Blenderguru Steampunk - Prometheus

Artwork Works in Progress
#1

Hi there, I’m working on my entry for Blenderguru steampunk competition. My idea is to create a cathedral with a huge robot inside kept in chains for its will to deliver electricity to a steampunk world :yes:
I’m half way through the modeling of the cathedral, I’ve decided the camera view, finished the blocking and started detailing.
Next steps:

1-Closing detail phase of cathedral: I’d like some advice on the ceiling and the walls. My idea for the ceiling now is to create some sort of cobblestone and use them as small bricks to give more detail, but still not quite sure. For the floor I guess I’m going to make some sculpted bricks and some broken sections, but I’m not so sure.
2-Adding machinery all around: that’s gonna be fun, It’s needed to give steampunk flavor to the scene.
3-blocking and adding the robot and a few scientist. I’ve decided the pose, but I’ve got a lot to block.

I’ll try to accomplish all that modeling in 2 weeks from now, and use last 10 days for texturing, lighting and composing ( lighting now is just a fast test , but is quite different from the dark mood I’ve in mind).

Any advice, tips and so on are welcome!

Attachments

Prometheus.jpg1919×1079 282 KB

#2

I can tell that this is going to be good. I eagerly await your progress!

#3

Here we go again: in the last few days I’ve been slower then I wanted due working issues and some test I’ve done with cloth simulator to create some standards. I’ve used this technique to add more detail at the outern part: created an outern vertex group, suddivided few times, applied only to the vertex group a displacement modifier with magic texture (really small scale ). The effect was like worked random fabric.
Then I’ve started tweaking the result, quite like it.

I’ve worked on the ceiling too, this night gonna add some more detail and work behind the standards.

Any opinion is welcome!

blocking 8.jpg1920×1080 1.58 MB

#4

After a few test with walls and more detailing for the backgorund, I’ve decided to anticipate the creation of Prometheus, because it’s gonna be covering a lot of the background and I want to have a better grasp of the pose and what is and what’s not in sight to avoid wasting time.
My idea is to create a titan ( just like the original prometheus ) , so huge dimension but with a human face. To give a steampunk flavor I’m gonna to transform it in a sort of cyborg, I wanted the face to be more human then the rest of the body, but we’ll see how’s gonna turn.

Screenshot 2015-05-23 18.27.00.jpg1920×1080 432 KB

#5

Your lighting looks great :slight_smile:

#6

Thank you, much appreciated.
For now it’s a really basic 3 point light+ambient setup that goes like this:
1-Hdri: it’s just a basic non hdri image I’ve found somewhere matching with the general color tone I’d like: I’m still not sure about it ( I tend to prefer moonlight scenarios, but a late afternoon scenario could be interesting too), but we’ll see.
This is the image I used:

11255765_920919314606266_921236615465063654_o.jpg1886×902 60.7 KB


2- Two planes emitting white light , back of the cathedral pointing towards the main window and down, one stronger then the other.
3-A sun lamp pointing from the main window to the back of the cathedral to give the general direction of shadows.

In the final render I’m going to add volumetrics, so I’ll need 2 spot light from the main window to create the ray of god effect. Then I’ll add some lamps ( maybe some candles ) around, but we’ll see how I’ll deal with my 3.5gb restriction from the 970.

#7

Today I’m going on with some more detailing and neck area.
I hate curve modifier, it’s official. Probably it’s me , but I still don’t get how to make it work at first try, it behaves always strangely and you keep losing a lot of time and patience, it’s infuriating… and obiouvsly , I’m using it a lot to place all those bolts, lol

Screenshot 2015-05-24 17.54.38.jpg1920×1080 504 KB

#8

That’s a cool project and an interesting concept. The cyborg head is coming along nicely. It has a bit of a metropolis feeling to it because of the matcap.

#9

Thank you so much, really glad you like it.
I’m trying to give it a “vintage” look, it’s coming out more organic than I had planned, but I think I like it.
Today I’ve worked a bit on the chest and the arms area. I changed arms desing a few times before I decied to go for a “nude” look, with “muscles” and mechanism exposed.
For the material: I’m using this matcap because I’m going to use some bronze or similar material, I’d like to create and old oxydated look with skratches… I’m starting to worry about deadline, but however it’ll go, I’ll finish this project.

Screenshot 2015-05-25 20.54.59.jpg1920×1080 416 KB

#10

Looking really good so far mate. :slight_smile: The modelling of the cathedral is terrific.

The cyborg is coming along real nice too. Looking forward to seeing more of this project :smiley:

#11

thank you so much and don’t worry, I’ll keep absolutely in touch , eheheh!

#12

Looking quite good!

#13

Going on with the body part, halfway through the cyborg. At this step I tend to create a basic material ( 2 glossy shader mixed with layer weight ) and to test it with the light enviroment of the main scene.
This was done at 38403840500samples , and It’s nice to spot errors and inconsistency hard to find with matcap or viewport ( under the chest plate, error in the vertex group used for displace modifier, wrong alignement in body junction and so on)

robot.jpg2300×2300 180 KB

#14

Wonderful progress!

#15

Really good! Following.

#16

Thank you, really appreciate your support!

Today I’ve worked on the robot ( Started the legs and the pelvis area), and I tried the 38402160500samples on the cathedral.
While at it I’ve sculpted 2 shady figures that I planned to put in the scene observing the titan.
Honestly, I had the idea of the 2 shady figures to reinforce the story telling some days ago, so today I decided to try at last how they worked composition and scale wise.
I think they work, but probably I’ll have to rethink the floor ( tiles too big? 50*50cm maybe is a bit too much ).

BLOCKIN9.jpg2300×1294 291 KB

#17

Looking good man :slight_smile: I agree with you about the floortiles, they may be slightly to big… unless they are going to be stone tiles, in which case they will probably look fine when they are textured

It’s not uncommon for other types of tiles to be 50cmx50cm though anyway, even kitchen tiles etc come in that size - http://www.toppstiles.co.uk/tprod4035/urban-anthracite-floor-tile-50x50cm.html

#18

That’s true, probably it depends by the absence of displacement/bump too, I’ll have to test, no big deal since with planker it’s a fast process.

#19

The titan is almost over, I need to detail a bit more legs & pelvis area to make it feel more rough, but overall I’m satisfied.

ROBOT2.jpg1150×2300 150 KB

#20

And there we go, huston we got a problem… Cyborg mesh is composed by a lot of different mesh used to add details (kit bashing approach), and now I gotta rig it.
Problem is:
1-If I join everything in a mesh is overkill, lot of small details with 0 subsurf or 1 subsurf are upscaled.
2-If I don’t join rigging tends to be a problem ( or probably setting automatic weights is not correct? ).

Any suggestion? if possibile i’d like to keep the parts separated and with all the modifiers on ( maybe except mirror? ) to ease texturing work