Fashion illustrations

I find that at libraries and bookstores, I spend less time in the Art sections these days, and more time in odd reference topics, such as fashion, antiques, architecture, etc. I don't need a tenth "how to draw human anatomy" book, I need books on the flavor of human existence.

Here's some studies of illustrations in Cally Blackman's 100 Years of Fashion Illustration. I tried to name the dudes I was drawing from, but where my notation failed doublecheck the book. Good read! Also, random art theory note: People often have trouble wrapping their heads around Andy Warhol, and his ideas about multiples, mass production and pop art. Knowing he got his start in fashion illustration, it makes a lot more sense. Fashion deals a lot more with repeating textiles, and one "art piece" of a dress is designed for it to be worn by lots of people. In essence, he was applying the motives of fashion to visual art, where you normally make a singular unique painting, and that's where its value comes from.

www.oscarts.org oscarbaechler@gmail.com

Not-so-speedy Tick speed paint

You may remember this little exercise I dida while ago. I started purtying up my favorite head from then, and it's stretched beyond the restrictions of a speed painting. So here's my pic of The Tick.

Now I like it enough that, sigh, I'm going to burn even more time getting it really polished. Justice never sleeps!

Also, a quick interesting side note, I think it's fascinating how learning the technology behind something makes you a better artist, because then you draw the stuff you understand on a technical 3D level. I remember distinctly when I learned about Ambient Occlusion, and afterward tried like crazy to draw it in everywhere.

Similarly, nowadays I know a lot more about subsurface scattering. As a result, I tried to bring it out in this. All I did was brush in extra saturation on the transition from light into core shadow. It's easiest to spot on his cheeks. I'll have to play with that more.

www.oscarts.org oscarbaechler@gmail.com

Skirt cloth sim test

Here's the skirt with a cloth sim on it. The system of individual proxy cones for collisions seems to be working--they bounce as if friends with each other, but never intersect as if enemies of one another.

Also made a stop motion beard animation. The lengths I go to, just to avoid the tedium of sketchbook scanning. Sheesh.

www.oscarts.org oscarbaechler@gmail.com

Skirt and belt with a cheap clothsim

Here's a quick update on the skirt. I'm currently working on adding a hemline and rendering out an animation. I found that the best way to handle the two-level pleated skirt was to have them only collide with a proxy cone around her waist, one per skirt layer. It makes it go faster, and also has the added benefit of dodging intersections.

I'm reeeeaally itching to just dive into materials and texturing, but am trying to be sensible and hold off.

Stay tuned for video!

www.oscarts.org oscarbaechler@gmail.com

Production limitation goals, AO & SSS stress tests

Added more detail to the concept for her blouse, since we can't just go with a girl's ripped tank top forever. Now I'm aiming for a square neckline victorian nightgown, which IMHO will bring out a bit of "bedroom" vibe, which befits this young lass's, ahem, personality.

I modeled the blouse more toward the square neckline and straps, and also added the "damsel in distress" rips along the shirt's edge. Much as I'd like to just dive into texturing, methinks I'd better finish all the principle modeling :P

Additionally, I did some speed tests using Blender's Simplify tools for rendering. The speed jump between 100% and 75% is staggering, not so much between 75% and 50%. But in all cases, the quality suffers very little.



Long renders are the number one thing to kill my interest in a project, so I've got a number of specifics I'm holding to for this. Hopefully this should keep me to a minimal amount of watching paint dry.

1. Crappy unwraps. Don't need pixel perfection. (lol, already broke this rule)
   
2. Edge loop perfection. Don't need perfect edge loops. (wasted waaay too much time ignoring this rule already.)
   
3. Limit of level 1 subsurfacing
4. No raytracing
5. Mesh reusing/rehashing
6. Mirror modifiers
   
7. No mesh intersections/fancy froo-froo stuff

Allowances

1. Massage time spent on animation
2. Approximation Ambient Occlusion
3. Subsurface Scattering
4. Heavy compositing

www.oscarts.org oscarbaechler@gmail.com