Cathedral:: Done

A small selection of the 15-18 shots I've been working on for this.

Thats it....

...all classes for FXPHD class MOD301 recorded and uploaded

... ready for rendering out, compositing, adding tracking data and color grading.



Its the most fun I've had in ages and the course has covered 3Dmax, Maya, Mudbox, Zbrush, Mental ray, renderman, enviroment modelling and sculpting, organic modelling (for another shot) and sculpting, texturing, lighting, shader set up, render setup, some tips and tricks and a shit load else.

The references were a lot of spy photos I took like James fucking Bond (as photography is not allowed at all in Durham Cathedral) and a shit load of on site pencil drawings I did. The only parts not put into this from Durham were the 9 altars area and the back altar screen 's lol). One day I may tell about a major event that went on in my life while I was making this that I've not mentioned...that is on top of my dad's emergancy triple bypass.

Which I dont think is too shabby for 10 x 45min weekly course videos. The final animation will look diffferent to this once the proper post and tracking data and live action elements are added. But its a good guide. So now for the 1st time in 6 months I have not a thing on....so after a few days rest its back to hunting down some more freelance gigs.

Its been a pleasure to work on this course with Mike , John and the guys at FXPHD and hopefully the end result comes across with some of the enjoyment I've had doing it. Its also been nice to show I can do more than just monsters and hideous creatures.

Cathedral opening shot 99.9% final

Well for the establishing shot this is almost done (barring adding the pulpit and swapping out the other column designs that I forgot to do for the renders last night I noticed today). There's about 10 million poluygons in the viewport for this shot, which is one of about 6-8 I'll be doing (although probably only 1 or two will be used next term for fxphd courses on tracking etc...). The rest are for my reel. The polycount on absolute final version will double with the use or proxys, although to eb fair those wont all be visisble in any one single shot.

So where the wireframe wayne boy I hear you shout? So here it is, the wireframe from hell.... Enjoy

"nah son, thats not a wierframe....THIS is a wireframe" lol

Cathedral model and renders copywrite FXPHD

The end is close

Work in progress style guide (missing a few models and textures)

I'm putting the finishing touches to week 8's lesson for my fxphd class, but like all good tutors obviously I'm a bit further forward than that. The above is a quick render using only the normal map versions for Mike as a rough style guide for approval on the lighting and overall 'look'. Its often hard for non 3d types to 'see'in advance what you mean, especially when there are only minimal guides as to what is needed. So I produced 6 stills from the opening shot along with 2 video version of the complete shot (faked using just some not so clever camera transforms in after fx, quick, dirty and perfec tfor approvals). One video version (which I'm sorry i can't show yet) is half speed as I thought it mad the shot more emotional. Although this is technically steppping on Mikes toes a wee bit, I think he realised a while back I spit ideas out like a canon and he's free to dump any he dislikes, or all of them. Mikes a real pro and a very nice guy and understand I dont take any crits in a work enviroment to heart and storm off crying in my coffee.

The style was approved inside of an hour,so I'msafe to continue in this vein, although the half speed is still open to debate.

This of course is where the 'magic' of our creativity comes in along with always knowing what an assset will look like before you hit render. In a similar way that i alwasy know what effect a brush will give while sculpting. So I'm hoping to have the class version ready and final in 3dmx pretty soonish (this week) before staring on the entire maya /Renderman version. This of course assumes that I dont manage to screw up renderman as the scene is currently very heavy (10 million polys in the viewport) and funnily enough apps dont usualy like that sort of thing. The use of poxies wont save alot as things need to be lined up so precisly that I find the only reliable way is by eye. (Lining up by eye gets a bum rap sometimes but I find it often just as accurate , as welll as more versatile than other methods. Plus it also helps to add a nice human element to the art.)

The tombs are missing for the shot above, is the altar screen and the gargoyles (Those I probably will use as proxys before I blow up 3d max and maya with over work as those will double the polys in the viewport just about). Also a few bits at the back dont have their textures yet as the sharp eyed will have noticed...why? because I couldn't be arsed to redo those bits after being on at it for a few hours.

So its hopefuly got a quite stylistic almost old style matte painting look to it. Bright lighting while it would make the cathedral look nicee, would also not fit the shot or its content too well. As I've said many times, ad no doubt will many more. Its not about making our models looks as nice as possible, its about fitting the shot. There is no 'I' in team, but there is however a 'stop being an egotistical bastard only concerned with there own work' in it lol.

Anyways, I'm of to try and forget that I'm waiting like a kid at xmas for my rails set up (matte box arrrived on saturday) to arrive for my DSLR rig upgrade. Wife is starting to get a wee bit sick of a house full of camera equipment, chroma key rigs , massive reflectors and car camera rigs (which is ironic as I dont drive lol) and a shit load of other things. Just do me a favour and dont mentin tripods as they have taken over every cupboard and shelf.

Even more cathedral WIP

Before

'After' (hint: the person is real)

Copywrite FXPHD All rights reserved

No I have not finished the cathedral yet before you ask. Mainly as due to finishing the videos before the break on the FXPHD course I'm giving on advanced environment modelling early I had 2 weeks off before I needed to do the next one. Plus as the last session was a gargoyle that was a winged lion (and I've already done enough lions this year) I skipped posting that one.

So the next 3 weeks I have to texture every item in the cathedral model at least 3 times, so I have different texture sets I can swap out for different elements (trust me this does save time later !) I then have to set the final shaders lighting and render up in 3d max using Metal Ray and then do the whole materials, lights and final render setup in Maya using Renderman. So it'll be a busy 3 weeks for me. At the momnt this is a test using only normal maps although final renderman versin will be packed to the gills with displacement

But that won't be the end of the cathedral once the course finishes as I'll keep going right up till the hand over deadline improving it as I go. What you see above is some of the elements textured so far using 1 of the 3 textures sets I'm on creating. Shaders are stand-ins.

For shits and giggles I set up the render as if it was a real practical set on a chroma rig....yes I do have a weird sense of humour, but as the kids have just went back to school from their 7 bloody week holiday I'm probably not the only parent a bit odd at the moment lol. I also comped in the character from the series of shots its from

I have a feeling the final animation with the chroma footage may turn out pretty ok. Uv mapping every damn element in the cathedral has not been fun....and if I ever see UV mapping again for a week it'll be too soon.

Also for those interested:


I'm offloading some more camera gear on ebay that I don't need for those interested:

Manfrotto modosteady http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/330610960634?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

canon 100-300mm lens EF 4.5-5.6 lens: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/330610961867?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Konig tripod head: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/330610962900?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Sculpting a Feng concept and going crazy due to kids holidays

As a freelance guy working from home most times and a parent, the kids school summer holidays are always a combination of walking barefoot through hell and a trip to Disneyland wrapped up in a wrapping paper of overwork and too many long hours. (Although being busy trips anywhere are out of the question unfortunately.) While I love my kids to bits, the idea of my 6 year old son Kane being off school for nearly 7 fucking weeks still terrified the life out of me, as I also have to get work done as well as be 'daddy' 24 7. Now when I was a kid it was 6 weeks, so I can only assume that teachers are taking the piss with the extra week lol. Thankfully though the school holidays are almost over.

It's been a busy one this year as I've been pulling very long hours and doing more stuff than may be immediately apparent. At the core of this is the FXPHD advanced environment modelling course I've been teaching. As all kids around where I live are off school as well (obviously) this means recording anything during daylight hours is a no go unless people want a soundtrack accompanying it that sounds like a kiddie riot. So lots of being awake till 4am and then up at 7am with the kids. This is not the best way to live trust me. It takes its toll and I can be a bad tempered old bastard at the best of times lol.

I also found time to do some stuff just for me. In fact I did something I very rarely do which is sculpt from another artists concept art. It was from some art by Feng Zhu (if you don't know who Feng is....you should). Some of the characters on the sheet of concepts he'd posted 'jumped out at me'. Without asking, or even thinking I felt compelled to sculpt at least one of them.....so I did. Now this is very naughty as your supposed to ask people before you do a 3d version of their 2d work... but when I've driven...I'm driven. I explained this to Feng and showed him the results and he liked it and was cool with me sharing it.

I do intend on texturing this when time allows and taking it to a final render stage, but I've got much on my plate at the moment that I'll have to wait for a gap. Apart from changing the tentacles it's all Feng's design and I can take no credit for it whatsoever. All I did was bring it into 3 dimensions. I've been a lover of his work from long before I did 3d professionally and it was nice to work with some a good bit of concept art by undoubtedly one of the great master concept artists of our time.

Well I've just spent all day uploading week 6's videos for the FXPHD course and am giving myself until Monday before starting on the next one. (Which is damaging the entire cathedral stone work in a sympathetic way ...in other words not making it look like it's been through the battle of the Somme, the battle of Leningrad combined like we usually do as digital sculptors for portfolio pieces to make them 'look cool' lol).

I may also get some time to finish off / continue with a few things I'm working on, on the programming side with any luck. Fingers Crossed.

WIP: Cathedral Interior again

Very short post just to upload the latest updates of the Durham cathedral interior I'm using to teach peolpe advanced enviroment modelling for the course I'm giving for FXPHD. It's the 1st time I've had all the separate models in the scene. ...and no still nothing sculpted yet as I want it looking fine without it so that the sculpting is the icing on the cake. Before much longer I have the gargoyles and the textures and final lighting to do. (as this lighting is just a very rough stand in.)

Here's a couple of alternate shots..... although 80% of the detail isn't visible at this resolution to be honest.

A dick around for an hour or so......

Hour and a bit dick around in 3dmax

So.... as well as having my dad in hospital, who has now had his triple bypass and so far is doing very well ( big thanks to all those who sent their good wishes) and the FXPHD Durham cathedral interior I've also had time for some dick arounds. Either for use in some cases as set dressing that I'd not be able to cover as part of the course, or in the case of the one from tonight just as some relaxation for an hour or so in 3Dsmax. I have suddenly of late had an urge to do more environment modelling, and not just because of the FXPHD course I'm teaching, but because I find it amazingly relaxing and far less pressuring than creatures or people. Mainly as with a enviro model you either get it right or wrong.

Work in progress of altar screen

Another reason is it gets me out of sculpting everything and forces me to take a break from that for a short time(which always ends up producing better work in the long run). I do find poly modelling environments easy and so low stress, it's not usually something you want to do at 600 miles an hour and so I can stop, have a coffee, take the kids to the park or whatever and come back later. I don't have to 'catch the idea' before it fades in my head.

I also want to point out that this week is your last chance to join the current term at FXPHD, there are a LOT of amazing courses on offer...and mine lol. I know it can be a lot of money, but if you added up all the hours upon hours of tuition and availability to the tutors you get its a steal. (it'd cost a shit load more if it was DVD's for example! ) So far everyone on my course has had nothing but good things to say about it, which is always a plus point. So if you are serious about making this industry your career it's a very good option to consider.

Kit-bashed Pulpit dick around / test design

New DLSR and more Durham Cathedral stuff

I finally got a replacement for my stolen 550D back when I was at end user event (or more correctly on my way to end user event). After thinking long and hard I had narrowed it between a 60D, a &D, and a Lumix GH2. As theres not adapter for EOS lenses that works the way I wanted them to that doesn;t cost a small fortune I went for the 60D. The only reason I didn't got for the 7D was simply as it weighs a lot more. as I don't drive and hate carrying the weight of a small dead body around I went for the 60D. Why not the 5D mk2? Wel as its overdue the mk3 coming out it'd be folly to spend that much on a camera that could be outdated very fast. Plus there is a rash of other good cameras (inc the sony full frame one) due out very soon so I didn't really feel like taking a gamble.

As I'm not a fan of pixel peeping and chances of aything of mine ever being on a large projected screen are so close to zero that its thinking of it as zero it wasn't an issue to me. Although having the ability to do some good still was. I rarely use auto focus, or auto anything to be honest as it makes me feellike I know what the hell I'm doing. (Whether that be the actual case or not lol).

My dad has his triple bypass tomorrow morning so hopefully you'll all keep your fingers crossed. Its not as straight forward as it could be due to some existing health issues. Right now I'm trying not to think about it as I'd be a nervious wreck.


I did a bit of a dick around with the Durham cathedral model I'm doing for my FXPHD course I'm teaching this year, nothing major just basically to unwind, but for those interested you can see it above. Its a fair bit down the actual cathedral this time as I was getting sick of rendering long shots lol I still have the entire altar area to design as well yet.