RazorFly[Hex/Carrara]

[Grendel]

Just saw a challenge over at http://www.subdivisionmodeling.com/f...ead.php?t=2752
with a beautiful concept by Glen Southern and just had to have a go at it. Model in Hex almost done and next to Z3 for a little brushing. Here is a quick comp in PS.

[Snake 972]

Wow!!!

It's really réalist. It appear réality!!!
Fanstatic

[mayito7777]

Very nice!!! How did you do the wings??

[Grendel]

Thanks guys, having such a good concept is half the battle though

mayito7777 - I started to model the wings out 100%(very tedious) but then thought it was more efficient to just use a planar map onto a wing shape in the color,bump, and transparency channels as attached. Much easier and it worked out OK.

[crazy wabbit]

You know something, again a nice modeling and I have one comment.
I like to see a less busy background. It really takes away from the focus.

[Aunty Betty]

Looks great Grendel.
Fella I miss your Hex tutorials - they were inspiring.

[mayito7777]

Yeah, what happened with the tutorials? Thanks for the info about the wings.

[Grendel]

Behzad - Already changed the background, you're right way too much going on.

I've kind of stopped with the tutorials in expectation of Amapi 8. I'll write a bunch when that is released and they should be able to be followed along with in Hex if too much does not change in Amapi(you never know though until it's released). I never really wrote tutorials about how to makes clothes anyway and that seems where the majority of the Hex base is now.

What would you guys like to see a tutorial for?

[crazy wabbit]

Wow , so nice to have all these programs. you must really invest your money in them. I could not learn them all.

[Grendel]

I have an really good job as an offshore engineer in the petroleum industry. I only work six months a year(month on/month off) and I make a tidy bit of cash for it.

I started with a free version of Realsoft from a magazine, then C4D CE+, then C4D v.8, then Carrara.

I also freelance with 3d equipment modeling and equipment tech writer for a growing company and I pick up an extra $3-4K every other month just with that. I've worked it out with my general manager(wife) to skim a piece of software out of each "extra" so I've picked up a few softs. Now that I'm making money with the 3d I don't hear near as much crap about this.

Now if I can just learn them all, only so much time..... I know I'd be better off sticking with one but I'm still searching for that damn green grass, I know it's here somewhere....

[Couerl]

Originally Posted by Grendel

I know I'd be better off sticking with one but I'm still searching for that damn green grass, I know it's here somewhere....

I think its still in the future and has yet to be perfected... I think back to earlier versions of Carrara and how people did some really neat work even in the more primitive stages and can't help wonder what lies around the corner for us.. I waited 3 years for a good modeler to come out in hexagon and thought that was all I "needed", but nope... there's so much more ahead to be sure. Nice work on this.

[Odessey]

Impresive work Grendle , transparency of the wings looks really great !

[Aunty Betty]

So do I take it that often you're chatting to us out on some rig somewhere?

[Grendel]

Couerl - I know what your saying, I still check the Rustboy site once in awhile hoping for an update. He was able to accomplish such a visually rich atmosphere with an older 3d soft.

Odessey - Thanks, it turned out that the "keep it simple stupid" approach does work out.

Aunty - As I type I am 80 miles southeast of Lagos, Nigeria with nothing but a flare boom illuminating the night sky.

This is a little more progress, I went back to the same backdrop(more blur) but I thought the dark coloring of the fly made you focus more on the specimen. Need to finish some hair and then it will be done.

[mayito7777]

Tutorials about spaceship would be nice, and also one about the razor/fly on this tread?

[Pete Exxtreme]

Very nice job : great idea and great making

[Sketchy]

Originally Posted by Grendel

This is a little more progress, I went back to the same backdrop(more blur) but I thought the dark coloring of the fly made you focus more on the specimen.

Nice work as usual, Grendel. Hope you don't mind my critique. In cases like this, imho, the background doesn't have to be that much and it's alright to crop it the way I did below. If there's a way to close up the body more and at the same time show the whole wings like a different camera angle, it may be better. Just a 2c worth.

[Grendel]

Good call Sketchy, I like you're second suggestion, more of an illustrative feel. I'm done with the fur and I'll do a comp like that in the morning, thanks.

[Sketchy]

I'm not suggesting that the background is too unimportant to be cropped. The fact that it's blurred means that the artist really wants to focus on the fly. The background looks good in fact that it deserves a separate focus without the razorfly.

[Grendel]

Here is the final with the fur arounds the neck/back(surface replicator), thanks Sketchy for pointing that out. It looks better(which is probably why Glen painted it that way as well) cropped.