ZBrush-Retopologizing an Asset

I would begin in modeling in Zbrush. Once completely finished modeling the asset and all of it's pieces, I would then want to retopologize it, as it becomes too dense/heavy for another editing program such as Maya. In the subtool pallet I will want to pick the first piece of my object, how every many it is made up. I will then go to bottom of the subtool box and click 'insert' so that the item that I insert will appear right below the first piece I will retopologize.

I will insert a ZSphere from the poloygons shown. When it appears in the scene I will want to show only the ZSphere and the object I will work on. The coming out of draw and into move so I can move the ZSphere into position, I want it to be close to the object but not in the way.

Once it's ready & set i will go back to the menu on the right side, scroll down to the options: Adaptive Skin & Topology. The adaptive skin is what will become of the retopologized work that we are in the process of making. I want the density set to it's lowest. Then go to 'Edit Topology'

This will allow me to begin the retopology process. I will 'CTRL + Click' of the model for fresh start. the find a place to start and begin placing points. I want to keep it in quads and try to have somewhat even layout to create better accuracy to the reference.

After I start laying points, just follow the red dot and work around the model. Give yourself even flow and take your time. You can use the 'move' tool to move points around then go back to creating more. Can even use 'CRTL' key to put the starting 'red' point in a different place and work from there till the object is complete. A good way to check your progress is to use solo and the preview. I have set mine as hot keys which are very useful. So i can quickly check my progress and keep moving.

Once fully completed, your ready to create maps and even export to another software. I hope you found this information very informative.

1609 CDC Reflection

       CDC Reflection

This is a repeat class for me and I notice significant improvement from the first time awhile back. I have understood more and took much more time and effort into my work. I am still learning to manage my time more efficiently, I just started working and now that is more thing to add to my responsibilities but I don't think I'm doing too terrible. I really enjoyed this class and felt I can take more away from it.

This is the resurfaced arm mesh. I put a good bit of time into it, I think I did good as far as even topology, not in all parts as I do need to practice more with the quad-draw and good edge flows. I did manage to forget to take snapshots of pre-production as these are final images.

This is a reference I used for the sleeve, It is on the same arm I modeled. I found all my reference images from 3D.sk The model is titled Karolina. I thought she had an acceptable muscular arm, I did not see anywhere that it had to be male.

What worked and what didn't?

I think my refacing, for the most part, worked. It is still in need of work. I don't think the sculpt worked. I spent six hours in ZBrush and started over at least three times. I still have noticeable artifacts and getting the tertiary details was difficult for me. 

What would you do differently next time?

The lecture activities for sure. I was more into my projects than the lecture activities. Another major one would be ZBrush. I am still trying to learn the brushes and moving to get every angle to match the reference. I would try to do better with my sculpts.

Did you encounter any major issues, if so, how did you adapt?

Adding to ZBrush, I did adapt. I did not give up I pushed through and wanted to fully finish this assignment. 

How did the end result come out?

 Honestly, I wish I had more time. I think it was my biggest problem. I am not good at and am still trying to manage my time more efficiently. But I do believe practice makes perfect. I do need to work on all of it, the modeling itself, the sculpting, and even resurfacing. It all needs more work honestly.

CDC Reflection

Week1 Contours

I enjoyed working with contours, they help visualize & establish the construction of the model.

I think I did rather well with contours. I enjoyed the this topic the most of all. I think next time & will be able to notice more contours within the models.

 Week 2: Z-Spheres in Z Brush

I found working with z-spheres in Z Brush to be surprisingly simple but I do need more practice.

The base construction was working for me, when it came to smoothing & details, I struggling a bit. 

With continued use I will see improvement.  Next time I will take more time & use all the options available to me in Z Brush.

Week 4: Primitive Shapes

The basic shapes used worked for me, but I did the shapes by free-hand & should've used the pre-made shapes option. This week could have gone much better, next time I will put more time, if anything, into my work. Practice makes perfect & I know I need that practice.

My overall end result is 'needs work' All of my models created in either Maya or Z Brush need more time & attention.

Compare & Contrast

Compare & Contrast
The two artworks share many similarities, I did try to keep the patterns. My final I gave depth, as if there is a pot of flowers sitting on a table. Whereas the original was flat. Even if flat, the lines used in the first piece are well established compared to my own. I did like the use of different colored flowers, however I used red and red-brown in my final to help accent the black & bold lines. My final work appears more darker shaded than the bright original. Could have used more color variety in my final piece and the original could use more shading detail.

Final Completed

My Final Piece. I would hang this on my wall, the dark black lines give it a bold stand out to the objects within the piece.

Final PrePro

Final PrePro
Hard to see, this is just the ruff sketch. Will darken and add more detail. Looking to change all I set out in my subjective criticism.

Objective Criticism

This piece 'Folk Bird And Flowers' displays a great example of folk art. This work is more decorative than purely aesthetic. It uses bright colors and flat appearance. I think the lines in the background of this piece help bring emphasis on the objects, being the bird & flowers. The value of color establish a sense of balance, no color stands out more than the other. The forms in the surface and pot are patterned and contrast with the petals of the flowers. The white outline around the objects of the piece give a gentle and calm approach when viewing.

Subjective Criticism

I don't find this art piece aesthetically pleasing, the image appears flat and without dimension. I feel it is also so too simple, the bird has unrealistic pattern feathers, and there is little detail within the piece. Based on the artwork alone, I cannot distinguish the culture of when it's painted for. I believe the artist's intent in this piece was simple color and pattern to create a vibrant piece that could accent many color schemes. The use of white lines helps give it a gentle feel. Some things I would like to change about the piece is definition. To apply depth and a sense of realism. I think doing this will help create a more dynamic scene with the bird and flowers. I would also like to add more realistic color value, such as the stems of the flowers could be more of a lush green instead of greenish-yellow. I would like to change the positions of the flowers, they all face forward to the viewer, why not have them look other directions and I like add red to the flower color to make it pop and appear more bold. The bird only shows its side to the viewer, I would like to maybe turn it's head toward or at least make both eyes visible. I want to use bold black lines instead of white for the outline, I think will give it a bold and energetic feel to the piece.

Image & Basic Information

Folk Bird And Flowers
By: Karla Gerald
Folk Art Painting
20 x 16 in
2010

Week 1 SAL-O 1602

Project 1 Overview

This week in SAL we learned about the options the render settings offered and what each one's purpose was in a scene. I enjoyed the lecture and felt great tinkering with each one:
-Max Sampling
-Anti-Aliasing
-Filters
-Filter Sizes
Each one played a different but noticeable attribute in the rendering process. In one of the templates below it can be visible that changing the max sampling can bring out more detail in a scene but takes longer time to render.