September 6, 2024About 1 min
Observation & Reference
Work Big to Small
Big shapes and reads first. Medium, noticeable details next. Fine, close details at the end.
- Style is one thing, but you need to define what's important first
- You do not need to focus on realism, but you absolutely must focus on textural detail, plausibility and cohesiveness.
Observation checklist
Form
- Straight-edged or curved?
- Convex or concave?
- Organic or rigid?
- Made of one continuous form, or different components held together somehow?
- Are there areas of contrast? Continuity? Positive and negative space?
Light
- What is the color tone of the light? Is it direct or diffuse?
- How many shadows are there? What are their shapes and quality?
- How does light interact with the surface? Is anything reflective, refractive, or subsurface?
Scale
- What measurements can I collect?
- How does it feel in comparison to other objects?
- Does the camera capture depth of field? Atmospheric perspective?
- How does weathering feel at this scale?
Weathering
- Is it new or old? Clean or grimy?
- Are some parts weathered and other parts dusty?
- What do the imperfections say about this object’s history?
- Does the weathering affect multiple levels of the surface?
- Does a scratch on an old car cut through gloss, paint, and metal? How does that affect different parameters, like the bumpiness or reflectivity?
Roughness & Glossiness
Subsurface Scattering
Scale & Perspective
Details have scale, too!
Attention to Detail
- The truth of a story is in the details.
- Stephen Auster
- Observation Exercise: The Orphan and the Jeweler
Reference is always required!
- Reference Photos
- Required
- In focus and not terrible
How to Start a Model
- Take reference images (+ measure)
- Understand what you’re making
- Start simple
Taking Reference Photos
- Well lit
- Clear enough to see details
- Try to have simple background
- Line up with each other (Photoshop)
- Take from a distance + zoom
Focal Length
Reference Planes