fantasticstructures-blog

[fantasticstructures-blog]

- Video - 

[fantasticstructures-blog]

- FINAL ROCK HOUSE - 

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- LIGHTING - 

To create the lighting, I tried several different types of lighting and tried rendering it at a lower resolution to test the lighting. 

I then added an image plane at the bottom to place the house on so that it ha some context. The image is off a muddy Forrest ground as i wanted to show the rocks in its natural surroundings to further highlight its juxtapositions. 

The lighting in the scene had to further represent the context in which the rocks were placed (see lat image).

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- ADDING TEXTURES - 

To create the textures, I looked at you tube tutorials to see how people made rocks look realistic.

i also searched online in the mudbox library to find images for rock textures. 

Using the paint tools in mudbox, I projected the textures onto the rocks. 

Using the spray paint tools i made areas lighter and darker to add highlights and shadows

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 - CREATING THE DOOR, WINDOWS AND ROOF - 

To create the extra features on the rock like the doors, windows and roof, I looked you tube tutorials on how it can be produced. I tried several different styles of doors and windows, but went with the ones that are shown in the last image. 

As seen in the image billow, This style of window is used in the paper bag building designed by Frank Gehry. 

Frank Gehry - Paper bag building - Sydney

To make sure the door window and roof retained their shape, I had to add extra edge loops to them. 

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- SCLUPTING THE ROCKS IN MUDBOX -

The second step was to add a rock like texture to these shapes. To do this, I used sculpting tools in mudbox along with stamps and stencils.

In particular, i used the stamping tool, grab tool, knife tool and scrape too to get the desired shape. 

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LEARNING MAYA - SETTING UP BASIC LIGHTING

In this tutorial i learnt the following things:

different types of lighting in maya and their functions. 

how lighting is a way of painting an image

creating shadows and smoothing those shadows

creating more accurate shadows using ray tracing

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LEARNING MUDBOX - ROCK TUTORIAL

In this tutorial I learnt the following things:

interconnecting files and working with them within maya and mudbox

creating a base mesh and using tools in mud box such as grab and imprit to create an organic form

using the stamps and stencils in mudbox along with the sclupting tools

hight poly to low poly meshes using the bump map to wrap the texture of the map

texturing using the pint tools in mudbox

render settings and using the sun and sky lighting for mental ray in maya 

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Planning/Textures

The images show textures that i want to use on each element of the house.

Rock: For the the outside structure, I want to use a very rough but dark grey texture of actual rocks. Using the bump map tool on Maya, I want to elevate some parts of the texture to give it a more realistic look. 

Door and Window: For these two elements, I want to mainly use glass as the aim is to juxtapose the urban and the natural environments.   

Roof: For the pattern of the roof, I want to use a slate roof design.   

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Prototype

ROCKS BY THEMSELVES

These Images are of the final physical model of the rock house. The model is just a prototype that I will use as a guide when creating the house on maya. As seen in the images, The side views and the front views represent the rock formation and only when you look from the front you notice that its a house. I wanted to make the structure look uneven and almost make it look like the unfinished house.  

In Maya, I think i will have to use the cube up modelling technique to create the rocks, I might also have to use a sculpting software that allows to play with the shape of each rock.

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Using blue foam

It was quiet difficult to visualise the rock house as the shape of each rock is asymmetrical from all sides. I decided to build a physical model of the the house so that I could get a clear picture of the top of the house and the front view of the house which will later be helpful when designing my 3D model in Maya. To this this, I experimented with a material that I had not used before, blue foam. Using the hot wire, I carved the shape of the three rocks separately making sure that neither were the same in shape or size, individually and from all sides. I want to make sure they looked very natural. It was quite a fun process to learn how to use blue foam and carve it using a hot wire machine. Not only did I manage to make a physical model of my design, but I also learnt new techniques which could come to use in future projects.   

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Ideas - Some sketches

In the following images I started to draw out ways in which I could incorporate the urban and environmental shapes together. 

The concept that I want to take further is the very last image with the balancing rocks. A typical house has a door, a roof, windows and a body/structure that holds all these elements together. In this concept I have juxtaposed the body of the house with the body of the roof. They have similarities such as both are strong structural elements but a rock is very organically shaped in comparison to the body of a typical house. I have replaced the body of the house with rocks that balance on top of each other, bringing the element of an organic shape into the structure. Rock formations are a very common part of nature but wouldn't it be fantastical if we were to see being part of the structure of a house? 

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Concept - Shapes

As I was walking on the streets, I started to notice the differences between what is man made and what is natural. I specifically started to notice that the shapes from by nature are uneven and organic while most urban architecture is very geometric. It would be interesting to juxtapose these differences in shapes by placing or replacing urban architecture with natural formations from the nature.

To take a closer look at the different formations of the urban environment and natural environment, I took closeup pictures and pictures that suggested shapes from both environments. 

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT - ORGANIC SHAPES

URBAN ENVIRONMENT - GEOMETRIC SHAPES

Notice the differences between the natural and urban environment. The organic shapes found in nature are very uneven and free flowing. When this is compared this to the urban of manmade environment, we she shapes that have straight lines and are somewhat ridged. The use of material is also very different. The use of material in the natural environment is very rough and uneven with many shades of green and brown. The texture of the urban environment is smooth, and looks finished. There is also extreme use of glass in the urban environment.  

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This Article suggest through examples, different ways that architects have used juxtaposition in their structures. 4 different ways of juxtaposition have been mentioned. Architects often combine these form of juxtapositions simultaneously.

EXAMPLE 1 - JUXTAPOSITION OF MATERIAL THE LOUVRE

Louvre is one of the most visited museums in Paris and it dates back to the 19th century. The materials used here are stone, that is bold and dynamic. Although in the centre is a pyramid made of glass. The reflective glass of the pyramid contrast against the stone. As these materials are juxtaposed against each other, They both demand equal attention.  

EXAMPLE 2 - JUXTAPOSITION OF SHAPE TAJ MAHAL

A 17th century indian monument that uses that uses a stubble juxtaposition of shape. The overall shape is rectangular but there are curved arches fixed within these as a contrasting element. This makes the structure more dynamic.  

EXAMPLE 3 - JUXTAPOSITION OF EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR BILBAO SPAIN

Architects often create a different aesthetic for the interior and the exterior of the house which draws attention to each element. TheBasque Health Department headquarters in Bilbao is created using an angular shell on the outside and normal rectangular offices on the inside. When dark, The interior and exterior elements juxtapose against each other.

EXAMPLE 4 - JUXTAPOSITION OF SETTING THE GHERKIN

Buildings are always placed in settings and never in isolation. This urban skyscraper in London is juxtaposed against The historic neighbourhood of London. Both past and future innovations have been contrasted in this setting.(Muscato n.d.) 

Muscato,C n.d., Juxtaposition in architecture, Study, accessed 1 April 2017, <http://study.com/academy/lesson/juxtaposition-in-architecture.html#lesson>

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JUXTAPOSITIONS IN MY SURROUNDINGS

As I was walking in my surroundings, I notice the following juxtapositions:

There were two identical buildings next to each other, One was a plain grey colour and the other was patterned. The patterned building stood out over the plain building  

In the structure of the man taking photography, The man is juxtaposed against a dog, The head of the man has been replaced by the head of the dog which makes the structure unreal

when I was at MCA (Museum of contemporary art) in the weekend, I noticed this fantastical balloon installation. The balloon is made to look like it is a hard surface by replacing the rubber like feel of the ballon with a metal like finish. The artist has made this idea richer by placing things on the surface that almost look like they are growing out of the surface

As I was walking in the city area of Sydney, I noticed these two buildings that juxtaposed against each other. The one in the front is an olden style architecture and the one behind represents the geometrical urban environment that we now live in. The use of material and shapes between the two are drastically different which creates a strong juxtaposition. 

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LEARNING MAYA - UV MAPPING

In this tutorial, I learnt the following things about UV mapping:

UV mapping is the last stage of the modeling process and and creates a reference map which can then be used to add texture onto the object 

The process is time consuming and requires patience 

Using the paint selection tool to select the faces on the object to be mapped. 

Learnt how to create separate maps of the ear, mouth, lips and face and then combine them together using the move and sew UV edges tool.

I faced some difficulties when combining the maps together as I had missed out a couple of faces on the ear. These were easily fixed when i double clicked the face and presses the move and sew tool. It automatically moved the faces to fit in the correct positions in the ear.   

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Vladimir Kush

Vladimir Kush is a Russian born Surrealist painter and sculptor. After several years of working as an artist in Moscow, his home, he moved to the united states, eventually opening up his own gallery. His work is highly influence by Salvador Dali paintings and the work of pre - surrealistic artist, Hieronymus Bosch. Kush usually works with oil painting on canvas or board (Mitchell 2012). 

DEPARTURE OF THE WINGED SHIP

One of his most famous paintings that depicts a massive three masted sailing ships that show the ship being directed by butterflies instead of sales. Kush highlights the similarity found between the sails and ships ( both can be used to create movement) to create this juxtaposition. The Painting further depicts this idea of freedom and adventure which is shown through this wide ocean and the wings of the butterfly (Cudded 2011). 

AFRICAN SONATA 

In this painting the environment of the landscape is real, like the sky the land but the animals plants and grass have been given unrealistic properties. The sounds of the animals are represented by musical instruments. As seen in the painting, the trunk of the elephant is replaced by a Euphonium and the doe is represented by an lyre over its head. As the sound of an elephant is the loudest in the painting, it is represented with the loudest instrument and placed in the centre (Azmiblog n.d.).  

Mitchell, L 2012, Valdimir Kush, F & W Publications Inc, Broomfield

Cudded 2011, Paintings by Valdimir Kush, accessed 2 April 2017, <http://www.cuded.com/2011/10/paintings-by-vladimir-kush/>

Azmiblog n.d., Art Blog, accessed 2 April 2017, <https://azmiblog.tumblr.com/post/101760245618/visual-description-of-the-african-sonata-by>