Final Project: Penguin Model

          For this final project, I decided my goal would be to achieve what I had dreamed of learning from this class: how to model a character. Since I was never ever truly able to learn how to do this from this class due to the COVID-19 ruining it all, I decided it was time for me to explore the idea and learn it myself. Starting out with the goal of modeling an original character, I tried the following programs to see what would be easiest to learn from in less than a week: 

• First Program: MeshMixer (FAILED)
• Second Program: Sculptris (Knew how to use it, but still not that easy for modeling)
• Third Program: Daz3D: (FAILED)
• Fourth Program: Fusion 360 (Was going to use it in conjunction with another program, but it was taking too long to model a more organic form like a character)  

          After trying out programs for about two hours, I decided to look everywhere on my apps on my laptop for some possible 3D software that I had not yet used and could help me realize this idea or a similar one for this final project. That's when I finally found a software that has been in front of my eyes this whole time and I hadn't even thought about using: Paint 3D. 

          Now, this program is probably one of the stranger 3D softwares to work with. This program puts together not only your drawing skills, but your ability to visualize something as a 3D model as you create it. This program is a very simple one: it offers varying brushes to color on the model, a tab for creating 2D drawn shapes, a 3D tab for extruding, editing and adding 3D forms, stickers, texts to add, an environment tab for editing lighting, and even the options to export images, videos, and the 3D object itself (although not compatible with other 3D softwares). Below is a picture of the looks of it:

          After working it out and trying the program, I realized that a human character was going to take a lot longer to create for the small amount of time I actually had for the project itself, so I decided instead to model another kind of character: A cute, female penguin. To do this, I had to think in my had about how I would draw and model each part of the penguin. For example, the beak would need to be drawn from the side view, the feet from the top view, the bow from the front view, and so on. Here is a picture of the beginning of my process: 

         After many hours of drawing, modeling, fixing and adding small details with brushes, I present to you my final product in multiple lightings: 

          As an added bonus, here are some renders of her with the guitar from Disney Pixar's Coco that I modeled in a previous project in Fusion 360 (although customized for her):

Although not the character I had originally intended on modeling, I am very proud of how this turned out! Until I can learn on my own how model characters in more professional and complicated 3D softwares, Paint 3D will be by new go-to software to create more 3D models for practice, for my personal project, and just for fun! This will help me for when I soon have to take Intro to 3D animation, where my characters will come alive and take on a life of their own! Overall, I am happy with how much I have progressed in modeling 3D objects! This will be very helpful to my future career and greatest goal in life: to become a concept artist in character design or animator for Walt Disney Animation Studios and to have my personal project(s) come alive into actual Disney movies of the future! Thank you for everything:)

Project 4: Cactus Vase

          For this project, I wanted to created a more simple, yet interesting vase based on one of the coolest plants out there: cactus. As my references, I used the combination of two pictures I took at the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo, Florida:

         In the photographs, I notices the distinct shaping of the arms of the cactus as well as the bumpy, rough texture it had. At first, I used the sketch and loft tools to create the main body of the vase. The most time-consuming part was actually shaping the cactus arms, since Fusion 360 would constantly tell me that my edges were intersecting, so it could not be viewed in the design mode. Here is some pictures of my process until my final product: 

                                                                 (Texture map used)

(Shaping of the arms in Model workspace)

(Evidence of color, shapes, and textures of an actual cactus)

          Although frustrating at some points, I am happy with how the final product turned out! :)

Next time, I would love to create an even more intricate design of this concept!

Exercise 3: Model a Seashell

Reference Side View

Reference Top View 

(Fusion 360) Top View

(Fusion 360) Side View

(Meshmixer) I tried to import it here to add textures, but holes are left all over the model:(

Project 2: Skull Guitar from Disney Pixar's Coco

          For this project, I was originally going to model the Mirror of Erised from the Harry Potter series. Finding that rather too complicated to create, I decided to go instead with the iconic skull guitar that Miguel Rivera uses in Disney Pixar's Coco. To approach this object, I began look at every aspect of the guitar, looking at as just shapes. From there, my final form consists of 70 different bodies and 517 faces. Here are some pictures of what it looks like in model:

   

          The new narrative for this guitar revolves around a little boy named Brendon, who ends up at an orphanage for his own safety when his family is murdered by a group of dangerous criminals. At the orphanage, kids don't treat him well at all because they see him as a "freak". All alone, he always feels upset and wishes more than anything for his family to be back with him. One day, a gift comes to him, which is the white skull guitar. As he begins to sing some songs of his own made-up lyrics, he realizes that the guitar is magical and can take him back to relive the happiest memories of his past. Ultimately, it becomes the only things that keeps him going. 

           For the actual renders of this guitar, I wanted to produce all 3 in a room with eerie, low, and fire-like lighting for the kind of the overall mood of Brendon's story and a possibility of what his own room/orphanage could look like. Therefore, I set up the guitar in three different positions all around the room:

          Overall, I'm super happy with how the guitar turned out! In the future, however, I would love to be able to incorporate more of the very small, intricate designs as well as finding a program in which I can actually add strings to the guitar itself. 

Project 1: Easel for Art Canvas

          For this first project, I decided to model a more simple item that could also be representative of my fine arts background: an easel for painting canvases. 

Original Model

   I was able to study the shaping and construction to get the model as close as possible. Although, I realized I had to scale my model by 0.5, and then again by 0.7 to get the almost perfect size.

 Although my first print malfunctioned at some point horribly (even though I watched it for more than an hour), I was able to get a successful second print:

Model 1 (Failed)

Model 2

          Overall, the object itself was pretty manageable for sculpting in Fusion 360.  For some reason, one of the little cylinders at the top didn't print linear like I has sculpted it and I also realized one of the sticks was up too high (the horizontal one in the middle). One thing that did not work for me was to make the object actually functional (so that the back leg can move), so I decided to push the back leg back to show the easel in its best positioning. Next time, I think it would be cool to actually figure out how to make it functional as well as scaling it bigger for personal use.

 As a whole, I'm pretty proud of how it turned out!