Responsive// Introduction

For responsive we've been given a brief that involves expand our impact as animators and creatives by identifying, responding and entering competitions. We're expected to focus on a 'main' brief as well as substantial smaller briefs and to also collaborate with illustration and graphic design students on projects.

So far I've selected a few contests to enter, including loop de loop and the 11 second club (a brief which I'm currently working on, involving animating to sound). Hopefully I'll find some sort of illustration competition to enter soon, I'm rather hungry for drawing currently and not necessarily having to animate it.

Telling Tales// The face and the texture

After completing the modeling process for the right side of the model I then used the mirroring tool to reflect it to the left; creating a solid model. I still had yet to model the facial features for the character. Originally I had carved eye sockets into the models face before I then mirrored it, but when I attempted to mirror the model I created some sort of glitch and the edges of the eye sockets attached themselves to each other - resulting in the whole model becoming inverted and I instantly undid it.

Below is a screenshot of the completed modeled character:

When modelling the nose I used the 'bevel ' tool, which I found extremely useful.

Next I began work on applying a texture to the model. 

Using the UV map I protected the models geometry using the tool and then using the 'cut edge' tool I selected the edges I wanted to cut - in order to produce the 'shells' of the model. I cup around the top of the legs, the arms, the wrists, the top of the head (for the hat) and down selected a slit down the back of each segment. Unwrapping the shells I then saved the UV map and opened it up in Photoshop. After inverting the UV map I then duplicated the image and then selected the top version and used the function  'multiply' so that I was able to paint colour beneath it (using another transparent layer). I found it quite difficult to line up the layers of colours for the characters rainbow legs but I really enjoyed this process. After saving the newly painted UV Map (without the lines) within the 'source image' of the project folder for this model I loaded up the texture within Maya. I had some trouble to begin with when applying the texture; Maya crashed before I could save the cut UV that I had already been working with in photoshop. So when I attempted to cut the model again by the edges and applied the textures… I got this odd effect…

This strange outcome occurred because maya crashed before I had saved it. I had already been working on the texture in photoshop for the model and had finished it; I attempted to cut up the 'net' of the character again instead of starting again on her texturing and thought I'd done it correctly like the last time - however this happened.. must of cut the wrong edges, huh?

Here is the second texture map I made for the model, this one I added details like stitching and creases to help bring her model to life.

Below is a turn around of the textured modeled character: 

For the mouth, here is a sample sheet of 'changeable' mouths for the textures that we're going to use later on when animating the characters.

Responsive: Made you look

Today for responsive we all piled into the lecturer hall to sit down and watch a documentary about being a creative in the digital age. I found this documentary very eyeopening and inspiring as it featured not only illustrators but print makers, self proclaimed doodlers and creatives alike; who all agreed that a movement into digital wasn't necessarily the future for creativity.  Featuring the London print club I felt partially inspired, as an animator I spend most of my university study hours animating within the studies and haven't really experimented with traditional forms of art such as painting (which is something I adore) and printing (which is something I've never really attempted). Coming away from the documentary I really wanted to get more involved with the printing studios within college.



One of the artists featured within the documentary was Andrew Rae, illustrator and a member of peepshow collective. I really enjoyed being introduced to his opinions on his own art and the digital side of creativity.

Looking into his work he also animates, which is something I've very keen to learn more about, Here is a little gif I found on his website of one of his 'moon faced' characters... I really love his way of drawing.

Another artist featured that claims herself to be a 'professional doodler' Hattie Steward. She claimed to of kicked off her interest in doodling when she began drawing on top of a magazine cover because she wanted to be part of the cover; she really enjoyed it. So continued, as you would do if you enjoy doing that something. And now, she produces amazing beautiful pop art illustrated pieces that remind me slightly of 1930's,40's cartoons.

I enjoyed the screening, it was quite refreshing to watch a documentary that reassured me not everything creativity was moving to the digital world integrally; which is something I feel is constant around me as a animation student. I've already begun work on a small 'ZINE' comic that I want to print in the printing studios from talking to a few other illustrator and discovering my partners secret collection of poems about poo.

Greenscreen induction

Today we attended the first of two introduction into green screen filming. This session covered the basics of filming using the 'green screen techniques' and how to use them correctly. First of all I discovered we use green and sometimes blue because these colours aren't very common in skintone. Of course, I had never thought about why the screen was green or blue before; but being someone with both blue and green featured in her hair, I knew I would be in for a difficult time...

We also learnt how to set up basic lighting for shooting the future footage; Using LED lights and light weight stands. We used three points of light to achieve the over all lighting for the set. Below is a rough drawing of what I learnt, which is also the standard way of lighting any subject up.

The 'edge light' imitates what would be the sun in the environment and will generally shine directly onto the object (in this set it was pointed from behind). The 'key light' is positioned opposite the edge light, to act as a sort of counter light that bounces from other objects onto the main object. The key light is usually not as bright as the edge light and can be replaced with a reflector. The fill light is pointed at the subject, this light is normally used to illuminate any spiteful unnecessary shadows.

In this short introduction I've learnt the very basics about green screening and even if green screening isn't something I would typically think of using I might well consider using this technique in the future.

Telling Tales// Starting to model the character

Today I began modelling the character I had designed for this project in Maya. 

After learning the routine of basic model construction, rigging and control assignment from my introduction classes into Maya I felt pretty confident modelling for the first time by myself. Using a helpful T-pose that I roughy sketched out this morning, I found it easy to craft the basic shape of my character. 

When designing this character I forced on keeping her figure simplistic, so modelling that character in a 3D environment later on wouldn't be too stressful for a newbie like myself.  

Using the hips as a central starting point I simply used the 'exclude tool' and occasionally repositioned the odd vertex to model her. The problems I encountered with the 'test model' did not reoccur this time, however I did have to familiarise myself with easier steps using the online tutorial videos my tutor posted online about modelling. 

Below are a few screenshots of the models progress;