Personal Work: Vanessa Ives WIP Update (Buildup GIF + Before/After GIF)

This painting is still not completed but I wanted to post an update to show my progress. I've been taking my time with this painting now, even though originally it was just going to be a practice speedpainting. I'm quite happy with how it's turning out considering I usually draw an outline first but this time I tried something different. I wanted to include a buildup GIF of what I've made so far to show how I started painting it upside down to get the basic shapes. I then slowly fixed the proportions, built up the details and then began to smooth out the painting and blend everything.

Even though the face isn't complete yet, I decided to refine the chest area. I painted over the necklace I roughly blocked in at first because I figured it'd be easier to later redraw the scorpion/necklace on a new layer later on. I began to repaint the necklace, which is obviously far from being complete. Once I finish the necklace I'll continue to work on the face, hair and dress.

Personal Work: Vanessa Ives Speedpaint (Work In Progress)

I decided I wanted to practice digital painting without painting an outline first. I find it quite difficult, but I think it lets me trust my instincts more. Instead of drawing what I think something should look like, I paint shapes that I see. I started painting this with the canvas and reference images upside-down to help me get the basic shapes right. This image is only a cropped portion of the painting since her upper body is still in a very rough stage.

Penny Dreadful - Vanessa Ives (WIP)

Personal Work: Eddy Portrait (with GIF buildup)

The American Yoga Academy: Colour Tests

After my very stressful flight back to England and a day of recovering from jet lag, I returned to working on the CG logo for AYA. I decided to do some colour background tests so the client could be sure what backdrop they would want. I was told that the preferred colour would be some shade of blue or baby blue, but I experimented with other colours too just in case. So far I like the blues in comparison to the other colours I experimented with. My favourites are #1 and #3 from the solid background and #13, #15, and #16 from the ramp backgrounds. I think I prefer the last sheet the most because the ramp makes the background look more interesting than just a solid colour. Once I hear back from the client, I'll either continue experimenting with colour/light or progress into testing out different animations.

The American Yoga Academy: 3D Logo Update/Rotation Test

So I've bought a mouse so I was able to add the environment chrome node and layer together the textures for the logo. I had to play around with some of the settings to get the metal the colour that I wanted but that might change depending on the lighting. I also decided to get rid of the white line around the text instead of boosting it. Now I'm going to start playing around with some animation and options for the background. I was asked to make a simple background, possibly just having it being a baby blue colour but I was given permission to experiment. I've also done a little rotation test to see how it looks and to send to the client.

Adding Environment Chrome/Adjusting Colour.

Getting Rid of the White Line Before/After

Final Result

Personal Work: Sketches

My Golden Retriever (pencil/white coloured pencil)

'Dog' - Alberto Giacometti (pen)
*I drew too big for my page and couldn't fit the tail in.*

Canine Skull (pen)

The American Yoga Academy: 3D Logo

Along with some tech support and video editing, I have offered to make/animate a 3D logo for The American Yoga Academy. Once I finish making the logo, I plan on playblasting a few animation samples for AYA to select. I'll then render out a short animation that can be used as an intro for other videos they post in the future. I was told to simply put the logo on a hockey puck-like shape, but since it was established that this is not an urgent task I decided to experiment with layering textures and shaders. Unfortunately, I had to leave my computer mouse back in the UK so my mother could use it to send over the footage for my animated Denoria set after it finished rendering. Considering I only have use of the trackpad on my Mac, there is only so much I can do in Maya. However, here is what I have managed to do so far.

After I mapped out the UV's I went to go put the texture on my model. I wanted to try layering the logo on a metallic background, but when I went into photoshop to remove part of the logo I realised the image wasn't as high quality as I wanted. I decided to look at images of yin-yang symbols and stars to piece together a new, higher quality logo from scratch. I then had to experiment with different fonts to find a match to the original image, which I somehow managed to do relatively quickly.

After this, I played around with making a metallic texture and playing around with the transparency. I managed to get a decent amount done, but once it came to adding more nodes and connecting things up I struggled without a middle mouse button. However, I think once I have access to a mouse I'll be able to add an image to the reflectivity so it's not so dark. Hopefully I'll be able to connect up everything else so I have a layered texture instead of a metal coin and a floating, transparent logo.

Personal Work: Female Torso (with GIF buildup)

Original Sketch

Chris Miller's 'Breakthrough'

Personal Work: Giacometti Fan Art (with buildup GIF)

My family here in America have been keeping me pretty busy over the last few weeks as we travel between New Jersey, Vermont and New York. However, in the evenings and on rainy days I try to keep myself busy with some digital painting and sketching. Alberto Giacometti is my favourite artist, and I heard that there is an exhibition going on in Norwich with some of his work that I hope I can go to when I return to England next month. So until then I decided to return to a sketch I made while visiting an exhibition in London called Pure Presence last December featuring Giacometti's work.

I didn't use the actual sculpture as reference, I just used my sketch and just tried going with what I thought looked right. I might return to some of the other sketches, make some new ones (I'd like to do one of his dog sculpture) or even rework some that I made a few years ago in Sixth Form. Maybe I'll even attempt to bring one of them into Maya somehow...I'm not sure how I'd do it but there's no harm in trying it out I suppose.

Personal Work: Animated Denoria and Transfiguration V (with buildup GIF)

It's been a while since I posted, so I wanted to show what I've been up to. I returned to my What If? Metropolis and moved a camera around Denoria and added some sun rays using After Effects. Unfortunately I haven't been able to continue work on 'Leviathan' because I am visiting my family in America but I have most of the new scenes rendered so hopefully I can finish that off when I return home in August.

 

I also decided I wanted to return a series of digital paintings I began over a year ago now which were inspired by Olivier de Sagazan's 'Transfiguration' performance. The rest of the series can be found on my ArtStation, which has been updated relatively recently.  I may continue working on this painting by expanding it so the arms and the rest of the torso are visible.

Transfiguration V - Final Painting

Transfiguration V - Buildup GIF

Original Sketch (from over a year ago)

Source Image

  

Personal Work: Eddy Portrait (Progress)

Since it's been a while since I've posted anything, I figured I'd write a little update on a painting I've been working on. For my mother's birthday I decided to make a digital painting of her 145lb. (about 66kg) Boerboel, Eddy. She absolutely adores that dog so I thought it'd be a nice gift. It's been a slow work in progress as I've been alternating between working on the digital painting, actually taking care of Eddy himself (which is difficult considering he is much bigger/heavier than me), reading some fiction books instead of books about Maya/ Photoshop, watching films and playing some video games. So far the summer has been very enjoyable, I look forward to visiting my family in America soon and I look forward to working on a few other paintings I have planned. This portrait of Eddy is not completed yet, but here is what I have done so far on him.

Eddy Digital Painting - Work In Progress