Hello there!
I've been trying to refine my modeling skills by going outside my comfort zone and doing a car. I specifically picked one that had some smoothness that would be a bit tougher to do. However, I seem to have bit off more than I can chew!
I've been playing with it for about two days and don't seem to be making much progress- I've gotten down a decent blockout, but I can't really figure out how to start fleshing out or refining the details like panel lines, or things like the front grille. I've also completely ignored the bottom of the car. It's meant for a scene I'm working on where we won't see much of the bottom, but I'd still like the opportunity for some low-angle shots so I feel there needs to be some definition without wasting time on details we won't see much of.
I guess the question is- where do I go next with this? I was considering breaking the model apart into its separate panels and working on them more individually, is this preferable to making the whole car one piece? As of right now, the cab and the back of the car are split, (as they are in reality) since that seemed to make sense, as there's a major seam there.
Any advice, crit, or direction would be appreciated!
Replies
And the main reference:
Here.
I would start from new and make individual parts, that way you will have a lot less problems, also use blueprints
This playlist let's you understand the general workflow of modelling a car. Most videos are 10 min. short which tackle one problem at a time.
Note that this is a Mustang he is modelling but it should give you more insight in the workflow and problems you will encounter.
One thing about your model, some more support edges along the sharper lines on the car will make it look a lot less blobby.....experiment by placing them, and adjust till they look right.
Ok, I had a feeling that's where I needed to go. I already had blueprints, I just like to use 3-quarter views as well.
This is a good reference, thanks!
Using multiple meshes instead of one will give you more freedom with adding edges / detail that would otherwise distort the rest of the mesh (for example a loop that would create a sharp crease on a curved piece). This is important because certain parts of a car (like the chassis) tend to have lots of curved shapes that require little geometry (turbosmooth subdivision does most of the work) where as other parts such as the front lights are more square-ish which requires substantial use of edge loops and rings to define the shape (much more dense geometry).
Just try to model the car like it would be built in real-life. The bumpers for example are not fused with the body, they are made seperately and later attached to the vehicle.
Also the sides of the car is too flat, there should be a large soft curve to the whole side of the car, up to the bottom of the window.