January 2015 - Tips and Tricks - Edgework: Another Step to 3D Drawing

January 2015 - Tips and Tricks - Edgework: Another Step to 3D Drawing

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Edgework: Making Shapes Look More 3D-ish
It might seem at first glance that modeling programs have it hands-down over drawing programs for photoreality. Well, Mr. AutoDesk 3D Studio, take a gander at this month’s Xara tutorial. Gary will show you how to take a texture, a template with guides for a cube, and turn this into a 3D composition that looks like it’s going to pop off the screen and land in your coffee or other favorite beverage.

Let’s stroll, and then fly. Show us how deep, 3D deep you can get in 2D here.

Excellent tut. Gary, will be definitely attempting this Tips and Tricks. Reminds me a wee bit of the techniques you gave us in Edge Lighting.

Stygg

Yes, stygg, this tutorial takes the one on lighting to a similar, but higher plane. That was about lighting to enhance a shape. This one is about actually carving and extending and retouching a "3D" cube until it looks at least as good as a modeled render of the same cube using the same texture.

My Best,

Gary

:) Fun tutorial, Gare!

I like that Maya, that's definitely a Borg ship "resistance is futile you will be assimilated" :eek:

Stygg

I don't think I got the 3D as Gary as shown but I've posted what I've done so far so all feedback appreciated, then I can do it again :D

Stygg

stygg, you followed the steps and the cube looks very much like mine. If anything, the chips out of the cube are a little too sever, too big, not subtle enough.

Oh, and the right side could be a little darker, but these things are trivial.

I was scared after creating the tute that it was impossible or just to darned difficult to work through. But your product is very photorealistic for the effort, and that's what the GrandMasters do on tg—photorealism.

You're well on your way, stygg. Find a photo lit from the left and see how well your drawing integrates into it.

My Best,

Gary

It's looking good, Stygg. :)

This particular tiling texture I've been working with is so full of odd shapes and heights. I've tried extra highlights and lowlights, blending, different perspective, coloring, etc., but it just doesn't look very 3D. Oh well.

@ Maya—This particular texture is very hard to tile seamlessly at bottom left and right of the top texture; sorry, I wasn't considering every tile as I made them, that they'd be perfect candidates. I might suggest some solid color to partial transparent quadrangles along the these areas to "mask" some of the detail on the cube.

Also, if you put lights in various areas, it might take the attention off the details. didn't the Borg craf have green lights running like pipework along the surface?

It's a really good effort and quite effective even if you're not satisfied with it yet, Maya.

And it also integrates into a composition better than as a stand-alone object. Would you like me to create a displacement map of it so you can put it on a cube in Blender and study it "for real" for your final illustration? It will take a day or so (Xara Xone needs a video...I'm up to the narration right now, expect it tomorrow night).

My Best,

Gary

Aw, heck. A friend of mine makes maps for sci-fi models and had the diffuse map and the bump map, attached:

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-g

Thanks Gare! That would be great (a bump map of the tile) whenever you have some time. :) Very cool Borg tile too!

Let me make this as little Off Topic as possible:

In the Zip archive attached are 3 new "Tech" textures and do not try to use them with the original because they aren't the same design. Within the file is a color map, a displacement (or bump) map, and a Normal map. These can be used on a cube in a modeling program if you understand texture trees and where each channel image goes.

Having rendered a detailed cube you like, then use it as a study in Xara. The point of this tutorial was to make images look 3D, not necessarily copied a rendered image. I did the hard way, so should you!

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Very interesting tutorial. I had a quick go with a different texture. The red hexagon texture looked kind of rubber like and it made me think of a type of dog toy that you put a treat into.

@ Frances— your dog toy is not only very dimensional and well-lit (I like the umbra and penumbra you put as shadows to the right, and the background keeps the "action" going in a still image with the spotlight effect.

Yes, indeed, the texture was supposed to be plastic. Truth it, I created it after a kitchen pot scouring brush, and if we were to put a handle on it,you'd have a second masterpiece! :)

Well, done, oh artisté! Keep up the improvising.

You, Frances, learn so much for your own work by going through these tutes. Your work just keeps getting better and better.

Gary

There is really good images from Maya and Francis from this months tut. Gary so sticking with the original I changed the lighting and darkened the right side, cut back on the severity of subtract shapes and added a couple of extra extended shapes and gave myself a little license with a quirky shadow :D

Stygg

I think it's a lot more photorealistic, don't you, stygg? I think you did well.

Hey, it might be fun to put it over a photograph, and advert for someting and see how it compares and fits in, no?

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Gare thanks for the tutorial, started with the cube but somehow it again became a sphere in some very grunge format :)

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Anyway just relating the sphere technique used the "blend method" not the fisheye, so filling a circle with the bitmap fill, after clone it and make it smaller but with a sightly wider fill, then doing a 50 steps blend between of them. It was described once somewhere in the depth of the forums but not sure in which thread. Relating the 'edgework' tried to use the Eraser tool

=D> Great works Frances, Stygg and Csehz! It's always fun to see all the creative ideas that develop from the tutorials.

I did some changes to Gare's original tech texture yesterday before the new ones were offered. Back to the Borgish cubes...

Now that's a borg ship Maya, love it :)

Stygg

I like that Csehz, it gives me the feeling of something in there waiting to jump out at me, dark and creepy :eek:

Stygg

Thanks for the words, maybe one more yet before going to the next tutorial :) There is no explanation to the flowers, they just came to the scene :D

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I reckon that would make a nice garden ornamment csehz, two or three of those placed stratigically round the garden would look great. A lot of rock building though :D

Stygg

Carve the top out of with a shape like this:

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And make it into a bird bath, uncomfortable as the perch might be.

Actually, you did one of the best integration of the edges I've seen so far, csehz. You have a career in photo retouching, my good man!

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-g

Quote:

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Originally Posted by stygg2003

A lot of rock building though :D

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:D Stygg please :) Well yes but so that shows that it was not intended to be a rock garden but what an idea :)

Plus with the birds yet of course :) Gare thanks but no any business for me in drawing, that could took away the love of it and that would not like to be risked, the best to stay amateur like me

Well csehz I agree with Gary, it is the best edge work to date and it looks like you have been made the official gardner and rock scape gardner for the Xone ;))

Stygg

I like the artistic courage you two are displaying. I think you've nailed the edgework perfectly, and now the embellishments are accentuating the main element.

I also love what Maya is doing with the cube...putting it into a larger scene.

-g

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Crow Haven

=D> Great works Frances, Stygg and Csehz! It's always fun to see all the creative ideas that develop from the tutorials.

I did some changes to Gare's original tech texture yesterday before the new ones were offered. Back to the Borgish cubes...

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(sometime later...)

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May the Force be with you, Princess Maya.

Last time I went to the dentist he said I needed a crown, I said, "I know, right!"
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Oooops. Wrong series.

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