Jul 10, 2009

Moving Right Along

Still tinkering away on my Anomalocaris model for the ART Evolved gallery in Sept.

Overall I'm very happy with my model, but now it is down to pesky details. I need to fix how the lighter under"belly" of the tentacle segments wrap around to the front, and remove this lighter tone from the eye stalks.

With the completion of the new mouth, I think it is safe to safe to say Anomalocaris is nearly done.

What is so scary though is how my Anomalocaris is quickly outshining my Dinosaurs by so much. I'm happy with this guy in a way few of my Dinosaurs even come close to achieving.

5 comments:

Sean Craven said...

Yeah, this is looking really good -- and I'd have to say that it is a step up from your dinosaur work.

I think it may have something to do with the physical nature of the beast. Arthropod-types have a mechanical quality to them visually, and based purely on looking at 3D illustrations, I think that mechanical quality is a lot easier to model than the more 'organic' (wrong word, but I can't find the right one) shapes of endoskeletal types.

Think of it this way -- what's easier to model in a 3D program -- power armor or a nude figure?

(Not having done 3D, this is just a guess, but it's an educated guess.)

Anonymous said...

Craig, I think I have an answer. Think...Complexity. Dinosaurs are more complicated organisms than Anomalocaridids as they are the first Arthropods. Sure they have more appendages, but it's like drawing an insect, I have more trouble with drawing dinosaurs than I do an Arthropod because, in a way, their very simple. That may be why your Anomalocaris turns out better than your Dinosaurs...not that your dinosaurs are bad, Craig.

Weapon of Mass Imagination said...

Sean- You are quite right about 3D Arthopod construction. These guys are really easy to build.

It is annoying as a result. I can turn out a Burgess Shale critter in under 2 hours, compared to the days I spend on one Dinosaur... Yet the Burgess ones look as good or better. BOO!

Raptor- Well it has nothing to do with the complexity. A 3D arthropod is made of hundreds of pieces they way I build them. Unless a Dinosaur has armour or feathers it is typical no more then 20-40 pieces. Most of those being details like, eyeballs, eyelids, claws, tongues, and gums.

Its the simplicity of vertebrate forms that kills me. Their really just one big fluidic piece, but I have to break them down and build them as many pieces.

Dinorider d'Andoandor said...

that last picture is impressive, I liked it, it is kinda lordvaderish!

Redeye Malone said...

the angle of the front tentacles is interesting but makes sense in the context of pulling food up to the mouth.