Ivy Skross: FlatFab

Concept:

For my Flatfab organic structure, I used seaweed and coral as my inspiration. In order to make my organism look like it was flowing underwater, I took a more freeform approach to drawing the tendrils. I wanted this piece to look like it could be a backdrop in a theatre performance of some kind.

Techniques:

I made the model in Flatfab. I drew each layer and then connected them by creating more branches of the sea plant. I tried to make the branches free-flowing and in many different directions in order to give it the appearance of being underwater. The organic shapes and asymmetry also give it the appearance of being a living organism. In rhino, I created a spotlight to add lighting and then rendered it.

Materials:

In Rhino, I used multiple colors of shiny plastic to give it the appearance I wanted. I used a variety of different green and bluish shades for the color scheme. If this were to be brought into the real world, I would love to see it made out of powder-coated metal sheets.

Ivy Skross: 3D Print

Concept:

My 3D print design is a deconstructed sphere made out of knots. The model is made out of two spheres: one on the inside and one on the outside. The inside sphere is a very precise pattern where spacing is equal throughout. It has stems coming from certain points on the inside which connect and hold the inner and outer spheres. The outer sphere is less of a pattern and takes a more organic look. I wanted to imitate how tree roots look but if they were shaped into a rubber band ball-like shape.

Techniques:

The model was created with TopMod. I used cubes and the different selection tools to extend the various knots that create the twisting shapes in my model. After the initial shape was complete, I smoothed out the shape to give it a smooth, round shape. I then took it into Rhino to get the STL file ready for 3D printing. I sent my print to Shapeways for them to print because I wanted the print to be sturdy and professional grade. I rendered the object in Keyshot and then used passes to make the final snapshot in photoshop.

Materials

For the render, the material I used was brass which I edited later in photoshop to mute the shiny material a bit. For the 3D print, I chose to print with processed versatile plastic in a bright orange color. I intended for my print to be a nice ornament for my patio table so I thought the orange color would pop against green grass and trees and look interesting.

Ivy Skross Render Passes

Concept:

I wanted my 3D model to look like it could be a jungle gym. Playground equipment is usually powder coated with bright solid colors to make it appealing to children who play on it. So, I made my model very brightly colored in photoshop to reflect that. The one that ended up on the back plate is more vibrant than the one on the solid color. The actual odel is based on a 3D celtic knot.

Techniques:

I used Keyshot to make different passes. I used all of the default passes except I made my own diffusion and occlusion layers. I made the shadow in photoshop as opposed to keyshot because I like the look and control I had in photoshop. In photoshop I organized my layers and played with them until I got the look I wanted.

Materials:

The main material used was White gloss paint. I knew that I could just use color overlays in photoshop to add the colors I wanted to. So, I used white paint to get the shadow quality and glossy finish I wanted. I used other materials when making the passes but none of them show in the final shot.

Twinkle Shah: Hammer Model

Concept
For this project, I tried a different approach and decided to do some brainstorming on paper before working in Rhino. I did some sketching, and found a reference of a walking stick that gave me some inspiration for the shape and form of the 3rd hammer I sketched below. This is ultimately the one I chose because I found the shape unique, ergonomic, sleek, and minimalistic. 

Ideation Sketches

Victorian Walking Stick - Inspiration for form of the hammer

Rhino Model with Layers

Rhino Model Ghosted Painted Black

Rendered Hammer Model

Rendered Hammer Model - Perspective Shot

Process

To make the hammer model transform from a sketch to a 3D model, I started out by perfecting a curve for the head, and a curve for the handle, and then piped the two with flat caps. I then joined the 2 and then worked on trimming the 2 ends of the pipe for the head into a shape that would be suitable for hammering. Next, I extracted a subcurve from the curve I used for the pipe, and then moved it closer to the edge where the pink silicone part would be on the handle. I then duplicated the handle and then trimmed out the pink piece from the duplicate, and then capped that with an extrusion from the subcurve, and then joined the 2 pieces back together. I repeated this for the top of the hammer as well. Next I added some chamfers at the bottom of the handle, and at the 2 sides of the hammer head. 

Then it was time for rendering. After I assigned my materials and set up my environment and lighting, I took the images into Photoshop and gave more shading and highlights to the pink silicone parts, because I could not get it to look realistic enough in Keyshot. I used the dodging and burning tools in Photoshop and dropped the opacity of those adjusted layers, and changed the mode to soft light. I think the result was much more realistic looking than the 2D plastic look from before. I also toned down some of the highlights on the metal because they looked too dramatic next to the silicone's.

Materials
I wanted to keep the materials simple and straightforward, so I stuck to only 2 materials: a silicone/rubber type material, and a silver metal. For the silicone, I used a Axalta painted plastic, and added some more dimension to it with the dodging and burning tools in Photoshop to make it appear more realistic and more like silicone. The metal is a Zinc with a radial brushed texture, which I think turned out to compliment the form of this hammer well.

Rochelle Offret: Project 3 - Hammer

Concept: For the hammer I wanted to explore making a hammer that was more of a functional weapon and tool.  I gained the majority of my inspiration for this project from a meat cleaver, and Elder Scrolls: Skyrim. The Champions Cudgel is much larger in the game making it a two handed weapon.  I wanted to create something that realistically be more like a hammer and weapon combo. I used this image for my reference.

Process: I started off using curves to create the majority of the shapes for the hammer.  Then using extrusions, revolves, and rails, I created the main components of the hammer. For the peaks on the head of the hammer I created one cone, and then used an array to fill the rest of the face across the x and y axis. I also created some basic embellishments with ellipses and circles, while using Boolean difference to get the effect I wanted from them. I then went around the entire hammer and either filleted or chamfered every edge.  I found that I enjoyed the chamfered edges on the base of the hammer more than a filleted edge, and felt that it gave the hammer a bit more of an authoritative look.

     


Materials: For materials I wanted mostly some form of metal, except in the handle I wanted a leather type wrap for grip. For the head, claw and the majority of the base, I went with a brushed steel, and darkened the color a bit.  For the embellishments on the base is used a brushed copper and a rough niobium.  On the handle I use an earthy dark brown leather and polished niobium on the embellishments.

Ivy Skross: Project 1 Castle

Concept:

I used gothic German cathedral designs to inspire my castle. They use a lot of towers and spires in their architecture and I wanted to capture that in a more exaggerated way. I wanted my castle to look spikey and a little imposing while also having an elegant silhouette. The overhead view of my castle resembles a cross which was customary of cathedrals built in the gothic style. The dome is a more contemporary idea but still holds a place in the design. 

Perspective View

Techniques:

Blacked Out View

One of the modeling techniques I used was a command called BooleanDifference. This process creates holes in the model that serve as windows and doors. I used it to create the long windows on the side which add to the profile. I also used it to add two doors. I mostly used curves to make the shapes in my model To make the spires, I took truncated cones and pyramids and stacked smaller, cones or pyramids on top to create a layered look. I used control point curves to create the land mass and water that my structure sits on top of.

Ghosted View

Materials:

I wanted the materials of my castle to resemble a model of a castle that could exist in the real world. So the materials needed to hammer in the idea that it is a small scale recreation of something. I used a wood texture on the buildings and towers that looked a little bit like fake bricks giving it a toy-like appearance. For the land, I used a black brushed metal. I really liked the texture of it next to the blue glass that I used for the water. It makes a convincing model base. For the walls, I used a more subtle wood plank texture overtop a slightly different shade of grey than the buildings. It creates a little bit of a contrast between the two layers. The spires serve as my design's color pop. I used a metallic red material that looks great with the way the light hits it. These spires are the focal points of my design so I wanted them to pop.

Side Profile View