a chance to breathe

So this first week was extremely intense, but getting back to work feels wonderful.

Today I got to eat, sleep and drink so I feel a little more human again and decided to update my blog.

Here is some of what I've been working on. For 3D we are creating modular construction kits, I chose to use the theme of Escher architecture so that I could use my ascending/descending staircase, which has evolved a lot from being just bsp in udk to a nice clean model in maya :). I just got to the texturing stage which is exciting because I'm doing something pretty new for me and making it stylized rather than realistic. The goal is to make it look drawn/sketchy, but still architectural.

texture progress in udk, still needs work

other assets in maya:

Dome

fence (this is actually four pieces put together

stairs, they can either be in the base or be two sided for more of that escher style

four sided building piece

arches, showing old and new topology

some of the assets put together with the stairs

Our teacher is giving us the long weekend to complete the assignment so the next update will hopefully be awesome finished assets.

idea generation tool: silhouettes

Meanwhile, somewhere in the outskirts of San Francisco...

I need practice so practice I shall. Just a quick speed paint of a scene from my last trip to visit my sister in good old san fran...I think it captures the mood of that trip pretty well. I want to do more of these, I've never been good at painting environments, it's something I definitely want to work on. Also trying to experiment a bit more to get away from my always soft air bushed style and use more texture.

edit:

With everyone talking about Bioshock Infinite today it got me wondering: Which is the scarier prospect...drowning under the sea or falling from the sky? Either way I like the use of uncomfortable and strange terrain (or lack thereof) in the bioshock series, that in itself is kind of a thrill.

Illusions

Just like everyone else in the world, I too was inspired after seeing Inception. The idea of creating impossible architecture is what really got me excited, which isn't surprising because I've always loved optical illusions and the art of Escher. Thinking of a game world as a dream world more so than trying to create the real world opens up a lot of doors to things I didnt think I could do before.

So heres my first shot at it, the ascending and descending staircase. (sorry my blog layout doesn't allow for the full size video)


Here's a link too (this is actually a different version from what I thought was a better angle): 2010-08-02_2215

This is far from perfect, basically its a prototype. I added one bot in there to demonstrate how it works. I originally wanted to use a crowd, and while it did work to a point it was very messy and as we all know, the crowd is stupid and does not like to stay on its path, also that problem of using triggers arose again and I couldn't recall if we ever solved that and if we did I don't remember how. The lone soldier does his job. Poor little guy is trapped forever in an endless loop. It would be a lot more believable too, if I could figure out how to get rid of the teleport effect...the goal is to make that transition seemless. (If anyone knows how to do that please let me know.)

The hardest part was figuring out how the stairs actually work in 3d space. I went through a lot of math to figure out that there really isn't that much math involved. The stairs spiral up and in and the numbers of the stairs go 9, 12, 6, 3. After that it sort of just comes together. The angle isn't perfect but I blame that on UDK's camera.

If nothing else this served as a fun project that helped me brush up on any UDK skills I may have lost over the past couple of months and I learned a bit about the updates to the July beta which is the version I was using. Btw, you now need a GameCrowd_ListofAgents archetype (which is hidden in the actor classes tab with the other classes that need the two boxes at top unchecked) as well as an UTGameCrowdAgent archetype to get crowds to work, if anyone went into their old files and was wondering where everyone went.

I can't wait to get back to Ringling ^_^ its coming up so soon!

Life is becoming less of a mystery.

I haven't updated in a while. Partly because I don't have much to show you, mostly because I've been doing what I consider more important things right now. Don't take that as to say I haven't been thinking about my art or game design goals, because I have, I've been working on small projects but mainly I've been working on my larger goals of self improvement.
I've been working on self promotion in the form of my in-progress portfolio site, which I hope to fill with better things as this upcoming semester progresses, and of course get a domain name for. Which brings me to my other activity, making money for that, going to GDC in March and some minor school expenses.
I've been reading a lot, inundating my mind with all kinds of new ideas and imagery in the hopes that it will come in handy this year when I'll be needing ideas the most and also just to feed my craving for knowledge and pretty words. This exploration is really what opened my eyes to the fact that I've been holding back my true potential. I found something within me that I hadn't really noticed before, and if I had, chose not to nurture.
When I mentioned self improvement up there I did not mean that I am trying to change myself. It has become clear to me very recently that there is nothing wrong with me or in need of change, except maybe my perspective. I just need to take what I thought was my greatest weakness, accept it and make it instead, my greatest strength. Needless to say I am feeling a lot more confident about my future goals now that I have realized this.

So heres to this upcoming school year, I'm looking forward to it now more than ever, and without trepidation.

Frustration and Time

The concept of time is what I consider the worst aspect of life. It's just so oppressive. I'm always waiting for things, trying to have time for things, planning, trying to be on time, meet deadlines, it's exhausting. Time flies when it shouldn't and lags when I don't want it to. I'm always thinking of back then and someday, and worst of all, I always feel like I'm wasting it.

But unfortunately I can't sleep without hearing a ticking clock...

And isn't that just the way things always go? You

can't go on without the one thing that drives you the craziest.

Just a quick sketch inspired by the classic story, "'Repent, Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman" by Harlan Ellison. I've been reading a lot. I've also been trying to do more art just for me, things I like, things I'm inspired to do, trying to not just become another artist for the machine. I have my whole life to create what people tell me to.

Oh, and I got myself a shiny new computer, if that doesn't make me feel better, nothing will. Hopefully that will facilitate my getting some work done.

A tribute to the time machine

Visit carlisle: where you can get retro books, retro toys, retro clothes, retro movie going experiences,(my personal favorite. What I wouldn't give to watch City Lights in that beautiful old art deco theater) retro dining, even retro candy, and what isn't retro is historical. Honestly I have trouble defining the difference. Maybe retro is hip, and historical is educational and therefore unhip. Anyway, I never really noticed all this before but as I sat eating a squirrel nut zipper (which are delicious by the way) it all became transparent as lace. No wonder I am the way I am, I grew up in a time machine.






I'll leave you with this:

"Men get to be a mixture of the charming mannerisms of the women they have known. " F. Scott Fitzgerald

Just food for thought, gentlemen.