Sculpt_Forms

Work Chosen to be part of (Un)seen Sculptures 3D augmented reality art show

2011-03-30T15:56:00.000-07:00

LINK: http://www.unseensculptures.com/

In April this year, (Un)seen Sculptures, a mobile 3D augmented reality art show will be staged in locations in Surry Hills, Sydney (as part of the Surry Hills Festival) and around the Melbourne CBD.

Situated in these locations will be virtual digital works; hidden from the naked eye but visible to anyone with an iPhone, Android or Nokia smartphone and an app called the Layar Reality Browser, that can be downloaded for free from iTunes, the Android Market or the Ovi Store.

Once they have downloaded this app, people can simply open it up, search for “unseen sculptures”, select the layer set up for the show, then hold up their phones at the designated locations, and they will see 3D artworks that they can walk around, explore from any angle and even interact with.

The show will feature works by Australian artists and international visitors from as far afield as the USA, UK, China and Portugal. The pieces themselves will traverse a wide range of styles and subjects: anything from characters from a traditional Chinese version of Romeo and Juliet lost in the metropolis; to an infestation of psychotropic toads; to a singing virtual tree; to an 18th-century GPS device.

Optica12

2011-03-18T05:31:00.000-07:00

I finally got out last night and shot the work up at the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts. Its great to see ones work up in a public space, and one cant get more public than Brunswick Street in Fortitude Valley.My being accepted into Optica12 is an opportunity to expose what I see as the beauty in the action of digital sculpting as well as re-looking at the aesthetics of the skull. It legitimises my medium and practice as a three dimensional digital sculptor. About the installation: SphereForms_01 (2010)2Min's: Seeing how a piece evolves from its primitive form is one of the most fascinating experiences of any practicing artist. This piece is part of a series of digital sculpts in action, based on the conceptual simplifications that have directed the ways of seeing for all visual artists. The practice of using a primitive shape as a guide to modelling or drawing more complex forms is well documented. In Bridgman’s Life Drawing, he instructs on simplifying forms to aide memory. He defines the processes of seeing the masses of the human body by breaking them down into square and round shapes. In this series of studies, my focus is not on the resulting sculpture, but on the relationship of the sculpt with its initial primitive starting form - the sphere. No two spheres are sculpted in the same way. Each piece cycles from the sphere to the complex form of a human skull, then devolves back to its basic form. The skulls are revealed though several view points; inferior, anterior, lateral and posterior, while still concealed by surface pixilation and the rapid movement of the projection.

Whale Cairn Space

2011-03-16T03:43:00.001-07:00

I finally finished off my Whale Cairn Space, using the Unity 3.2 engine last night, it looks/feels exactly as I had hoped and combines the whale pieces that I captured in Oxford UK and on Frasier Island QLD - I have now reinterpreted the original forms and re-esxplore them in these scenes.
I plan to set up a download page on my sculpt-forms website for this piece as well at the BlackBird Space so people can explore the works.

Unseen man pieces:

2011-03-02T16:23:00.000-08:00

The UnseenMan:

The piece consists of two sculptures which is part of an ongoing series of digital sculpts looking at aspects of human anatomy, the piece is based off of photogrammetry data of a hominid skull that I shot/captured in the Pitt Rivers museum in Oxford. The concept for this piece, stems from the fact that the skull is very recognisable to us (along with its associated macabre stereotypes), but if we displace or shift the skull to a differing angle and yet still place the skull on a body, it becomes quiet alien and other worldly.

I have had the sculpts printed through Shapeways in the Netherlands - all to be part of my exhibition which will take place in June here in Brisbane.

In the works

2011-02-10T06:56:00.001-08:00

I have blocked out the Whale Skull from a photo shoot of a humpback whale skull in the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, it will be Incorporated into the Whale Cairn scene/world in Unity, I am still putting other elements together for the scene, which I hope to release through the web site as a down loadable.
A goat skull from my own physical collection, rendered out from 3DCoat, comped together from several materials/shaders in 3DC. My collections of skulls and bones are coming together - still lots of work to do before I have enough to exhibit in June- lots to do.

Update: Other Face

2011-01-24T08:16:00.001-08:00

AR_test

2011-01-24T07:51:00.001-08:00

Starting some AR tests with my sculpt pieces, using the free version of HITLabNZ BuildAR tool.

I am planing for when I have my final submission exhibition to be able to give people a more direct interaction with my pieces. The AR seems to be a good solution - although there is some loss in visual fidelity.

UnSeenMan

2011-01-10T08:08:00.000-08:00

This piece is based off of the underside of a Hominid skull from the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, part of the sourcing of pieces I started last year on my European vacation.

The concept for the piece, stems from the fact that the skull is very recognisable to us (unfortunatly with its associated macabre stereotypes) , but when we shift to a differing angle of the skull and yet still place the skull on a body, it becomes alien and other worldly.

Web Site

2011-01-10T08:03:00.000-08:00

I have set up and registered the domain sculpt-froms.com and have set up the web site here:
http://www.sculpt-forms.com/
This is where the body of my final works will be published, for now has a simple artist statement and a selection of some of my older digital sculptural works.

The Hidden Face

2010-10-31T04:26:00.001-07:00

Its finallly arrived: I will probably get a larger one of print of this at life sized- and will use this version to play with some skrimshaw ideas.

More Mesh stock

2010-09-21T05:31:00.000-07:00

Fish :Pitt Rivers, Oxford

Bearded Vulture skull : Pitt Rivers, Oxford

Hominid skull : Natural History Museum, London

Elephant skull : Natural History Museum, London

Sea Mammal : Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford

Leonardo Da Vinci alcove Sculpture : Fierenze/Florence.

Wierd Result from : Natural History Museum, London

Mastidon/early Elephant skull : Natural History Museum, London

Raw Material

2010-08-17T06:10:00.000-07:00

Some images have been processed from my European trip.

Baboon skull - raw data

Human Remains

Neckbone


Vervet Monkey Skull

Whale skull from Pitt Rivers Museum Oxford

These are going to be reworked in 3DCoat and printed out in 3D, good stock to work from.

Momento Mori Mask:HiddenFace

2010-08-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

Seeing the form within the imperfection –
When a traditional sculptor who works in stone chooses the material to start their piece from, they study the raw rock to see the forms within it - this along with the inherent flaws of the material dictate the direction to where the work progresses ( -Michelangelo)
I use a similar premise with working in the digital – an example with the “Mask” the one side of the face had completely lost all detail in the translation from 2D to 3D – within those forms – I then re-explored the shapes initially mirroring the sides of the face creating a symmetrical face – that didn’t seem to work so I wound up re-sculpting the right hand degraded side into the skull forms I could see from his underlying bone structure.
I also continued to refine and detail the left hand side of the face building in more detail, looking at my photographic reference.

BaseMesh

Base mesh from photogrametry source - really messy and distorted, full of flaws, which I explore further.

Seeing the forms within the medium.

A first pass clean up and reconstruction of the base form - initially trying a symetry version of the cleaner less distorted side of the face..

Skull is found

Then - seeing within the flaws the underlying structure of the skull emerged.

FinalSculpt- The Hidden Face.

Finally finishing the vanitas adding in fine details to the skull and the fleshy side of the face.

Whale Cairn Update

2010-04-20T05:13:00.000-07:00

The concept has changed somewhat deciced to remove the environment map shader from the whale body- and assigened a bone white material - I also added the blood pool which is very much in keeping withe the original whale which was torn apart by sharks on the high tide.

Printing in Glass video from Shapeways

2010-04-14T16:25:00.001-07:00

Beta Testing : Video Trace

2010-04-12T17:40:00.000-07:00

Busy beta testing Video Trace at the moment as well as actully writing up my exegesis - the video below is a lecture by the princple architect Anton van den Hengel - which shows a great deal of information on Video trace.

I also suggest looking at van den Hengels' paper from Siggraph 07 for the science and math side of the application/technical demo.

Alternative stereo photogrammetry app: Arc3D

2010-03-26T06:40:00.000-07:00

Pretty good looking results from this application - it seems very similar to 3Dsee.
It seems unsupported at the moment as the installed application crashed when I attempted to run some test data through it. Bah a pity as some of the earlier results look very good.

3D model of the statue of Mercator at the city hall in Leuven, based on a 3D photography system www.arc3d.be

Whale Cairn

2010-03-14T20:31:00.000-07:00

Progress update:
A new piece based on photogrammetry data shot of a (dead) beached whale on Frasier which I photographed last year- I am now working on putting together the real-time scene together in Unity engine.

I am looking at how I want to explore and develop the space - thinking of a large virtual open environment for this piece. I have finished reworking the base data and have created optimised engine ready version of the piece- the above screen shots are from 3DCoat showing my progression.

PRIX ARS SUBMISSION -DIGITAL MEMENTO MORI: BIRDSKULL_GALLERY.EXE

2010-03-14T20:19:00.000-07:00

A HYBRID SCULPTING PRACTICE THAT REFIGURES THE ORIGINAL SOURCE MATERIAL, TRANSPORTING THE THEME OF “MEMENTO MORI” INTO THE DIGITAL.

I finally submitted all the information required for Ars Electronica - PRIX ARS under the hybrid art category.

The submission consisted of a video documenting the processes used to create and display my interpretation of sculptural momento mori into the digital. Involving my processes of transposing physical pieces from the actual through into the virtual, re-interpreted the pieces in the virtual medium resulting in the BirdSkull_Gallery.exe for final display of the sculpts. BirdSkull_Gallery.exe is one of a series of digital sculptural pieces that explores the interchange between the analogue (actual) and the digital.
The work appropriates scientific and engineering technologies of stereo photogrammetry to reinterpret the physical object, adapting it into the new context of digital sculpture. I use a photogrammetric capturing method to capture the pieces rather than create observation driven hand sculpted models relying on my artist’s eye to representation of the subject matter.
The photogrammetry process captures the inherent natural errors of the original sometimes missed by observation. It is notable that in the photogrammetry translation process that I use, there can be errors in translation from the 2D into the 3D. I use that “erroneous data “as an abstraction process in the conversion of the piece into the virtual medium. As most of the sculptural work takes place in this virtual medium it seems natural that the pieces should be displayed and distributed in a digital medium very similar to their medium of adaptation, the virtual space. With the BirdSkull_Gallery.exe I have reinterpreted two aspects a crow skull (based on the same data set), namely Crowskull _Scrimshaw and Birdskull Redux v1.1.
These pieces have been integrated into a virtual 'cave' which is created from erroneous photogrammetry data of a stuffed crow captured from the Brisbane Natural History Museum collection.
The exploration of bones and nature stems from my early childhood in post colonial Africa - I have always seen bones as beautiful sculptures as well as reminders of life’s fragility. I remember visiting friends ranch as 5 or 6 year old and seeing an elephant skull on the front lawn and thinking how amazing it was and wanting one for my own room. My work reminisces on memories of bones being commonly used as ornamentation and have always been a part of my physical environment. Today as a practicing digital sculptor I can capture elements of this childhood obsession - creating virtual homage's to creatures that I once collected and performed taxidermy on.
My practice reflects my desire to pay homage to nature. The ability to create a virtual sculpture garden is part of this process of reflection where technology enables one to collect and create these types of spaces, resulting in virtual galleries such as BirdSkull_Gallery. exe.

Prix Ars working:

2010-03-01T16:58:00.000-08:00

I have started reconstruction of a whale beached off of Frasier island, which I photographed last year. I rebuilt the mesh data in 3D voxel space - made up of components of the original stranded whale converted into 3D from the photogrametry.

GoatsSkull Conversion : A verysuccesfull conversion of photogrammetry data into mesh - I will be looking at this element in the next few months.

Real-resculpt: ZIMBABWE BIRD

2010-01-27T03:26:00.000-08:00

Work in progress: ZIMBABWE BIRD phase 0.01
Finally I am combining physical sculpture and digital sculpture. From idea I have had from my notebook, to a rough armature, then attaching RP Crow skull Scrimshaw printout to the armature and what will eventually a final sculpture- (whether the final will be digital or analogue has yet to be decided).

Voxel figure study

2010-01-20T16:40:00.001-08:00

Speed sculpt exercise done in 3D Coat.

3D paper printer

2010-01-14T23:03:00.000-08:00

Finally an ecologically friendly 3D printer, it uses standard photocopy paper - no more plastic epoxy -now I just need to find bureau that uses these machines and get some print outs on the bio- degradable 3D print outs.

MakerBot

2010-01-14T23:02:00.000-08:00

RP printing in steel from shapeways

2010-01-06T01:24:00.000-08:00

The team at shapeways did such a good job on the CrowSkull scrimshaw that I am thinking of having it printed in steel.

Unity Engine gallery test scene 0.01

2009-12-14T18:23:00.001-08:00

A very basic test scene in Unity 2.6. The aim is to create a series of viewing rooms to show off the digital works produced during my studies.

Crow Scrimshaw (Actual)

2009-11-15T15:40:00.000-08:00

I finaly recieved my first 3D print of my works from shapeways printers in the Netherlands.The piece is to be a part of my “Day Works”, a series of portrait busts and drawings, which look at human animal archetypes, specifically bird and human hybrids. The image/archetype stems from my early childhood on a farm in Zimbabwe. The image of the Zimbabwe bird was often reproduced in the soap stone sculptures produced by local people and has always been a poignant symbol. As a child in Zimbabwe I grew up with skeletons and taxidermy in people’s homes, all a part of my childhood heritage. The mounting of animal heads and sculptural busts have a similarity in presentation and it’s a need to monumentalise nature and create totems of remembrance that I explore with these and other works.
I have always felt an affinity to animal symbolism in Jungian psychology – there has always been an underlying mythological, animal theme to my art.

Day Works : Ibis/man study

2009-11-06T01:14:00.000-08:00

A purely digital work - one of my pieces explored in my "day works" - part of a series of portrait busts, which look at human animal archetypes, specifically bird and human hybrids. The Ibis image/archetype stems from my early childhood on a farm in Zimbabwe.

Along with the Ibis and its associations to Thoth, the god of the death/underworld in ancient egyptian mythology the image of the Zimbabwe bird has always been a poignant symbol in my mind. I grew up with skeletons and taxidermy in people’s homes - The mounting of animal heads and sculptural busts have a similarity in presentation and it’s a need to monumentalise nature and create totems of remembrance that I will explore with these "day works".

Whale Work : v1.0

2009-11-04T14:10:00.000-08:00

When I was away on vacation fishing up on Frasier island- there was a beached whale (Southern Wright juvenile male) not far from where were staying- This piece is going to be a homage to that beached whale, which for whatever reasons beached itself and died, and was later on the higher tides torn apart by sharks. I took photos mostly of the front section of the body, mainly the mouth and converted it into 3D data via 3Dsee which I am reworking and sculpting in 3DCoat - the drawn sketches I have put together have so far been quiet abstract - I don't know at this stage what the final form of the sculpture will take. The beauty of the shape of the mouth that seems to to come into play in the sketches a lot of the times reminiscent of the Whalebone arches used in Inuit building materials for igloos.

Video of work shown on Big Screen Project

2009-11-02T01:29:00.000-08:00

The vid:

Big Screen from Jake Hempson on Vimeo.

Works on Big Screen

2009-11-02T00:49:00.000-08:00

I recently uploaded a selection of video works to QUT's Kelvin grove big screen - So this is my first public exhibition of my works. The video I uploaded has no sound - which in the end worked out well - as I had no intention of evoking an auditory mood.
The big screen project is a student initiative which allows staff and students at QUT to display their works on giant projectors on the Glasshouse Z2.

Mask II, III

2009-10-08T20:39:00.000-07:00

Recieved some really clean base mesh data for voxel sculpts from 3DSee today - David has adjusted the app/maths beatifully - and the results from the photogrametry is near to perfect - I will now have to start creating additional user errors to create unpredictable results. Also shooting a decent set of images certainly helped - but I have to say 3DSee is now where I want it to be. RESULT!!!!!

Mask (WIP)

2009-10-05T17:07:00.000-07:00

Mask (WIP) from Jake Hempson on Vimeo.

A time lapse sculpt based off of photometric data of workmate – resulting in a mask. An exploration of his underlying bone structure.

2009-10-05T16:35:00.000-07:00

CrocSkull from Jake Hempson on Vimeo.

Starting with photogrammetric data based of off my own photography of a crocodile skull from the Brisbane museum, reworked and edited in 3DCoat.
Rebuilt (with re symmetry)with the original natural errors of the original artefact.

Exploring Sculpts in 3DCoat

2009-09-01T16:03:00.000-07:00

Some more recent work done using 3DCoat - rebuilding meshes generated from 3DSee-

Crocodile skull - blocked out.

Cow skull- is now moving into a more kutna hora feel with the addition of sculpted human femur-

Base vox of cowskull in progress.

Rhonda Beta out

2009-08-06T00:41:00.000-07:00

Well I have downloaded the beta of Rhonda and will have play this weekend - I just love the way the characters evolve it reminds me of the wire cars that kids used make back in the lowveld in Zimbabwe.

3D scanner Videos

2009-08-03T15:52:00.000-07:00

David scanner:

Also downloaded a demo of this - will see if it is useable in my workflows

PlayTest - 3D Coat

2009-06-16T21:36:00.001-07:00

Voxels, voxels I tell ya are the future, Ever since I played Outcast back in the 90's I have wanted em - now we do have em - 3D coat has a voxel sculpting section - which allows you to create holes lumps whatever you want - no restrictions- Just started playing around with it- In demo mode. Think it may well be worth a buy- has re-topology tools and UV mapping poly painting- the works bloody lovely and the interface is relatively normal and intuitive(Maya esque).

StGiles_V1.1

2009-05-27T19:17:00.001-07:00

The original stone sculpture that this digital sculpt based on is in St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland a digital sculpt based on photogrammetric mesh data (generated by 3Dsee, based on an original photograph by David McKinnon). I then re- topologised and re-sculpted - intentionally ignoring the original photographic image. The head of the character in the relief is pure digital, sculpted for the scene, based off of a combination of deer and duiker skulls - a European and African hybrid.

Amazing HC interaction/App:

2009-05-20T17:35:00.000-07:00

ILoveSketch from Seok-Hyung Bae on Vimeo.

CrowSkull Redux V1.1

2009-04-28T05:13:00.001-07:00

Flower skull with atmosphere.

A (my) version of a memento mori (a reminder that we all will die)- combined with quetzalcoatl flower skull symbol- Old world meets new world skull symbol. All a part of my personal terror management.
I have got to reference my trip to Mexico way back in 98 when I went to Teotihuacàn just outside of Mexico city (DF) .To me the combination of the skull and the, what I saw as flower petals made a long standing image - an archetype that I have revisited in this image.

This revisiting of birds and specifically bird skull imagery - there is something in the shape, a mask like quality that appears- the same mask shape was used by plague doctors in the middle ages. It all seems to tie in with death/life.

CrowSkull_Redux

2009-03-31T04:18:00.000-07:00

Working towards my passion for bones, taxidermy, sculpture and CG animation – Reworking the skeletons in my closet

2009-03-26T23:39:00.001-07:00

AKA : Using found art as a means to integrate the tactile into the non tactile digital medium.

After a leave of absence from my studies I have decided to return to my original orientation for my masters which is my digital sculpture work.

Examples of my earlier found works (1994- 1995- artwork part of Rights of passage, graphic novel).

By using the tech with the ACID vision imaged based modelling software to drive my goal of sculpting and reworking of found objects in the digital.
I am exploring imagery from my childhood in Zimbabwe- I have always seen bones as beautiful sculptures –I remember visiting friends ranch as 5 or 6 year old and seeing a huge elephant skull on their front lawn and thinking “Wow! Amazing I want one for my room!”
As a child I used to practice taxidermy with my older brother, skinning cane rats, duiker and snake and monitor lizards – I always saw the remains of creatures a great big jigsaw puzzle waiting to be solved.

Everywhere I went as a child in Zimbabwe I saw skeletons and taxidermy in people’s homes – it was a part of my child hood culture- Both my siblings still have skeletons and as their bric a brac and home clutter. It seems to be a part of our heritage of growing up at that time in that place.

Close up detail of deer skull (skull courtesy of Brisbane Museum).

This passion for this aesthetic was also reinforced by HR Geiger’s creature creation in the film Alien- but my work hopefully doesn’t have the same associations – as for me there is a purity of form – almost a landscape to the topology of bones.
I also have an illogical interest for Xeno Taxidermy but without the need for getting into the blood and guts of it so to speak. And there are the health and safety issues- hell let’s admit it - space. I live in a flat with an 8 month old child now, not a big farm where I can bury carcasses and dig them up later for fun jigsaw times.

3DSee

2009-03-26T21:58:00.001-07:00

I am working with David McKinnon to integrate the Acid vision/3Dsee application into a computer games studio workflows- demonstrating its potential commercially as well as using it as a practicing digital sculptor/vfx artist. My goal is to further develop/promote the Acid vision software in my field of expertise. Which is character modelling for real time 3D applications, simulators, games and digital sculpture.

I am also using 3DSee to convert my photographs of animal bones from the Brisbane museum to create a model and texture library to create useable (animate-able) 3D props for an animated sculpture /vfx piece, (A sort of software art piece).

This technique of mixing media real and virtual would allow me some creativity in the form of re-manipulating the bones - reconfiguring them making new species – (Digital Xeno taxidermy).
I have been looking at artist and naturalist Sarina Brewer as well as Jan Svankmeyer’s animation work as a source of inspiration for future works.

Prix Ars submission

2009-03-26T21:33:00.000-07:00

Its been a long time since I have updated my blog-
I have been working on a less educentric approach to my work - I have veered away from the educational videos back to digital sculpture - aproaching digital sculpture from it use as a virtual archiving tool as in use by 3Dsee and instead using its library of assets (as well as my own) in "found art" aproach- butone in which I can then manipulate and edit.

BirdSkullVideo_Process from Jake Hempson on Vimeo.

Prix Ars submission info from Jake Hempson on Vimeo.

Intro: Key topology areas

2008-04-23T04:00:00.000-07:00

Intro: Key areas of deformation. (2mins 34 sec)

Shoulder/Chest Area.(2mins 58 sec)

(Very rough pass video cuts of modeling for deformation- feedback welcomed)
The first vid is an intro to areas to be covered in the full tut series, the second video is a run down on "traditional modeling" techniques for the chest/shoulder area-(to be updated with a more conceptual topology flow video of the funnel crossed with a cape concept).

First pass concept vid of the "Funnel" flow concept in action.

MODELLING FOR ANIMATION OR TOPOLOGY FOR DEFORMATION: SCRIPT

2008-03-17T23:22:00.000-07:00

Topology for animation: The human body- the shoulders:

What we will be covering in this chapter - where the important topology lies on the upper body of a person. Specifically the key area of deformation around the shoulder: (Fade in Skeleton+ High res mesh)

What we would like to introduce is the concept of key edges or cuts for deformation which run from under the under the pectoral muscles (label), up over the top of the arm bicep/triceps area (+label as red edge loop appears) and around to the back/scapula area (label). (Camera moves around high level geometry over skeleton, as labels of muscle groups appear….pop…pop)

Why is topology for this area so important? (high level geometry fades out)

The shoulder area has the most extreme movement in both rotation and translation - (fade in Skeleton animation of movement extremes).

The Scapula (label) and Humerus (label) act as a ball and socket joint with 180 degree rotation along the z axis. [FEEDBACK NEEDEDHERE] The scapula (label) which supports the arm can also translate around from the back around the rib cage (Skeleton animation: rolls the scapula to drop the shoulders slumping the chest)

Key concept: A popular solution is to think of a poncho (or cape) dropped

over the shoulders of your mesh. (Camera moves around high level geometry as mid resolution poncho drops over shoulders)

With medium resolution example shown here you can see how the key loops shown in red (T- shirt version of the upper torso now starts to animate to same extremes- camera circles the mesh for +- three extremes of movement).

With careful skinning and no additional bones, this same concept can be applied to lower resolution meshes, which could be used in game. (T- shirt version of the upper torso now starts to animate to same extremes- camera circles the mesh for +- three extremes of movement).

Here the upper torso of the model is simplified to 3 rows only for shoulder

In the next video we will explore the key area of the groin and buttocks which again has large extremes of movement.

Write up new proposal including ACID work – roadmap to exegesis

2008-03-17T22:10:00.000-07:00

Concentrate proposal on:

How do I access my impact on the field through these video tutorials- is it robust practice based research

What is innovative about my practice of doing the videos?

- Simplification

- Key principles

- Non software specific.

- Short time period 1 minute to 5 minutes.

I also need to look into education theory-how do I incorporate them into video tutorials/teaching practice and Guerilla CG.

Topology concept- draft video

2008-02-02T22:54:00.000-08:00

Meeting Notes: 14.10.07

2007-10-15T15:44:00.000-07:00

Notes from my 15 minute meeting with supervisors :

What are my eventual aims and outcomes of the M.A. ?
Is it the process or artifact/artwork that is my aim?

>If it is the process---> Then is this process then going to be a working practice specific for games - as a research question developing a working model for getting sign off on 3D sculpts -iteratively reworking and getting additional feedback from the client-art director- i.e. similar sign off procedure as Lucas arts uses for is 2D concept artists. Where George Lucas will draw or write feedback on the actual prints of the works. Then the concept artists will then implement the feedback and print it out. George will again review and comment - this cycle will continue until George is satisfied.

This sort of process of using Maquettes is used in Film but have yet be used as standard working process in games.
Can I make this a part of my working practice as a games artist?

>If it is the artifact---> Then I need to steer my research into the unknowns of "Fine Arts" (prejudicial) and then the question is why?Then how?

Sharing skills: Video tuts as an offshoot of practice/as practice?
I have started recording my digital learning process using Camtasia (screen grabbing software).
This is part process of sharing work also in part because I am now teaching full time and need to improve my teaching and ergo work flow process and documentation.- also the people that are really well respected and skilled are people that share their knowledge. Since I have come here to Oz I have been sharing what I know through giving talks though organizations such as IGDA . I am going to continue doing that by documenting my process. (thats one of the plans anyway).

Also went to the library yesterday evening and got out some great books on electronic/digital art/science art - One of which I am reading is from the Ars Electronica group (in the list of links) - I will post up any conclusions as and when. (Plus links to books and ISBN numbers).

SILO: Demo play

2007-10-15T06:42:00.000-07:00

Just having a bit of a play with SILO - Thinking about buying it-I want to develop my speed modeling and it has loads of other features such as sub-division re-topologising tools e.t.c.

Virtual_Kas(Update)

2007-10-12T19:58:00.000-07:00

Sculpt image uploaded- done for now- I am a little disappointed with the end result. I need to move onto something new - took far to long working on this CG sculpt.

Virtual_Kas(Update)

2007-09-30T05:08:00.000-07:00

Update on the virtual model-
Starting to fill in his features- I overlaid the drawing to compare where I need to update and change the sections - pretty much as I did with the clay sculpture.

Analog/Actual -Finished

2007-09-30T04:50:00.000-07:00

Saturday afternoon 29_09_07 _ Yes!!!!
I have finished the clay bust- it is now drying in its cupboard. It was successful as an experiment on the analysis of the medium of clay - successful since I had never sculpted a bust in clay before.

Really liked working with the paper based clay (its a very forgiving clay for noobs)- Even though in the end the sculpt is no longer a portrait image of David- as I rushed the working in of his eyes and lost his key features and proportions in the process.
Doing this exercise has certainly given me a better understanding of working with clay- and I really enjoy working with it- except for the fact there is no Crtl+Z in the physical world and that have to keep the clay wet. though next time I will work a little more loosely and to larger scale -which to me is the more fun aspect of clay.

I had a great time making a mess- I will be making more soon.
Though I will be looking into using sculpty or some other equivalent in the next physical(From now on I will be using the term actual) sculpt.

Update_Analog_KAS

2007-09-25T05:54:00.000-07:00

Analog Update Monday 24_09_07: From left to right- Busy reworking the back of the neck area as I was working in the clay a little to thin which resulted in me beginning to lose the supporting clay on the neck. So I reworked the base armature. Then went onto working in more detail such as adding the bulge of the eyes, reworking the ears and started on the hair detail

Update_Analog_KAS

2007-09-19T05:57:00.000-07:00

Slowing moving out from the blocking stage- just one thing to mention- good thing I am not planning on firing the bust as I am sure there are loads of air bubbles.

I am now at the stage of reworking and removing bits of clay that I don't need from the bust, which still need loads of work but the paper based clay is a pleasure to work with. I have all the reference up - now just have to get it looking like him.
(easier said than done as one can see from the images below).

Above: Just realized where I am not putting the correct volumes of clay- as one can see from the un -overlayed version below.

After looking at the the photos I have put up I realise just how unsymmetrical my model is- I have also notice that the best way to get the volumes right (for me) its to close my eyes and feel the volumes of the face- which I obviously cannot do on the Mudbox version -an avantage- also its just great to feel the flesh of ones work so to speak.

Things I do miss from working in the virtual/digital- Control z, symmetry on tools, free camera rotate - that way I can work from any angle.....

Things I don't miss from digital - NO tactile aspects.....For me sculpture is not just about seeing its about touching feeling the piece.

Process : Digital_KAS

2007-09-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

Process:
1 I'm using the pre-built ready made mesh "here is something I made earlier" method- so I start with a base mesh that I have used before in other Mudbox sketches.
2-3 Refinement of mesh, adding extra rows and rough blocking out of head shape.Rescaling and re-positioning of nose and ears.
4 Adding of eyes and completion of blocking out. (At this stage it doesn't look like the subject matter Dave)
5 The mesh exported as an .obj which is the subdivided in Mudbox ready for actual sculpting

Above: Additional reference image with simplified line work.

Space and Process : Analog_KAS

2007-09-15T10:00:00.001-07:00

I have just to say thanks to Ian and Charles for arranging me the space at QUT - I love it its great to get a space where I can think and make a mess. I have started personalizing the space -even if I get kicked out in a couple of months or so I want to be inspired so I am gonna stick up pics up of whats out there.

Hell the space is bigger than the unit I live in- Fan-bloody -tastic!!!

Analog Process:
1- Tools: Basic students pottery kit, paper based clay as its seen as stupid proof, spray for wetting clay,wire for armatures, brushes and sponges for something.
2- Base Structure : made up from paper trash and coffee cup found in the studio, I also use a an bit of wire for support -all of which will be removed from the sculpt when dry.
3- Underlying support/armature :hopefully my clay slaps that I put over this will not collapse and crack
4-Beer and thoughts: Cheers to my neighbor

Now I just have to pull this baby off

Table sketches: Just some arbitrary sketches I did on the table.
I am doing the "hey I 'm an artist so I can!" thing...WOOT! - Cynicism aside I did feel comfortable in the space/place..so who knows I may get some things done after all.

Notes on exercise:_KAS

2007-09-05T20:37:00.000-07:00

I will make the same artefact twice

Initial concepts: a bust of a person - David Kassan came to mid as I had promised to make a sculpture based on him. A sculpture referencing skeletal anatomy images of birds and predators. (Xeno biology?)

What do I want to analyse?

Which piece do I make first?

Process- Technique

In Mudbox (Virtual) and in Clay (Analog)

Process- Creative approach

Virtual- Ease of use and familiarity

Analog- tactile-ness of working with clay

Why am I doing this exercise- to find out in which medium I am more comfortable, what are the differences in the mediums.

Though in both cases the end result is a sculpture.

Documentation- Journalise my process through this blog- which will then be used as a basis of an essay for my “Approaches to Enquiry”. (2000 words)

Timeline
Journalise and create pieces up to week 2
Rough draft of essay submitted to supervisor’s week 3
Submit end of week 4 (Week 10- Wednesday 10October)

Subject matter for first study:_KAS

2007-09-05T05:55:00.000-07:00

I will be finally getting around to doing what I said I would - creating a sculpture (bust) of David Kassan- who re-introduced me to the art of oil painting at a workshop that I did over here in Australia. (see my sketch blog for weekend info).
David is a New York based artist, more info on David here- http://davidkassan.com/

I will be creating
1X Virtual(mudbox) and 1XPhysical(clay).
The above image will be used as a basis of his sculpt, I will also be looking at his self portraits for inspiration/reference + couple of crappy sketches I did of him while on the workshop.

Till then.

Considerations 01

2007-07-18T04:30:00.000-07:00

All things I need to star considering - what gets me up about this project/premise/idea - how am I to do it?

Sculpt a base model/maquette[PHYSICAL] > 3D Scan > re-topologise {VIRTUAL} > rework {VIRTUAL} > Steroligraphy 3D RP print out [PHYSICAL] >>>> rework/tweak model (complete?) [PHYSICAL]

Alternative end result>>>> Use the RP print out combined with initial base model/maquette as part of hollow casting process in preparation for Bronze casting

Alternative end result>> Re-scan and exhibit as l exhibit {VIRTUAL} and [PHYSICAL]

Qs for me
How many times do I need to cross the divide?
How will the number of iterations affect the end result?
Can this enhance my creative process?

Also to consider is the end medium of the rapid prototyping (RP)- As the availability of a computer controller wood router at QUT interests me as the medium brings with it its own sense of aesthetics-and tactile appeal.
As well as investigating the standard resin based RP machines.

"Yes and...... so what.....?"

Whats the value of what I am doing - How can this exercise be seen as having relevance to others not involved in CG or in the physical sculpture- I have got to come up with some sort of answers for that.... hmm!!!!!

I also seem to want to question the differentiation of 3D CG and sculpture -can 3D be accepted as legitimate sculpture (proper art-like - eh!) and as not some offshoot of 3D game/film technology

Also I hope that when we have the situation of RP machines being as commonplace as todays ink jet printers -and people can RP what ever the hell they want. (which I believe is one of the aims of the RP manufacturer's) I still want the objects created to have value and not seen just as some virtual/easily duplicated object ready for download as some widget to be added to your internet leeching trophy room- as I know folk love to collect and leech off stuff off the web...just cause its there.

Anyway I am just rambling now.I promise to make more sense in my next post! (Homework -work out where lies my aesthetic values - themes, artists works, previous explorations etc...)

First Post

2007-07-17T05:29:00.000-07:00

O.K.
I have set this blog up as a document of my thought process in my preparation and exercises for my Master of Arts research degree. I will be documenting my W.I.P pieces through this blog-and generally logging my brain storms and on some days (weeks?) brain stalls.

Anyway- Today I met with my supervisor Chris barker, and he started the ball rolling by asking me what I wanted to get out of this: What do want of this traversal between mediums-

Essentially I want prove/promote that there is no difference between the virtual sculptural medium and the physical sculptural mediums-
To be an artist who is comfortable working in a Hi end CG virtual sculptural environment [software+hardware] and one who can be dropped off on a river bed in the bush and still be capable of making works of art, both of value. I want the art to exist irrespective of the medium.

I want lose the distinctions between the mediums :By working in the physical -then 3D scanning-reworking in CG - bringing the mediums back together through rapid prototyping and so going back and fourth-

-real- virtual-real-virtual-real-virtual-

How many times will I cross the divide? - will the mixing enhance or detract from the art process - how much more fun is tactile of the real vs the control z of the virtual- if only life a had an undo button....

I also learned today that QUT has computer controller wood router-which will be great fun to get a figurative sculpture tooled out and that will allow me to then rework it in the flesh so to speak.

Anyway-
I will be arranging another meeting with my other supervisor, Charles Rob sometime in the next week.
And getting my act together for QUT