Week 22 - Reflective Journal

 This week I mainly focused on my block-out in Maya, trying to fill the space appropriately. I also added some directional and ambient lighting, and played with the intensity of each. As the set fills more, I feel more prepared to begin more lighting tests.

Fig. 1: Spence, 2023. Maya Block-Out

Fig. 2: Spence, 2023. Maya Block-Out (2)

This week also featured my first delve into Unreal Engine, though I found it difficult to get to grips with at first, and may need to work in a different space with a computer that can run the engine more successfully, as my tests with it were slow and made it difficult to control. Another option would be testing out Unity, which I feel is more popular with my peers, though with the time I have left I am leaning towards creating 2D pieces.

Fig. 3: Spence, 2023. Camera Angle Test

Fig. 4: Spence, 2023. Camera Angle Test (2)

I also tested some camera angles (above) for potential screenshots and/or 2D paintings.

Currently, I'm gathering references of woodland areas for a better look at textures and lighting.

Fig. 5: Spence, 2023. PureRef Board

References:

Images:

Figure 1. SPENCE, Nel. 2023. Maya Block-Out. Private Collection: Nel Spence

Figure 2. SPENCE, Nel. 2023. Maya Block-Out (2). Private Collection: Nel Spence

Figure 3. SPENCE, Nel. 2023. Camera Angle Test. Private Collection: Nel Spence

Figure 4. SPENCE, Nel. 2023. Camera Angle Test (2). Private Collection: Nel Spence

Figure 5. SPENCE, Nel. 2023. PureRef Board. Private Collection: Nel Spence

Week 21 - Reflective Journal

During a walk around Crantock this week, I noticed a patch of land that was visually similar to what I had in mind for my environment, so I took a few photos I could use as reference. The distribution of the foliage and types of plants growing could help inform my decisions throughout the module. 

Fig. 1: Spence, 2023. Crantock

One of the things I'm finding difficult so far is working out how to fill the space to appear like an area that could exist. I'm considering ground textures, debris, and making signs of areas that have been walked through.

Fig. 2: Spence, 2023. Crantock (2)

Fig. 3: Spence, 2023. Maya Block-Out

This week ended up being somewhat busy for me with family visiting, but I made some progress on my block-out in Maya and completed adding details to my models in ZBrush.

References:

Images:

Figure 1. SPENCE, Nel. 2023. Crantock. Private Collection: Nel Spence

Figure 2. SPENCE, Nel. 2023. Crantock (2). Private Collection: Nel Spence

Figure 3. SPENCE, Nel. 2023. Maya Block-Out. Private Collection: Nel Spence

Week 20 - Reflective Journal

This week I started refining the stones more in ZBrush, looking at details found in real hag stones (fig.1) such as small holes and scratches.

Fig. 1: Unknown Maker. Hag Stones on String

I need to begin considering how I want to do the textures on these models. As I'll most likely be using pre-made assets, I would want the more realistic textures on the assets to match my stones. I've considered a stylised approach, which give some freedom with my texture work.

Fig. 2: Spence, 2023. Hag Stone Details (1)

Fig. 3: Spence, 2023. Hag Stone Details (2)

Fig. 4: Spence, 2023. Hag Stone Details (3)

The rocks so far could go either way, towards realism or stylised. For inspiration, I'm primarily looking at Firewatch (2016) for a stylised approach, and Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014) for realism.

Fig. 5: Firewatch (2014). Firewatch Waterfall.

Fig. 6: Tzvetanov, 2016. Dragon Age Inquisition - highland rocks / vista cliffs.

There will be other rocks in my environment that are different from the hag stones - regular rocks that were already there. The distinct difference is that the hag stones have been shaped by their sea environment. 

Fig. 7: Spence, 2023. Hag Stone Progress (1)

Fig. 8: Spence, 2023. Hag Stone Progress (2)

Fig. 9: Spence, 2023. Hag Stone Progress (3)

Fig. 10: Spence, 2023. Environment Block-Out

I also began blocking out a potential layout for my environment to get a rough idea of how to fill the space. I will be basing this on some early rough sketches of my scene (fig. 11). 

Fig. 11: Spence, 2023. Rough Environment Sketches

References:

Images:

Figure 1. Unknown Maker. Hag Stones on String. St Margarets [online]. Available at: https://stmargarets.london/archives/2015/06/the_magical_hag_stones_of_the_river_crane.html [Accessed on: 31/01/2023]

Figure 2. SPENCE, Nel. Hag Stone Details (1). Private Collection: Nel Spence

Figure 3. SPENCE, Nel. Hag Stone Details (2). Private Collection: Nel Spence

Figure 4. SPENCE, Nel. Hag Stone Details (3). Private Collection: Nel Spence

Figure 5. Firewatch (2014). Firewatch Waterfall. [in-game screenshot]. Game Reviews AU [online]. Available at: https://gamereviewsau.com/firewatch-review/2/ [Accessed on: 01/02/2023]

Figure 6. TZVETANOV, Dimitar. 2016. Dragon Age Inquisition - highland rocks / vista cliffs. ArtStation [online]. Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/Rq8XW [Accessed on: 01/02/2023]

Figure 7. SPENCE, Nel. Hag Stone Progress (1). Private Collection: Nel Spence

Figure 8. SPENCE, Nel. Hag Stone Progress (2). Private Collection: Nel Spence

Figure 9. SPENCE, Nel. Hag Stone Progress (3). Private Collection: Nel Spence

Figure 10. SPENCE, Nel. Environment Block-Out. Private Collection: Nel Spence

Figure 11. SPENCE, Nel. Rough Environment Sketches. Private Collection: Nel Spence