Final

So my final was originally supposed to be an animation of a human character. After creating a skeleton and face that I liked, I soon realized that I had no idea how to make clothes, so in order to avoid having a naked man walking around for my final project I quickly scrapped that project for something new.
Well new isn't really the right word, as in fact I decided that I was going to use older discarded projects to create my final. This left me with a bird, a ball, a hoop on fire, a jack in the box, and a meal. I quickly realized that the only real option would be to somehow use the bird and the jack in the box to create a story, thus began my doodling.

Now that I had my story, I needed to make my bird look a bit more cartoony. Using my experience with the face of my failed prior project, I was able to change the birds face into something a bit more cartoonish, and thus easier to use for my final. Though I was lost on how to create emotions for the character, without having it use its mouth or without giving it eyebrows. I was struck with inspiration on how the feather could create emotion, such as becoming a question mark when confused.
As it turned out, the feather in the final project would only transform into three shapes, a plain feather, a slight question mark like shaped for confused, and eyebrows for when she (the bird) was angry. [I have decided for the remainder of this blog to refer to the bird as a she and the jack in the box as a he]
So first things first I had to transform my old bird model into something usable.

This model of the bird I had made a long time ago, it was supposed to be a more realistic version of the bird. I needed it to look a bit more goofy and cartoonish so i borrowed some of the lessons I had learned making a face for my old final idea.

Between this picture and the bird I came up with a really goofy look that consisted of en-longed toes, backwards giant hands for wings, and large goofy eyes and a small mouth shaped like it was whistling.


Next came an easy part, transferring my old project of the jack in the box to my new project...not much went into this part really...

Once I had my two puppet's it was time to make them dance. So I colored them and had them begin to move. After getting halfway through and realizing that I couldn't get the emotions I wanted from the bird (mainly anger) I went back and added in the feather idea that I had planned originally to include...it worked well enough.
Looking back on it, I don't think it came out that badly. I think sound would have been a good addition, and I wish I could have done more with the mouth and feather, but for the most part I thought it came out really well. There were a few times that the leg wouldn't move like I wanted but in the end I am really happy with the final product.

(5/4/10) Correction, I did in the end add sound. After much experimenting I succedded in adding sound. Whether this benefited the project at all I'm not sure. Most of the video is still silent, but I thought why not, and did my best, which isn't much because I have no clue how to use garage band. Just thought I would correct that thought...I still like the final product.

Midterm

The proposal from my Midterm project is a dinning room setting, with meat, vegetables, fruit, drink, and even some decorations. I mainly wanted to try my hand at the 3D bump map, and practice my hypershading.

Ok so here is my Midterm Project. During our class, 2/9/10, where we had been shown how to make a fruit, I created an apple...



In the same class I then went and colored it...
I began to think of what else I could make, out of the fruit family, and decided to try out a flower...
From there I decided that I would make a dinning room setting for my midterm project...With the silverware set up and the floor and walls ready, I felt like I had a pretty good start, and in honor of the apple that started the project, I placed it in the center of wall, in a little nook...
Though I quickly realized I didn't like that, and so after adding steak, green beans, and wine into the picture, I placed the flower into the center...
I quickly realized I wanted a wine bottle in the picture and began work on that...

After the bottle was finished I expanded the floor and walls in order to give it room. I also grew the flower out, creating two more and giving it more of a noticeable position. From there I started the animation of changing the spot lights color and giving them positions to move to and from...
Finally came time to add in the camera...
And sit back and watch....

All of my knowledge for this project came from class or just trying things out*

In my opinion the project came out pretty well. I was disappointed that I could not find out how to make the wine bottle poor wine into the cup, as was one of my original idea's. As well I was disappointed on how I could not figure out how to put the name of the bottle of wine onto its cover, or fold over the top of it in order to make it look more like a wine bottle neck. I do however believe that the food and flowers came out well, and that the lights add a fun little dance to the scene. That's my midterm project in a nutshell.