Reflective Summary

Project Goal

“For this module I will focus on exploring 3D methodologies to facilitate, speed up and improve the output of concept art. Through research, exploration and particularly practical tasks I hope to find the best work method (for me) to incorporate into my workflow.”

Main Themes

1.       Painting on Top of Line Work

2.       The Perspective Grid

3.       Generating 3D Thumbnails

4.       Basic 3D Model as a Starting Point for Concept Art

5.       Modelling with Reference Images

6.       UV Mapping and Texturing

7.       Camera and Lighting Experimentation

8.       Rendering

Integrating 3D Methods into my Workflow

Identified Advantages

- Particularly useful for architecture and "man-made" structures (buildings, cityscapes... )
- Flexibility for iterating on designs

- Scaling, mirroring and duplicating

- Great for repetitive objects in scenes
- Unlimited perspective possibilities

- 3D thumbnails

- Zoom lens

- Wide angle lens
- Adjustable lighting

Possible Difficulties

-Detailed models take time

-UV mapping and texturing is time consuming

- Often harsh boarders and static look

Conclusion

Throughout the semester my skills have improved in several areas. I have gained both a better understanding on digital painting and lighting as well as improved my 3D skills with experimentation in several areas that were very new to me at the beginning of the semester.

I plan to continue using 3D models to quickly solve difficult perspectives and find the best layout for the main elements of the scene. They are an easy way to speed up and facilitate the workflow.

Furthermore the creation of 3D thumbnails strengthened my concept art decisively.  The opportunity and flexibility to navigate through 3D space to find the best perspective and composition in the scene is a huge advantage over basic 2D concepts in which one must start from the beginning again.

Integrating lighting into the scenes is also a very useful aspect. Especially when attempting realistic lighting reflections on different materials. Once modelled these aspects definitely save a lot of time and are only logical to integrate into the development process.

For smaller projects I would however avoid UV mapping and texturing as it can be quite time consuming. For final detailed illustrations textures can be a very useful aspect though as it solves both the basic perspective and lighting issues one might encounter.