Another update for my Victorian marble fireplace in Blender. I’ve added some decorative andirons (holds the wood up off of the ground), some wood, and an ornate set of brass tools including a poker, tongs, brush, and dust pan.
Here is the marble fireplace mantel further along. I created the molding at the top and started adding the decoration. I used some of the decorative work from an artist on blendswap.com which is very helpful since it is very detailed sculpting, and I can concentrate on creating the rest of the structure.
I also started texturing the mantel with a white marble and the inside with a red brick. The mantel has very subtle subsurface scattering applied to look like real marble, which is the effect of light entering an object and bouncing around (like wax or skin).
I’ve moved on to the fireplace section of the library. I’m modeling a white marble mantelpiece for this wood burning Victorian fireplace. Here is the first blocking in stage with the red section in place of the brick that will be placed later.
Here is an updated version of the flat top desk I’m working on. I added black walnut wood grain, mushroom turned wooden knobs, inset metal keyhole surrounds, and a decorative element underneath the kneehole – all historically accurate.
Also, thanks to the advice of Hannah, one of my friends and patrons, I went with the green leather and gold inlayed desk top.
For now I am moving on to my next part of the room, the fireplace, but I’ll come back to the desk if I need to. There are little adjustments to make it more real, like dirt and general wear and tear. I would also like to rig the model so that I can open and close the drawers.
I’m working on a home library for my main character, the tycoon. I haven’t decided on a scene yet, but it’ll be nice to create a virtual stage. It’s also a great way to research the era because I have to learn about the history of every object I create.
Here is the first test render for the library desk. It’s just the blocking in stage, without details or textures applied. It’s called an American double pedestal flat-top desk, circa 1840-1880, a similar style to the one made in England at the time.
I’ve been scouting a real life location for my fictional city, Autumn, and I think I’ve found it. Sneak peak of the terrain!
This image is a section of real Virginian topography where the downtown location will be. Disregard the green color. To the left and right corners are mountain ranges and a river is meandering like a snake to the left.
The actual location will remain a mystery, unless you try and figure it out yourself, because my fictional city is supposed to represent a few different real life locations. This image will be used for sculpting the environment and generally setting up the mountainous background.
This was my first full attempt at a digital painting after years of painting with oil paints. It was also my first real attempt at moving away from my older subject matter of miniature people into the historical vein I’m interested in now. Photoshop CS3, Intuos 4, 2012
This was an early test of combining a 3d model with a photograph for reference. Instead of working from photographs only, I wanted to test my digital painting skills and my 3d modeling. Original figure reference is from an old Time Magazine photo of a soldier during WWII. Photoshop CS3, Intuos 4 + Google Sketchup
I love old steam train locomotives, always have. Since my story will feature a railroad tycoon, I decided to try and model a 3d train engine. It gave me a chance to have a point of reference for future scenes and also to understand the mechanics of the machine. This is the clay model I sculpted using Blender without any textures or colors.
My digital sketch of American tycoon Henry Clay Frick. Character inspiration for the new painting series. Photoshop CS6.
Welcome to Autumn, my newest project, is a fictional story about a small town in Virginia, told through drawings and paintings. This 3d render of a fictional antique book is an illustrated history of the town starting back in the 1870′s.
Check out the post on patreon.com to help support the project.
