Blacksmith Diorama

Chris Lewin · Nov 2014

Hey,

I'm trying my hand at creating a Blacksmith's workstation diorama, critique is very welcome.

The aim is to create something similar to the image below paying most attention to the object highlighted in blue at this point.

I've gathered some references of typical Blacksmith environments and have come up with a simple blockout for the diorama.

Chris Lewin · Dec 2014

It's been a while since I posted anything else up after my blockout of the Diorama, sorry about that. However I've been playing round with Zbrush to try and get a feel for a Stylized wood grain effect and managed to come up with this.

I've gotten feedback from some people that are a bit more clued in to Zbrush than I am, they told me to try starting fresh and brake the model up into smaller easier to manage pieces so I don't get any weird geometry from plank to plank or plank to metal band.

Tobbo · Dec 2014

I would try and define and maintain the hard surface shapes of the barrel before you begin sculpting. At the moment it looks very organic and soft.

If you're not familiar with sub-d modeling you may want to research it a little bit. Adding control loops/edges will help maintain the hard surface shapes you should be striving for with this wooden barrel.

You should also keep this in mind when you define how hard or sharp your edges are.

http://artforgames.com/infotuts/guide-bevels/

It's a nice concept. Looking forward to seeing more.

Chris Lewin · Dec 2014

Cheer Tobbo for the feedback.

I've started from scratch and have been working on three individual wooden planks for the barrel.

I'm trying to go for a Stylized approach, any feedback is very welcome.

Texelion · Dec 2014

This is not how to use zbrush, it seems that your are subdividing without smoothing. So we can see the edges of the lowpoly, and it will be visible on the normal map too.

For something like this you should do the highpoly in Max or Maya or wathever, to have a smooth barrel with smooth planks ( put a turbosmooth or something and add some chamfers, or use the "smooth by polygroups" option in the turbosmooth and set your polygroups right ), and only after that you can put it in Zbrush and sculpt the details.

The trick with barrels it that if you smooth/subdiv each plank separatelly, they won't make a smooth cylinder. So you could smooth your cylinder first, and then separate it into planks.

And last thing, you don't need to make it bent at first. Just do a straight cylinder, so you'll have straight UV's.

Here I took a screen of the last barrel I did to help you understand :

We may think a barrel is a simple thing, but when you think about it it's not that simple ^^. Even a wooden box is not that simple.

Chris Lewin · Dec 2014

Ah thanks for feedback Texelion!

The Planks belonged to a Cylinder once upon a time and now you mention it it does seem silly to bend the plank at this early stage :P

I will give what you suggested a shot later.

Thanks a lot for your time guys

Chris Lewin · Dec 2014

Gave the barrel another overhaul, I followed what you said Texelion and this is what I've come up with.

I used double turbosmooth on the models one with smooth by Smoothing Groups the other with Isoline display on.

Texelion · Dec 2014

If you're going to bake the metal circles don't forget to add big champfers or else they won't show up in the normal map, like this :

You can find more about baking normal maps in the wiki :

http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/Normal_map

Dave Jr · Dec 2014

How are you intending to create the brick archway; a unique asset with sculpted in bricks or just a tilable texture? Always wondered what was used most commonly in cases like this.

Looking good, will be watching...!

Chris Lewin · Jan 2015

Hey guys

Sorry it's been a while and cheers for your feedback.

To answer your question Dave Jr, I'm not 100% sure just yet I was thinking of going for a tilable texture, however it would be nice to have a play with something like that in Zbrush.

I've been playing round with the Barrel and this is the stage I'm up to with it.

I've also made a start on the Anvil in the Scene too.

I started the Anvil in 3ds Max and imported it into Zbrush and this is what I've come up with.

Chris Lewin · Mar 2015

I've been working on a few pieces of the scene the barrels got some base textures applied at the moment, I've re-topped the Anvil and tried using some hight maps and model tessellation for displacement on the bricked surfaces.

I'm feeling that the stand the Anvils on needs some work as there's some strange lighting round the edges of the model.

any critiques are welcome.

Chris Lewin · Mar 2015

Just a few little updates, I've reworked some of the bricks in the furnace.
I have also re-modelling the pipe and bars at the back of the furnace and I've sculpted some wood in Zbrush and created the table.

I feel the bricks along the front haven't come out as well as I wanted. (they seem very square)

Chris Lewin · Mar 2015

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Chris Lewin · Mar 2015

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skyline5gtr · Mar 2015

The furnace or wall has too much spacing between the grout and the actual brick. Not enough variation in the bricks as well shape dynamics wise

Chris Lewin · Mar 2015

Hey skyline5gtr,

Cheers for taking the time to have a look at my post, I agree the bricks do lack variation and I am hoping to try and break up the repetition a bit in the texturing and maybe add some decals here and there, I assume I'd be able to decal some cracks and chips? I've never really experimented with decals all that much.

Chris Lewin · Apr 2015

I've been working on the furnace.

critiques are always welcome.

Blacksmith Diorama

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