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

[Barbara B]

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



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.

[stygg2003]

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

[Gare]

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

[Crow Haven]

Fun tutorial, Gare!

[stygg2003]

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

Stygg

[stygg2003]

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

Stygg

[Gare]

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

[Crow Haven]

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.

[Gare]

@ 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

[Gare]

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



-g