The Judges Committee has awarded this submission

Excellence in 3D Figure Modeling

PROJECT SUMMARY

Since quarantine, I've been looking for a pastime activity, and by coincidence I stumbled upon a wonderful 3D modeling software called Blender. It was a perfect program that would be able to fulfill my passion for film-making, through 3D animation.

So, in my quest to learn all the essential tools of Blender, I decided that for this project, I should concentrate on the basics of sculpting.

WHY?

Last summer break, I came up with a simple scenario for a short animation movie. I didn't know how to move it onto the next step, because I certainly didn't want to go through the hassle of drawing frame per frame for 2D animations, so I landed on the decision that I should make a 3D animation. I didn't know how to sculpt, so I took the STEAM Expo as a chance to give myself time to learn how to sculpt on Blender.

HOW?

As always, I went on YouTube to look for a short tutorial for the basics of Blender sculpting. I was able to find a pretty useful guide to the different brushes on sculpting, so I used it to learn the functions. (Youtube link: https://youtu.be/p1H7iH-rjkE)

Then, I started sculpting my model, referenced from a character that I drew for art class.

First, I generated a UV sphere on the plane and used the elastic deform tool to create the general shape of the head. Then, I carved out the positions for the eye sockets and created a nose with the draw tool. I tried to perfect the shapes of the eyes, nose, and mouth with different brushes on the side bar.

WHAT?

My end product of the model came out as a bald character with proper-ish eyes, nose, and a mouth. When I was watching the tutorial video, I thought it'd be easy because it was done so effortlessly in the video, but like any other skill, I realized that sculpting on Blender needs a lot of practice. Since I've got the general facial structure created, I think I can possibly make a full 3D character with the face as a base.

SO WHAT?

With this project, I was able to learn the basic functions of Blender sculpting, and now if I practice enough, I think I'll be able to use it for other innovative projects, such as making multi-purpose 3D models or actually making 3D animations on Blender like I've always wanted to.

WHAT'S NEXT?

In the next project I'll be working on with Blender, I'll probably try to perfect the facial structures of the model and extend my work onto the body structure of the character. If I practice enough, I think I'll even be able to create a proper 3D character that's fully textured and with clothes.

REFERENCES & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Aram Torkan. “Sculpting in Blender for Beginners Tutorial + Every Brush I Use in Detail.” YouTube, 10 Dec. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1H7iH-rjkE. Accessed 23 May 2022.

Blender Foundation. “Sculpting — Blender.org.” Blender.org, 2022, www.blender.org/features/sculpting/. Accessed 23 May 2022.

Study People_14.” Pinterest, Pinterest, 2022, www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/630504016597705071/. Accessed 23 May 2022.

‌YanSculpts. “How I Sculpt a Character in 5 Minutes - the Queen’s Gambit.” YouTube, 6 Feb. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lso8KitmchY. Accessed 23 May 2022.

JUDGES FEEDBACK

Quite the comprehensive submission complete with ample explanation and references. It looks like you have found both the perfect hobby and potential design skill for the future. Being able to successfully 3D model and design is a skill that takes time and practice, so the more that you continue to create characters based on interest and passion the more you will find satisfaction in what you make. Very nicely done!

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