Whisper of the Heart's Atelier

catakos_hub · Oct 7 2025

I'm making this to look back on my learning and thought process throughout this project. I have a uni assignment where we have to make an interior environment with a hero asset as the clear focus. I've chosen to do the violin atelier in Whisper of the Heart following the concept that Seiji and Shizuku have grown up and Mr Nishi has passed the place down to them, it's used as a living space and a "home office" for them to get work done together.

my reference (there's more but i'm struggling to add it here)

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/8n/xmsjvig1q3nh.png

blockout

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/9k/e5zdn0k85t3h.png

Paintover/photobash I made to explain how I'm expecting it to look more easily

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/oh/73x8z3bqp7bj.png

The hero asset in this scene will be the violin. It'll be either complete (most likely) or unfinished to make it stand apart from the other violins. Crystals are important to the characters so I thought a cute addition would be a sun catcher. If I add it I'm excited to see what I can do with the lighting. The bench's been replaced with a high table by the window which will have wine glasses and a bottle. The sofa may become a drawer depending on time. There's a saucepan on the sofa, a bookshelf in the back, there'll be a pen pot and finally lamps. Whisper of the heart is my favourite movie so I'm going to try my best to give it justice!

catakos_hub · Oct 19 2025

I decided to start with my hero asset so I can use it as a kind of quality bar. This model had me more focused on topology with a lot of surprise ngons or pinching issues. My polycount is at 13k when smoothed and combined though that's without the final details of the scroll and the violin strings.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/4h/87s84mp25z27.png

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/in/mqn5cwnrqrxc.png

Also need to replace the crease tool with edge loops instead. For the f holes my plan (i experimented with it) was to use sweep mesh, reduce then boolean but that increases my polycount by a lot. i'm going to see if duplicating the violin, using one for the boolean and then manually retopologising the area of the f holes so that it'll merge with my original violin works..

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/9w/yo9lzhn0rvmi.png

but whats left is the saddle, strings, tailpiece string and scroll. What i'll do for the scroll is cut off the section i have for it then sculpt it in zbrush, use zremesh to make a low poly version which i'll merge back onto my original model and then the only thing i'll bake are the finer details of the scroll onto the violin.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/xk/5jwsapim4em8.png

took it into substance to double check there weren't any obvious issues I am missing. Something I noticed was I watched a few violin players that made me realise i should readjust the pieces in relation to another, when looking at images its harder to see but violins have this "just about to burst" look to them. this. I think it'll be easier seen with the strings but having everything look like it needs each other? makes it feel just a bit more real.

catakos_hub · Nov 8 2025

Changes to the shape before n after feedback (struggling with pinching i've attempted soften edges, trying to conform and average the normal, delete edge loops and nothings happened or it loses its shape)

My initial plan was to completely finish the violin but I'm looking at it and I want to get feedback on the topology and sort out this thing below before i move on. Went back to blocking out the room (roughly) n decided to zoom further in so i can focus more on details for the time we have left.

I've tried soften edges, conform, average normals and removing some loops but it either loses it's shape or nothing happens n it shows up when texturing from most angles.

focal shift change

lighting tests

Whisper of the Heart's Atelier

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