Feeling: Productive
Music: Earth, Wind & Fire - Boogie Wonderland



Updated my gallery with samples of what I've been working on the past few months, and the keyword for this time was Maya. Up until this past November, my knowledge of working with 3D modeling packages was severely limited; I didn't have any real structure for learning anything at SIUC, barring one limited 3DSMax class. But, I got determined this past year that it was something I was going to train myself on, and so I did.

I threw myself wholeheartedly into the endeavour, and man did I pick things up! My first attempts are rudimentary for sure, but in comparing them to other artists' models, I think they show great promise. It wasn't about creating a perfect model anyway, but of touching on multiple subjects, to touch on any subject I could grasp and pick up on a workflow for working in 3D. It was long and arduous, but tons of fun, picking up on varied topics:

• Modeling
• UV Layout
  
• Texturing/Skinning
• Rigging
  
• Facial Blendshaping

Quite impressed with myself, really. Rigging was insane, I was working from guides and instruction for bipedal models, and the Iorek model is quadrapedal. Mostly similar, but at the same time I had to figure things out for myself. All in all, it made the adventure all the more fun, and by the end I could manage a lot on the fly.

I didn't get into animation, simply for the fact that I think everything I worked on up to that point was enough for my poor little brain, and animation more than the rest of the process seems like a beast unto itself. Definitely something I want to pick up knowledge on, but I think it more important to hone the skills I've sown seeds in with these projects.

In the middle of an environment model now, to break out of the character mold, as well as some 2D work to complement it! More to come!