3D World UK - Issue 282, 2021

HARRY POTTER 20 YEARS OF MO IE MAGIC

VISUALISING THE
WIZARDING WORLD

3dworld.creativebloq.com
Mobile Sculpting
#282

CuCRsinREgTjPuEAHastgATeyIoS4TuU2r iEPRadE! NEXT-GEN VFX
We explore new tech to help
HOW TO BECOME A boost your effects projects

Our p+rwohtryaNinoinmgatdeaScchuelsptyoisuthhoewprtoogmraomdefol or nyotuhe go

ALSO INSIDE RENDER IN 8-BIT ISSUE 282

ARNOLD TIPS Use Adobe After Effects to give your
work a retro game art style
Step-by-step guide to lighting
and rendering your characters







COVER ARTIST
Glen Southern
SOFTWARE
Nomad Sculpt*
*wireframe created
with ZBrush

WELCOME While there is still definitely a with Glen Southern’s fantastic
place for that, there are tutorial on page 42.
We are currently experiencing increasingly powerful methods
a quiet revolution in the world of working on the move, Enjoy!
of 3D, with a shift to mobile whether that means on a train, Rob Redman, Editor
working. There’s no longer the or just for a change of scenery, [email protected]
need to be restricted to modelling on the couch.
working only from your desk,
with a monstrous workstation We’ve looked at iPad apps
powering your software. for 3D before but now we take
you a step further, showing
you how to create cover-
worthy 3D art on the iPad Pro,

3D WORLD 5

CONTENTS3DWORLD ISSUE282
ARTIST SHOWCASE 32 CHaasrrtyinPgoattSeprealtl:20 42

8 The Gallery The visual effects team behind
the first three Harry Potter movies
Discover the best digital art explore the franchise’s impact on
from the CG community London’s VFX industry

40 CTehcahraFcotceursM:odelling THE PIPELINE

Brandon Le showcases his 42 oCnretahteuriePasdculpting
incredible ‘Junk Town’ render
Master the art of mobile
50 Tech Focus: Texturing sculpting with Nomad Sculpt

Meet ‘Private Froggo’ by Ahsanul 52 cCorellaatbeoaraltaivrgeeart project
Haque Ramim
How to successfully organise a
76 RTeecahl-Ftiomceusr:endering large communal art project

Find out how David Baylis 58 Manaimkeataioknaleidoscopic
created this autumnal scene
Design beautiful kaleidoscopic
FEATURES effects in Houdini

22 Next-generation VFX 64 CchreaaratectaerstwyiltihseAdrn3oDld

We delve into the exciting world Learn how to effectively texture
of next-gen technology, speaking and light your 3D characters
to the likes of ILM and Foundry
for their expert insight

22

WNRFOAOEEFYMAAPTLWA-OUDTISRTIMTIHES-SEPTL,RHREINOEEANCCDALEDIDNUSEDGDSRIITIITNNNIHOGGGEN

6 3D WORLD

94 SIGN UP! 32 ARTIST Q&A
Forinwcboeonextk,elsnyutnbdesiwrcerscilbteetttoteoyrooauutrr:
bit.ly/3dworldnews 70 Your CG problems solved
58
64 Pro artists tackle your queries
70
THE HUB

78 A Christmas corker

We go behind the scenes on this
fun Christmas campaign with VFX
by Absolute

82 Pro thoughts

Andrew Sinagra of NIM Labs offers
advice for career progression
whilst working from home

84 The future of VFX workflows

How to embrace remote working
with the help of new technology

88 Tlihvee-eavcotliountiomneodfia

Devin Horsman, founder of
Arcturus, explores the exciting
future of volumetric video

REVIEWS

92 Cinema 4D R25

We review the latest release

94 Wash & Cure Plus

We check out this game-changing
device from Anycubic for aiding
your 3D printing workflow

REGULARS

30 Subscriptions

Subscribe and save!

96 Back issues

Complete your collection today

98 Free downloads
Images and files
from our tutorial LSAWTPOMTFRROTMEHPEY*£BT9A0HG
section

*with your new subscription

3D WORLD 7

ThethbeesCtGdcigoimtaml aurntitfyrom

08 3D WORLD

CG art to inspire

OOOFINFGDAWMIVFTAEAFHRANEERRIYRAEETGANDINAOTMDSNSHESTTOEABTATOSREYS

ANDINVTAENNCDEOSGPA(MZEELBDOAY) ARTIST
Shane Deptula
SOFTWARE
Maya, Substance Painter,
Photoshop, Marmoset Toolbag

It took 3D artist Shane Deptula good photos to use as a starting point,” used the Normal map and put a dark layer
approximately three nights to model this he explains, “but as I get into more fine behind it to create greater contrast when
nostalgic Game Boy Advance SP tribute. A details on the model I start needing more looked at from a distance. “This helps the
further two nights were needed to create detailed photos.” This led Deptula to start fine details I just created pop more and
and finalise the texture maps in Substance using sites like eBay to find a wider range become more noticeable,” he continues.
Painter, whilst rendering and post- of images. “I gathered images with a lot “You can observe this on my model around
processing took three hours. of interesting angles of the Game Boy and most of the tiny words on the Game Boy
got really good shots of different states of such as the VOL slider words, ON/OFF,
Gathering references is often taken wear and tear on many different Game Boy and even around the Nintendo logo and the
for granted in any 3D modelling or variations,” he adds. START and SELECT words.”
texturing process, but Deptula has an shrednector.artstation.com
unusual approach to this. “I like to start When it came to replicating these fine
using a search engine, like Google, to find details in Substance Painter, Deptula 3D WORLD 09

CG art to inspire

PIZZA TIME ARTIST
Saby Menyhei
SOFTWARE
Maya, Arnold,
Photoshop

Industrial Light & Magic concept artist Saby brush marks and imperfections. “Because I'm
Menyhei spent two days creating this heroic working as a concept artist, I have to work
pizza party scene. Having previously worked fast,” Menyhei continues. “I combine 3D
as an environment artist and generalist in with 2D techniques.” The 3D elements are
the film industry, Menyhei has a varied set of undertaken using Maya and Arnold.
artistic skills. This particular personal project
was close to Menyhei’s heart, as he tells “Creating art is a lot of fun,”
3D World: “I was a big fan of Tim Burton's Menyhei reflects, “I can travel to
Batman movie as a kid, and I also loved that places that don't exist, nothing is
old Turtles movie. When I found out that impossible. It's the closest thing
they met in the comics, it was clear that I had to being a kid again.”
to make an illustration of them.” Menyhei had menyhei.com
initially planned to depict an epic showdown
between Batman and the Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles, but ended up with this much
simpler yet heartwarming scene of the super
gang hanging out and having pizza.

Menyhei spent two days at work on the
piece, painting on top of his 3D renders
using Photoshop. He likes to
do this with a painterly
approach, leaving in

10 3D WORLD

CG art to inspire

CRIETNA’STOITNBTHHEGIIENNACGRGLTIAOSISSKIEMIADSPTLAOOTGSTHASIOIINNBFGLFETU.ON…

3D WORLD 11

DANTECGarttoinspire ARTIST properties.” The final composition is
Cedric Seaut tweaked in Photoshop along with some
Cedric Seaut is the co-founder of Keos SOFTWARE final texture details and post effects.
Masons, a character outsourcing company ZBrush, RizomUV, Substance Painter, 3ds Max,
that provides character concepts and Corona Renderer, Photoshop “Concept and playing with the initial
modelling for various notable game Painter using the high-res and decimated shape is for me the most exiting step, I love
projects. Seaut spent a week creating this meshes. Rough textures were also done starting from a scene and spending some
extraordinary creature. The complex in Substance Painter before rendering in time coming up with interesting shapes
design belies the relatively simple Corona Renderer for 3ds Max. “The fastest and volumes,” Seaut explains. “Then I
workflow behind its creation. “The and easiest renderer to use for me,” adds like the anatomy, muscle, flesh work,
sculpt was done in ZBrush from scratch,” Seaut. “I usually use an old, connecting the different volumes together
Seaut tells 3D World, “only the front already set-up scene, and finding an interesting treatment.”
was sculpted, to focus on the illustration changing some ced66.artstation.com
aspect of the picture.” Having decimated light positions
the different object into something less and shader
dense and usable in other software, Seaut
used automatic UVs generated inside
Rizom. “It's the best package so far to
handle such a task like that, it's pretty
fast,” he adds, “it's also a bit
messy but it doesn't matter
at all. For this one, I used
UDIMs with eight slots
to get proper texture
resolution.” The creature
was baked in Substance

WITIILTMSOHHEVVIAEOCNPLSOTUEPEMSMREINANEENSSDGTDINUINPGG

12 3D WORLD



CG art to inspire

NFBOOTLDROEENTEWHNDEAEHITNRACH’DNOSCCFDAOFEITILRNSTOTRC,RUIIBRUFUFASTSMEEDP

14 3D WORLD

CG art to inspire

THEVAMPIRE FISH
ARTIST the RGB Curves node to create
Ruslan Biriukov contrast in Color Ramp. I then
SOFTWARE passed it through Linear Light, thus
ZBrush, Blender, increasing the colour saturation, also
Photoshop connecting a node with Polypaint
Ruslan Biriukov is a senior character Vertex Color to make it rough.”
and concept artist at game developer
Plarium in Ukraine. Biriukov turned Biriukov also added a tree
to Vampire Fish when the mood texture that he found on the
struck him and he wasn’t busy, internet by running it through
adding and modifying throughout Blender’s Displacement node, before
the creative process. “The first connecting the whole structure to
sketch and the final result are very the Principled BSDF node where
different,” he explains. “Initially, he could adjust the Specular and
there were only two elements, a Roughness settings.
character and his house. As an
example, the coffin was significantly Many things inspire Biriukov’s
redesigned after I saw the images art, from nature and the work
that inspired me. Then I added a of other CG artists to traditional
starfish at the very end.” paintings by the old masters, even
The piece contains UVs on things from everyday life and
only two elements, the character’s books he’s read. “I can start making
bow and face. Everything else has a character just because I am
procedural shading on top of the interested in how light is refracted
Polypaint. “For the coffin, I used in a glass, so I’ll make a character
Blender’s Attribute node with holding a glass on a background.
Color Ramp to enhance scuffs and Someone will say, ‘What a pose and
dirt, which in turn passed through colour!’ – but I know that I did it for
the sake of a glass.”
ruslanbiriukov.artstation.com

3D WORLD 15

CG art to inspire ARTIST
Frédéric Arsenault
SHARK PIRATE (REAL-TIME) SOFTWARE
ZBrush, Maya, Marmoset Toolbag,
Substance Painter, Photoshop

Character artist at Improbable Canada, Naming everything and keeping a very a more professional industry standard
Frédéric Arsenault, spent two or three clean folder structure across the board has studio,” he adds. “I do also use a few Maya
hours every other day for six and a half always helped Arsenault stay efficient and MEL and Python scripts to accelerate
weeks creating this ferocious character; minimise confusion while going back and batch naming, mass exports and overall
in this time he went through the entire forth between programs. “I do believe that quality-of-life tools.”
pipeline for a game character. Arsenault maintaining a very structured workflow fredericarsenault.artstation.com
wouldn’t deem his workflow particularly at home will always be a useful tool
technical, instead he focuses on the to carry over to
artistic, visual nature of projects. “The
technical aspects of my work are mostly
focused on efficiency and organisation
to help with the quality and speed of my
output,” he explains. “I’ve spent years
figuring out the best way to achieve
certain tasks while simultaneously getting
the best visual result I can given my time
investment. I set up a ton of hotkeys for my
main programs to try and save as much
time as possible.” Arsenault also uses
programs such as Wrap 3.4 to allow quick
transfer of some of his own pre-existing
clean topology to avoid any unneeded or
repetitive work.



CG art to inspire
18 3D WORLD

MARKUS Brian Barnett currently works as a 3D CG art to inspire
ARTIST generalist and senior lookdev artist at a
Brian Barnett company producing industrial and medical straight to the shape and focus without
SOFTWARE animations, and his varied skillset came having to worry about the technical
3ds Max, ZBrush, in handy on this particular piece. “I have constraints of traditional polygon modelling.
Substance Painter, experimented with a lot of different 3D When I am finished conceiving the model in
Marmoset Toolbag, modelling tools from traditional polygon CAD I will take it into traditional 3D software
Photoshop modelling to CAD software,” he says. “I like and rebuild the model in SubD.”
finding ways to mix the two together.”
Texturing the character was by far the
“Some of the accessories were modelled most exciting part of Barnett’s creative
inside of Moi3D, which is a CAD software,” process. “In my opinion, texturing is what
Barnett continues. “This allows me to get brings the model to life,” he adds.
brianbarnett.artstation.com

IODTFWHICDTEOONRMNRT’ATEOSRDPCTDYHOIHRTEAALINALVYBOLIIEGNONCIONUTTAANOGSTLL

3D WORLD 19

CG art to inspire

MOON 08
ARTIST
Rob Aduna
SOFTWARE
Unreal Engine 5, Maya,
Photoshop, Megascans
Rob Aduna is associate art director at
Blackbird Interactive in Vancouver,
Canada, and he worked on this
personal piece for an hour or two
each night over the course of a week.

Unreal Engine’s landscape editor
helped Aduna to quickly set the
composition of his environment,
saving time when sculpting out the
various peaks and valleys. “I also
sometimes play with Unreal Engine's
Pixel Depth Offset in the material
editor, which enables the supporting
pieces I bring into the scene to
blend better with the terrain,” he
explains. “Although it can cause
some artifacting on the asset and
the shadows, my intention is to bring
this back into Photoshop where I can
paint out the undesirable bits.”

Aduna enjoys the opportunity
to create new worlds. “It's always
a struggle and no piece ever comes
easy for me,” he continues, “but I
enjoy wrestling it to something that
hopefully looks good. The best part
is I always learn new skills in the
struggle that I can use for the next
piece, as well as using it for my job.”

Movies, video games and, above
all else, the work of fellow artists
all inspire Aduna to create. “I love
seeing amazing art from other
artists and it just motivates me to
get better,” he says, “there's always
something to learn and improve.”
robaduna.artstation.com
20 3D WORLD

CG art to inspire

IPPEIPLXNIAEEAYLCBWWEDLISETEITSHPTHTOTTHHUHBNEEOLRFESTFENUESARPDLERPBTEOA,ENIRWTNGTTHIIENNIRCGEH’S

3D WORLD 21

NGEEXNTE-R

Top: An ILM StageCraft
volume in use on the
set of The Mandalorian
22 3D WORLD

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TttaethlrtceapefatfhcbtoriaasthirnfioofrkmlhcrabonsirvcaisdfiqnOoreloimpriig,doiioucaneselrmcrarthfinCooueflneelgioteaonh-oo-iemnogiisocsedlcqnspsdtehonfrsiavit-xsVieuaoafnutpee.mocniftnneeVmptenrcgodIiensrouarbsagcrenatenaaFhduielslorialaeeiowtlpirnttaigsoentXrivtutrVrttt,idipcagrrrdnehydihveiehsaZaarna.FlaeminoeegenetiunilaicnaosnntgcXibrrntafcpnopgenidfiodmeaslcecofmsaoiiyn-ederdnftupeunnsaitncnriioSoetn.ehcsdinotagtohcsdetrdpdtetih-nendmseunopnmaoarceiunctaysandwvsbaytohlracsclmoii,uwiigrkefllanltenlosehfevtlmaoiirenuuegseenionitateduncarg’r,phiidAnsagrveduttnleeleeuannemo-elrgsi:latadeffsleitafrlyvrlmheineevceewdretps,tbharsalosteconopctrrrcledmeaeeiefilkpgsisereFfcniatfotrhsetnncnoehhweroiavartatlvcrgederafelicieisaauiituHinnoegniL“,netsgcrnkhscasnwslhrhgaWstooeicEoeteatditerp,ensptnhahneho”nosbrltoDioreehlgwp,sg–ememnercetsvarpexn,perkhaeaofigpbioapvsealpestoetaorrrpyaen,hnrogwrensooitlnotvdercsrbtaokasorrriursvesdestseiefeniadyiyfiiOdtyiniea,tdlnnu:atntttord,tiuenipstol”ttrh“iktghcsongpf,akhepoclrdeyNwtehinotsigntrtgmoetnaaonniinhhhhofoieomonsitdrcrtnotgvfgetcoaofodaharntheg.sahnierhnmmrttattscuoasfhrarendiaheeredonsottioycooetaaeanotehh,asmlnsdctndtn”svdnilouns,tic..ailnlmeoisiythotntmaygso“totirgtopsnsensTeroosmeeftofcnuaeesd,houbdutfnrofhVsurleneeeraiaengatmytatFfssnci,snhlymrkttchwtXeedseaniise.ansitotntitghwnhtsgen.

Next-Generation VFX

An example highlighting These new ways of working to know.” He likens the skill to
just how many individual require new skill sets. Demand is playing an instrument. “You
roto shapes are needed high for the Unreal Engine skills need to be interactive and be
to capture the complex that are needed to work with able to make tweaks in real time,
articulation of this LED walls and other real-time especially if you are an artist or
single subject. Future AI techniques, but there’s more to supervisor directly on set.”
roto tools need to save it than that. “It’s an interesting
time in isolating any and way of interacting with the Beyond this, the nature of
all subjects, including material since it is 100 per cent real-time work means that skill
non-humanoids real time and you are engaging sets will also need to be broader,
with it live,” says Orloff. “There encompassing various filmmaking
The mask layer is a performance aspect to it, or techniques such as composition,
generated from what I like to refer to as ‘engine camera and lighting.
all of those roto proficiency’, that is important
shapes, essential “In a traditional linear visual
for compositing effects pipeline, there is a fairly
the subject into predictable chain, but when
the new scene you are in real time and not
taking a bunch of notes, you are
SMARTROTOFmaWtFasoiUniotcltaisenchukhcpurilenoivotenrdhlretnreleohraeergdysebntglipsoutoeetoleyprmrsyaaoaciortlabnctonhfioetaowepioBfsrnnkosiaruagno,ewrtsrkaghdtitinoni.tisoghnswdGtcn-DempiSoftprtrNmpahitoreiicEonagnnhGjrgrgdeitenclRtapsyeetnOsrcpSo.dlTehrmcOaotnehradosnetrulsoito,ncRoggtlOisseTiassOre effectively acting on behalf of
all departments at once,” says
Orloff. “People who come to us
with compositing skills may be
doing animation and lighting. It
really requires proficiency across
a broad variety of skills.”

New skills and perspectives
are also coming from outside the
VFX world. “Our seasoned VFX
supervisors are learning Unreal
from artists out of the game world,
so it’s exciting to see that cross-
pollination of industry knowledge
taking place,” says Orloff.

As LED walls are so new, the
big question is where VFX fits
into the process. “There are three

AY“OTDHUJEURSEWTLOAYSORTUKIRLCOIAANNDFDRISADSAYTNHRAUUMGCIETCUBAROBEOILTNIOT“YMTAOTCH Below (top): After MLIFaNEloAoersuCafeuAtntCrhNolttirendthoaapeRaireHtniUysysnogaCoeNNifInllKanltuviNoemntoteIk,uwecEoNaeaErglpslcuas1rrhpdlaGao3ailnritnb.usnte0eegilgpdset-wtamisnrosttr.oks
roto’ing a handful of
Dan Ring, head of research, Foundry keyframes, CopyCat
quickly learns what
main areas of responsibility: the There are many productions the artist wants to
construction of the LED wall that would like to use an LED extract and masks out
itself, the Unreal cart that pushes volume but the costs and the subject in the rest
the material onto the screens, infrastructure requirements of the shot
and the assets being created that for a large video wall are often (middle): Machine
need to go into the machine and prohibitive. “Not every show learning in Nuke is solving
be pushed to the wall,” says Orloff. is going to be LED,” notes some previously impossible
It’s currently unclear which parts Orloff. Some are trying much problems, such as re-
fall to the visual effects team, the smaller walls, and other virtual focusing out-of-focus shots
lighting team or the production production and Unreal Engine (bottom): Digital beauty work
team. “It is challenging for a VFX applications are springing up. is made significantly easier
company of our size to encompass “What’s most exciting is the live- with CopyCat, where the artist
the whole thing.” action green screen with real needs only to focus on the
quality of paint work, and not on
tracking how the subject moves

3D WORLD 25

WLIGOHRTKI&NMGAWGIITCH’SINSDTAUGSTERCIRAALFT “TARTEFLEIOCRUNLAHHASOLLOSNLTE-WUETYOHECIRILREMTNOSOREHGENGAOETDAYLIRHRSRIIASDSTWENAIDSYOTSRS”KIsLpSMptteohrtaSoenhcecgntdoeadrpaepegrmeutpssgCeoeeihoarcstadsdesrreeautuytiffutatanChariarlrros-pifolfelwyteeovloprotlrtioJnoaasssnmefririimie.scwfetnostttaghtfeeOhehded-odfrioIeurLncLecerwuruitsfWtinaEgarehiMhnrtcirtodemaDitnnehthwnaq’seurincsidoeoiereegouevnldtottlidercdeninnosovofiiracmnsott.ksd.iglhlrkotirudam“nfi“onaysooligmRa-Iyndsnbgrv,mnfnttoenesaddeeouieoymVtaamaldleior-resibsilFskloeeaeevt.ur,-ahe”eXe’VatnnatveprsnaeheicrltetadlmFiy,esboipensasmbtvhtX.vlrpntnohechelenoiUoyieeastsceregtthsavfssdsitemserrleduiutiaiqeiocbnndgtwtwnaespuoihmglghteh,lsesiisonoehactdotthatrhotrothikcrrhmnkoeivsleoeuenogaerfirrfgsulestyoohlly,iolorfyisrnuerosgJ,”ctcmeo“aaimnfoFnnor“cffooLysovsbWharlitetneriveiicogeeAmwinotnesnhqesoqhslsndmnt-heslafiuneitttoute-ittonyelnrLtiattiraciemsrriltsrnayngEgoueoniesadttoymWDepngcurdciaepoefexloekdaltardvhtmnslc,erpfhoikeonomifehadbteeotdsrfldldeanreaseupaertueflvr.asertimlepaeca-lonaare“mniccftaculIsdelsnnsofiudtrtccthotetdoteceemmhkhialotcnnelaarirnehineogt.easngdttccasdenve,i“hnwk”ooabwseiimIatynantpeuntll,rcnahesgghSietdlsaralldtdesuaelvleatnieniai.friaoe”nnafiaehcdnftn’etaneeglednlhnosdmtlxtrtscwitnvelshmwihedphpmmiottaCerneWoeihhaloaioletaotrlcneotdnmhpkaigwoststtaomieeouofoiitontavnetrrerageevsysaetsf.neehrastltayte.etecoo”tp,sehbhhueoytoysonwe,”
Jaenfdf WVFhXitseu,pcerervaitsivoer,dILirMector

Next-Generation VFX

Above (right): time tracking and compositing to 70-80 per cent of the final time on the creative, storytelling
“The ‘fix it in post’ on set, which involves a green pixel render that can be sent aspects of the work and less time
mentality goes out screen and Unreal Engine with a immediately to editorial. That is on more fundamental tasks,” says
the window when tracked camera at a high-quality enough to go to studios and test Matt Aitken, VFX supervisor
you’re producing level,” he says. screenings, and then you can come at Weta Digital. “AI-based
something that back and refine or export all of technologies are having a major
has to be shot live Real-time techniques show that data into the linear pipeline impact in many different areas of
on that day,” says a lot of promise in terms of and have all of the creative our work. From relighting plate-
Andrew Orloff, co- helping vendors solve the current decisions made and only that based elements to make them
founder, Zoic capacity problem and meet the linear part be executed.” look like they were shot under
“In a real-time high demand for VFX-dependent different lighting conditions, to
situation, there is content. “The time issues are Quality of output may be a plate reconstruction and matting,
greater potential conspiring against the traditional limiting factor. “I think soon that to facial motion capture solvers,
to have everything linear pipeline, which involves argument will be erased,” says deep learning techniques are
laid out and make steps where the creatives are Orloff. “The processing speed and making inroads in areas which
changes on the fly,” asked to approve what makes up software itself are not that far were traditionally labour intensive
explains Orloff the shot,” says Orloff. He cites away, within a couple of years if and slow to achieve.”
notes or changes requested too that. It is very close already. For
late in the process as the main many shows, it is there now.” The interplay between
thing that causes VFX vendors to filmmakers and VFX facilities
be late in their delivery – real-time AI is another technology that’s drives an interesting process of
techniques push these decisions helping vendors to work faster advancement. “There is always
to an earlier point. “Right now and meet demand. “The wider a great creative tension in visual
we can’t offer a real-time final adoption of AI and machine effects where the technology
rendering but you can get it learning based technologies will influences the filmmakers
free artists up to spend more
3D WORLD 27

Next-Generation VFX that others can’t imagine, and as opening a tool and using it to make
and then the filmmaker, in developers of artistic software adjustments, users must train the
turn, pushes us to develop new we have to do the same. This can software by showing it examples
technology and techniques. It’s often be difficult, asking a user of ‘before and after’ images so that
part of what makes the visual to think about a problem in a it can learn what transformations
effects industry so innovation- different way or to apply a novel are required – which is not
focused,” says Aitken. paradigm to familiar tools.” what artists are used to. “We’re
Dan Ring is head of research asking users to change how they
at Foundry where he leads the He cites the example of having work, and so far we’ve been very
development of software around developed and released an online encouraged by the desire among
three core areas: cloud, real time pipeline-in-the-cloud service users to learn, adopt, adapt and
and machine learning, all of which a few years ago that had to be even push the boundaries of what
are key to meeting the scale and wound down, as it didn’t fit with we originally dreamed,” says Ring.
quality requirements of future how artists were working at the
media production. Coming up time. However, today a service AI is one area where artists can
with ingenious technologies is with the same model is operated enjoy the benefits without having
one thing, but it’s quite another by another company. to spend a lot of time upskilling.
to actually make them fit usefully “With machine learning it
into workflows. “Getting tech In other instances, there certainly helps to have some
into products is the hardest has been success with getting knowledge of the basic concepts,
challenge of any research- artists to adapt. With CopyCat, for example, what is training, how
focused company,” says Ring. He Foundry’s machine learning tool to assemble a dataset, what effect
estimates that the idea and proof for compositing problems, the does changing the batch size
of concept is about 10 per cent of workflow asks artists to follow have, etc.” says Ring. These things
the work, with the other 90 per a more data-focused approach give you a leg up, but beyond that
cent in actually making it work to solving problems. Instead of
for real-world data, handling edge
cases and so on. “A big challenge BT“ITAMHSEEEDOWNTIDETCEHRHEAWCDRIOLELPATTFIIROVEENE,OSAFTROTARIISYATTNSEDLULMPINATGCOHASISPNPEEENLCDETASMR”ONRINEG
we face is understanding what
users actually want and priming Matt Aitken, VFX supervisor, Weta Digital
them to be ready for a solution
when it arrives. It’s not always
about creating ‘faster horses’,”
he says. “Artists dream of things

MLI dna soidutS cioZ ,GEND ,yrdnuoF fo ysetruoc segamI

28 3D WORLD

Above/left: Zoic’s there’s no need to dig into the SNKEIXLLTSGFEONRERTAHTEION“fwtfWsbbtt‘aACaaehicOceemlocccaoeclhnafRiihrlepeoeallmedkeiinsiyfnctttnjswfogiCiitouwrxgeeyotrlsiaeootssohorttnoetegehuewcai’nfosl,cdidaateectnotushnnehaisoa,tuennoscgertnmeasrihteiqtodddlfinovAprheiuootmueitueaIwencnposcmattiotettoaaestcrosesbrlmnsdsehmoretgetbnevsaeslsrajrEaweabdssoWaoilfoloconnslclebtcolbeeerafecEeutara.oorvNrraVuranjstrAfplimyfiorgokosccsuFpnopeeorsaibeeaeaerpenuXklreeurqeusoc.stproedrnut”iestsswu,ohftiw,hshhedcpalco,seSottbWeyuteaneeo.eleaauoyv“mretuuS-swInnie.Anvmtcuatxnnartrdfisttdrcadeip.eittlusspodumainclpktinkhidormiidooUmhfiiagrblUteinooeeensaiaohniknmernlcnrmiwsfNonaemmltelvi.ietateslfltrilimtnnrsrbssodeieetet“ieoamte’seaceerjtouiiduisytWawcrokehsaoetvnambenbira1Daatmsesnwnuhiemt5b’lesinfpphhrtlNgeeoovesberratpiadfanrietsE0lmineigrtesesndoetnfepsreoawvedmsnlbtoiaoucsupnhpiagorrqegcaauarwiesweuaridssstpwoaVrhavfosanlgegfspowhl,ulluueehcrotrreteaeofsstoleinatrprFjihsifkatcotnwdtgeogeowesthuonnoroknrossawppaltatiaedlXfoeoncdpoyomrlsrosiuanehtno.avceirskgarfekekrnrr,tcnenoioancttmkee.fl”mouoWrttcaiieowomyiauilinao2stDgittionretfglroin.nltColnpranenmmfnsosnihngdooiihonhmntl0ghgesoterns“tconpanutagsfaisleddibgbitslgeedsrrunocAleioisesks2idprrsstylnvousirenaVeeamuaeatkagr,leetmceteeentisf:a0tnakl,ehaddeenrlnulmipscsrhhets”tshsFanm.atnrrralantrdttrweihrdincocebeiethsrtpeiopesarrlehtanitgSXesaaanccsl,sogmwlsoriinah,egdiedfnhtsuoenaoseefgdredanpeennsayhdgaonasapStpwsbpn,fenietapsaiterkstityhttlddennrteewglussenu.rhm1k.ntahfirtsweaitcird.irrtheehsi-crred,rv-nfoueavtEsdtrremieooWeheeoir0EowifipUaedoaecianeoaaonh,e,nSegarintbcdscwcteymrupcln0trcransriellgaprndoragwrtlrcocmaheeoetkhcoiesepdoatukrureegw.rtegacs0nrdoruttamirfltirorneesvosoaeiegpneJRractmkwohohesbehtwskoavnpreifstssoirpulotfdaliaatmioufltetkafeqnsebasoitofteveliulcteciveaaaaldFweannrelnloklenoscosuJmlihuVeenibsallerasstwkvuytaywnipes;uiagiSrsriioeisodwlesotlytmmcnbnnletFeacrsninwoiiwocnn.tmloantlihhawntseees.onsdeftlareyhXsotduethdtptmpgareeoiveoensvAnqogmteetiisebnkadioemtsia.rlserilehttu,on”lssiolariersitefsss.o-toeiiaegrhlansnrnesnaeetgendr
work on a spot for underlying technology. Ring notes
Gundam Warfare. that AI and deep learning have to quickly take a horror creature
As LED volumes are been a great democratising force effect he’d painted in a handful of
a relatively new in the field of image processing. shots, and apply them throughout
technology, Zoic Previously a strong knowledge of all shots in all episodes. This was a
spends a lot of time computer science was required, game changer.”
educating clients but now anyone can use off-the-
and consulting on shelf AI frameworks to build tools
process to solve their specific problems.
“The biggest
problem for the Pipeline engineering is another
VFX industry right area where a shift is taking place,
now is capacity,” with migration to cloud producing
says Andrew Orloff particularly interesting results for
of Zoic smaller facilities and freelancers.
“The elastic and dynamic ability
to adjust your infrastructure to
match your workload is a huge
boon,” says Ring. “When the
jobs are less regular, costs can

TFOSRLfUEAo3rEPBDjuTSSsOTpWtCluMP£s R6OBM5I.AB5RY0GTELHD

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3D WORLD 31





earliest Potter movies that “We
just wanted to deliver. With the
spiders and the flying car and the
Whomping Willow, and some of
the large establishing shots of
Hogwarts, those big beauty shots
define the magic of the school.
The shot I was most proud of is
where it’s Christmas, and the sleds
and horses are going across the
lake. We shot elements and then
the miniature. That came out as a
beautiful shot.”

Christian Manz (now
Framestore’s creative director)
remembers how modestly scaled
the London VFX community was
in 2000/2001. As such, it made for
a network of animators, producers
and creatives who all knew each
other. “I had read the first Potter
book before I saw Philosopher’s
Stone,” Manz explains. “At that
stage, the first big film that was
done across London was Lost
In Space (1998) and that set
up the whole idea of multiple
companies. Sohonet was created
to support digitally linking all of
those facilities in Soho. I think
at that time the big visual effects
centre was the West Coast (of the
US). I remember seeing Starship

Troopers (1997) and thinking
‘You’d just never work on anything
like that in London.’ So, by the time
Potter 2 came along, in the film
department at Framestore, they did
the Basilisk, Fawkes and the blue
pixies. Suddenly, there was a step
up, doing quite a big end sequence.
It was all pretty groundbreaking
stuff. The Basilisk and Fawkes the
Phoenix were a particularly big
task. Obviously, the Phoenix was
mainly an animatronic puppet and
there were some aspects of the
Basilisk, going into close-up, that
were still animatronic.”

Manz then turns his attention
to the significance of the third
Harry Potter film and the ways
in which that project marked





“wsItort’ersnkaiglnlthgabtooofwuatagcrrdoolsulatphbeoofrsaaptmeionepgvl;eitshioen”

Michael Eames, global director of Animation, Framestore



Character modelling

JUNK TOWN - LEGION
Software Blender,Photoshop
Yearmade 2021
40 3D WORLD

Character modelling

Incredible 3D artists take us behind their artwork

CHARACTER MODELLING I'm not a professional 3D
modeller by any stretch, I like doing everything quick, as
long as I can portray what I'm trying to communicate. I
don't really care about good typology or texturing, but it
needs to be sufficient for me to paint over in Photoshop.
I used the Boxcutter plugin for Blender. It makes bBarrrtaasnntdadotoinonlneL.acerotm/
cutting and shaping objects fast and easy. I strongly
recommend using this tool, as you can basically create
any shape on the fly and combine them. Once the shape Brandon Le is a digital artist
is created, I use the Solidify modifier in combination with from Australia, currently
the Mirror tool to make interesting shapes into geometry working as a concept artist
which I can make again and again. I found that these at Atomhawk.
tools can really get you out of a design block and will
generate shapes that you’d never think of.

3D WORLD 41

PractpicraolaytoriptuissrtaCsnGtdostkiumitllopsrrioavlse from

Creature sculpting on the iPad

SOCCRNUEATLPHTTUEIRNIPEGADNOMADSCULPTWTHAETVCIHDEO

https://bit.ly/3D-world-nomad

Take your artwork on the go and learn how to master
the art of mobile sculpting with Nomad Sculpt

O ver the last ten years make a creature from primitives AUTHOR
there has been a slow and take that creature all the way Glen Southern
growth of mobile to a 2D output that can be used in Glen runs
sculpting programs on platforms your concept artwork. SouthernGFX, a small
like the iPad. It all started with Cheshire-based
the Forger app, and that reigned I’ve been using and teaching studio specialising
supreme until 2020 when Nomad ZBrush for 22 years now and in character and
Sculpt was released and gave Nomad Sculpt is the closest creature design. He
Forger some heavy competition. experience I can get to that on has been using and
In late 2020, Maxon, developers a mobile device. It is well worth training ZBrush in the
of Cinema 4D, purchased Forger a look and is a very powerful UK for over 20 years.
and has been working on a new sculpting solution. There are www.southerngfx
release version which hopefully plenty of resources online creativecourses.com
we will see before the end of too, helping you to learn the
2021. Nomad is currently leading processes we cover here in even
the way with the addition of greater depth.
post-processing features that
include real-time rendering, DOWNLOAD YOUR RESOURCES
depth of field, ambient occlusion, For all the assets you need go to
curvature settings and even https://bit.ly/3D-world-nomad
colour grading. In this tutorial we
will take a quick look at how to

01PRIMITIVES
As with a lot of other
3D programs, a great way
to start your design is to
block it out with basic
primitives. As we are
going to make a bipedal
alien we can use a lot of
spheres and cylinders to
make the head, body and
limbs. You can add them
from the Scene menu
(top right). Once added,
use the Gizmo (coloured
rings) at the bottom of the
tool panel to move them
into place. The orange
circle helps to scale the
primitive up and down.

3D WORLD 43

Creature sculpting on the iPad

Mowankealypohuars 02 THE GIZMO 03 REFINE THE PRIMARY FORMS
The Gizmo helps you to control size, orientation It is good to keep primary forms in mind during
I’m giving you a pack and positioning within the scene. You can move things this initial stage. All we want to do now is to block out
of alphas to use with along their axis either X, Y or Z, and you can scale them all of the major parts of the creature, thinking about the
this tutorial, but if you along the axis using the sphere at the end of each Gizmo length of the limbs, the volume of each part of the body,
want to make your line. For this creature, start elongating the sphere for the and how the anatomy is going to work. Think about this
own simply make a head. Position a cylinder for the neck and use another part as making an armature that you are going to sculpt
square, black image. sphere for the body; again, elongate it a little. on top of when you have all of the above things in place.
Add anything you like
in white and that acts
as the alpha: so if
you draw white fish
scales you can get
that in either paint or
geometry.

04 BASIC ANATOMY 05 CLAY AND FLATTEN TOOLS
Even though we are using just basic primitive shapes we can start to Now it's time to do some basic sculpting. Using
think about the anatomy of the creature. In this case we are actually using a the Clay brush, start with the body, thinning down the
humanoid shape with a tail, so the anatomy is like a human but with extended belly area and bulking up the chest. Then add volume in
feet, and more like a dog or cat in terms of bone and muscle structure. Don’t smooth strokes wherever you need it. Next, work over
worry about symmetry just yet, we will be using that on-and-off all the way the top of that with the Flatten brush. It's a good idea to
through this tutorial. Focus on getting all the major bones in place, scaled to have a collection of references at this point to serve as
the correct length and in a relaxed pose for this type of creature. anatomy studies.

06 SCULPTING PROCESS
Only spend a few minutes
to get the shape of the body
right and then move on to the
arms and legs. At the moment
these are all separate parts and
that doesn't matter until we've
got the basic forms nailed down.
Add and remove clay on the
limbs as you did on the body until
you start to get the correct shape
for the forearm, the biceps, the
thighs and the calf. This is where
having good human anatomy
knowledge is a real benefit,
and if you don't this is a great
opportunity to start learning it.
Grab yourself some references!
44 3D WORLD

Creature sculpting on the iPad

07 TUBE TAIL
It's time to add a
tail to allow us to start to
plan the overall shape of
the figure. For this part of
the body we will use the
Tube brush and this allows
us to lay down points that
become a long, thin tube. By
changing the settings for the
tube we can make it scale
smaller towards the end,
which is exactly how a tail
looks. Each of the points that
you lay down can be moved
in any direction, so you can
start to move the tail into a
realistic pose as you go.

08 SYMMETRY 09 CREATE A BASE
You may notice in the image I now have a mirrored set of limbs. You Add a cylinder from the Scene menu. Scale it
can just switch symmetry on and work symmetrically, but I change and break down vertically and then duplicate it. Scale the second
my symmetry all the time, so duplicate each body part from the Scene menu. cylinder up and make it more egg shaped by pulling the
Then go to Symmetry (top right) and use Flip to flip it across to the other side. front end out. Use a combination of Clay and Flatten
This means that any time you can just delete one side without affecting the brushes to make the top cylinder look like a rock that the
original. It just gives you a point of reference rather than working on both creature is standing on. The Flatten tool is crucial here as
sides all the time. it really helps to define how the rock looks.

10 BUILD MUSCLE 11SCULPT IN POSE
In the Scene menu, select all the parts that make up the arm. Use a Voxel Now that you have more detail in your arm, you can
Merge (topology) at about a 300 value and merge those items together. Use switch Solo off and look at that arm on the body. Start to
‘Solo’ at the bottom of the menu to just work on this part alone. Now you can work on the pose now by rotating the arm into position
start adding some more defined muscle detail with Clay and Flatten. Try and and by moving the body parts to make a more dramatic
make the muscles flow down the arm from the bicep into the lower forearm. stance. The hand might need to come further forward to
Keep spinning it around to make sure that you don't lose any volume and that go around the rock for example, or the leg might want to
it looks good from all angles. Work all the way down to the hand. go backwards on the left side and forward on the right.

3D WORLD 45

Creature sculpting on the iPad

Lighting 12 REFINE THE BODY 13 SPINAL TAP
Overall the model is still quite blocky so now It’s time to start on the secondary forms now by
It’s all in the lighting! it's time to start working up some more of the correct adding things like the vertebrae down the back. While
Youcan make a good muscle shapes. Using Clay and Flatten you can start to this isn't full-on detailing it is giving some definition to
model look incredible define the muscles in a much clearer way. You can also the basic shape of the torso, and when I change the
if you just get your use the Crease tool to add definition underneath the lighting later little areas of visual interest like this really
lighting right. Take ribs and also up the sides of the torso. Make sure to add do help to establish the creature. You can turn symmetry
your time and research plenty of bulk where the arm meets the body. off for each body part if you like (on the side interface).
some photography tips
like three-point lighting
– it really makes a
huge difference to
your work.

14 KEEP THE POSE
The overall sculpt is
still very rough and blocky,
but this part is really
crucial. It’s time to start
making sure that the pose
is going to work and that
the creature's dimensions
are all correct. Look at
him from lots of different
angles and fix any issues
that crop up. Make sure he
looks good from above as
well as the more usual front
and side views. Use the
Move tool to push and pull
the body into the required
pose and position.

15 ADD SOME LIGHTS 16 SCULPT WITH LIGHTING
Head to the Light menu at the top of the interface. Make sure Now that we have some lighting activated you can go to the
that you are in PBR mode rather than MatCap. Once you’ve added Post Process menu and switch on ambient occlusion. This makes
a light, click on it and change it to a Spotlight. You can now use the the shadows a little more realistic and it can really help with your
Gizmo to rotate it around and then change its settings to suit your sculpting. If your model is all posed correctly you can now start
scene. We're just going to add one red light from the back for now. working on the tertiary forms, which are where we add more
Remember you can only add up to three lights for now as well as defined muscle groups. Again, make sure you are using reference
your HDRI that is already lighting your image. for the type of muscles you are sculpting.
46 3D WORLD

Creature sculpting on the iPad

17POST-PROCESSING
A lot of people will only
switch post-processing on
at the end of the modelling
session. It can be helpful in
a number of ways to switch
it on early, for example while
we are doing this secondary
sculpting. We have already
switched on ambient occlusion
and we could also now switch
on things like Depth of Field to
give a more realistic look as we
are working, and even things
like Sharpness to make the
model pop a little more. It isn't
essential at this point, but it's
nice to have the option.

18 TERTIARY FORMS 19 PICK OUT ANATOMY
By now we are well into the tertiary forms, which means adding major As we continue with the tertiary forms, the creature
muscle groups and wherever the bone comes through to the surface. You will begin to come alive. We can now start using tools
can also merge together any parts that you'd feel would benefit from being a like Smooth which you activate from the side menu, and
single piece. You can work symmetrically on your limbs if you wish, but it's also this will allow you to improve the look of the rough areas
a good idea (as we did at the start) to work on them separately so that you that you have built in the initial stages. Work around the
start to break the symmetry. A model will not look realistic until the symmetry whole model and do another pass of clay sculpting and
has been broken. smoothing at the same time.

20 CREATE FINGERS
It's now time to add
things like digits. We make
fingers and toes by using
cylinders, spheres and cubes
as needed. Pick the shapes
that you need for the individual
bones and knuckles and Voxel
Merge them together into one
piece. Now using the Clay and
Smooth tool, add detail all the
way down the finger and onto
the claw or fingernail. Use the
Crease tool to add creases
underneath and the Clay tool
to build the volume on the top
of the knuckle, then the Crease
tool to add in surface detail.

3D WORLD 47

Creature sculpting on the iPad

Depth of field

InthePost Process
panel at the top you
can turn on Depth of
Field. This gives you a
very realistic real-time
blur effect and it can
really help to make
your images pop out of
the screen.

21COMPLETE THE HANDS 22 ALL IN THE POSE
Once you have one finger all you simply need to Presuming all of your proportions are correct,
do is duplicate that to make the full hand. Add them in you can now play around with each body part and pose
one by one and once positioned you can Voxel Merge the model into really dramatic scenes. If the model is
them together by selecting them in the Scene menu. in a good state proportionally you will get this bit right.
Take another copy and rotate it 45 degrees and that can If it's not, you won't be able to make the scene look
become the thumb. Don't forget to remove one joint as convincing. Take your time with this stage. Composition
the thumb is embedded into the side of the hand. and posing is a crucial aspect of effective imagery.

23 COLOURWITHVERTEXPAINT 24 ADDSURFACEDETAILSUSINGALPHAS
You can add colour at any stage and it is often best to leave it to the Alphas are black and white images that you can
very end. I’m adding it here as I wanted to try out some concepts before I use to create surface details. Nomad comes with a few
moved onto the surfacing part. Nomad uses something called vertex painting but you can, of course, just add any of your own images
where each point or vertex is assigned a colour as you paint; it looks like you that you either download or paint yourself. Make sure
are painting on the polygons because we have a lot of them, but it's actually that the images you use have a black background with
the points that are getting the colour. The effect is 3D painting and it can be white details and they will work straight away in Nomad if
grabbed on a texture map in other programs. you import them via the Alpha panel at the bottom right.

25EXPORT
Along the way you
will have been saving or
autosaving your model. Now
it’s time to export images
that can be used in your
concept artwork. Try lighting
the model one way, then
from the Scene menu export
that image. Use the highest-
quality format you are used
to. Then light the scene a
different way and save it out.
Do this a few times, then you
can take your images into a
2D program and get some
amazing results using the
images as render passes. •
48 3D WORLD

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3D WORLD 49

Texturing
PRIVATE FROGGO
Software ClarisseiFX,Maya,
Houdini,Mari, SpeedTree,Nuke
Yearmade 2021