NEXT-GEN Nescot Year 3 HND - skin drafts

During week 1 we had been tasked with creating different deformations using different photoshop methods to show change/depth to a persons skin (skindrafts). For most of this task I used my own face however I did also use a stock photo for one of them.

For the first skindraft, I decided to create a cyborg/ robot like effect. I did this by using the spherical selection tool to select the face of the person, then creating a small curve with a blurred edge and complementary colour in order to maintain depth. Next, this allowed me to add connection of cogs and metallic parts so that it would appear like they were a cyborg. I also added a small rim to the edge of the mans face and head.

For the seccond skindraft, I chose to use a paper ripping effect so that my face intertwined with a more horror themed image. In order to do this I took an image of ripped paper from the internet, used the magic wand tool to select it and then filled in the selection with white. This allowed me to position the rip however I wanted it. After that I used a mask to hide the areas that I had covered with the rip effects. This was done by using the wand tool and masking on the layer below, before hiding the rip effect layers. Then I found an image of a clown that was roughly in the same position as my head and added it underneath. Finally, I added a similar colour to the black background and added the images together.

For the third skindraft, I created a clay like skin effect that appeared like my skin was cracking. I did this by taking an image of dry cracking paint and adding it into photoshop. I then created a mask around my face so that only that part could be seen. Next, I used the Match Colour adjustment to merge the colour of my face with the overlaying image and maintain a similar colour.

After this I began masking more of the image with blurred edges, so that it would fit on my face more seamlessly, before removing the inner parts of the image around the cracks, using a mask again. Next, I used the paint tool at a lower opacity with the colour of the skin below it in order to make the cracks fit into the skin. However, I ultimately used too much of the paint tool and had to remove some parts of the paint and lower the opacity further. After the alterations, this worked out very well.

In conclusion, I believe I did well because of the amount of detail in the images and the end result of each of them. However, I could have improved upon them by fixing shading problems and spending slightly more time cleaning up any remaining errors with the images.

NEXT-GEN Nescot Year 3 HND - my face model draft

During week 1 we were tasked with creating a model creation for the split-face poster. I did this by creating a beginning shape of a head then using a skull model that I made to then correctly proportion it.

Firstly I created a basic square and edited it into the basic size of a head while also adding the features and ears by using and editing more squares.

Once I had fixed the proportions of the face I decided to add the shoulders as well in order to hide most of the neck, whilst also adding significantly more detail.

The way that I did this was by creating a single plain and editing it to align with my shoulders and neck before then duplicating and bridging it for depth and adding the detail from the image to the model.

Afterwards, I fixed the details of the face by making it more rounded and changing the colour of areas that may have hair later. I then added the skull to further proportion the nose, face and back of the head.

Using the skull I repositioned most of the back of the neck to have a more organic falloff and fit in more seamlessly. At the same time, I also decided to change the size of the eyes due to them being too small.



In conclusion, I believe I did well on this model so far but I will be working on this model in the future. Things I could improve upon would be the shape of the nose and eyes, while also adding hair and/or attempting any monster deformations on this model.

NEXT-GEN Nescot Year 3 HND - skull models

During week 1 we were tasked with creating a model creation for the spilt-face poster. I did this by creating a beginning part of a head then using a skull model that I made to then correctly proportion it.

Firstly, I created a small jaw by taking a square and elongating it sideways, then creating an even jawline. After this, I stretched the jaw out and created teeth before creating a sphere and editing it to appear as a skull.

Once I created the skill's base, I began to edit and exadurate features in order to create the features of a skull. I did this by adding additional pollys to the skull and then creating indents into the skull for the eyes and nose. That then led to me creating a sharper looking fall-off for both indents and the sides of the skull as well as shortening the width of the jaw. This gave the skull a significantly better look after I began smoothing many of the edges.

Next, I imported the skill into Sculptrus for extra editing and to smooth and exadurate in the areas that it was needed.



Once I imported the skull back into Maya, I made a side by side rendition of both skulls, then decided to improve upon the smoother rendition by creating small cracks and indents using an overlay of the skull's front face. I did this by cutting out the face section of the skull then creating small cuts and indents in it before then implanting it ontop of the existing skull. This gave a much more detailed effect and may be used in future projects.

Finaly, I imported the smoother model into my face model's Maya project. From there I used the proportions of the skull in an attempt to create an accurate scale of a human head on my existing model.

In conclusion, I believe I did well on this model and will most likely be re-using it in the future. This is due to the detail and accurate scale of the skull, due to the images of a human skull that I used. However one problem with this model, because I imported it into Sculptrus, is that instead of using normal square polygons it instead uses triangles, leading to some problems with its use.

NEXT-GEN Nescot Year 3 HND - Split Face Draft Ideas - 2

During week 1 we had been tasked with creating a professional movie poster using a split face dynamic biased around a horror theme. This is a continuation of my draft task ideas and this time I used my face alongside the creature transformations.

Firstly for the vampiric draft, I began working more on the teeth by adding more sharper edges to the tips of the teeth and the deformity of the chin by elongating it and removing my existing beard.

Secondly for The fungal draft, I decided to add more lumps and extrusions to the face as to make it appear more like some form of extreme infection or as some form of body covering growth. I also added some sick/ decaying skin to the human side of the face.

I Also began to work on some more ideas such as a clay crust face and a Cthulhu like tentacle creature. For the clay face, I decided to create cracks in the face with the use of an image of cracked drywall and paint. Then I used a mask to hide most the the image and used the colour correction tool to make the colours same as my face. After this, I started using a low opacity brush in order to make the cracks smoothly transition onto the face.

For the tentacle version, I decided to create extra eyes and adding skin to overlay these eyes with infected and rash like skin. Next, I added a larger mouth then making tentacles extrude from it.

In conclusion, I believe that these versions of my monster faces are good because of the detail on the clay and fungus infection faces, however, I don't believe I gave as much effort into the tentacle draft.

NEXT-GEN Nescot Year 3 HND - Sculptris Induction and model attempts

During week 1 we were introduced to another modeling software called "Sculptris". It is a free modeling and sculpting software that was bought by Zbrush. In order to learn how to use this software, we were tasked with creating a dinosaur of any kind. I decided to create a T-Rex for my model because of its relatively simple shape.

I began by distorting the default sphere into a rough shape of a T-Rex by using the grab tool to pull the tail, legs and head out. I then began to add smaller features such as a minor jaw and head. I elongated the T-Rex's tail, added more depth to the legs, claws to the feet and I also added small hand claws.

After this, I began adding a large array of details to the T-Rex which included reshaping the head to include teeth, eyes and nostrils. I also added more to the legs and feet by increasing their size and changing their shape to a more clear position before then adding scales to the sides, underbelly and top of the T-Rex.

Next, I decided to reshape the head, legs and tail to appear more realistic while also adding more teeth and scales to give the T-Rex skin a higher realism. I remade the T-Rex's jaw alongside creating a tongue for the mouth and attempted to improve the feet and hands.

Then, I began to work more heavily on the T-Rex's legs which allowed me to add more detail, smooth the legs out and make them bigger, also working on the sides and underbelly. The sides were worked on by smoothing some parts of the T-Rex and by lowering the poly count across the entire model.

Finally, I added more to the sides of the T-Rex and re-added the detail shortly afterwards. I then fixed some of the errors with the topology, while also making sure the dinosaurs proportions were correct.

In conclusion, I believe I did well on this assignment, not only because at first I didn't know how to use the modelling software that I was using, but I also managed to create a highly detailed model within the space of 2 hours. However, I could have improved upon this model by remaking the feet and hands whilst also adding more detail into them.

NEXT-GEN Nescot Year 3 HND - Split Face Draft Ideas

During week 1 we had been tasked with creating a professional movie poster using a split face dynamic biased around a horror theme. This task was required to include a 3D model of a creature: half of the face and the human half of the face to be that of our own. However, the face of the man below is not my own and was only used for draft/ idea based purposes.

My initial idea I believe to be the best. I began by brainstorming an idea of a demonic creature. This initial design was going to become a horned demonic beast, but as time went on I decided to create it with a more primal vampire nature. This was done by elongating the cheeks and chin of the face using the smudge tool as it is only a draft. Unfortunately this gave the appearance of a rubbery texture.

As time went on I added many different features to the monster side of the head, this included: a ripped/ unhinged jaw or mouth, a distorted and broken nose, an infected/demonic eye, removal of hair, a pointed ear, a set of progressively sharp teeth and a large amount of parasitic like holes. These additions gave it a much more interesting and foreboding look.

My design was based around vampires from movies such as Blade, 30 Days of Night and Nosferatu because each of these movies were not only big successes but each had horrific transformations as vampires, giving an almost bat like appearance in some cases.

I also began to work on other possible ideas, such as: a zombie like fungus based on the video-game The Last Of Us as well as the movies Cargo and The Girl With All The Gifts, or a spike infused infection based on the movie Splinter.

For the Spike infection I removed most of the deformation but I did keep the infected/ hole ridden skin. This allowed me to have holes for the spikes to stick out of and to give a rotted appearance.

Despite the things I kept, I don't believe this idea finalized very well due to me being unable to find appropriate thorns for the draft image. This lead to the thorns overtaking most of the face leading to other details being rather hidden.

Next I made a fungus infection/ zombie version, for this version I decided to add more rotting and fungus infected flesh to give a dead appearance. I also added the infected eye back in, to make the dead appearance more convincing.

Once I had a base of dead appearing flesh, I began adding some infected skin such as fungal scalp skin and cordyceps fungi that gave a crusty and old texture to the already dead looking skin.

Finally, I began adding more cordyceps fungi at a lower opacity to give more crusty textures and a more walking dead appearance. I think this didn't greatly improve the previous incarnation and didn't look as good.

Out of all the ideas I believe that the first draft is the best, due to its interesting design and terrifing appearance. Therefore, in conclusion, as these were only drafts I think I did well with the deciding how to create the monster. However, I could have improved upon them all by adding more deformities to the later ideas and giving the first design much more rotted and evil looking teeth.