Weird Question. Clay process for 3D graphix render

draize

Hello, this is my first post. I recently wrote and copyrighted a comic book series, and

2 companies have shown interest. I was told by an expert in the field to make clay models of the characters to show to potential sponsors.

> They said a sales pitch of a potential comic book may be
> supplemented if there are clay models of the characters,
> to potentially render/visualize video game graphix. (I had never heard of this)
>While attending Toorcon, a computer programming seminar, one attendee showed a slideshow

> from a Videogame production company displaying a technique that no one else seems to know about.
> The slideshow showed designers taking digital pics
> of what looks like a large light pink clay model, against a green background, but I
> am unsure if this model was made from
> unbaked sculpy or something different. It looks like they were posing it for a
> "claymation" style of video game rendering, with little lights to simulate
> lighting environments.
>
> Can anyone from this forum refer a potential clay, (is combination of promat/sculpy
> appropriate?) or provide a resource for this process. It seems that the clay
> would remain unbaked/flexable so it could be repositioned at different
> angles, poses. Can this be done with super sculpy, with the color, texture
> rendered in later with adobe photoshop? Also curious to how big (scale- 10
> inch?, 24 inch?) one would make these models.
>
>Any help or piece of advice would be greatly appreciated. I basicly need to know what

combination of clay to buy, as I have experience sculpting.


> Thanks.
>
> David Draize



myspace "draize"

dd367@hotmail.com

Daz

Welcome. Your post leaves me with a bunch of questions though. An expert in *which* field advised you to go down the clay model route for visualization purposes exactly? An expert in the field of comics?

That's not unheard of. CG studios like Pixar would usually first make models to help them visualize a character. However, they're working in a 3D medium, so it makes perfect sense. It doesn't make *quite* as much sense to me to make 3D models for characters intended to be depicted in 2D. It doesn't always work. Something like the Simpsons for instance are very hard to recreate in 3D.
The technique you describe sounds a little overcomplex, and there's really no way to (easily) color and texture in photoshop an image of a sculpture. It's possible of course, but it would be infinitely easier to simply build and texture map a 3D digital model of your character, rig, and pose to your hearts content. If after all, all potential clients are going to get to see are photoshop manipulated images, why the need for a physical 3D model at all?

Mark Dygert

I'm 6 kinds of confused.

Could you restate your question in the form of a question?

draize

Thanks for the answers thus far. The expert is involved with comics to film licensing. The "tip" was basicly "make some clay models of your characters for visualizing rendering cgi/ video game graphics." The slideshow I saw showed what looked like a flexible clay model being photgraphed digitally against a green background. It's possible it was a slideshow from a cgi/film student at UAT University of Advancing Technology, who had little lights set up and was posing the model. His digital camera was pointed down onto it, (birds eye view), and the model had little pegs in it.

My question. If this is a legit process, what clay do I use? It looked like unbaked sculpy. The features of this clay model were detailed, but I'm only assuming the textures and colors were added in later. Is there a claymation form of video game character creation, or is it strictly digital? I was confused by this as well.

The only other alternative I could see, was that perhaps advanced posable clay models were made, so artisans could draw the extreme characters at different angles/poses on a graphics tablet, which were then modified/textured digitally. I know at marvel, pencillers usually have buff costumed people-models posing for certain hero shots, which are camera-shot digitally, than pencilled/stylized- inked, colored. I thought that perhaps the suggestion of making clay models may coincide with a video game version of this process.

I hope this clarifies a bit.

Has anyone else heard of this? Could this film student have just been experimenting with cgi enhanced claymation?

I'm sorry, but my graphics skills don't go much further than photoshop, so if I sound inexperianced, thats why. (I still play my atari 2600)

Daz

[ QUOTE ]

I hope this clarifies a bit.


[/ QUOTE ]

hhhmm, honestly? I don't think so. You seem to be overcomplicating things for yourself. Your 'advisor' seems to simply be suggesting that you either make or hire someone to make a 'maquette' of your character for visualization purposes. Here's an excellent supersculpey tut:

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=18287

Anything beyond that is complicating the issue. I'm not at all sure what the slideshow is that you saw, but I don't think it's relevant.

Mark Dygert

I'm not sure what you saw, and how it works into the main question. Perhaps I can help us help you by asking you a few questions.

1) What is the end product you are trying to create? 3D models or physical clay models that can be posed?

2) What is the purpose of these models?
- Are these models going to be used in a game?
- Are these models going to be used only to help an artists visualize a certain character so they can draw it accurately?

It seems like you want some way of drawing a comic by making some kind of model and then bending and posing it to your needs. If you would like to know which would be better clay or 3D, I would say 3D since 3D will never dry out, over stretch and need touch ups.

ElysiumGX

I'm assuming they want a clay model of the character so that they can see all the details from every angle, and how well it translates to 3d for potential 3d/game/film use. May want to find a sculptor and work closely with him. In comic frames, many details can be hidden to speed up the process, and focus on the action. With all the details sculpted, another artist would have an easier time translating the character and style to a new medium.

Any other reason than this is just silly. Stick with your comics and find better companies.

draize

Thankyou to everyone who has thus far offered their expertise.

Vig asked:"
- Are these models going to be used in a game?
- Are these models going to be used only to help an artists visualize a certain character so they can draw it accurately?"

I really don't know the answer.
I was just told to "make models" etc. He said "models" probably because he/she was aware that I didn't know the word "maquette." (I do now, thanks)
I had seen that slideshow with the digital camera, and I was just really just confused if I should bake the sculpy/promat sculpture or keep it unbaked, or maybe there's some other form of flexible clay "CG-clay?" I was unaware of. I would like to see them (characters) in a game, of course, but only time will tell. From what I've learned, and from what has been suggested, I think I should just be looking to hire a sculpter to do some descent maquettes. Have a clue to what one would charge? 50-100$ per model, sound right, or does it go much higher? Would I paint it too?

Thanks again everyone.

Steve Schulze

Depending on how detailed and complex your characters are, you might be able to model them up on the computer and then get them 3D printed. This would probably be quicker and cheaper than hiring a professional sculpter type.