Friday, September 21, 2007

I've been working on a new way to texture my masks! I found that even though I can't really add detail on the sculpted mask itself, that doesn't mean that I can't add detail onto the model while it's still in Zbrush. I think I still prefer doing prim details; doing the detail work in Zbrush feels a little awkward and a bit more like drawing, which I'd rather do with a tablet.

Oh em gee, the truth comes out, poor Siyu has a MOUSE. Yes. And does everything with it. So stop bugging me to do clothing, it'll simply never happen while I am chained to this digital rodent tool.

However, some nice things have come from my playing with this, one design that I'm extremely happy with, and didn't end up taking pictures of, and another that I did take pictures of, that I'm still playing with ideas for detail work. However, the picture I ended up taking is just so High Fashion I had to share it with the world... it is, in the words of Tyra Banks, fierce.

When I take an awesome, beautiful, amazing and smoldering picture with a mask or an item of mine that just isn't done yet... I get torn in a couple of directions. I'm pretty much embarrassed of the item in question, and yet I can't resist the fact that I made it look so good on "digital film". So the way I'm compromising is by showing this to you, and only you, oh lovely reader of my blog, and not submitting it to Flickr. I will probably attempt to duplicate this picture with whatever the finished product ends up being.

Ok, so sometimes I forget that the problems I see so incredibly plainly and obviously aren't so obvious to many others. The reason that this mask will not be put out the way that it is, is the texture. The shading is beautiful, the part around the eyes is to die for, I love that heavy intense shading and the color is beautiful. Buuuut... the details on the forehead seem silly, and too simple, and seem to ask for more of the same in other parts. I couldn't figure out a way to make more of the same look good, so I'll probably be scrapping that in the end. I love the streak of lilac against the blue, but it blurred unexpectedly up at the top and didn't make the clean line I had hoped for. Ok, you got all that? It's not perfect yet, deal.

But it does sure make a perdy picture. Mmmmm...

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Wow, you take fantastic pictures. I love that mask ten times more now (and I did like it a lot when I first saw it). You are your own worst critic. As the creator you'll spot flaws that the rest of us mere mortals won't even know is there. Even when they're pointed out to us chances are most people will shrug and go "still looks nice". Of course you don't want nice, you want fabulously perfect and that's something to be admired. Quality is important.

The detailing you've drawn on the forehead though seems as if it'd be better as a prim than part of the design. It's the sort of pretty swirlies you usually do as prims instead of just resorting to textures. I'm sure you'll work it out though and I'm looking forward to it.

As for the graphics tablet buying one would clearly be an investment for you. I'm sure you could make the money back on it in next to no time by selling the items you made with your superb artistic skills. You don't have to get a super-expensive one do you? I know food and rent comes first though. Okay I'm biased! I love your work and would love to see what you could do with additional tools. I've also never used a tablet and still have this belief it's like a magic wand that will miraculously increase my own artistic talent a hundredthfold if I ever get one so I'd be amazed at what you could do with one.

Heh! Orrr every time someone asks you to make clothing ask them to donate to the "Buy Siyu a Graphic's Tablet" fund. :) Once you have enough cash from that you can then make all those who gave donations some lovely exclusive mask or item as a thankyou. Or just do another run of one of your marvellous limitted edition masks aaand okay I'm not good with ideas. I want to see Siyu with a graphics tablet. I want to ensure you eat and have a place to eat and electric too though.