Project 2: De Architectura

  L'Arc de Miles... oh, such majestic triumphs...

Build a building that can serve as the key element in a scene. We will be component modeling for this project, but you should still focus on the big, overall shapes that make the initial impact on the viewer. One of the key aspects to this project is modular design, that is, focusing on the key repeated elements that will make up your particular building. These elements, once developed, will be duplicated to make up most of your building. For an excellent example, make sure to check out Alex Munn's work.

For the love of all that is holy, get lots of good source material to look at. The more stuff you look at, the better your work will be. Don't just "remember" something you saw in the past... go track down several image and put them in your eye-holes.

In addition to modeling, we will also be texturing our models using UV mapping... start collecting images to help you develop your texture maps...

Useful Stuff (optional):
Hey kids! It's the render wireframe trick!
A useful link on preparing a shot for compositing.
How to turn off the ground plane in your sun/sky render...

We'll have an in-progress critique on Tuesday, January 21
Final work will be due on Tuesday, January 28.


Component Modeling:


UV Mapping 101:


UV Mapping 102:


Chack it! With this ChakerBoard texture.

0. Source material:

1. Concept and template drawn in PhotoShoppe (note proportions are different in final model):

2. Modeling in progress:

3. Wireframe finished:

4. UV mapping and textures:

5. Grind Date:

6. An example of a composite shot:

3D shot with alpha channel

+

2D image in PhotoShoppe

=

Final composite image

7. Some source material for the above shot:

Project 1: Blockville

PROJECT 1: BLOCKVILLE
Rock out with your blocks out!

1. Find 10 images that use scale contrast and composition to help create a sense of size and distance.  Post them to your blog with the title, "Project 1: Reference Material." Make sure you credit the artist for his/her work and provide a title, date, and a link back to the site that provided the work.

Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927). 

How's about some Piranesi? From the Carceri (Prisons) c. 1745-50. 

These have been a big influence on just about everybody designing big, fantastical scenes with gigantic architectural scale.

2. Choose 3 of the images and recreate them using only blocks and basic geometric primitives. Make sure you create a separate camera to maintain your shot composition. Render them out as 1000 pixel wide jpgs. Post them to your blog by Tuesday, January 14.

BLOG
You are required to keep a blog for this course and post all of your lab projects there. If you're new to bloggin', I recommend blogger.com as it's free and easy to use. If you find a service that works better for you, however, by all means, go for it. Yes, you may use a blog you have started before this class, just make sure you label your posts clearly so I don't get cranky. Once you have your blog set up, post your name and your blog's URL as a comment to this post. You must do this today, January 14. Check the comments section of this post for an example of how to do this.

PHOTO
Take a photo of your self and post it in the "about me" section of your blog by Tuesday, January 14.

READING
Each week, you'll have a reading or two and will write a reflective essay related to your project. You'll post your writing assignment to your blog along with your studio work. Your written reflection is 25% of your project grade and must be posted before class on Tuesday, January 14.
Here are your readings for the first week:
Reflective Essay Writing Tips For College Students
Interview with Joe Sanabria, Lead Artist, Fallout: New Vegas

Additional resources you may wish to consult:
cgsociety.org
conceptart.org

REFLECTIVE ESSAY:
Reflect on the process of doing your research and creating your scene. In two or three clear, precise paragraphs, try to answer at least three of the following questions: Did the interview give you any ideas on how to approach your project? Did you start with a plan and stick to it, or were there some unexpected discoveries along the way? Which do you think is your best final image? How did you decide a scene was 'finished'? Did you return to your work to edit it?  Did you have some ideas of images you wanted to work with or did you just dive into the internet and start looking? Did you learn anything from this project that will become a part of your regular creative process? What kind of emotional responses were you trying to evoke in your imagery?

GRADING
I'll be using the following rubric to assess the project. 5 categories, maximum of 5 points per category. Click the image for a larger view or click here for the .docx file.

DEMO MATERIALS:
Here is a 10 minute video to get you started with Blockville!

How To Render: