2D Character Design Development: TV Animation, Toy Design, Theme Park Anamatronics, Corporate Mascots.

 

A sample of my 2D Character Design Development for 2D Television Animation Series, Animation Series Presentations for Toy Manufacturing, Theme Park Anamatronic characters, and Corporate Identity Mascots.

2D Character Design Development

TV Animation, Toy Design, Theme Park Anamatronics, Corporate Mascots.

One year out of Art Centers Transportation Design Program in the Fall of 1991,  after doing Set Design and a bit of Themed Restaurant Design, I plunged head first into Television Animation mostly 2D at the time, however we had 3D tech which was still emerging back in 1993 and had this incorporated as well into the work I did. I was Art Director and Conceptual Design for Phantom 2040, as well as development of Flash Gordon.

Designing characters, creatures, and fashion might seem distant for an Industrial Designer, however at ACCD, we all followed Syd Mead the pioneer Concept Artist doing all these things throughout ourtime at Art Center, and many of us went directly into Entertainment Design to do exactly that. 

Design is design, and creating full worlds required a multi disciplinary approach to our work, a Renaissance Designer who can create everything around the products we created was ideal, and most of my fellow graduates all have in some way or another done this in there careers as well. Transportation Designers are utilized all through the Concept Artist world, as well as in shoe design and high end products due to our multiple filed we are comfortable in and our advanced surface training hands on clay.

Today I have a sampling of the work I have done  over the span of my career with creating characters and fashion and outfits for these characters. Humanoid animal and Alien, realistic to cartoony, all designs have been a challenge and a joy to create. 

If you need character design feel free to contact me for 2D or 3D. [Future Post coming showcasing 3D Character Designs]

                  Cheers, THOM

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3D Models for Architectural Visualization and Interior Design Part 2 Lighting Fixtures

Here is a sample of the many 3D Lamps and Light Fixture models I have built and designed for Arch Viz work.

 3D Models

for Architectural Visualization

and Interior Design

Part 2 Lighting Fixtures

Today I am posting more about my experience in building virtual Furnishing for my Architectural Visualization clients, and today I am focused on lighting.

Lighting design is a favorite of mine as I am also a avid collector of antique lights. I have near 6-8 table lamps per room in my own home and I love accent lighting of all kinds.

Also since I work in themed entertainment the lighting fixtures themselves are the jewelry for each room and space and make or break the mood of each place. Having the professional lighting designers light spaces I have created helped me understand the role that the fixture and the amount of light they create makes or breaks a specific space.

Today this post is showcasing 3D modeling of specific lights, mostly MCM[ Mid Century Modern] again with Arts and Crafts copper lights as well. Being a entry level Coppersmith myself I have a deep love for mission lighting. As with my chair post, I usually get a tear sheet with basic dimensions and a picture or two and I go and build each piece.

I  always deliver these assets as Quad Subdivision models ready to drop into the scenes with mapping and test rendered in a ambient material to check the surfaces for flaws prior to delivery. I  send them as 3DSmax files, OBJ and FBX exports for my various clients in 3DSmax, Maya, and C4D.

If you are doing an Architectural Visualization or walk through and need a custom lighting fixture or electrical piece for a steampunk build, or if you want a custom design for 3D Printing, please contact me for an  estimate from one small 1 Hour piece to an entire collection.

PART I on Furniture-Chairs is here.

                                      Cheers, THOM

NOTE: Blogger has limited the Images size, so for a full size Image with much more detail you can go here.

3D Models for Architectural Visualization and Interior Design-Part 1 Furniture Chairs

A Sample of 3D Modeled Chairs I build for Architectural Visualization Clients.

3D Models

for Architectural Visualization

and Interior Design

Part 1 Furniture-Chairs

Today I am posting about my experience in building virtual Furniture for my Architectural Visualization clients. I especially love doing furnishing and earlier in life I was a professional Cabinet Builder, and I am still an avid woodworker, so this is a great fit.

Since I have built and designed my own furniture, doing this in a computer is an extension of that skill set. I do architectural Visualizations myself, however I do a bit more assisting larger companies with that task, as custom furniture is difficult to find in stock models, and for any higher end clients they want very specific pieces as they usually have an interior designer as well hand picking them online from auction houses, so I am tasked throughout the year with various furniture building.

I usually get a tear sheet with basic dimensions and a picture or two and I go and build each piece. Sometimes I do a bit of internet research as well to get added angles, since I am constructing each piece by hand I need extra reference as much as possible.

I deliver these assets as Quad Subdivision models ready to drop into the scenes with mapping and test rendered in a ambient material to check the surfaces for flaws prior to delivery. I can send them as 3DSmax files, OBJ and FBX exports for my various clients in 3DSmax, Maya, and C4D which makes up the bulk of my clients needs.

As of the past few years Mid Century Modern Furniture had jumped in popularity, so I have been doing some historic and very amazing pieces from the mid 50's and 60's. Some are $15,000.oo pieces on line at Auction Sites. I build a virtual asset of the chair so that the prospective client can see the piece in their space first. I have an extensive collection of American Arts and Crafts furniture with custom pieces and Stickley reproductions that have populated various project I have done. I also sell a few generic stock models online of these still.

If you are doing an Architectural Visualization or walk through and need a custom piece contact me for an  estimate. From one small 1 Hour piece to an entire collection, I can assist.

                                      Cheers, THOM

NOTE: Blogger limits the Image size, so if you want to see the full size with more detail go here.

Project Review: Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue Shanghai China 3D Designer-Modeler 2011 PART II

A Color Pass test on the Round one Colossus Bot [ Robot ]

Round two Colossus Robot. This was to be on the far backround on the matte painted wall for the Themed Attraction. 

The Crane Bot was excavating the the foreground and would be place up front to the guests.

I loved the Roller Bots. The torso on wheels so-to-speak.

 One of my own designs with 'shrimp like' feet that would move very slowly[ comic relief]

Crawler Robot from the underside has a bode section based on a spider. 

Crawler bot in a smoothed Subdivided render to show the full surface.
 

The above Crawler Zorg Bot in low poly base mesh[ quads ]. I mirrored the bot to show two views per render for each design presentation. 

The Round Two Stealth version of the Crawler bot. This one made it into the attraction. 

The Scavenger Bot for Round One that follows the Zorg Bot from the film[ modified torso] 

A much earlier version of the Scavenger bot incorporated a target that could fly off the robot.

The final Scavenger Robot with the Stealth look developed by Scot Drake.
 

A back view of the Bot with the built in Jet-Pack.
 

Back to my favorite Robot, the Roller Bot is stealth design now. This made it into the Theme Park Attraction in China as well.

Project Review Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue

Shanghai China

3D Designer-Modeler 2011
PART II

Client: Walt Disney Imagineering.
Creative Director: Scot Drake.
Art Director: Christopher Lee.
Project Date: October 2011-May 2011

Today I am posting my second part for the 3D Visual Development work I did at Walt Disney Imagineering back in 2011 for the Shanghai China theme park attraction, "Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue", based upon the Pixar Toy Story property.[ PART One]

I was brought to assist the Design Team in 3D development of the 3D Robots and 3D Characters for the attraction that they were developing a look. Scot Drake was the Creative Director, with the Chief Show Designer Christopher Lee.


Today is PART II I have posted many additional robots I created for the Planet Zorg. Some are the first round to match the look of the Bots in the first Toy Story film,and some are the 'Stealth' second round with an updated sharp edge look to bring the designs into a modern context.

To see the attraction as well as Christoper's Lees great work go check out his development at his site here.

I will post continue in the future and post additional PART's.

To View PART I: Here is the Link.

If you need 3D Character Visual Development / Conceptual designs, or a 3D Models built of your design, do not hesitate to contact me for a bid. Available for Freelance and for Full-Time work.

Cheers, THOM