Generation's of My 3D Modelling

2009 has proven to be a huge year for me in my artistic development. Knowing my education theory, this leads me to speculate that I wasn't really an artist at all up until this year. This is due to a learner hitting their greatest strides and progress in their early rudimentary phases of development (the progress of a grade 1 or 2er is staggering compared to any grade above them... they grow and improve so much in those early years).

I think it amounts to my networking with new artists online, and using them as both inspiration and motivation to push myself. ART Evolved in particular has been such a positive force on my creativity this year. I can't thank my fellow members enough for making it all happen!

Given as this progress has been coming thick and fast lately, I thought it might be amusing to go through formally organize and classify my 3D modelling. A number of people have noted I have made the odd reference here and there to certain models being a "Mark: [insert number]", but that I have never really laid out my criteria as to what this means.

That changes as of today! Welcome to the eras of Craig's modelling! (I'm intending on updating and adding to this as I go)...

Mark: Zero

These are all the models I did with my old Raydream software, and all my cross over to Carrara work pre-2007. Essentially all these models represent is my learning and grasping basic 3D modelling and compositional concepts. They have no direct tie in or lineage to my modern art, but were where all my learning allowing my modern work took place.

Mark: 1

Though not my first effort to create a 3D Dinosaur (as you can see from my example Mark: 0 example from before), this was the first model of my current efforts.

These models features more attention to detail in their construction, and were built for the ability to sculpt the various parts into different poses. The big break through of the Mark: 1's, separating them from my previous work, was the their texturing. Each and every surface of the model had a custom texture map created for it in an outside program(minus small parts like teeth, claws, and toe and lip scales). The first time I'd ever put any attention into texturing.

Mark: 2

Despite the break through of custom shading of Mark: 1, my first texture maps were rather crude. My lack of experience using Paintshop led to the scale patterns being very symmetrical and unrealistic. After the learning experiences of Mark: 1's in this new program I was able to improve the scale making process.

I also started to put a lot more attention into the details of the Dinosaurs, and started to try and create more accurate proportions.

This was the longest running Mark generation by far, and Mark: 2's represent the majority of my palaeo models I have ever built. At the same time this Mark is where I got complacent and fell into a comfort zone.

Mark: 3

Fortunately ambition has always been one of my qualities in 3D, and I strove to conquer 3D feathers. Despite Carrara having ready made tools to do this, it can be surprisingly hard to create these feathers.

Mark: 3 models represent those in which I have applied replicated objects to the surface of a creature such as fur, feathers, and or spines.

Mark: 4

Posing my earlier "Mark" models had always been a pain, and I lost any measured proportions. This changed as of Mark: 4, when I learned to apply "skeletons" to my Dinosaurs. Skeletal rigs are a means for the computer to bend my models at certain points. Just like the joints in a real skeleton. Meaning not only do my models now pose realistically, but much easier and quicker.

Mark: 5

The latest innovation has been an upgrade to my shading techniques. In this system I have stepped in and manually drawn each and every scale. Additionally I have put greater effort and care into creating and managing layers in the shader, giving me more control to change and customize shaders for individuals.

Mosasaur Overhaul

Well with everything in my life falling to bits... shoes, pants, and now the car is "unworthy" to drive according to the transport authority (with just slightly over a month to go here in NZ)... I thought there has been a few 3D projects that could use some fixing up or outright replacement... which leads them to fit in with all the junk currently forms my basis of a life.

There is of course the whale project, which I'm planning on turning out a high quality final product of by the end of the month (knock on wood), but there has been a project I've been meaning to do pretty much since my first year here in NZ...

That is of course the Mosasaur... I guess technically I'm aiming for a Tylosaur, but I typed up the rest of this post using Mosasaur and I'm too lazy to change them all. Besides technically a Tylosaurid is a variety of Mosasaur, so I win.

He has received updates throughout many stages of my 3Ding techniques. The Mosasaur started life as one of only two "Mark: 1" generation models (the other being my first version of Larry). Pictured here in the only rendering of it I still have.

Of course as my modelling and, especially, shading techniques improved I'd try to keep the Mosasaur up to date.

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His initial Mark: 2 version was a little too Ichthyosaur in the skull...

A quick update had him corrected quite a bit!

For quite some time I came back to the Mosasaur every few months to keep him update with what I was doing 3Dwise.

As I stalled on my Mark: 2 modelling technique, the improvements got harder and harder. (The top Mosasaur is the latest version the bottom one is its predecessor).

This is where the poor guy has been sitting, never officially seeing the light of day. Yet being cutting edge when he was created, my Mosasaur is now dreadfully behind the modelling times...

I can't let this stand! I've decided he will become the prototype for my new Mark: 6 technique, which will involve a new means of creating 3D objects.

What am I aiming to improve exactly? Well I'd very much like to do a Mosasaur piece for ART Evolved, it needs to be scientifically accurate. So here are some of my current inspirations.

My latest palaeo-art obsession of late has been this Tylosaur by Julius Csotonyi. It completely captures the connection between Mosasaurs and their Monitor Lizard ancestors. Which is one of the things that intrigues me about Mosasaurs (I love monitor lizards, they are such elegant predators... except in their walking :p). Julius has accomplished this mostly through the colouration. Though a few slight hints on the skull anatomy help too.

I would very much love to capture this same feel...

Fortunately I have some fantastic reference photos of the Australian Perentie monitor lizard (Varanus giganteus), which I think if slightly modified would make an excellent Mosasaur colour pattern.

I have a couple ART Evolved articles in the works off what I've been doing with my extant references...

There are still other influences on what I'd like my Mosasaur to look like. Dan Varner is the man when it comes to restoring these marine killers back. So I'll be looking at his work from time to time.

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I've had a huge respect for the line drawings of Russell Hawley, and have found them a very good reference for the difference in skulls between various families of Mosasaurs. I've cut his Tylosaurus out from a selection of other Mosasaur types as this is what I am striving to emulate.

In addition to my recent discovery and inspiration from Csotonyi, this Mosasaur by Luis V. Rey has become one of my key references. I especially love the lower jaw and all the teeth on this guy!

Lastly is this old reference of mine, by I think, John Sibbick. If anyone knows one way or the other I'd appreciate it. Anyways I love his paddles.

I have one big question before launching into my effort. Monitor Lizards and Snakes, Mosasaurs closet living relatives, both have lips covering their teeth. Did Mosasaurs too?

This makes a huge difference to my restoration effort. So I'd like to know.

Anyways I'm going to conclude this huge online ramble. Just firing a few of my thoughts and feelings onto paper (after a fashion :P). I find it sometimes helps.

Start updating you once I've dived into this project.

New 3D Modelling Frontier

Despite the Brachiosaur piece not being quite as grandiose as I'd hoped (so very few of them ever are though), it marks yet another step on my growth as an artist.


In particular I have conquered UV texturing mapping, and honestly can't see much in the way of improving it to shade my creatures. Not that I'm not saying there isn't room for fine tuning and tweaking. However as far as major improvements and innovations sadly I'm going to need new software for any more of those.

My current Paintshop square texture mapping does not allow me to directly paint on my models (nor are there any ways for me to do this in Paintshop Pro that I can find... anyone know differently?). Which means this is on the backburner until I'm relocated back in Canada and can start worrying about building up my infrastructure.

One of the last major ways I can innovate my 3Ding and expand my skill base, without a software shift, is in how I actually build my models. At moment I've restricted myself to Spline modelling, which you see pictured here.


In this type of modelling think of any object as a tube like construct. I can instruct the computer at any point I choose along this tube to insert a new cross section, which you can see as black shapes through out that red object. By drawing different shapes in each cross section the computer must stretch the object between the cross sectional points to connect the the two different shapes.

This method of modelling has its advantages, which can be seen in ever piece I have ever constructed in 3D. Yet it has its limitations too. The biggest of which is changes to an object become hard outside of them being up and and down (again as the cross sections have to be mostly parallel to each other). This makes it hard to make localized details or angled indentations and protrusions. If I try to create these I typically have to simplify them due to the number of cross sections I'd have to create otherwise to get odd angled protrusions...

An easy solution to adding these details (as at moment I'm rather happy with Spline modelling for initial basic construction) is Vertex modelling. In this system an object becomes something like a mass of clay that can be manipulated (pushed and pulled) by a series of points generated on its surface. You see them here as dots connected by lines. Move any of these points and you effect the nature of those lines (which represent the objects surface) which allows you a great deal of control of details.

So far I've only tinkered a bit, and never properly learned any of the tools of specific controls.

I have produced one model with a slight degree of Vertex detailing as of last week. The new Traumador character Vicsurus the Daspletosaurus. I wanted her to look particularly battle worn, and so needed some scarring on her lips. This is where I got after an hour or so of playing. It is by no means anywhere close to where I want to be, but of course it is a start.

So expect plenty of updates and posts recording my adventures into the Vertex...

ART Evolved Pterosaur Done(?)

Worked some more on the Pterosaur last night.


Looking at it from different angles I was unsure of the dark fur colour, I'd chosen. So I lightened that down a bit. Not sure if I like it or not.

I also added the teeth, eyes, and nostrils. The head is looking a bit too much like a video game to me, but to be honest Pterosaurs don't really inspire me all that much. So I might leave it.
This was modelled after Eudimorphodon, so I guess that's what I'm going to call it. I WAS aiming for a primitive early Jurassic pterosaur, but I couldn't find any good skull references for one. I didn't realize just how early Eudimorphodon was until I looked it up last night. Oops. So I'll have to modify it the model before it appears in Traumador's life... For which I have plenty of time!