3DconceptualdesignerBlog

Personal Project: Napkin Sketching PART XVI

2012-01-31T12:30:00.000-08:00

A Fresh 2012 sketch from about 1am last night[ today!]

A little playhouse or Tiny-Home in the Coastal Redwoods, .......

A little animated character design in a Superhero Jumpsuit

Personal Project
Napkin Sketching Part XVI

In this sixteenth installment of the Napkin Sketches, Drawings, and Doodles I do when I have a pen in hand, I have put up a some 2012 sketches that I have done this month.

Itry to keep sketching every day a bit so I put up a few examples of what has been in my head.

The Frankenstein Monster above came from a discussion with my six year old about make belive and reality, so I explained to her that the Monster is from a great story, so I did a quciuk little 3" X 5" doodle on a new scratch pad I picked up last night. Pencil on Bond paper.

The other two Ball Point pen doodles, were done at my PIXAR meeting a few weeks back, when I had about 10 minutes to kill until the client came in. I had recently found the Arts and Crafts sketch I did, so it was in my brain to do a variation up on a little hill in the Coastal Redwoods of California.

I also did a little animated Superhere Character in a jumpsuit, based on someone in the room,....shhh...:o)

Sketching really is a joy to me, and I would encourage EVERY 3D artist, and designer out there, to stay on it, it helps in ways you will only see, once you do it regularly.

You can view the other parts as follows:

PART I

PART II

PART III

PART IV

PART V

PART VI

PART VII

PART VIII

PART IX

PART X

PART XI

PART XII

PART XIII

PART XIV

PART XV

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Robots 2004 Motion Graphics-3D Animated Cards.

2012-01-30T13:47:00.000-08:00

A card where the "g" in Missing, falls off, and bounces into camera with turning gears etc...

In the Adventure card in a billboard scene, the type flickers on in Neon.

We ended up with a cool rocket that flew into scene to show "Adventure" for Robots back in 2004.

A Title Logo using the font supplied by the studio at the time.

A reference Card for Ice Age to help promote the Studio behind the project.[ Not used]

A spinning gear flips fast around to reveal this "ACTION" 3D Neon sign I made for the film Graphics for Robots.

Project Review: Robots 2005

Motion Graphics 3D Animated Cards.

Client: Twentieth Century FOX film Corp. via The Cimarron Group.
Art Direction; Erik Counter.
Project Date:Summer 2004

I had a fun opportunity to develop the looks in 3D for these Motion Graphics Cards for the Animated Film Robots, from Blue Sky Studios back in 2004.

I was working with Erik Counter on the Herbie Project so he also, wanted to use my 3D skills for this piece with some fun little viginettes of old neon signs, and things for the Motion Graphics look to present to the client.

I had a great tiume on the project due to the professional nature of Mr. Counter, he was always great to work with, as he himself uses 3D quite a bit, and was easy to create with someone with the knowledge to back up any crit.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review : The Island 2005-PART II

2012-01-27T11:40:00.000-08:00

A Logo done for Calvin Sumler for the Print work. I did a curved alt cut up here as well.

Adrienne Burk gave me the illustrator file and a piece of Logo scrap she always loved to emulate this look for her.

A Calvin design done for Erik Counter our resident Predator at Cimarron at the time.

An alternate metal plated design done for Adrienne Burk as well.

Another Calvin Logo executed for AV.

One of my favorites with the vectors from Calvin Sumler.

An alternate view and material on Adrienne's design.

Project Review
The Island-2005
PART II

Client: Warner Brothers via The Cimarron Group.
Art Director(s): Calvin Sumler, Adrienne Burk, and Joseph Stamper.
Project Date: Winter 2004

This is my second posting for the various 3D Illustration design work that I did for both the Motion Graphics and the Print Divisions at The Cimarron Group for the film The Island, starring Scarlett Johansson.

I was tasked by a few different Art Directors to develop some main title logo loos in 3D. We used metla and glass as the textures and all were a bit light in value as the film had a blue sky look that ws being pushed at the time.

A fun project, and once we started animated the logos they came alive with the moving lights and reflections.

You can view PART I here.

Cheers, THOM

Personal Projects: Napkin Sketching Part XV

2012-01-26T10:34:00.000-08:00

A Craftsman Arts and Crafts 1920's era Cabin. River rock base and an attached greenhouse up in the Pacific Northwest.

I knew a bartender who worked at Q's in Pasadena in the 90's he eventually went to Occidental and became a Graphic Artist. We always chatted when I had a Newcastle and doodles, this is him.

An Alien in a full hooded space suit having a scotch[ Lagavulin!]

A speeding American Taxi with a Buick Tooth grilled toon car.

Napkin Sketching Part XV

In this fifteenth installment of the Napkin Sketches, Drawings, and Doodles I do when I have a pen in hand, I have put up a few additions today that I had scanned in from the mid 90's.

I found these still in my old school portfolio book I used to carry around before the advent of my blog and website. It has these napkins taped into a layout for almost a decade, so I pulled them out yesterday, scanned them for todays post.

I have a little Arts and Crafts Bungalow cabin with an attached greenhouse on the side. This little one was done near the time I was going up to Spokane for Cyan[ 1999], as I was looking at the homes around there in the Arts and Crafts style as I was considering a move up there.

I also always do these little characters and Heavy Iron cars as well on a regular basis. And even though I re draw a few cars over and over, I always get a little bit out of the exercise in perspective and basic hand control for the sketching itself, as well as each design is different is some way or another.

I always sketch and sometime soon, I hope to get digital with it with a tablet with a digitizer pen[ NOT captive] so I can sketch with varied line weight and pressure sensitive thickness and opacity variations in the lines.DELL and ASUS now offer this.

You can view the other parts as follows:

PART I

PART II

PART III

PART IV

PART V

PART VI

PART VII

PART VIII

PART IX

PART X

PART XI

PART XII

PART XIII

PART XIV

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: How to Lose a guy in 10 Days: 3D Illustrations for Key Art 2002

2012-01-25T10:54:00.000-08:00

Here is the front only shot of the Chrysler Building I built for BLT for How to Lose a Guy in 10 days back in 2002 a decade ago now.

A Front view of the model with out textures showing that I modeled in the details.

When I turn the camera you see the sides lack any details at all, this was done as we had a time constraint for the project, and I can always add it in form the other parts at a later time, and this is the main advantage to 3D , that is it can grow beyond the basic first delivery without any loss of product.

Here you see the 3D rendered Illustration for the Parking Meter, as well as the comp provided to me for lighting and angle.

The Parking Meter was eventually prepped for online sales, here it is a bit closer up.

Here is the Painted into the Corner Comp I did for How to lose a guy in 10 days.

Project Review

How to Lose a guy in 10 Days

3D Illustrations for Key Art 2002

Client: Paramount Pictures via BLT and Associates.
Art Direction: Jeff Barnett and Ronnie Blumenburg.
Project Date: Fall 2002.

I always got a variety of requests while in-house at BLT, to build out a prop for a movie poster to use, and sometimes the prop was a small hand held item, like a gun or something small, and othertimes I needed to build out entire citys, so for the Paramount property, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, I eneded up building out The Chrysler Building for a shot.

Now this is the first time I built the model in 3D so it was my practice so to speak. I built out just the front facade as we had no time to build the full 3D all sided model, so I focused on the view we would see in the Key Art for the posters.

You can view my 2nd full 360 model here, or buy it here from my prior employer.

Taking the same gag with the two main charcters leaning on it, I did the Parking Meter next. I used the comp as my Global Illumination lighting model, so the prop dropped right in the comp cleanly.

I also did a "I'm painted into this corner" type of gag for a third idea, but that one was scrapped early on.

All in all, a very fun project to do a variety of fast 3D illustrations in a quick turn around is creatively a great challenge as a 3D Designer.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Rutger Hauer Traveling Gym 1992.

2012-01-24T11:06:00.000-08:00

Here is a 8 x 10 photo of the final artwork 22 x 17 blue-line on velum.

(Note that in the lower right corner they covered my signature on the artwork)

Project Review

Rutger Hauer Traveling Gym 1992.

Client: Rutger Hauer via Charles T. Cohen and Associates.
Art Direction: Charles T Cohen.
Project Date: January 1992.

This was my second job out of Art Center back in 1991, and I got the work by the connection to my first job, at Design Setters on the Mazda MX-6 Project for Rhythm and Hues.

I delivered what was tasked, a single sketch as posted, but the story behind it is what has shaped my carear for 20 years now. I was asked to sketch out a 18 wheeler with a gym in back so Arnold Schwarzenegger, or any other 'Action Star' could take it with them to the set, and I did.

A major partner in the venture was actor Rutger Hauer, and it was the only time in my carear I was a bit star struck to meet him, since I am a SUPERFAN of bladerunner, and I did not expect to walk into him at the project meeting back then.

This is the ONLY job I have ever bid a full delivry price on, or a flat rate. I estimated 6 Hrs, [4 to sketch it at 22 x 17 and 2 for changes]. Well, I learned the hard way early on with a new client, that you never know how many changes they will want to make, and the job ended up taking me near 30 hours for 6 hours of pay. A tough lesson, thankfully only needed this one time to learn from.

Consequentlay I realized that art is always an open ended contract since I cannot guess when a client will finally stop changing the art, so I have charged hourly since then and only been stiffed by one client[ in 2010 no less!]. I also have never missed any deadline, as I will not agree from the front end if it is unreasonable,and some clients do not quite get that this benefits them, that I will not even take it if I know it cannot be done.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Dreamcatcher PART II: Virtual Dreamcatcher 3D Model Details

2012-01-23T12:58:00.000-08:00

Here is the final design for the Virtual Dreamcatcher I did a decade ago at BLT.

I built the feather out as a 3D object with all "hairs' and individual tips.

A full shot of the model showing most was modeled not a texture exercise.

All wood was twisted triple rounds so I had a grove running the length of all sticks.

All the little "bits and pieces' were scattered on the main model for close-up detailed shots int he AV work.

The original FAX'ed copy of the design from the film done by Mark 'Crash' McCreery.

Dreamcatcher 2002
PART II

Virtual Dreamcatcher 3D Model Details

Client: Castle Rock Entertainment via BLT and Associates.
Art Director(s): Alon Amir, Alen Petkovic
Project Date: Christmas 2001

In this second post on the 3D dreamcatcher model I built for BLT back a decade ago now, I have some close up shots showing the details that went into the 3D virtual Model, that was used in the international Motion Graphics Trailers.

I made the mesh very detailed, as we had a duplicate actual hero prop from the film there, so I tried to achieve a look that was consistant.

I also had the rough sketch done by Mark 'Crash' McCreery that was FAX'ed, YES FAXED[ remember those!] to us to build off of, so I built right over the sketch in 3DSmax.

This was one of the first high detailed models a that I attempted to build out for print, and it did take a while to render out I remember, as it approached a million faces, and this was back with Max 4.0, whew!

You can view PART I as well.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Entourage Key Art 3D Illustrations 2005.

2012-01-21T10:16:00.000-08:00

Here is the final 3D Illustration I did for the Entourage Rolls Royce Limo. The gang was comped inside.

A Quad view showing the model geometry itself for this illustration.

I built out a velvet rope for a waiting line shot outside an LA Club for a photo shoot as seen here.

Here is a detailed view of the Rope divided up close.

A simple magazine to comp in with a bit of a rolled side.

The quad view showing the stacked page geometry etc.

This is a High End Hotel Key Card Entry with a blank Door Hanger to apply various tag lines to.

Project Review

Entourage: Key Art 3D Illustrations 2005.

Client: HBO via The Cimarron Group.
Art Director(s): Calvin Sumler and Joseph Stamper.
Project Date January 2005.

The Print Design department tasked me with a few 3D Illustrations to help them with the pitch packages for the new series Entourage so I built them out.

I had up to 2 days[ 16 Hrs build+texture+render] to work on about six comp ideas and what I have here are the main ones I worked on. The Rolls Royce trunk-view was a fun job as I had just done the Herbie 1963 VW for the film, do I was familiar with quad modeling a car to tackle just the trunk area.

I also did a velvet rope for a photographic overlay element so I reflected the photo sky into the chrome, and brass, to make it match the daytime comp.

I also built out a magazine that was to be head over the face of the main character so I built a quick virtual one here.

I finally did a door hanger comp where some TBD[ To Be Determined]2D artwork would be swapped out on the High End Hotel door-hanger, so I created this quick little mini scene with the door, and electronic key card entry system.

A fun project with a variety of props needed to be built textured and rendered out all in a day or so is always a challenge, an a whole lot of fun to do.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Blade Trininty - 3D Motion Graphics for Home Entertainment

2012-01-18T10:01:00.000-08:00

Here is the final date card for the DVD release of Blade Trinity the third in the series.

This is frame 007 of the move as we start over the top of the scene looking down at the blood and bullets on the table. This model was all built as a high resolution model[ pre-quads]

This style frame board shows the sequence for the boomerang wipe. I rendered it against an atmospheric light to get the right gradient.

Here is the quad view of the 3D model I built for that shot above.

I also did a 3D animated mini comic book that came with the DVD with a volumetric light effect coming from the "Bow"used in the film

Project Review: Blade Trinity

3D Motion Graphics for Home Entertainment

Client: via The Cimarron Group.
Art Direction: Myself, and their whole 5 person team.
Project Date: January 2005.

I worked on over 100 motion graphics projects during my 6 year stay at The Cimarron Group, and I had an occasional Home Entertainment project to work on , and I was put onto the project for Blade Trinity, for them.

I was first tasked with building out the knife boomerang that blade uses to catch the Vampires and they wanted to use it to wipe between cuts in the piece so I built it out, rigged the basic rotating model, and animated it through the scene.

It ended up finishing out as well as the the 3D move on the date card. I originally had silver bullets and blood in the comp, but the MPAA nixed them both.

Finally I animated and rendered out a mini comic book that came with the DVD for a quick end card. Used the same 3D volumetric lighting to cast rays from the pages at the book opened and closed.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Napkin Sketching Part XIV

2012-01-17T11:01:00.000-08:00

A doodle of a tree stump home balancing in the forked branches

A mini castle on a cliff

MAD DUCK!

Angry boss character I'm begining to develop.

[ I've had plenty of reference for this, remember I work in Hollywood and they are do fond of YELLING!]

Napkin Sketching Part XIV

In this fourteenth installment of the Napkin Sketches, Drawings, and Doodles I do when I have a pen in hand, I have put up a few characters and architectural elements I've been doodling.

I've been doing these little houses for a while, they represent tree houses and forts, little gnome villages etc. I sourced a tree house manufacturer up in the bay area who takes a tree stump and builds a playhouse on top so I was inspired to design this on a living trunk.

I also did this little Tim Burton-esque' castle. A bit of animation in proportions with the oval windows and simplicity.

I also revisit the duck, this round I made him a bit pissed off and angry.

I also have this little "Yelling Boss" character I am developing as well. that is a mini-sketch at about 1.5" tall.

You can view the other parts as follows:

PART I

PART II

PART III

PART IV

PART V

PART VI

PART VII

PART VIII

PART IX

PART X

PART XI

PART XII

PART XIII

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Home Alone 4: Home Entertainment Key Art 3D Illustration 2003.

2012-01-16T12:48:00.000-08:00

Here is the only 3D logo I did for the project , it was a brass plate with mini screws in the design as this was mounted to a door for the comp design.

Here is the 3D Illustration I did for a Night-Vision-Goggle setup that the main character uses, a re-use from S.W.A.T.

Here is a 3/4 view showing the high rez mesh I built for the Night vision prop from Home Alone.

A basic beige panel door, simple, but this is what was used. Sometimes 3D Illustration has no "glamor", but it is effective as a tool for these times over stock or custom photography on price and ease of use due the the Smart-3D nature of these assets.

Here is the internal staircase I rebuild as a virtual set. It is not furnished due to most being covered with "big heads" as well as budget limitations on time.

Here we see the finished DVD cover with that door I did.

Project Review

Home Alone 4

Home Entertainment Key Art 3D Illustration 2003.

Client: ABC via BLT and Associates.
Direction: Matt Rice.
Project Date: April 2003

I did plenty of 3D Illustrations for the various teams in-house at BLT whwn I was running my one man show there, and I was put on the Home Alone 4 ,a direct to video project for Matt Rice in the Home Entertainment division back in 2003 almost a decade ago.

I did some simple 3D props, like the panel door you see above[ which is all that finished], as well as a highly complex prop of some night vision goggles that I modified and used for SWAT as well.

I also did the staircase interior and this was an early GI, Global Illumination project I did the first mothe I used the software[ so excuse the speclkeling artifacts :o) ].

THe project did finish and I rendered it at 5000 pixels wide for the final[ typical size].

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Real-D Cinemas 3D Logo Design Exploration

2012-01-13T13:23:00.000-08:00

Here is a shot of what I delivers as a final, though in the end it was scrapped by the client.

In this quad view you can see the fillet of the text as it extrudes out from the back-plate wit the rounded edge.

An early design using neon red in the tag line, 'cinema', along with a dropped camera view of the model.

A double key-line with red neon on both type sections.

In this design I attempted to show them caustic reflections[ low rez at this point], but it was too 'busy' for them.

This comp was the 'Dog-Tag' idea with a plate of sandwiched materials, that would be used in the MGFX where we moved around the design.

Thin type for Real-D cinemas, floating over the back-plate to emphasize 3D in real space.

Here we see the above design with minor caustics on as well as a more centered camera view of the 3D asset.

Project Review

Real-D Cinemas 3D Logo Design Exploration

Client: Read-D Cinemas via The Cimarron Group.
Art Direction: Myself.
Project Date: Summer 2006.

With 3D Stereoscopic Movies on the rise, there are many players looking to become the VHS, in this current format war, so we assisted Read-D with some 3D Logo explorations back in 2006 while I was running my 'lil department for the company in-house.

The logo itself as far as the font choice, was locked, but in 3D I have a whole bunch of room to get creaive with depth, bends, and extrusions. For Read-D I went with a basic metal, with a red glow as our accent color.

I did about 6 designs at a lower rez, and tried to sell them on caustic reflections[ I went low rez at first[ less samples as seen it the grain of the reflections], but they wanted a super clean logo.

The final was rendered at 5K for IMAX applications.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Early work out of Art Center: TV Production Design and Fabrication Wild Wallz -Alex Hajdu

2012-01-12T11:38:00.000-08:00

Here is the one page sketch that started the process.

Project Review

Early work out of Art Center

TV Production Design and Fabrication Wild Wallz -Alex Hajdu

Client Alex Hajdu @ Wild Wallz Productions.
Art Direction: Alex Hajdu.
Project Date: Spring 1992.

This posting reflects a very early design sketch that I did in my career. This was one of my first jobs out of Art Center, I had bumped into Brandon Smith in the Project Room at A.C.C.D. looking for a modeler to work on a van for Terminator 2 , but I had 2 weeks until I graduated so I had to pass, but I kept the number around, and it paid off with a few jobs.

I called and connected up on a few small projects for Alex Hajdu a Production Designer at the time who owned Wild Wallz in Burbank CA, so I came in on occasions to design and build items for him.

Above is a mechanical prop with spinning dials, that was to be used in a "soap" commercial of some sort, I do not even remember the name. I do remember building the prop in yellow foam and finishing like an automotive model from ACCD, and working with a great Mechanical FX guy for the inner workings.

I used yellow foam for the body, sealed in Pres-Tech catalyzing primer, a vacuum formed top, with PVC, aluminum, and wood internal parts[ hand built by me]. We did a lot of 14 hr days to design and build this functioning "Hero Prop" for a TV spot, FUN!

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: ATT- U-verse "Bond Room" Digital Kitchen 2011

2012-01-11T15:57:00.000-08:00

Here is an early delivery comparison of my WIP[ Work In Progress] for the bond room build out for Digital Kitchen. I reference the Concept Art provided to me and shoot a Poly view and a smoothed to show the design intent.

Here is the final Model as delivered, the foreground ended up as a practical piece so it was removed.

Here is the base model quad view showing the build base mesh for ATT's U-verse spot.

Here is a close up of the lounge area pit on the screen Left in the mid-ground for this green screen FX shot I did last summer.

The console details went from a big screen[ see first top image] to these NASA type 60's set-ups.

Here are the screen captured images from the final piece here.

Project Review

ATT's- U-verse "Bond Room"

Produced for Digital Kitchen 2011

Client Digital Kitchen
Art Direction David Franklin.
Project Date: June 2011.

This past summer I had a great opportunity to build out a full virtual set piece, stage and all, for a televison Spot for ATT's U-Verse for Digital Kitchen. I was tasked with the job of building out a 3D model for the in-house FX team to use in the spot.

I worked from a great Concept Art piece as seen above from John Park, to build out the various elements for the shot. I also built all of it as a quad sub-division surface model as this was to be exported into a production pipeline for C4D and Maya, so I exported my 3DSmax file as a FBX for the team.

Had a lot of fun building this out, I love to construct scenes, and to create a model of another fine artists work, it just broadens my experience because it forces you into another shape language, which is good for all of us who design for a livin'.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Escape Artists Pictures Logo Design PART II-2D sketches

2012-01-10T21:03:00.000-08:00

The Escape Artist look, was to be a runner inside an eye so I started with the eye as the 'holding device' for the icon.

Here is a page of concepts for the runner inside the eye for the 3D logo I did.

A quick little comp ide with action line built in 3D as well.

I blocked a square runner and overlaid curves to fit as this idea was to be animated for the MGFX.

Escape Artists
PART II
2D design sketches

Client: Escape Artists Pictures via. The Cimarron Group.
Art Directors: Roland Mesa.
Project Date: Summer 2004.

I posted a few designs I did for the Film Production Company Escape Artists, a while back here, and I found these4 scanned images of the original sketches I did at Cimarron back in 04' for the project.

I have often talked about the difference between 3D artists[ a carpenter] and 3D designers [ the architect], and since I was trained in Industrial Design I am the latter, so I regularly sketch out a design or doodle a little image to clarify what I need to build.

FOr the Logo for Escape Artists, I first did some of the sketches you see above and once I nailed my direction I built them out in 3D.

I will be posting the remaining designs this month so stay tuned!

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Kangaroo Jack 2003[ a.k.a.-Down and Under]:3D Logos + Illustrations for Key Art.

2012-01-09T15:10:00.000-08:00

The main 3D 'Ben Hur' monolithic logo I did a decade back at BLT for Kangaroo Jack[ name changed].

Here is the geometry view of the 3D logo showing a bit of how I Art Directed the build in 3D.

This view is exploded out to show the base 'simple' type, along with the detailed rock parts.

I left the details off the far side as they are not seen, and I can always add them latter if I moved the camera.

Here you can really see the overlay I built into the striations in the rock itself.

The " I just got arrested Info board" I built in 3D for the character sheets for Kangaroo Jack Key Art.

Here you can see the felt board channel details as well as the type and clips for the neck hangers as poly's.

Project Review

Kangaroo Jack 2003[ a.k.a.-Down and Under]

3D Logos + Illustrations for Key Art.

Client: Warner Brothers Pictures via BLT and Associates.
Art Director: Jeff Barnett.
Project Date: Summer 2001.

Sorry for the delayed posting I got a very serious twelve day FLU , but I am back so HAPPY NEW YEAR Folks!

Today I kick off the first posting for this new year with the 3D illustrations for the main Logo and a prop I did for the film Kangaroo Jack[ aka Down and Under], a Comedy with Jerry O'Connell.

They wanted a rock built 3D logo for the film than mimic the red rock found on Australia so I hand built the parts of the cliff, and scanned in the rock textures from the unit and created a tile able texture for the logo. I have built a few logos this way including a pass on Alexander here, and Evolution here.

I also did an "arrest board" so they could hang it around the necks of the main characters for the character One shees so I did it in layersd with a full alphabet.

Cheers, THOM

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012

2012-01-01T09:59:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012

Cheers, THOM

Thank You to all my 2011 3D Conceptual Designer clients

2011-12-31T18:27:00.000-08:00

Thank You to all the 2011 clients for 3D Conceptual Designer!

It has been a great year for 3DCD, I have established some nice new clients in Theatrical Print, and other areas, and was brought back in with a very old familiar client, Walt Disney Imagineering. Thank you too all those who have continued to use my services throughout the year.

Cheers to you all as we approach n the new year FAST!!!!

Thom Schillinger 3D Conceptual Designer.

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T19:14:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone!

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: The Phantom 2040- PARTLXXXX [90th]-Various Props

2011-12-22T10:51:00.000-08:00

A post form Cyberville during construction they would fly down to the site.

A Virtual Reality Head-Rig used by Maxwell in the VR ball here.

A Hand-held scanner with a bright scan light.

A Digital Stoplight and street sign typical from Metropia the world of The Phantom 2040.

Here is the prop as used in a typical storyboard frame.

Phantom 2040-PART LXXXX [90th]

Various Props

Client: Hearst Animation Productions.
Art Director: Myself.
Project Date Spring 1993.

This is my 90th posting here on my design blog for my contributions to The Phantom 2040, and here I have posted four different props that I designed for the various episodes.

Cyberville was a city being built by B.I.O.T.'s for Maximum Inc and this is one of the "claw" columns that surround the city being flown into scene. I also found the scanned VR head-gear for the VR sphere for Maxwell today so I've posted that today as well. A hand-held scanner that Guran, and The Phantom 2040 both use regularly. And finally a typical Streetlight found in all street scenes.

If you are a FAN of The Phantom 2040, and on FACEBOOK, there is a group dedicated to the show here.

There is a TAG on the list to the RIGHT for other Phantom 2o4o entry's, but you can click this as well.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review:Key Art and Promo work for The Italian Job 2003-PART-I

2011-12-21T15:56:00.000-08:00

I took the mini badge logo from the car, reproduced this 3D "virtual badge", and replaced the mini type with TIJ-[ The Italian Job].

I really LOVE this alt we ended up with. Great call by AD[ Art Director] Ronnie to up it to the Italian flag and warm up the scene.

Here you can see how I built the logo parts including the crowned back piece inside the glass cover.

A wall of gold bars stacked used as an edge to edge back-drop for some various One Sheet ideas pitched for the Film remake in 02'.[ See the film!]

I moved the bars around so the pattern would not be too symmetrical, I color coded the moved bricks as I worked.

Project Review

The Italian Job 2003

Key Art 3D Illustrations

PART I

Client: Paramount Pictures via BLT and Associates.
Art Direction: Ronnie Blummenberg.
Project Date: Summer 2002 - Spring 2003

Last night, after two twelve hour work days I relaxed and saw again, the remake for, The Italian Job. A fun film , and I LOVE the old mini that Charlize Theron Drives....If you are a fan of the OG minis', GO HERE!

It reminded me that I worked on some Promotional artwork, as well as some Key Art 3D Illustrations, back in 02' while at BLT and Associates. So today I have posted PART I to the work that I did for thhis liitle job.

FIrst I did a wall of gold bars for a One Sheet comp and rendered them out wit alpha channels and a depth map for the Srt Directors to comp into the various designs.

I also did a Mini Logo converted with a TIJ inside to replace "mini" to cross promote the new mini in the films. We printed up booklets and shipped tham out including the faux Carbon FIber backgeound.

A fun little gig.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: The Bleeding-3D Logo designs for Key Art and Motion Graphics Advertising 2008

2011-12-19T15:41:00.000-08:00

For this 3D Logo I designed for the film, The Bleeding, I did a curved front face with red painted extrusion with a bit of back lighting.

We did the blood on red so it would be a second read[ squint and see].

A bit of green tint in the metal along with a warmed up light rig made this angled shot fun to layout for the Key Art.

A brighter version on Green with the blood drips using the wax material which is a Sub-Surface-Scattering material so the light comes thru the this spots like real blood.

A very bright version of the 3D Logo over a metal wall.

My fave! Red extrusion curved dark face with highlighted edge lit blood drops in the 3D design.

Project Review: The Bleeding

3D Logo Design Exploration

Key Art and MGFX Design

Client Anchor Bay Entertainment via The Cimarron Group.
Art Director(s): Calvin Sumler and Joseph Stamper.
Project Date: April 2008.

I am often given a quick one day or half day gig to do a logo in 3D. Some clients get the capabilities in 3D and give me some room to explore, and others just want a boiler plate metal extrusion in some sort of chrome.

For this project, they wanted to try a few things to a metal logo that was "blood" oriented, so I gave it a STAB!

The main idea was to have some subtle dripping blood coming off the lower edge of the logo. You will see in one comp we did the dripping blood on red so it was NOT a first read, but the motion of the drops is what would "catch your eye' to the action on the lower edge.

I also cut the extruded logo horizontally with about 100 slices so I could bend the face to a curve. Flat faced logos are not good in chrome, they are too flat for a nice reflection, so I add a bit of crown to the surface which forces the horizon to the high point in the design. This is an old car designer trick to fix a surface, just add crown!

All in all though it did not finish, a fun experiment in design. I especially like the one with the red extrusion in the metal with a bright face and drips.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review:The Fog-2005 Key Art 3D Illustration

2011-12-16T10:59:00.000-08:00

A re-post of the final 3D illustration that I gave over to Calvin to finish out for The Fog.

An overhead view of the virtual set I built for the shot. the non seen walls are just boxes to block out the light[ I hid the back wall and ceiling see wires]

A close up of the details in the panel door made from routered parts, as well as the bead board interlocking design set. I always model as much as possible vs. using texture maps, it helps a whole bunch with lighting and the final look of your scenes.

A camera view w/o textures and lighting[ grey-scale]

An up-shot of the door was an alternate idea we were going to have the kid block out the foreground lower on the floor.

Here in quad view we can see the scene from outside showing the volumetric lights and the blocks in place[ an old trick I learned doing set design Live action]

Project Review

The Fog-2005

Key Art 3D Illustration

Client: Columbia Pictures via The Cimarron Group.
Art Director[s]: Myself and Calvin Sumler.
Project Date: February 2005.

Back in 2005 while in-house at The Cimarron Group I worked on the remake of the 80's horror film, The Fog, for both the Motion Graphics department ran by Roland Mesa, as well as for the Priont Advertising division as well for Key Art posters.

Today I post a comp idea that I had. My role at Cimarron was that of a Sub-Contractor providing specific 3D assets, so I usually was not given this type of opportunity, but when I was given the chance to pitch an idea, I enrolled the help of the very talented Calvin Sumler to build the comp, and he happily accepted.

A simple idea from the script, at one point the child of the main character was trying to keep the FOG out of the house, as the ghost pirate would rap on the door, so you would let them in. In one scene, the kid tapes the door frame so the fog cannot seep in and for the comp we had a backshot on a head with a kid huddled looking at the above door with the light coming in the cracks he missed.

I added lighting blocks outside to make it feel that someione was standing on the other side, and we added a green tint to the "Evil Fog" as well.

A bunch of items in here Cimarron sells on TurboSquid, so I used the door window, basketball, and the bear from my stock catalog.

Cheers, THOM

Behind the Art: Napkin Sketching PART XIII

2011-12-15T19:03:00.000-08:00

A Sketch for a fish with fangs, a bit shark mixed with whale and a vampire!

A Cartoon styled old prop plane[ WWII-ish ]

Yet another GumboMan Swamp house on stilts, the concept comes back alot in my doodles...

A tall thin character with a very loooooog chin.

Napkin Sketching Part XIII

In this thirteenth installment of the Napkin Sketches, Drawings, and Doodles I do when I have a pen in hand, I have put up a variety of Characters, vehicles, and a background design for todays late 2D posting.

I sketch to stretch. It keep me limber as a designer, and using digital tools all day long it is very helpful to break out of that mold and use you skills elsewhere.

I also do woodworking, coppersmithing, and various building projects to keep me sane along with these sketches. Keep a good variety of what you draw, and what creative activities you do, and never pass up a real challenge.

You can view the other parts as follows:

PART I

PART II

PART III

PART IV

PART V

PART VI

PART VII

PART VIII

PART IX

PART X

PART XI

PART XII

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Lost Skull[ IV] PART II: DC-3

2011-12-14T15:47:00.000-08:00

The DC-3 I built for some Motion Graphics pitches done at The Cimarron Group in 2008.

A side shot showing the modeled panels, rivets, metal warps, and gaps[ no texture mapped fakes]

A shot showing the engine pod detailing on the DC-3 from Indy 4.

A Grey scale render showing the surfaces smoothed near the nose.

A Grey scale render showing the underside of the plane, seen in bank shots.

A Grey scale overhead render of the plane I made for Indiana Jones 4.

A Grey scale render Showing the wing details with a back-light catching metal buckling on the wing skin etc.

A Quad view of the model with sub-division OFF.

Indian Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
PART II: DC-3 Model

Client: Paramount Pictures
Art Director[s]: Calvin Sumler, Joseph Stamper, and Chris A. Hawkins
Date: Spring 2007

This is second post for Indiana Jones four, The Kingdom of the Lost Skull, showing the work I did for the advertising key art, and especially for Motion Graphics work.

Today, we look closer to the DC-3 plane I built for trailers we pitched for Indy. We went with the red line animated on a map look from the films interstitials, but updated it to the plane POV done in full 3D. The animator Ehren Addis, a pilot himself, rigged and finished the work out for them.

The MGFX team bought a model online but it lacked the details, and the level of finish needed to sell the idea, so I was tasked at re-doing the entire outer skin of the plane.

You can view PART I here.

Cheers, THOM

3D Conceptual designer posts pass the 3000 mark.

2011-12-13T10:07:00.000-08:00

3D Conceptual Designer Passes 3000 mark for Portfolio Images

I started this blog to create an online record of my Entertainment Design work and to provide a resouce for aspiring artists to review actual production work in the conceptual design fields of, theme park, theatrical advertising, product design, and general entertainment design.

Late last week I passed the 3000 mark for images that I have posted here on my design blog since I began in October of 2009. You can search this blog easily via the Google toolbar, up top on the left,[white box] using standard keywords, or you can search via the tags on the right based on topics like, 3D-Logos, or sketches etc.

I plan to fully archive my work online here over the years with 2D, and 3D related design posts, along with stories of interest, tips and techniques via tutorials as well. I have about 1/3 of my work up so far.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Blood and Chocolate : Motion Graphics Style Frames 2006

2011-12-12T11:07:00.000-08:00

Verdigre aged Brass Type over concrete for this style frame for Blood and Chocolate.

A Procedural layered Concrete with cross hatched lower layers with a dirt shader on this look.

A brighter Golden look over Purple material[ satin-ish]

This was fun in motion, as the background is a cracked glass in red so it is reflecting the type and skewing the reflections to create the shattered red effects behind the test, and when I moved the light it really read as a thickness.

We had one tag line I modeled in 3D and animated as well, here was what we sent over.

An alternate early look with a blocked font over a cave wall [ prior to going back to Trajen]

Inside a Gothic cathedral I developed this look where the type did a slow drift forward.

Project Review

Blood and Chocolate

Motion Graphics Style Frames 2006

Client: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer[ M.G.M.] via The Cimarron Group.
Art Director: n/a.
Project Date:Fall 2006

After 6 years running a 3D department of one, at The Cimarron Group, I got the chance to work on over one hundred film Theatrical Trailers, with 80+ finishes, so it was a regular occurrence to create what are called "Style Frames".

These illustrate the intended look for the moving type, to be used to sell the looks for buy off before the labor to move it around is approved by the internal client first. I was asked to develop a few looks and so I did.

Though none of these were used in the finals, they all were shown. And as always I built the type as a Single Pointed Bevel with the Trajan font[ used every week in Advert's] and did a series of looks using the procedural textures I build in Dark Tree.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review:DVD Menu Design for The Cimarron Group Home Entertainment Reel 2008

2011-12-09T11:13:00.001-08:00

The first concept 3D design I did was this large single monitor CRT design, here it is rendered in ambient material with a dirt pass to exaggerate the cracks and design elements.

Here is the textured color pass on the above first draft scene. A bunch of the 3D models they sell on TurboSquid are found in here[ Mic,Generator, etc.]

Here I clumped a bunch of various monitors together that would animate to create this menu. All types of video screens are found here.

Here is the above scene with a few monitors removed for the Blue RAY Menu.

The final design, though not used was rendered at a full 1080p HD size for the final menus and intro aniamtions.

Project Review

DVD Menu Design for The Cimarron Group

Home Entertainment Division Reel 2008

Client: The Home Entertainment Division of The Cimarron Group.
Creative and Art Direction: George Anderson, and Brian Larson.
Project Date: June 2007- March 2008

While in-house as a 'One Man Army', running my little 3D department, I did a few projects for them, so they tasked me with the DVD Menus for the yearly reels we would send out to solicit business, and to highlight the accomplishments of the various teams.

I had in the past done quite a few DVD menu assets, animated and stills, for the Home Entertainment department, and an occasional 3D logo, so they had me design out theis menu screen with a Stempunk flair to it with a set of animated video monitors, and old TV's that would show off the companys work.

The project dragged out over they next year, and the assets as far as I know were never used, but as all design work is subject to the cutting room floor, that in no way discounts the great learning curve, and quite frankly the FUN I have doing the work.

I love steampunk, I did a lot of Jules Verne inspired designs since I was a kid as I grew up with Disney s 20,000 leagues Under the Sea, and that was the hot item growing up in the 70's for what is now called, "steampunk". Old TV's and all the hardware is fun to assemble along with the cast iron Victorian era-eaque' frames and wheels.

I learned early on, NOT to care if it finishes, enjoy the process the creation you made, as I know that the decision process in almost NEVER based on a good idea or art execution, but the temperment of the cilent that particular hour of the day, or even minute by minute[ just wait a minute they will change their mind again!].

Advertising is all about the clients EGO's, so for the young designers with wild eyes out there it is a wake up call, as to what they say in Design School, and as with all of life, some can deal with this sad truth, and some not.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: The Phantom 2040- PARTLXXXIX [89th]-Various Video Displays

2011-12-08T21:12:00.001-08:00

In Sparks apartment, there was an Old 90's cathode ray tube TV[ CRT] needed in the script so BAM!

A beat up dirty wall mounted display screen[ Like an intercom/pay phone]

A Holographic Display box.

A heads up display from The Phantom 2o4o.

Phantom 2040-PART LXXXIX [89th]

Various Video Displays

Client: Hearst Animation Productions.
Art Director: Myself.
Project Date Spring 1993.

This is my 89th posting here on my design blog for my contributions to The Phantom 2040, and here I have posted four different technology displays that were used in the scripts for The Phantom 2040.

I Had to design lots of circa 2040[ current time for The Phantom] products, but I also had much older props like 1990's displays as well. And bear in mind that I did the show in the 90's pre-flat screen era we enjoy now.

The variety I show today is a sampling of what I did on a regular basis as Art Director and Conceptual Designer for the series. A holographic cube display, that was a 360 display box. The World of The Phantom 2040 was filled with flat screen with touch based tech everywhere in the 90's, and this is where the great writing for the series really set it apart.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review Game Show Key Art for X-Box: 2011 PART II

2011-12-07T09:33:00.001-08:00

Here is the new Game Show Set full 3D Illustrated Cover Key Art for Who Wants to be a Millionaire for 2011.

A very simple back cover frame made from the "2011 Edition" plaque used on the cover art above sized to the screen grab.

A Lower 3rd type of asset, this Contestant row with stage floor was rendered out and used for the Key Art for the 3rd years offering of 'The Price is Right' X-box cover I have worked on for Nomadic.

Here is the back cover frames for the assets and description, a quick pick-up render made after the front is signed off on as well.

Here is a line up [again] generously provided to me by my client Greg Orlowski at Nomadic.

Project Review

Game Show Key Art for X-Box: 2011

PART II

Client: Nomadic
Art Director: Greg Orlowski and Wynn Burton.
Project Date: Summer 2011.

In this, my second post for the 2011 versions of Game show Key Art, I have two additional games to review, Who wants to be a Millionaire, and The Price is Right. PART I for 2011 is here.

The main logos for both were reused from the existing logos that were created by me for Greg and Wynn last season.

The X-Box Game Who Wants to be a Millionaire 2011, was a full set and a large build to do. Also, it required the longest rendertime as the entire floor was reflective and refractive, as it was purple plexiglass. Also, the podium is frosted plexiglass, so I used the Sub-Surface-Scattering material in Final Render, there as well to simulate the effect of the lights on the actual podium.

The second was a smaller project with a contestant row with some microphones as well as the old styled "LED" readout in front of the Real Time Characters from the game. I also provided assets for the back covers for the screen grabs from the video game itself, which is a usual pick-up jog after the Key Art for the covers is done.

You can view the 2010: Key Art that I did here.

You can view the 2009: Online game screens for the X-Box titles here.

You can view the 2009 original Key Art here.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Logo Design for Homes by Farr: PART I

2011-12-06T15:24:00.001-08:00

This first pass is always a 2D font picking exercise, with the main looks in both black on white, and white on black to get a general sense of the weight. From this image the craftsman influence came into play as the new direction, so this step , though off base for finish, helps to pin point that direction.

Upon the direction, I had only one craftsman font installed[ that I owned] so I mocked this up and the direction was right, but we needed a better font.

Mike found a great font and bought it for the project and I developed a few looks and stacking to finalize the process[ a quick one].

Once I built the 3D Single Point Beveled type for the main logo I did some craftsman gradients as some color tests.

Project Review:

Logo Designs for Homes by Farr

PART I

Client: Mike Farr Owner Homes by Farr.
Art Direction: Collaboration with Mike and I.
Project Date: Summer 2011.

As a designer, I get the opportunity to help out folks with my design skills, and on certain occasions I get to do this for friends as well. These projects are very different since I know the client, so it is a bit of a change up from the "stranger" type of client who is only a professional contact, and this is 95% of my work.

Today is a posting of PART I, on the Corporate Logo I designed for Mike Farr,owner of, Homes by Farr out of Littleton Colorado, where I grew up. Mike is a fellow woodworker like me [ we both met in wood shop in 9th grade] so for this job, we went with a Craftsman style, a joint love of us both.

Today I cover the original designs in picking the font, as well as the first simple gradient color studys I did for a base direction.

I plan to post the second part, with final 3D rendered logos used on the business cards and Real Estate Yard signs, as well as the website assets, though you can peek at them here.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Game Show X-Box Key Art 2011 PART I

2011-12-02T14:57:00.001-08:00

For 2011 I got a new Game Show title from Nomadic, the cover for Hole in Wall, for X-Box.

Here is the back cover artwork for Hole in Wall, a re-purpose of a few items with a window wall for game shots[ typical]

Here is the podium[ foreground element] used on the cover Key Art in front of the 3D real time screen grabbed characters.

Here is the background bulb wall image used behind the foreground podium and characters on the cover for the 2011 edition of Family Feud.

Here is a line up generously provided by my client Greg Orlowski at Nomadic.

Project Review

Game Show Key Art for X-Box: 2011

PART I

Client: Nomadic
Art Director: Greg Orlowski and Wynn Burton.
Project Date: Summer 2011.

I have had the pleasure of doing 3D Illustration work for Nomadic for about 5 years now, and every time, I have alot of fun with the subject matter.

I have done the last few years of Game Show Key Art 3D Illustration for the cover art front and back, so this year I had some additions to the existing logos that were reused from last season.

Today, in PART I, I cover the Family Feud, and a new title this year, "Hole in Wall". I had a lot of fun working with Greg and Wynn again, a great client, helping to create the 3D assets that are used in their own final comps. We reused the logo, but all the foreground was new.

Next week, I plan to post the last two games shown in the above line up image, I did this season for them as well.

You can view the 2010: Key Art that I did here.

You can view the 2009: Online game screens for the X-Box titles here.

You can view the 2009 original Key Art here.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: The Phantom 2040- PARTLXXXVIII [88th]-More Misc Prop Designs

2011-12-01T17:42:00.001-08:00

The Inductance Rope the Phantom swings from comes out of the Power-cuffs and expands out. Based off a Chinese Finger Trap.

Kit has everything in those cuffs he wears when he is The Phantom, this is a small detonation device.

The Phantom would regularly 'snoop' on the Madison gang, or Graft, so he had a little directional Microphone that animated out of the cuff.

Sean One wore a 'Wearable PC" on his forearm while floating in Zed-G.

Phantom 2040-PART LXXXVIII [88mph]

More Misc. Prop Design Sketches

Client: Hearst Animation Productions.
Art Director: Myself.
Project Date Spring 1993.

This is my 88th posting here on my design blog for my contributions to The Phantom 2040. Today I have added more cuff gadgets.

Working with a superhero that wears "Power-Cuffs" like our hero here, The Phantom 2040, I had to constantly create new little things that would pop up in the story out of the cuffs. I also did some arm based computers like the wearable PC Sean One uses in zero gravity spce as seen above as well. Sometimes they are a fast design,a nd soem required a bit more thought.

Above posted today, my favorite is the Inductance rope. As an ID[ Industrial Design] grad, I am always trying to figure stuff out via reverse engineering, so how the hell can you fit a long rope in a cuff[ Yea Spiderman, where the hell to you store the wrist web goo, WAIT!!!, I do not want to know]].

So for my design I looked to a toy from the 50's, those little woven Chinese finger traps. I figured that you could compress some ultra thin carbon fiber woven fabric down to get a good 200 feet squeezed down into a compressed Air-Bag to deploy the rope out to swing to save the day.

Cheers, THOM

Personal Project: The Bugster Coupe- PART II

2011-11-30T10:41:00.001-08:00

I wanted a light grey/silver version with a bright red interior to see the design in a lighter shade.

This tipped up view shows off the red/black combo that was typical in early VW and Porches of the era.

Had to try the 'rootbeer' color on this one too, I have seen this color on a 54 VW.

This ambient render shows the panel seeas better so you can see how I have adjusted the door tops and rear cowl area. Still deciding on rear louver placement, then I finish the tin work up.

The side view as an Ambient Render, reveals the decklid is a bit wide and overhangs the rear fender beading, this will be addressed in ROUND 2.0 once I have time to put into her design.

Personal Project

The Bugster Coupe

PART II

So here is Part II, as a follow up to Mondays posting, with some additional images of my Bugster custom VW coupe project I just started this past weekend. As a Transportation design graduate, a project like this is something that I have always wanted to do since a 3D representation of a design is so helpful to do before any metal is cut, and 3D software is the tool to do this as the changes are very fast to implement and see finished the same day, this is a great strength of 3D design.

The model is a work in progress still[ WIP], as I have not welded the big panels into the body yet so I can adjust the overall curves and proportions before it is all one piece. I have some tweaking left to do as well as some design decisions needed to continue, so this is next up.

In the following weeks I have some plans to finish this out, and do the Volksrod alternate version as well, a fender-less I-Beam front ended hot rod version of the Bugster too. I plan to put the uncovered bomber seats from a Speedster in there[ covers on for this one], the Speeedster top and tonneau covers, and I plan to do the entire engine compartment design too showing the huge tray behind the motor now which is about 75% done from when it was going to be used for Herbie[ that portion of the MGFX was scrapped- a motor fly out anim].

Look for more posts as I continue with this personal project in the months ahead.

You can view PART I here.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Traffic Agency- Art Table Construction Plans 2008

2011-11-29T10:39:00.001-08:00

A 3D render showing the White Melamine build out for the art table.

A closer shot showing the virtually constructed parts[ Dado's and all in 3D]

A 3D 'toon' render of the table: Simply copy the object rotate and render a front view and you are done!

Exploded parts drawings like this take alot of time by hand, but in 3D the set up is about 15 minutes and you get another render, and that is a SMART 3D asset.

The piece was built in sections and assembled onsite[ typical] so here is a "flat-file-ish' section exploded-view in 3D.

The top is built from 3 4'x8' sheets of 3/4" thick Plywood covered in a cutting laminate in drafting green.

Another parts drawing with all the sub-builds going together for the on-site set-up team.

A 3/4 view toon render line art drawing for the Custom Furniture piece.

Project Review

The Cimarron Group Architectural Work

Traffic Agency- Art Table Construction Plans 2008

Client: The Traffic Agency via The Cimarron Group.
Art Direction: n/a
Project Date: Late Summer 2008

As a full time employee at The Cimarron Group I often helped out with 3D visualizations of the various construction projects that the owner Bob Farina had at the company. I had worked on a restaurant and been an Imagineer so I was very familiar with these type of projects.

Also, I have professional training in space design as I worked with Steelcase out of MI, when I was going to CCS in Detriot back in 1985, so space planning was in my design blood early on.

A simple project, they gave me dimensions, and needs for the furniture piece, and as an ex-cabinet builder myself, I did a 3D visualization to create the line art parts drawing for the construction plan document.

I even created a parts list from the 3D, as I simply counted up the parts I built virtually.

To achieve the line art there are a few ways in 3D to do this, the easiest way I use is Final-Toon which is a ink and paint renderer that ships with Final Render, my go to renderer.

This is the first in a series of architectural work I do along side the higher concept design work as well, look for future posts, and enjoy.

Cheers, THOM

Personal Project: The Bugster Coupe PART I

2011-11-28T10:00:00.001-08:00

My last render of the Bugster, a Personal Design of a Chop Top Custom VW in black with red rims and red interior.

Beehive tail lights from a 55' Porsche, with body colored bumper blades per the 356 look.

For now I have a scoop up top on the hood converted to a long decklid, but this is still in progress as I may do a louvered type 38 look.

I also put beehives up at the horn grills from a 356 Porsche as well on this Bugster Coupe.

The rear cowl is still not attached, and you can see a line near the door where this meets, but this render helps me evaluate the proportions of the new decklid before I virtually weld this up.

My 2nd favorite shot reminds me of the old advertisement paintings from the 50's[ note the lip doors from a pre 56' in there]

Personal Project

The Bugster Coupe

PART I

Today I have posted the first images on a new personal project that I just started this Thanksgiving weekend 2011, a custom Volkswagen coupe that is a combination of the VW type 1 bug and a Porsche Speedster and highly influenced by the Hebmuller coachbuilts from the era.

I have been a bug fan since I was about 13 and bought my first car at 14, a 1961ish, VW bug, so I have been 'bitten by the bug" and over the years I have owned well over a dozen.

I also am a huge Speedster fan, as my father owned a 1958', bought new from Hoffmans out of NYC, he got me into VW by teaching me engine work etc as the two cars are so similar. I also have owned 3 Porsche replicas so I am very familiar with the two cars.

I have thought for years what would it look like to combing the top and windscreen from a Speedster onto a Coupe bug, with a big decklid like a Hebmuller, so this weekend Herbie, got virtually chopped!

Today I have posted this Work In Progress[ WIP], with the main proportions in there, though I have not 'welded' the metal yet, so I can adjust proportions in color. This alone is the great advantage of chopping a car in 3D, as you can play with the results before you weld it all togeter to make sure you like all lines and proportions.

Look for more posts as I continue with this personal project work in automotive styling.

Cheers, THOM

Happy Thanksgiving 2011 from 3D Conceptual Designer

2011-11-24T10:16:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving

2011

from

3D Conceptual Designer

Hoping that you all enjoy the Thanksgiving Holiday today with friends and family.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Little Miss Sunshine 3D VW Bus for Cinema Expo 2007

2011-11-23T22:01:00.001-08:00

The side view of the 3D Little Miss Sunshine VW bus model as delivered.

A color render[ never used], to test the surfaces.

Here you can see the base vectors I create to build from in 3D, here I have four: Front, Back, Top and Side.

A 3/4 Worms Eye view of the bus, I did throw the front Torsion Beam in their, since this was a head on shot.

A Quad view of the base mesh for the bus, you will notice the door handles are high rez, they were from Herbie.

Mesh- Smooth is set at 2 in this ambient render of the VW bus I built.

A side view of the VW bus I built for Little Miss Sunshine advertising.[ Note the dent below the door- I ran out of time]

Project Review

Little Miss Sunshine

3D VW Bus for Cinema Expo 2007

Client: FOX Studios via The Cimarron Group
Art Direction: John Zaffarano.
Project Date: Summer 2007.

While at The Cimarron Group back in 2007, I worked on a few Cinema Expo presentations for the International Division headed up by John Zaffarano, and I had to build the VW bus from Little Miss Sunshine for an animated piece their own 3D guy was doing.

Here is the catch, I had 8 Hours to do it. Bear in mind a good automotive model from scratch takes about a week, or 40 hours to get a full exterior done, so one fifth that time was a real challenge.

I did have an advantage in that I had built a VW bug for Herbie here, and I could use a few parts from that model for the details here, suspension, door handles etc, but for this one I did all parts as Quads so they could be smoothed once their team took the model. I also have the advantage that I am a Transportation Grad who happens to know a lot about VW's and have owned a Bay Window bus, this same year, so it was from memory for a bunch of this.

As a note, if you look below the passenger door you will see some rippling in the body, and since this was a long shot to a close up on just the front end of the 3D Virtual Bus, and it would not show, and I had only one day to do this all, I was not able to fix it in time for delivery, and that was discussed and expected with one fifth the time to this.

I loved the challenge of trying to get a car done that fast, it teaches you a whole bunch, on how to run that fast.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: The Phantom 2040- PARTLXXXVII [87th]-More Misc Prop Designs

2011-11-22T11:58:00.001-08:00

A design for Rebbecca Madison for the Main Desk[ seen here], with an iPad tablet, and a MS-Surface PC back in 93!

A com-set sketched over an enlarged Xerox of the Sagan inked concept from Peter Chung.

A pair of glassed for Maxwell done for The Phantom Television Animation Series.

A hanging loudspeaker that was on the blimp here.

Phantom 2040-PART LXXXVII [87th]

More Misc. Prop Design Sketches

Client: Hearst Animation Productions.
Art Director: Myself.
Project Date Spring 1993.

This is my 87th posting here on my design blog for my contributions to The Phantom 2040. Today I have added a few additional props that I designed for the television series that aired on ABC back in the early 90's.

I have said it before, but this was a dream job, I was offered the position just one year out of Art Center, and since I changed my career based on Syd Meads work on Blade Runner, this was an animated future city with every square inch needing Industrial Design, what could be a better fit for a Transportation Major!

I did lots of these fun little items, form the cool shades for Maxwell, to a ear piece comm-set for Sagan. In prepping the work, I noticed that Rebecca's Desk has a MS Surface PC and an iPad on top and this was back in 93, and we are there already.

Cheers, THOM

Twilight 2011: PART IV- Breaking Dawn Part 1

2011-11-21T11:05:00.001-08:00

The final finished 3D Illustrated Logo I did was also was the first pass logo[ happens more often that you think], so we came full circle in the nine designs I did for The Cimarron Group.

A warmer version of the Twilight Logo [ that color scheme was the final but the texture here was not]

A rough granite/marble texture in a warm color range was done near the end of our one day of colorwork.

The Model was super simple, a extrusion with a micro bevel so it almost appears as a flat extrusion.

Here you see the 3D "Weld" object used in the films in both low rez "quad" and the smoothed melted look in the finals.

This geometry 'quad' view shows the depth of extrusion used, as well as the warm to cool lighting I did for the scene.

The final Poster for the film using my 3D Illustration for the main Logo.

Twilight Logos PART III

TWILIGHT BREAKING DAWN PART I
3D Logos and Illustrations for Print Advertising

Client: Summit entertainment via The Cimarron Group.
Art Directors(s): Calvin Sumler, Joseph Stamper, and Chris A. Hawkins.
Project Date: Winter 2010.

I had the great privilege of working on all four Twilight ad campaigns, and today I post the work I did for the finished 3D Logo for the current film in theaters now, Breaking Dawn Part I.

Early in the series I had the room to experiment more with the look and feel of the logo, and we did a whole lot more variation and 3D sculpting for the first two films posted here on my design blog for your viewing.

On this fourth film, which also happens to be the last 3D Illustration job done for the Cimarron Group over a seven year period, was a very simple version of the logo, a 3D, straight extrusion, and re-use of the custom made 3D welds" I built for the prior 3 films was what I was directed to produce.

The same 3D weld model can be found in all other finished logos for the series as I just replaced the type as each consequent film that came out.The final did go to finish, and was rendered at a super big size of 9500 pixels wide, a huge final when most One Sheets[Movie Posters] are done closer to 4500 pixels wide.

You can view PART I for the first film here.

You can view PART II for New Moon here.

I have NOT posted my Eclipse artwork yet, that will go up sometime in the future. And thought it is just two images, it too went to finish as well.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Herbie Fully Loaded PART IV: Motion Graphics Cards 2005

2011-11-18T16:48:00.001-08:00

All cards but two, were a low angle straight on view, but this card shows a frame from a 60 frame slow gimbals animation I also did.

The only cast members name we did a card for was this Motion Graphics piece for Lindsay Lohan.

A 3D Coming Soon AV_MGFX card rendered out in 3DSmax for the final trailers.

As we inter-cut to the shots of the virtual Herbie, we get these tag-lines.

The main Walt Disney Pictures AV card I did in 3D for the project.

Here is a MGFX card for the main Title, done at 5K wide for a quick single frame slam.

Project Review

Herbie Fully Loaded PART IV

Motion Graphics Cards 2005

Client: The Walt Disney Pictures via The Cimarron Group.
Art Direction: Paolo Ledesma.
Project Date Winter 2005

In this, my fourth posting on the work I did for the newer[ now old!] Herbie film starring Lindsey Lohan and Justin Long, today we look at some Motion Graphics [ MGFX] 3D cards I did for the AV team at The Cimarron Group back in 05.

I build out a full 3D X-ray inside and out model of the Love Bug itself., so being a VW geek, and having owned over a dozen early Type 1's, this was a favorite to do, so adding in these MGFX cards was a bit of follow up for the TV spots.

Simple straight forward chrome logos with a nice simple warm to cool, soft reflection to them. A front font with a holding device back plate in a gold metal is always a favorite these days[ the last decade.... be honest!], so I was directed to do that again on this project too.

My First three other posts on the VW build itself, are here, along with this and this.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Silvestri California Trim a Home 1992

2011-11-17T10:55:00.001-08:00

The main gate entryway I helped design for the Trim-a-Home Collection of architectural fixtures at Silvestri Ca.

Inside the Trim-a-Home area looking to the side at the matching post architectural stone[ faux] column overlays.

Project Review
Silvestri California
Trim-a-Home Sketches 1992

Client: Silvestri California.Art Director: Bill Daniels.Project Date Fall 1992

In this fifth posting, on work I did back in the early 90's right out of Art Center, for the Fashion Industry Manufacturer of interior design elements for major department stores, Silvestri California, I have a quick 2 sketch posting for you to review.

Bill, had a rough doodle concept to show the fixtures in the specific store in Chicago, so I did these two 11 x 17 velum Marker Renderings for the presentation we sent out for approval.

You may notice that I did the sketch using the ship curves I use to get the fish-eye perspective for a more dramatic view to sell the concept to our clients.

The design were eventually built as the X-mas display that year for 1992.

You can view my alternate Silvestri California work right here.

Cheers, THOM

Test Project:Deuce Coupe[ Traditional] PART II

2011-11-16T10:34:00.001-08:00

A 4 Speed Transmission in detail on the Deuce

The only Sub-D Quad surface was the body itself, all else was built using nPowers, PowerNURBS.

A close up on the wheel spindle on the dropped axle from beam

The Ford 9" rear end suspension detailing is seen here[ note the SAE on the bolt head modeled in]

The front frame member details showing the inside of the rails on the Virtual Deuce.

A view of the 9" rear end and drive-shaft parts connecting the two speed components

Test Project

My Little Virtual Deuce Coupe
PART II

This is my second post on the Virtual Deuce[ 1932 Ford] coupe I built as a test car for paint and lighting and pitches, and today I have some older screen caps I wanted to post on the Deuce Coupe I began building back in 08.

I wanted to have a set of very detailed Hot Rod parts for a few resons and I decided to use this project as a test bed for these tasks.

Once it was all done I wanted to use it to test Photoreal rendering of cars, but I also wanted to test out modeling something bolt by bolt with every detail in there. This was to be used to help sell my automotive srevices to clients, as we found that being a "motorhead" was benifically in automotive accounts as there was always a hot rod fan on the teams when dealing with the subject matter of cars, so having this, it helped show off our comitiment and passion for the craft.

As you can see I have not touched this for a while, also this was built using BREP nurb surfaces so it is high rez only model except for the body shell you see above, the only Sub-D quad part in there.

Actually I posted this years ago and someone commented that it should be all quads and that was inspirational to me to convert all modeling over to quads, and my speedster is an example of that style.

As I stated in my prior post here, hopefully someday I can finish it up.

Cheers, THOM

Napkin Sketching and Doodles: PART XII-Even More Character Design Sketches.

2011-11-15T19:26:00.001-08:00

I have always loved to sketch little green men from space, this one is angry at the bar I visited...

Big Mouth was based on a guy who had a comb over and the BIGGEST TEETH I have ever seen.

A perturbed little chap in a turtle neck sweater, He was at Q's Billiards in Pasadena when I sketched this character based on him.

This angry 'big chin smoking guy', was out front waiting in line so he was my last "victim' of a doodle.

Sketching Part XII
Even More Character Design Napkin Sketches

In this twelfth installment of the Napkin Sketches, Drawings, and Doodles I do I have put up four more character designs that I created over the years.

Character design, as I noted in my last post, is a great creative exercise to keep your degin skills on point. You deal with proportion, emotion, character, and feelings as well as a themed look, all in one design. Find what you love to draw, and do it often, put the mouse down a bit.

Napkins have always been my "mini canvas" and I am always tempted to sketch on one, every time I have the chance, or even better yet, a blank backed cardboard coffee coaster and a ball point is all I really need.

You can view the other parts as follows:

PART I

PART II

PART III

PART IV

PART V

PART VI

PART VII

PART VIII

PART IX

PART X

PART XI

Cheers, THOM

Project Review:The Brothers Grimm-3D Logo Exploration 2004

2011-11-14T12:44:00.001-08:00

A Metal 3D Logo based on a design by Chad Robertson for The Brothers Grimm.

Here is an alternate 3D Logo for The Brothers Grimm with a slight reflective surface indicated below the render.

Rusted metal no a metal wall in this design concept I presented back to the Poster Design Division.

A warm 3D rock material built using DarkTree's procedural texture program was used on this Grimm Logo.

A cool blue-green metal render done for a design from the Art Directors.

The final Grimm Logo design I did in 3D for the project.

Project Review

The Brothers Grimm

3D Logo Exploration 2004

Client: Miramax Films+Dimension Films via The Cimarron Group.
Art Direction: Chad Robertson and Joesph Stamper.
Project Date: Spring 2004.

I did a about two days on designing 3D logos based on Illustrator files given to me in my little 3D Department over at The Cimarron Group, back in the spring of 04 on The Brothers Grimm for the Theatrical Print Department.

Most Logos were done for Art Director[AD] Chad Robertson, but I also did a few for AD, Joseph Stamper as well. The AD's provide me with an outline path of the live font as an "ai" file to build it out based on the Vector file in 3DSmax for the comps. In max you build right off the 2D file, it becomes the actual first edge of the model.

I rendered every 3D design twice, so the AD's could paint in Photoshop between the rock material version I did of each, and the scratched and rusted metals version as a layer in PSD to adjust and blend. I did render a few in 3-4 materials as well, the sky is the limit with 3D textures especially with procedurals as they are mathematical textures and not tied to a picture or photo with it's limitations.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Meet the Fockers 3: Little Fockers 3D Title Treatment Designs 2010

2011-11-11T18:08:00.001-08:00

I was asked to do some extreme angles on the type as what you see above was one that finished out.

This early concept did not make it to the presentation, but it was a fun experiment using just type in two colors only for Little Fockers, the third film in the Meet The Parents trilogy.

Using the parts from the above Little Fockers comp I moved the camera up top to look down and changed the layout up a bit , and took out Meet the Parents too.

This was done for the 30-sheet and billboard presentation, they wanted a huger render at 10K wide for this pass.

This version has the main type on a wall in back with a curved cyclorama feel, with the tag type below at a 45 degree angle.

The main "Meet the Parents" 3D Logo model is floating above the white wall with the "3" hole cut through, with the main tag inside the three cht-out, floating as well. I upp'ed the color bounce to get the red to bleed a bit more in this pass.

Project Review

Meet the Fockers 3: Little Fockers

3D Title Treatment Designs

Client: Universal Pictures via The Cimarron Group.
Art Director: Calvin Sumler.
Project Date January 2010.

Some jobs are not about complicated detailed 3D Logos, I have done plenty of those, this job for the third installment of Meet the Parents, aptly called, Little Fockers, was about clean simplicity.

Red and white in color, and that is it. The font was locked from the prior films, so our basic exercise was to develop a series of 3D takes, or looks on the main title for the Key Art presentations they were doing at The Cimarron Group.

I put a bit if a rounded extrusion to the font for this project, to soften the edge a bit, and I used my Car Paint material I developed using the Final Render Plug-In in 3DSmax. We did positive extrusions and cut outs, big letters, and small, and different planes for each part of the title as well. I even finished this out in 3 other languages.

Now it did end up finishing for some International Poster work, but the US posters were all just a 2D Logos, though the process and working with a great Art Director, like Calvin, is always a fun deal.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: The Phantom 2040- PARTLXXXVI [86th]-More Vehicle Schematics

2011-11-10T11:16:00.001-08:00

A Section of the Assault Transport Vehicle I have here, and here.

Sean One Lived in Space on Trumball Platform a Huge Space Station, and this was the cut away sectional view

Dr JAK's Multi-Cruiser 3 -View with the original Ball Prop out back.

A Multi-View of Kit Walker/The Phantom 2040's Multicruiser with both modes shown in front view with the skull face open and closed.

Phantom 2040-PART LXXXVI [86th]

More Vehicle Schematic Sketches

Client: Hearst Animation Productions.
Art Director: Myself.
Project Date Spring 1993.

This is my 86th posting here on my design blog for my contributions to The Phantom 2040. I have put up a few added schematics, and multi-view drawings, for some vehicles from the Television Animated Series that I created these designs for, so the animators and layout teams were clear on the basic layout of the various vehicles.

I was trained in Architecture, Product Design, and Transportation Design and doing Mufi-View Renderings or Parts Drawings is a standard need when sending any design to another person.

This is the most vital tool to ensure that the design will, or can be followed accurately. It is always the designers responsibility to make sure whomever executes the final design, that they have adequate information to follow through.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Heat on DVD Home Entertainment Motion Graphics

2011-11-09T12:30:00.000-08:00

The style Board Frames for the Vault opening "wipe" I made for the editor to use for the DVD release of HEAT.

The TV spot ends with the Heat DVD up from the bank vault drawer and the disc animated out the side.

As we travel into the vault I did the "waiting room" to enter the lock box room.

Here is a Geometry view showing the structure of the High-Rez 3D Models I built as a two wall set for the last shot.

Project Review

Heat on DVD

Home Entertainment Motion Graphics

Client: via The Cimarron Group.
Art Direction: Paolo Ledesma, and Sejal Patel.
Project Date: November 2004.

Back from 2003-2009 I ran a small "One Man Army", 3D Design department in-house at The Cimarron Group, and The Home Entertainment Department, was one internal client that I did 3D backgrounds still and moving for the motion graphics pieces for on various DVD releases, and HEAT, being one of my favorite movies was a joy to do a few things for.

All images were bank vault related, from the big thick door swinging open, to the drawer opening up in the vault itself, with the DVD that animated out and the Disc rolls to the side[ as usual].

I built all 3D models as high-rez only models at the time, today I would do quads to get a bit more derails, but it still holds up after seven years alright in my opinion.

Cimarron still sells a few parts from the scene at Turbo-Squid, and you can get the little key and lock here.

We also re-used the vault door[ I made it taller] for the film Jumper, a few years later, at Cimarron as well, you can see it here.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: The Phantom 2040- PARTLXXXV [85th]-Misc Small Props

2011-11-08T10:25:00.000-08:00

Maxwell Madison trained in this Virtual Reality Training Sphere to fight The Phantom.

For one flashback sequence, Graft and the Phantom[ 22nd Kits father] fight and this was one of the "sharp edged" older styled weapons.

Another sharp edged older weapon used by NIA.

A Sleep inducing headband was a simple prop but I took time to develop the way it opened and animated as it was used. Years later saw one in Minority Report as the writers used real tech to develop the shows.

Phantom 2040-PART LXXXV [85th]

Misc. Color Key Marker Rendering

Client: Hearst Animation Productions.
Art Director: Myself.
Project Date Spring 1993.

This is my 85th posting here on my design blog for my contributions of Art Direction, and Head Conceptual Designer roles for The Phantom 2040, and today I am posting some more small props I designed during the time I spent on the series for almost 3 years at Hearst Animation.

FOr a world of the future everything needs to be designed from a small plate or form all the way up to an entire city. Every vehicle and prop needed to be themed to a few eras since we would regularly falsh-back since this Phantom was the 23rs in a long line of Phantoms, so 2040 ans 2020, and even 2010 were visited in the series.

Today is a sampling of what I had to design each week for each new script.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Monty Python's Spamalot at the Wynn Casino 2006

2011-11-07T15:55:00.000-08:00

A rounded bevel and holding plate, but no deep extrusion on this Monty Python 3D Logo. All letters overlap and are rotated to read.

Here is the above logo extruded back into space along with a dropped camera angle to accentuate the depth in the 3D Logo.

I did an all red version of the Monty Python Logo as well using a dirt shader to darkened and age it up a bit.

I also was asked to go back to the first top concept and do a straight on with deep extrusion version as well. This 3D Logo version I did almost made it to final.

Here is what finished as final: The Monty Python 3D Logo, the SPAMalot 3D Log, and the mark for Wynn Casino.

A little pick-up was to do a web tag to match the font in Monty Python so I built this out and gimbaled the letters with this to match.

Project Review

Monty Python's Spamalot at the Wynn Casino 2006

Client: The Wynn Casino Las Vegas via The Cimarron Group.
Art Director Mary Ellen Schrock.
Project Date: August 2006.

I did a variety of 3D logos over the years when I was the in-house 3D Design Department of One[ a.k.a.: The One Man Army] at The Cimarron Group in Hollywood, CA, and being a huge fan of Monty Python , when Mary Ellen brought this job to me, I was very excited to take a quick stab at it.

The Logo was locked in , all they wanted to see was a dimensional version of what they had been using for a few years, so I did a series of 3D versions or, interpretations of the 2D into 3D.

What worked well since the original logo was all overlapped text, where the kerning[ spacing betwix the letter forms] was negative, I decided to gimbal the text at 5 degrees to allow a trailing and facing edge to accentuate the overlap, you see that in all the titles I did.

For Spamalot and the Wynn casino, I did simple extrusions with some color modifications. A quick 4-5 hr gig that was a fun solve though whith a locked pallette and design and just over half a day I needed to work fast.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Batman Begins 2003-04.

2011-11-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

A Triple Plate stacked metal logo with dirt and Rust materials used to find the cracks for the Batman Begins Logo from 2003-04.

This 3D Logo was a version with deep pits in the metal, and a cut-in key line in the logo itself.

A rough cool to warm lit material done for Batman Begins Logo explorations.

Here is the smooth steel with surface rust. I used the Simbiont Max and Dark Tree to develop the procedural textures for the test.

We wanted the surface to look like steel that "pooled" and cooled so it would have the waves and metal would be far from flat, so I built this displaced example for the Batman Begins Logo.

If I did this today, this would be all quads,[ Subdivision], but at the time I did a hand adjusted variable width beveled polygon, it did the trick fine as I had less than a day on this job.

Project Review: Batman Begins

3D Logo Designs.

Client: Warner Brothers via The Cimarron Group.
Art Director(s):Calvin Sumler, and Joseph Stamper.
Project Date: 2004.

I did a set of Batman Begins Logos for the Print Department at Cimarron back in 2003-04, and though the film was done and out, they wanted to see some added rusty logo looks. After we did this test of sorts, we jumped on Superman Right after, so this work was done to help pad the 3D logo sample we sent over to them.

Sometimes I have had to do this in the past where you take an existing property of a potential client and re-work it a bit, but I have also seen this back-fire too. A Logo Mark is a well developed logo, and there would be things we were not privy too when they did the real logo pass, so sometimes when you re-visit the design it does the opposite and the client is confused.

For me as the 3D designer, I had all the fun. I had to come up with some heavy rust materials and almost cast steel in sand looks, very rough, all the way to a crisp sharp metal with a pocked up rusty surface to it. Nothing was done in a clean metal, they already had that in the look of the film, so we showed them these.

Cheers, THOM

Personal Project: My Bubble Car Design 1989-2011-PART III-More 3D Color variations

2011-11-02T21:05:00.000-07:00

A Candy Paint in Magenta done using Cebas Final Render 3.0 for the renderer.

Here we see My Bubble Kar in Dark Moss Green Metallic Paint

Candy Apple Red! BAM!

A Dark Espresso or Mocha Metallic Paint, that rolled real dark as it falls on the back shapes. This was to emulate an old Candy Apple red technique where they would shoot black paint in the body folds to appear even deeper in the shadows.

I even did one in Bubble Car in basic primer grey to get the lighting down for a flat paint set up as well

Here is the Bubble Car is Suede paint, or a flattened black popular in the current Hot Rod culture.

Personal Project

My Bubble Car Design 1989-2011
Part III- More Color 3D Renders

This is my third post covering my personal project on My Bubble Car that was started back while I was still at Art Center in Pasadena CA. back in 1989 during my thirst term in Transportation Design 1. You can view the original design from that era here.

Today I am posting a few added color variations that I did back in 2007 on the project. I had a double use for the tests. I was setting up a base scene for a car render in the various colors so that when a job came in, like Mitsubishi did, I was ready to light and render a car fast in any color that they would want.

One thing I did was to meet with a fellow A.C.C.D. grad who specialized in Automotive Photography, and Jerry Garns was very helpful to our whole team of myself, Goutam Mitra, and Dean Fowler on a Honda pitch. we eventually won.

One thing I knew, and was reinforced even more, is that the car color requires a new light rig for every color as each paint scheme reacts very different to light. Lighter colors will wash out with the bright lights needed for a black sleek render, and a darker lighting scheme for a bright paint is too dim for a dark car paint as well.

Also as a Hot Rod and custom car enthusiast, I had to do a suede paint, or flattened black look in there too, I was inspired by a friend I do 3D design work for, Coby Gewertz in the Movie Poster world, who dubbed the Bubble Car, the future Model-T, ...the next T-bucket. It needs some Von Dutch pinstripes though IMAO.

I plan to revisit the design in the next few months if I have some downtime, to continue the design, as I have not touched it in over 4 years, and I am way past due, but I have been busy, so it can wait if needed.

PART I: here

PART II: here

Cheers, THOM

3D Conceptual Designer Thom Schillinger Finishes Year Two!

2011-11-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

The 3D Conceptual Designer Design Blog

Marks Completion of Year Two

It has been two years as of today [NOV 1st ], that I officially launched this design blog for the work I do in the entertainment and other industries as a 3D Concept Artist and 3D Designer.

I thank all my clients, both new and old, for the business that they bring to me, and I am grateful that I get to do what I love for my living. I specifically can thank The Cimarron Group, for closing my 3D Department in OCT 09', because had they kept me there in-house , I would not have this 3DCD design blog, and also would not have moved to a self supporting position that I enjoy today. I also still get a chance to work with the fine folks who remain there at Cimarron, so it is the best of both worlds.

I have now posted 2,931 images from the work I have performed over my almost 20 year career, and I plan to continue the Design Blog moving forward. If you have not tried the Google Search Bar above, on the LEFT, take a spin, it helps sort through the almost 3000 images found on my Design Blog here, and assists you to finds posts quickly for reference.

This year marks the first time a product is to come to market I have had the privilege of designing, and for me the Sure Grip International Avenger, Quad Speed and Roller Derby Skate, is my first product design, or is it Transportation Design, it has wheels!

I also am back Imagineering again for "The Mouse" over at WDI doing Theme Park Designs, I always loved doing work for them, as the end product is a real world design that can be seen and felt, and for a 3D CG artist, that is refreshing!

I have done in the past 8 weeks, a huge volume of work, doing 60+ hour weeks, and working on some big name properties, I have had more fun in the last 60 days than in almost any time prior, and a good portion of the work is with new clients and great new Art Directors. In the weeks and years to come when I am free to post this newest work, I hope you all enjoy it.

Thank you, to all who visit this site, as I begin year three today...

Cheers, THOM

Personal Project: The Akira Kaneda Bike: A Re-Visioned redesign 1.0

2011-10-31T14:38:00.000-07:00

Here is the base mock-up pf the bike[ half day] rendered in Quads for massing.

A front 3/4 view with the massive springer front end on Kanedas Bike prominent in the design.

A rear 3/4 view pf the Akira Bike Re visioned, showing the single sided swing arm rear area with the shock mount exposed as well.

A simple side view, a bit high up, of the Akira Bike Re-Visions internal structure.

The base parts exploded out in this view of the Akira Re-Vision.

Personal Project

Kaneda's Bike for AKIRA

A re visioning Experiment.

Akira holds a close spot for all Art Center Grads like myself, it is a must see film required by all Transportation majors informally in the program. Simply put, it is a masterpiece.

My associate Dean Fowler over at Machine Films, offered me an invitation to join in Project Akira he is on to develop a "what if", from me. Every transportation design major, has envisioned this bike at some point in their career, it is a perfect fun package, with a full recline sit down rocket bike, what could be more fun!

I am an avid biker and after having owned a Ducati, I am a huge fan of using the frame itself as a main focus of the design, not hidden as in the original but much more a Hooligan or 'naked" bike as they call it in motorsports, so that is where I started.

As with all transportation projects, I started with the base 95th percentile male figure, seated him, and built the frame around him to the close proportions of the original adjusting to allow the bike to actually function as a real vehicle, to fit the engine and items needed to ride this beast.

I am building this out all as an all subdivision surface model, so what you see is the blocking Low-Poly views showing the base design elements from the hyper springer front end, to the tipped V twin 150ci down low, to the single sided swing arm with internal oil tank.

The finals will be as close to the stylized Photo Real I do for most all my projects

This is just a first post, as I have about a half day into the project, and thought I'd post this early, so I can show regular updates as I revisit the design and you can follow the progress.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Green Lantern- Key Art 2010

2011-10-28T20:51:00.000-07:00

The Iconic Lantern for the films One Sheet was designed by someone else, yet I had to replicate it for a Poster alt as show here.

All rough metal Green Lantern Logo with type and the lantern layered for the client.

A Green Lantern Title with a holding device plate of bevels metal done in 3D for the Key Art presentations.

This is an Alt on the above font without the background plate, and I extruded it way back and pulled the end down to exaggerate the forced One-point perspective look they were after.

The client requested a Generic blurred soft chrome look for the Green Lantern Logo in 3D

A Green Lantern Logo with a tint of green to the rusted metal plates.

Project Review

Green Lantern 2010
3D Logo exploration for Key Art Presentations

Clinet: via Art Machine A Trailer Park Company.
Art Director Rigel Morrison.
Project Date: December 2010.

This is the frist job I did for Art Machine back about one year ago, for the Superhero flic Green Lantern, currently on Demand now, so I thought I'd post the Logos I did.

This was a relatively short project, and I spent a bit on the Lantern Icon first, as I had to match texture and lighting to someone elses 3D image, and they had no access to the files.

A good portion of the work I do is to "re-do" a logo that existed in a 3D form, yet is not available to us for the alt. Sometimes, like with this, it needed to match very close, but in most cases, I am given a bit more room to explore, but this was late in the game and the client just wanted an alternate view.

I then jumped to do about ten, or so 3D logos for the film. I have done a few dozen Superhero logos in the recent past, so this is a standard request I get, and with the popularity of Superheros as the source for films, I get a good amount of these fine jobs.

Funny I did Green Hornet and Green Lantern work the dame week!

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: The Phantom 2040- PARTLXXXIV [84th]-Misc Color Key Marker Rendering

2011-10-27T20:23:00.000-07:00

One of many Accessories that our hero, The Phantom, has concealed in his outfits Power-Cuffs, a video card design.

A Tablet Palm PC[ Hey it was 1994!], with a stylus pen...

A Color Key I did in Markers for a small generic Electric vehicle for The show, The Phantom 2040.

A Color Key I did for The Phantom 2040, and this was a revision of the first draft design for Maxwell Madison's Hyper Cruiser.

Phantom 2040-PART LXXXIV [84th]

Misc. Color Key Marker Rendering

Client: Hearst Animation Productions.
Art Director: Myself.
Project Date Spring 1993.

This is my 84th posting here on my design blog for my contributions of Art Direction, and Head Conceptual Designer roles for The Phantom 2040, and today I am posting some added color keys that I did with markers for the show development.

I am trained in marker rendering as all Transportation Designers were back before the advent of digital rendering, so it was natural to so this for the color key work. It works quickly in markers and pencil, and since this show was digitally ink-n-painted anyhow the medium was not an issue the color most certainly was, and we scanned it all in for the South Korean Studio to finish..

I originally was directed to make sure I used Purple[ Te Phantom Signature color], as well as green to show the Ghost Jungle, at least in color for a city centered series with metal and cement as the main materials.

You will see this influence in all the Color Keys I did, though we muted the color a lot as we headed to production.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Spongebob Squarepants Movie 2003: Key Art 3D Logos and 3D Illustrations PT-II

2011-10-26T10:30:00.000-07:00

Square bubbles go with "Squarepants", 'nuff said...

We did an alt with water filled letters like the "Big Fish" logo I did like this.

So the underwater architecture is from Tomb Raider, and the doorway from Gosford Park used to show some "Atlantis" ruins underwater with the logo put into it.

I had also built a full divers helmet but here is one of the portholes I built using Npower BREP object construction back when it was in version 1.0.

Here is the show logo without any water etc.[ clean]

Project Review

Spongebob Squarepants Movie 2003

Key Art 3D Logos and 3D Illustrations
PART II

Client: Nickelodeon via BLT and Associates.
Art Director: Dawn Baillie, and Coby Gewertz.
Project Date: Summer 2003.

In this second post showing some more of the 3D logo's and 3D Illustrations I did for the various Movie Poster Comp Ideas presented to Nickelodeon I have five added images to review.

In the first post I covered the sponge material that I was able to use with Sub surface scattering , and today I will show a wider range of 3D Illustrations.

Soft Square air bubbles with the "toon" window reflection was one exercise I did both as a profile, and as more dimensional blocks for Coby Gewertz, and that concept went all the way to a finish [ International]. I also built a full divers helmet once they saw the porthole I did first above in orange[ Nick orange!].

If you follow my posts you will see the re-use of some architectural items in the ruins scene from above as well. This was one of the final projects I worked on before leaving in 2003, I had a blast doing 3D design and illustrations for them there a great group.

Cheers, THOM

Napkin Sketching and Doodles: PART XI-More Character Design Sketches.

2011-10-25T12:33:00.000-07:00

This little abstract 3D design was to be a sculpt I was going to execute in 3D as a soft sculpt.

A dude with shaved sides of his head and a blocky head proportion.

I was really focusing on the volumes in this design with all the shading. Some Designs are mere line-work, this was volumetric.

A Triangle was the basis for the proportions on this chap. Not sure what the floating "dot" off the chin was a goatee?

Sketching Part XI
More Character Design Napkin Sketches

In this eleventh installment of the Napkin Sketches, Drawings, and Doodles I do during times of relaxation I have posted more designs I have done for various characters while sitting down in Pasadena's Old Towne.

Character design has all the qualities of any other design project, in that you want to identify a theme or look to the character, but what makes characters so different is the emotions they evoke when being critiqued. Characters come to life, so what the eyes look like, says more about a tone than the design itself.

I have found that when designing a character you must be ready for a very different kind of design adjustment. Apart form the starting point, is is round thin tall melted etc, every design still must take into consideration what the actor must do. Will it talk, dance, or just be static virtual photo. All this is considered at the design time, and even a still image of a character will be made alive by the viewer when they see it, it is natural to any character, especially anyone they can relate to.

As a side I am an avid "people watcher", and every character I draw in public is inspired by some real life person I just saw before I begin the design.

Draw often!

You can view the other parts as follows:

PART I

PART II

PART III

PART IV

PART V

PART VI

PART VII

PART VIII

PART IX

PART X

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Spongebob Squarepants Movie 2003: Key Art 3D Logos and 3D Illustrations PT-1

2011-10-24T14:35:00.000-07:00

Here is the Life Preserver Logo sunk halfway into the water.

My favorite sub-Surface Sponge bob Logo was this pass as the light leaks into the sponge material on the edges and this spots.

Here is a stacked block "Ben Hur" angle on a huge feeling logo made from sponge.

A Log with Sponge, and the base "Toon-Plastic" we used on the main Logo, with the same font stacked and moved around a bit.

A sand castle block at the bottom of the Sea was a quick visualization they wanted to look at as seen above.

Project Review

Spongebob Squarepants Movie 2003

Key Art 3D Logos and 3D Illustrations
PART I

Client: Nickelodeon via BLT and Associates.
Art Director: Dawn Baillie, and Coby Gewertz.
Project Date: Summer 2003.

I was still in house at BLT back in the summer of 2003 doing 3D design, Illustrations, and even a small bit of Motion graphics, but my main work was Key Art 3D Illustrations for the big team they boast there.

Spongebob came in, so first I rebuilt a 3D Life Preserver Logo to match what they has as a live action prop from the Television series. I like to start where they left off it gets me into the look and shape language of what they likes and thus approved in the past. From there we bounce out into new territory with new designs.

I had a lot of fun on this project, as Sub surface scattering had just come out for GI rendering, so I practiced a bit with the sponge material for a sponge logo look. We did some fun experimentations on the project and in PART II latter this week I will show more of the 3D work I did to contribute to this project.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Cirque Du Soleil-ZED

2011-10-21T18:11:00.000-07:00

The Cirque Du Soleil ZED Logo done in Copper "Tech" with the Japanese character translation below[ this finished]

The Cirque Du Soleil ZED Logo done in Chrome with some plated metal parts in the surface texture.

The Cirque Du Soleil ZED Logo done as a smooth SPB chrome look.

Another Cirque Du Soleil ZED Logo done in Copper, this time with a flat face and slight bevel.

The glass with stars look to the logo here for an "on Black" presentation.

I built the main Set Piece from the The Cirque Du Soleil ZED show as well and this finished too.

Project Review

Cirque DU Soleil-ZED

3D Logo and Virtual Set Prop Illustrations

Client: Cirque Du Soleil via The Cimarron Group.
Art Director: Joseph Stamper.
Project Date: September-December, 2010.

I worked on a few Cirque projects over the years and this was the last one I did have some part in. I did some single point beveled type for Cimarron for the Cirque show, ZED last year, and I have posted the main examples of what I did for the project.

The logo was designed and done by the client, and they just wanted to take the outline and play with a few looks, so Joseph Stamper converted it over and I went to work.

The show uses copper in the main "Ball Set piece", that I also replicated for the Key Art so we did a few passes with that texture and coloration. I did one glass in space with stars shining thru, as seen above, as well as a few chrome ones. They wanted a retro chrome with the warm to cool exaggerated like a old Chicago album[ remember those!].

I have a few added posts for Cirque on Banana Shpeel, and KA, here, and here.

Cheers, THOM

Personal Project: Arts and Crafts Bungalow Playhouse: PART II

2011-10-19T10:51:00.000-07:00

A close Up shot showing the East side near the front porch [ 3'x 8'].

A 3/4 front view of the fully framed design of an America Mini-Bungalow.

A longer view from the barn at the West side.[ See the staircase inside]

A view from under the avocado tree showing the side door and back alley of this.

A Direct front view of this Craftsman Bungalow Playhouse design.

A high angle on the West side looking at the staircase inside.

A birds eye of the tree-side to the American Bungalow Playhouse I designed.

Arts and Crafts Bungalow Playhouse.

PART II

This is my second posting on the design I did for my childs playhouse. I designed this back in 2006 as a compliment to our own home for our first daugheter.

I have posted the final design I had done for the bid for the Bungalow Playhouse I designed as a miniature of our big home a 1910 Craftsman.

These 3D renders are the full framed out concept design with the exterior skin of siding and shingle removed to show construction technique. I love doing what I call an X-Ray model where it has all the internal guts that would be in there including electrical and all cut outs. It also helps for the parts list you can count the virtual boards needed and spin around the final constructed design with the contractor to verify the design will be built accurate.

Enjoy the post. You can view the prior post here.

Cheers, THOM

My Art Center Senior Show from the Fall Trimester of 1991

2011-10-18T20:29:00.000-07:00

Here is the longview on my Senior Show FA 1991 from Art Center in Pasadena CA.

My show was next to class mate Paul Kirley, and a few classmates were there assisting when I took this pic. I graduated with Doug as well, but Darren was in a grad program[ I believe] and had already graduated.

My CALTY[ California-Toyota-Design Lab] project form my 7th term.

A shot of the wall with my Alfa Romeo and Calty flanking the sides.

Here is my Bubble Car as well as my Telescope Product design I teamed on with Aaron Kahleberg as well as my Motorized Speed skates!

My Art Center Senior Show from the Fall Trimester of 1991

Upon graduation from Transportation Design at ACCD, we get the opportunity to do a Senior show in the main Project Room that we work our clay models up in during the year.

Since our calss was just five folks, we each got a full wall, and the 5th got the center of the room. What you see above is my full wall with four, fifth scale car models I designed and built in school, the Telescope Product Design Model, My Theme Park Vehicle "Sunset", and my Motorized Speedskate project.

I put up over 100 pieces on the walls as well as 12 sketch books.

We also get to interview with automotive and transportation companies even if we are going in another filed, as I was intent on Entertainment Design since I transferred in 85'. It was a fun process.

I have nine posts for my time at Art Center here is a quick link to them all.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: The THING 2011-3D Title Design for Key Art

2011-10-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite designs was this one in a pit in the ice sheets, with the snow around the edges Photoshoped to soften edges to save time so I "blocked in the snow" with a simple edge as seen here.

Here is the quad geometry view showing the three main objects. You can see the letter hole cut into the ice block for accurate refractions in the ice material.

This second design I did for The Thing, was the logo on a gloss black surface with Ice chips all around. I built the type soft with some melting, shifting the individual blocks a bit forward or tilted back for variety.

Here is the mesh view with the smooth on so you can see that I used a Pro-Boolean in 3DSmax to achieve the full quad division on the type so it would take the Global Illumination better.

The last comp logo I did for The Thing was an angled block behind the type, but it was still imbedded into the block. I cut this out too, so you could see the back side blurred through the ice material.

Here is that same scene from above exploded out to show the various parts.

[ the chips were deleted in the final]

Project Review

The THING 2011

3D Title Design for Key Art

Client: Universal Pictures via Cold Open.
Art Direction: Gardner DeFranceaux.
Project Date: October 2010.

A year back I did some a quick project with experimentation for some 3D Logos build or carved out from solid ICE for the remake or prequel The Thing.

The current film is a prequel to the 1985 film[ itself a re-make], and the 'Thing' itself in the film is found in a solid block of ice, so that was the basic theme for the type. A big block letter logo carved out of Ice or imbedded into an ice block.

I also included in this posting a quad view showing the parts I built, and I will note that when you make anything transparent, the more accurate you build it in 3D as a model[ no fakes], the better the render comes out. I made the text cuts in the ice and placed the type into a hole. Typically in 3D you just push the type into the back object, but being translucent, I wanted the render to look like ice in ice and have the proper refraction and reflections so I made them separate.

Cheers, THOM

Napkin Sketching and Doodles: PART X-More Transportation[ Automotive] Design Sketches.

2011-10-13T20:57:00.000-07:00

This sketch was done around 2000 as I wanted to incorporate Audi TT styled fender flares on a modern looking Shoebox chopped Hot Rod.

Back in 1989 I had to re- apply back to Art Center as I was gone for 8 terms and this is part of a design for a 1990's[ future at the time] Suzuki Samurai as I had just bought one.

This sketch was done while at Cimarron in 07' while waiting in a meeting....

This design is a chopped stylized Sunbeam Tiger I drew a while back.

Sketching Part X
More Transportation Design Sketches

It has been a busy week so sorry for the delay...

In this tenth installment of the Napkin Sketches, Drawings, and Doodles I do during times of relaxation I have posted more designs I have done for cars and this post spans a few decades with some from back in 89' all the way up to 2009.

These are a bit more serious than a true napkin sketch and bigger with each around 6" long. I will always love to draw and design cars it is a fallback fun activity that I enjoy immensely and I learn with every sketch I do

Draw often!

You can view the other parts as follows:

PART I

PART II

PART III

PART IV

PART V

PART VI

PART VII

PART VIII

PART IX

Cheers, THOM