Tornado GR4

Recently I've been working on this beauty, modelling a Tornado GR4 to scale in 3DS Max. The aim of this project was to develop all of my existing skills in Max and VRay by taking a real world vehicle and building it from scratch. I may some point later add a simple rig to the retractable wings, landing gears etc, but for now here are some pics highlighting each stage of the pipeline so far. 

Fig.1: Modelling (Aerial View)

Fig.2: Modelling (Shot Cam)

Fig.3: UV Layout (Aerial View)

Fig.4: UV Layout (Persp Cam)

Fig.5: Texturing Stage 01 (Shot Cam)

Fig.6: Modelling Stage 02 (Aerial View)

Fig.07: The result so far 

Using 3DS Max and VRay to Create a Hyper real Still Life Set

Overview:

The main objective of this task was to develop my skillset in VRay by pushing myself to make a hyper real still life set. 

I used the VRay Blend materials of an SSS2 shader and a standard VRayMTL for the plants and fruit. The helped me get nice glossy reflections over the fruit whilst applying sub-surface scattering. 

Throughout the scene I used some of Max's standard maps such as Fractal noise, cellular maps and dent maps to add some extra details into the renders. 

Fig.1

Fig.2

Fig.3

Fig.2 and Fig.3 show how my model changed a lot throughout the progression of this project. The cabbage for example was completely remodelled after I took photographs of real cabbage leafs to develop an opacity map for each individual leaf. 

Fig.4 The Final Result

University Demo Reel

Short, sharp and sweet; this post features my University demo reel. A collection of my best bits I developed throughout my three years in Rochester with Maya and the Adobe suite.

University Major Project: Outcome

Overview:

This blog pretty much kicks off from where Uni finished. This was the climax of my studies, my major project, which again focused on creating a series of Games characters and environment using Autodesk Maya, After effects and Photoshop. 

This project required me to think about the design of my characters and their target audience as well as pushing forwards  my existing knowledge of a CG games pipeline (see the attached document for a detailed understanding of my various procedures and decisions in the progression of this project).  

The aim of this project was to:

a) develop five coherent characters with a complete character profile.

b) Out of those five, chose the strongest three to develop into 3D characters (along the games pipeline as detailed). 

c)To then develop am environment around the characters in which they would be able to perform. 

d) Create a turnaround for the characters and an animation which displays how the game may work. 

e) develop rules for the game. 

f) establish branding for the game which reflects the characters style. 

See what I came up with...

Fig.1 Nipper the Crab

Fig.2 Patch the Turtle

Fig.3 Woo-Zee the Whale

The Art of the Aqua Marines: Major Submission. by shanmason93

Operation Market Garden.

Overview:

I feel that my first significant contribution to the world of CG came in my second year at university; whereby I was tasked to create an 'adaptation' from a textual source and develop it through a CG pipeline. 

Having recently been inspired by the war poetry of the first and second world wars, I decided to pick the famous battle of Arnham (1944) as my source for adaptation.

As for the pipeline of work, I decided to manifest this source through a 'games' pipeline, (which is why I feel this work is a significant contribution), this means it was my first introduction to high poly- low poly modelling ( or LODS), baking, maximizing and using texture and UV space to its full potential, as well as introducing myself to Hardware rendering and Maya's viewport 2.0. 

Despite being a relatively old project, I think it is still significant because I started to look at CG as a neat and perfected method of art rather than slamming a model with geometry and/or using texture space wastefully. 

Anyhow, below is my final turnaround, featuring its key assets as well as the bridge itself. I've also included an old research powerpoint so you can see my methodology, mistakes and sucesses throughout the project. 

Art of Arnhem by shanmason93