Animal: Dolphin

[daveythegravy73]

Hi everyone,

Have been inspired by my wife, Liseelulu & Pi Song to start on modeling animals. I'll probably spend about an hour each day on Animals from now on.

I used the Pi Song method of drawing a sillouette with the pen tool first, then extending points out into a dolphin shaped box.

Thanx Pi:)

http://www.purplecabbage.com/wip_images/Animals/Dolphin/Wire_02.jpg

http://www.purplecabbage.com/wip_images/Animals/Dolphin/Wire_01.jpg

http://www.purplecabbage.com/wip_images/Animals/Dolphin/Wire_03.jpg

Best Wishes

daveythegravy

[adrian]

Hey Davey,

You've got the shape down well.

Could you explain what is "Pi Song method of drawing"....? Being ignorant in art, I've never heard of this before...

Adrian.

[daveythegravy73]

Hi,

Progress update:

http://www.purplecabbage.com/wip_images/Animals/Dolphin/Wire_04.jpg

http://www.purplecabbage.com/wip_images/Animals/Dolphin/Wire_05.jpg


@ adrian:

Thankyou. Sure, PiSONG is a cool 3D artist and buddy who usualy posts on SpinQuads. He basicaly starts by drawing out the shape of an animal with the pen tool before modeling.

Hope this helps.

Best Wishes

daveythegravy

[daveythegravy73]

Hi Everyone,

Ready for rigging now. Have passed this guy over to Lisee for rigging. Thankyou Babe:)


http://www.purplecabbage.com/wip_images/Animals/Dolphin/Wire_06.jpg

Should have some renders l8r:)

Best Wishes

daveythegravy

[daveythegravy73]

Hi,

Just messing with enviroment and surfaceing:)

http://www.purplecabbage.com/wip_images/Animals/Dolphin/Wire_07.jpg


Best Wishes

daveythegravy

[sKb875]

Wow, that looks crazy good! :D
I love the surface and the water. You should add a few fish around it to give it a more realistic look, but that's up to you. Great job with or without it. :D

[daveythegravy73]

Hi,

@ skb875:

Thanx buddy, great idea. I am toying with the idea of having a few Dolphins also:)

I have been experimenting with methods of fakeing caustics across the body of the Dolphin.

I finaly used Nicholas Boughen's technique from his book, Lightwave 3D 8 Lighting.

I rendered an image sequence of the Underwater Procedural on a flat poly, then applied the image sequence to a spotlight as a projection image.

If anyone knows how I can improve this effect, please let me know;)

>>>>>QT 3meg<<<<< (http://www.purplecabbage.com/movies/Dolphin_Waves_Sequence.mov)

Best Wishes

daveythegravy

[hunter]

Hey,
Looks preety good. Nice modelling. One suggestion I have is about the fresnel effect.
There really shouldn't be reflectivitey underwater. When dolphins break the surface they are shiny and reflective because they're wet, but they are inherently more of matte surface.
As for the caustics there is brief explanation at the bottom of one my threads here:

http://vbulletin.newtek.com/showthread.php?t=10100&highlight=bottlenose

http://www.lwg3d.org/forums/showthread.php?t=15926&highlight=swimming

Keep going. I want to see a whole pod of these puppies. :D