First off no I have not changed apps to zbrush... But I always test all apps when they release a new version. I do however use zbrush for things there is no mudbox or 3d coat equivelant for.
Its not often I do a critisism of an entire style of design of 3d modelling. Its risky and it can piss people off. (but hey what else is new...) But never being one to stand back from controvesy (and being a moody old bugger who hardly slept last night), I felt this critisism needs to be said. ...and let the cards fall where they will.
This model from last night (named 'Overkill') was meant as a heavy handed critisim of the recent plethora of Michael Bay-esque style mech design that I hate with a passion normally reserved for warring nations. (Now I've nothing against him and I'm
sure he's a very nice guy really though lol) If I had simply put the critisism that follows without a demonstration of me actually doing it, then it would have simply been wrote off as 'oh he's only saying that because he cant do it himself'. Just because I do not do a style does not mean I cannot...like a lot of artists.
This is not hard to do and requires no artistic ability whatsoever on the half of the artist. You could teach a monkey to model in this style. Seriously I am not exagerating here. Its takes no artistic talent whatsoever. If you put no thought into function, forms and balance of design, then you end up with an abomination like this. What I hate about is that just banging a shit load of detail onto a model does not make it good. It is easy to fool the human eye into going 'wow!' just through sheer ammount of detail.
... that however does not make it a good model.
So this model is meant to show :
... that however does not make it a good model.
So this model is meant to show :
- How easy it is to do something like this in about 75mins
- What happens when you don't bear in mind form, function and balance of detail.
- A lot of parts or detail do not make a good model...and this is junk....literally. The difference between a good mech design and a bad one is the difference between a migraine and blamange lol.
- That you can make something that looks 'cool' (alledgedly) without it ever being able to be animated or even move. Its is easy with a total disregard to how a thing would mechanically work to make something that is smothered in detail such as this.
Simply covering something in pointless widdles can never replace a properly thought out design that can actually function.
...Thus end-eth the sermon for today.
How it was made:
Everything you see in the video is a default zbrush install of the latest version. A shit load of mesh insert brushes were useed with parts from just about every single one of the buggers. Unfortunatley the file /timelapse function in zbrush screwed up on this and corrupted the rest of the workflow, but its basically more of the same. Then the part I had made was then canibalised into the other parts. 'Simples'.
Now this workflow can of course be used for things with far better designs that this piece of crap. in fact i do have something in mind at some point soonish (time allowing) that will do exactly this workflow, only in a fashion that would produce a model with good design ethics.
Now while I may hate this style of modelling, its not the first time I've modelled something in a style I personally cant stand. Part of being a profesional artist is not just making things that you like or think are 'cool', but also to be able to still produce your best when you cannot stand the model or subject matter your working on.
But when producing portfolio pieces, maybe we should all make a vow to try not to just add etail and various nwiddles just so people will have a eye orgasm. Make it mean something and the detail have both form balance and purpose.
Now I'll keep this model on my site purely so I can then tell what clients have good taste and who has bad taste lol. Thus meaning I can then add a 'artisticly blind' tax to my invoices. :)
Wayne...
