Project Review: The Phantom 2040-PART LXXXXVi[96th]- More Character Color Keys

 A BIOT Mechanic in an orange Jumpsuit with a Readout mounted to his forearm.

 A Female BIOT named Pavlova from that episode. If I remember she was 'self aware" and unique.

 A Short BIOT on tracks, seen here as a sketched design.

 Here is Guran in a trench coat and mirrored glasses.

Phantom 2040-PART LXXXXVI[96th]

More Character Color Keys

Client: Hearst Animation Productions.
Art Director: Myself.
Project Date Spring 1993.

This is my 96th post for the work I did on the TV show, The Phantom 2040 from in the early ninety's, and today I have posted a set of marker comp color keys for a variety of characters.

As Art Director for the 52 episodes,  I was responsible for the overall visual themes and color language used for all characters, sets, and props for the series, and since we were doing the production digitally we did all color keys in markers and chalk rather than Cel Vinyl.

I always love taking my Conceptual Designs to the next phase and to bring the to life with color. As a Transportation graduate from ACCD, we are trained specialists in using markers and chalk to render out our concepts, as that was the preferred method prior to the advent of the digital painting technique that has replaced it, so I went with it, since the renderings were scanned and PMS colors were assigned to match on Korea for the final production.

If you are a FAN of The Phantom 2040, and on FACEBOOK, there is a group for that....  here.

There is a TAG on the list to the RIGHT for other Phantom 2o4o entry's, but you can click this as well.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Mazda 2-3D Illustration 2009- PART I

 The little Mazda Racer posed with a Flag for the Print Ads for the Launch of the Mazda 2 back in 2010.

 Each render had a layer with a color picker matte[ Smart 3D ] to use to grab individual areas on the image by the Art Director.

 A relaxed pose done for a print ad for the Mazda 2 ad campaign.

 An early pose with the simple reflection we originally used in the face shield.

 Here is a shot of the Mazda Racer winning First Place with Trophy in hand.

Project Review

Mazda 2 3D Illustrations for Print Advertising.

PART I

Client Mazda USA via Rhythm and Hues.
Art Director: Marta Knudsen, and Nick Pugh.
Project Date: Dec 2009- Summer 2010.

This is my first post covering the 3D character Illustration work I did for the Mazda 2 launch done by Rhythm and Hues studios. I have a soft spot for Rhythm and Hues, since my first job after graduation from Art Center was produced by R-n-H, and as it would happen, it too was a Mazda job as this one was.

I was contracted to help with the print advertising work that was to accompany the CGI done in house for the TV spots.

I helped to establish a system of production with my off site studio, and was able to cut the production time for each pose[ about a dozen separate projects], to just over a day of work from a few days each. I recommended that the animators rig the model in a way as that each part was a separate skin so I could re-texture them quickly in my program, since we were on different platforms we did not have a pass over type of file. They use Light wave for TV spots and I am a 3DS max user, so I got FBX exports, and used them for my 3D Illustrations. It cut my cost, but helped my good client meet their need.

All were rendered at about 9000 pixels tall with a 10 passes of render elements, so the shadows, highlights, diffuse, ambient, etc. were all separated on a layer so the key Art Director, Marta Knudsen could easily adjust.

I also provided a matte color picker as these 'SMART 3D" assets make implementation a snap for the in-house Art Directors as all masking is simplified greatly.

Cheers, THOM

Behind the Art: The Under Drawings PART I

 This is an under drawing I did for the Wildstorm Productions GEN 13 Movie from back in the mid 90's as seen here, from this post.

 I had the honor of working on the Raveonettes Music Video "Heart of Stone" here, I did a few production design sketches including the above one here, which won an Academy Award for Art Direction, and so I got a little recognition here.

Here is a partial under-drawing for the wide panoramic curvilinear perspective shot of Main Street here, done for Disney Interactive for the VMK[ Virtual Magic Kingdom] project from back in the 90's as well.

 Inside the big clown head in the middle of the Fantasyland map here, was a circus tent like game. Here is the rough under drawing.

 

 I actually started to flesh out that above view, and scanned it in progress as we see here in this Fantasyland design. This room eventually made it into the final single disc release.

Behind the Art

The Under Drawings

PART I

Today I have posted a series of under drawings for various projects that have been posted here on my design blog over the last few years as a PART I, in a new ongoing series I will do over the next few months.

Under drawing is the practice of doing at least two passes on any design with this first pass drawing used to fully block out a shot, to get basic proportions.

 I usually put an under drawing over a hand made perspective grid I have made using ship curves, but for some the grid is on the under drawing itself as well.

The first great advantage to this method of sketching allows you to be able to make bold design choices at the sketch time, since the piece you are on is NOT the final, so you are a bit more free on this stage. 

I also tend to scan and send out this stage to a client who is strapped for cash[ everyone now!], to give them a better idea of what I am planning on doing next. 

The last advantage is that the under drawing takes a short time, about 1/10th the final line and shading stage, so if you want to make any changes, the time to do this is when it is blocked out in the under drawing, BEFORE the time and cash have been spent on a possible differing camera view, or design choice.

Cheers, THOM

OPEL

Just for posting something. Good news to come
Ciao

Project Review: Laptop PC- Stock 3D Model 2007

 Here is the main shot of the generic laptop in a gun-metal plastic case.

 A close up detailing the stickers and USB  ports on the side along with the Blue-Ray DVD drive.

 A few lower resolution[ 960 x 540 DVD menu] renders of the Laptop model I designed and built out.

 A Polygon Mesh view showing the details built out in this laptop model.

 A close up of the USB port side of the laptop detailing the start button, speaker grills etc.

Project Review

Laptop PC- Stock 3D Model 2008

Client: The Cimarron Group.
Art Director: Myself.
Project Date: Summer 2007

While I ran the little 3D department of one, at The Cimarron Group, I built up a library of 3D assets for a variety of jobs that had come in, but I also anticipated what I might need, and more than once, I needed a generic laptop, so I built one out quickly for a few presentations.

I used in for Neurocomp Systems for the EEG meter design they used a typical laptop on the cart so I had this available for that render. I also used it for the WB Live website renders, to illustrate how to transfer data from an iPhone to a Laptop, though they ended up buying a Mac model instead. I also used it for some blue Ray menus for Sex Drive, for the Home Entertainment department as well. 

The model was built very quickly, as I was in between projects and fit it in. I rendered it in various materials for the differing jobs but it worked out well animated with the lid, as well as the lights etc. I plan a full quad version that I will re-design and sell in the future.

Having had 3 years of product design at Art Center certainly helps to get a quick generic product design that emulates what you would find in a real store, but still be generic enough not to stand out as a specific model of a Mac or Dell etc.

Virtual stock photography has the advantage, in that the corporate logos need not be covered up on a Laptop like this, you simple leave them off or make one up. 

This also saves money, in that you can buy the image outright without any added usage fees for added applications that a stock photo usually has go along with its use.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Virtual Magic Kingdom PART VII-Curvilinear Perspective Wrap-Frontierland

 Here is a scan of the clean Curvilinear Perspective Grid I made from North , East, South, and West vanishing points for these wraps.

 Here is the 38" wide Frontierland full HUB sketch I did back in the mid nineties.

 Here I overlay the grid over my sketch so you can see how I followed the base grid  for my drawing.

 Here is a close-up shot of the far LEFT of the sketch looking to the gate.

 The middle of the  wide sketch with the various old buildings.

 A close Up of the RIGHT side of the wrap with the Haunted Mansion there at the end on the hill.

Project Review: 

Virtual Magic Kingdom Video Game PART VII

Frontierland Curvilinear Perspective Sketches

Client: Disney Interactive
Art Director: Myself
Project Date: Summer 1996

This is my seventh post in my series on the Virtual Magic Kingdom [ VMK] project I did for Disney Interactive back in 1996, and with this post, I cover  third HUB perspective wrap that I , and this time I worked on a old muddy, rutted road with the town of Frontierland smack in the middle. You can view the rest of Frontierland here.

We put the Haunted Mansion on on end of the town, and the big Gate on the other that leads back to the HUB. You can also see this in my large overhead sketch here. A fun exercise to develop the overall look and be able to see it in 360 degrees as well.


I have taught fish-eye perspective using grids for years, it certainly helps you visualize a real dimensional space, as this sketch was then built out in 3D for the game in Alias Wavefront[ Pre-Maya days] by the talented 3D team.


You may review my earlier VMK posts in these link-a-dinks:

PART I
PART II
PART III
PART IV
PART V
PART VI

Cheers, THOM

Personal Project: Kitchen Rendering Design Tests 2008

 Here is the quad view top-sown shot with a bit of fish-eye on the lens to show the thin little space I designed out for this test.

 The same quad[ polygon view] view looking from the camera.

 My night lighting shot had blue lights outside that bledd the tone into the room with the warm glow from the counter top toaster-oven.

 My late afternoon shot had medium lighting

 My brightest noon shot with lots of orange bounce light added into the shot.

Personal Project:

Kitchen Rendering Design Tests 2008

While I was in-house at The Cimarron Group back in 2008, I had some down time , and I used this to practice my 3D skills to be a better artist, and I often took any opportunity given to me, to learn more in 3D and to practice, practice, practice!

I was doing Architectural tests at that point, as I had plenty of 3D logos to show off, so I wanted to fill in the Architectural Pre-Viz section of my work for Cimarron, with some additions to help sell this part of our company skills offered, so I designed a kitchen scene to test out a few things.

I used appliances that I had built out for the Poseidon re-make's website virtual tour, and I grabbed those assets to fill in the design. I went for a cross design mix, between a clean European Modern look, with an Asian flair in the color texture and details. 

I designed, built and added in the sink bamboo mat, and matching trashcan, some Sushi blocks and chop-sticks, as well as a Sumi painting on the wall, all lit with the round lantern type of lights mimicking the paper lanterns, though done up in a nice ribbed glass. 

I used this time, to test speed in the GI engine I was using[ Final Render of course!], and I did night, mid-day, and an afternoon sun version of the space to see what the minimum settings that could be used, and still get an acceptable output would take on this 'generic' set. 

A HUGE part of the design process in advertising is rendertime. Those lacking experience forget to factor this in, and you could end up with a three day render for a project due by days end, so tests like these help me more accurately get a time frame for my clients, which is usually the first thing asked is how long will it take[ or how much $$$].

Cheers, THOM