Behind the Scenes: Forest Druid

Uncover the artistic course of behind a surprising 3D mannequin of a Forest Druid by Brazilian artist Marcel Stocker.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

Good day everybody, my title is Marcel Stocker, and I am a 28-year-old self-taught Brazilian artist. I found Blender in 2019 and since then, I studied to make 3D modeling my occupation.

INSPIRATION

Each artwork I take into consideration doing, I attempt to enhance the extent of problem in comparison with the earlier one. It’s a manner of feeling challenged to keep up high quality and, every time attainable, add one thing new.

I’ve a folder on Pinterest the place I save photos that I take into consideration sculpting at some point. For some initiatives, I put a number of of them on PureRef (a free program to create reference artboards, however with a donation possibility) and make a mixture of reference components to create one thing new. Typically I observe the idea, as was the case on this case.

Idea from the artist, “stomachache.”

After selecting the picture for the artwork, I used my artboard in PureRef to assist me block the physique.

PROCESS

Modeling

I do not use base meshes as a result of I like to coach my anatomy expertise. An excellent and sensible tip for blocking humanoid beings is to make use of the “fundamental human” from the “Rigify” add-on to have an additional information for proportions, after which you possibly can make the most of this armature to generate a rig. The quickest technique to realize blocking is to make use of the pores and skin modifier after which add quantity with the sculpting brushes. The horns observe the blocking sample with the pores and skin modifier, and the ears have been made utilizing a easy spherical mesh.

The add-ons I used I’ll describe through the course of, however there have been 3, one which comes customary with Blender, which is Rigify to create rigs for characters, and the opposite two which might be exterior: Quad Remesher (priced) for retopology and Tiny Eye (free, however with a donation possibility) for eyes. And for put up processing, I used Adobe Photoshop.

As I did not intend to do the animation and wished to optimize time, I used the “Quad Remesher” add-on; it’s paid, however for many who do fast sculptures, it’s price it, and I like to recommend it. There isn’t a secret to utilizing it; it will depend on your goal and complexity.

As for me, it’s one thing static; I sought a little bit extra decision. As soon as the automated retopology is completed, I duplicate the mannequin with retopology (I will clarify why shortly) and use the “Multires” modifier and add all of the sculpting particulars, after that I switch the main points from the sculpted mannequin to the mannequin with retopology with the Shrinkwrap Modifier, to work optimization, if you’re , seek for “Blender – Multires Modifier Excessive Poly to Low Poly” on YouTube, there are dozens of tutorials instructing this system. For the hair on the legs/ft and neck, I used the snake hook brush with a extra pointed falloff, comparable to sharp.

For the reference pose, I used face units in sculptures, deciding on the “Rotation Origins/Face Units” possibility with the “Pose” brush, together with the Rigify rig. On this case, the face units serve higher for the place of the fingers, however it’s as much as the particular person working. I did not fear about equipment or garments as a result of the motion in comparison with the blocking could be very small, so what accompanied the motion I moved later, the opposite objects have been already within the closing place.

I used the “Tiny-eye” add-on for the eyes, which has quite a lot of materials choices. The one change I made to make blocking simpler is to create a strong shade to know the place of the iris within the viewport. I made a round mesh for the sparkles and added an emission materials. Eyelashes and eyebrows are easy meshes, sculpted to the specified form.

Hair

For the hair, I used the pores and skin modifier and blocked it to suit the reference. To randomize some free hair, I used curves/paths with a customized form in “Bevel.” On the finish of the blockout, I reworked it right into a mesh, did the retopology with the “Quad Remesher” add-on, and sculpted the main points with multires (the identical method used on the physique). For the portray particulars, I exploit the low-poly model of UV Unwrap and paint utilizing texture paint. The identical technique was used on the employees: blockout with pores and skin modifier, I remodel it into mesh, sculpt the main points with multires, UV Unwrap, and paint the identical technique as on the hair.

Garments

For the garments, I used the face units device in sculptures to create the form, separated it right into a masks and extracted a duplicate, blocked it within the form and did the retopology utilizing the quad remesher, and sculpted the main points manually.

For the leaves, flowers, and bushes, I made a easy mesh utilizing customary modeling strategies after which replicated it utilizing UV Unwrap and portray with texture paint.

Texturing

For the gradient (Texture Paint), I used the “Gradient” brush, however for those who use the “Gradient” possibility within the Colour Picker, simply drag the road within the desired route, and that is it, the gradient shall be made. For the vines, I replicated the pores and skin modifier technique and the gradient.

For portray the physique and/or giant outstanding objects, I exploit the next method: when the mannequin is prepared, I duplicate it and apply the “Multires” modifier just a few instances to acquire decision, and I do all of the portray on this mesh. Then I choose the mannequin with the diminished retopology, do the UV unwrap, and bake the diffuse map for the colours inside Blender (test for tutorials on YouTube, however for bakes, it’s needed to make use of Cycles). For roughness particulars, I paint by hand when needed (Grayscale map).

Lighting

For the lights, I exploit the essential “3 Level Gentle” setup, however with some modifications. A transparent mild on the entrance with a big publicity within the Spot Gentle format (Key Gentle), which dictates the primary tone of the scene’s lighting, with a mesh on the entrance with some holes for an impact, facet lights for help (Fill Gentle) with mild colours, a help mild in entrance for the darker components within the decrease space (which is nicely away from the digital camera, only for a refined element), and a lightweight behind to stipulate the character (Rim/Again Gentle), with a shade clear and really robust exposition.

On the bottom, I exploit a mesh to be the “Shadow Catcher.” Principally, it’s a easy mesh with the usual UV through which I paint within the “Vertex Group” mode a shadow on the central level to simulate the shadow of the contact level of the character with the bottom. This method facilitates enhancing in layers (which I do in Photoshop).

Remembering that for those who render the picture with a clear background (like I did), to keep away from interference with the lighting, it is very important set the worth to zero (or black) in World Properties. A tip I discovered that could be very helpful for evaluating the sunshine publicity within the scene is within the “Render Properties” tab in “Colour Administration.” Change the default possibility in “View Remodel” to “False shade.” The nearer to blue, the decrease the publicity, and the nearer to pink, the upper the publicity. This can be a method that you’ll repeat just a few instances to know the best way to match it into your scene (consider that darkish supplies react in another way to mild; discover the garments, with the identical distance from different objects, however have completely different incidences of sunshine resulting from materials properties).

One other tip is to check different types of rendering, comparable to switching to “AgX” codecs to see the colour variations and in addition testing completely different contrasts in “Look.” In my scene, the “Medium Excessive Distinction” possibility was the perfect match. On this case I additionally made a small edit utilizing the “Use Curves” device inside Blender itself, highlighting the lights and shadows.

Rendering

For the ultimate render, I used the strategy of rendering separate layers; for instance, the brilliant mild on the top-front of the character I did in Blender, however I rendered it individually. To edit the picture, I used Photoshop, through which I added the separate layers and fitted them accurately, along with including the background and sparkles.

The turntable animation has no secret, simply the digital camera rotating across the character. A trick I exploit is to make the lights rotate with the digital camera, sustaining “static lighting.” For me, it makes it higher to observe the main points.

As I wished to be devoted to the idea, I selected to render utilizing EEVEE, because it gave me a more in-depth outcome to the colours of the idea, particularly within the eyes (I made a comparability render utilizing Cycles; you possibly can see it within the put up).