease” operate. The modeling stays very low-def and might be simply manipulated, permitting for complicated shapes to be created with ease.
Because of the crease operate, our 3D mannequin retains a pleasant modeling curve. The crease operate gives a quick and efficient methodology for controlling and conceptualizing armor, complicated fashions, or different objects.
CLOTHING
Rope-like edging was the largest problem of the mannequin. The trick I discovered was to use the “Screw” modifier to a easy circle, apply that to a curve, and with the precise settings, the consequence labored correctly.
The Blender material software was a really good discovery for me. I did not assume it will be really easy to sculpt material, and it turned out to be surprisingly enjoyable.
After engaged on the fabric, I returned to the metallic modeling facet. I needed to attain an obscure lighting impact to offer the character a menacing and broken look, enhancing its cool and combative look.
TEMPORARY LIGHTING
When I’ve a mannequin that works correctly, I wish to rapidly arrange lighting to solidify my imaginative and prescient. For this challenge, I had a transparent thought of the specified lighting from the beginning. I rendered utilizing the highly effective and environment friendly Cycles rendering engine. After establishing the momentary lighting, I added procedural supplies created in Blender. This allowed me to get a basic thought of the ultimate consequence and helped me make colour selections in Substance 3D Painter.
SUBSTANCE PAINTER
With the momentary lighting and shaders arrange, I knew precisely what the primary colours could be. Now my objective was to create a plausible metallic and material sensation.
In Substance 3D Painter, I started by making use of an outdated metallic materials to offer the character a broken look. Then, I added a layer of colour that I refined to attain a metallic look.
Substance 3D Painter has a superb layer, masks, and procedural era system that permits for quick outcomes. For instance, to create the scratches, I constructed upon the outdated metallic shader and added a black masks with a “Fill” utilizing a grayscale Grunge Map.
By enjoying with the masks and grayscale settings in colour, roughness, and metallic, I used to be in a position to obtain the specified metallic look. For the material half, I utilized a base denim materials that I modified. I did not spend an excessive amount of time on it as a result of I deliberate so as to add some fur to take care of a worn-out really feel.
FURRY PARTS
In Blender, one of many instruments I like probably the most is Geometry Nodes, which was clearly impressed by Houdini. With this software, you’ll be able to carry out many actions on meshes, curves, and many others.
It is price noting that every geometry node created might be assigned to completely different objects with customized settings and might be cheaper than precise fur. That is why I selected this resolution for the furry components. The goal was to distribute the curves I created on the entire mesh. The benefit of this methodology is that I can create output parameters that may be custom-made (density, scale, colour, and many others.), which permits me to use it to different meshes and save a number of time.
After conducting some exams, I spotted that some curves had been disappearing throughout the animation. After performing some analysis, I discovered the trigger and resolution because of a video by Joey Carlino titled “The Softest Fuzz You Cannot Contact: Geometry Nodes in Blender.”
The Blender group may be very lively and useful. After additional testing and enchancment, I used to be in a position to efficiently apply the geometry node to all components.
FINAL LIGHTING
I’ve all the time favored pictures, which is why the lookdev and lighting half is commonly my favourite in my tasks. The technical half is lastly over, and I can chill out by in search of the ambiance and tone of the picture.
What I like about lighting is the way it guides the viewer. Though I am not an professional on this space, I make an effort to do my greatest. To realize this, I goal to not illuminate non-essential areas by adjusting the lights. As soon as that is executed, I like so as to add a ramp colour to the roughness node, which supplies me higher management over the ultimate materials brightness within the rendering.
In my WIP picture, we will see that the purple areas stop us from specializing in the narrative components of the character. Within the last picture, the protect is significantly better highlighted, and its distinction in depth worth with the helmet permits for higher steadiness.
I all the time attempt to push my lighting as a lot as attainable.
POST-PROCESSING
As soon as the lighting is completed, I attempt to give a cinematic aspect to my tasks, which permits me to point out what it will be like in a movie or recreation. I primarily use Glare to create a bloom impact on shiny surfaces, Colour Steadiness and Colour Correction to regulate the colours and lighting of sure components, Ellipse Masks for a vignette impact, and Lens Distortion to finalize the cinematic look. Relying on the challenge, a few of these nodes could also be used in a different way, however these are those I exploit most ceaselessly.
3D SAMURAI CHESS, BISHOP
And that is it!
Thanks for studying my article. I hope you could have an amazing day!
Concerning the Artist
Aymeric Rondol, a 3D generalist artist from France.
