This Blender image from the latest issue of 3D World is reader art at its best! It’s colourful and full of life!

Artist: Jonathan Ball
Title: Exodus from Delta B-56
Software: Blender, Photoshop

“I spent about three to four weeks working on this image, in-between working on my other projects. It was created with Blender using the Cycles engine, and was composited in Photoshop, where I used the Z-depth map I created in Blender.

“I enjoy the compositing and final adjusting in Photoshop: it can totally transform an otherwise flat render. For the modelling, I used simple geometric shapes that are then blended and adjusted using Z-depth maps. For this particular image, I had to cut the image up a lot to save on render times. I like to make all my images suitable for decent-sized prints, so I need large render sizes.

• Read an in-depth interview with Jonathan from Poked Studios, where he shares his technical secrets and inspirations

“By trade I am a freelance illustrator and graphic designer, and have been lucky enough to see my designs used in many commercial projects. I would love to develop my passion for modelling further by becoming more involved in animation work.

“It’s very difficult for me to specifically describe what inspires me as an artist, but I love the complexity of a big city, the simple graphics of 1980s videogames and the organic delight of exotic plants. In my work I just try to combine all of those aesthetics.”

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If you would like to see your work featured in 3D World, email us, attaching a low-res version of the image

Nicolas Boyer is a fantastic artist and modeller. Here we look at his image of Rosie, from about a year ago

Artist: Nicolas Boyer
Title: Rosie
Software: ZBrush, modo, Photoshop

“I’m a computer engineer in a small company named Kelis. Previously I was freelance for a year, and I worked with Ubisoft and some 3D companies in France, such as Magicab. I also did a fan art image of Gollum, which gave me the opportunity to work on the short film The Hunt for Gollum
(www.thehuntforgollum.com). But really I’m just an amateur who loves creating CG art.

“I used ZBrush for the modelling of the character and modo for everything else. modo was used to render, and for shading and texturing. For the compositing, I usually use Nuke but for this image I used Photoshop. It took me about two weeks to create this image, working on it only in the evening. My favourite part of CG art is usually the modelling, but with this image I was happy to do the renders in modo, which has a really great render engine.

“Many artists inspire me. For example, I really like Pointpusher – he’s one of the greatest modellers I’ve seen. I also like Pitiwazou, aka Cédric Lepiller, who’s a great modeller and a good friend. Pixar was one of my biggest inspirations for this image.”

Whoa! Look at this image by reader Andy Walsh! It caused a ripple of wonder when it became our Facebook cover image this month so we’d thought you’d like to know more about the artist and his inspiration

Artist: Andy Walsh
Title: Grayskull Islands
Software: 3ds Max, ZBrush, V-Ray, Photoshop

“I’m a digital artist, graphic designer and arch-viz artist. I started out in 2000 working for a company that did 3D virtual exhibitions. Since then I’ve been playing around in 3D, often in my spare time while working full-time as a graphic designer. I’ve had my work published in three Games Workshop publications during that time. I’ve recently stopped working full-time to pursue my freelance career.

“My inspiration as an artist is to create magical environments. I’m obsessed with environment design, including everything from buildings to street lamps, furnishings and lighting.

“This image took about one week to finish, and my favourite part of the whole process was sculpting the skull. It was fun, and a lot easier than I had thought. When I realised that some details would be lost in the translation between ZBrush and 3ds Max, I enjoyed painting them back in to get extra realism. In terms of new techniques, I used ZBrush for the first time to create the skull.”

This stunning image is the opener in our Portfolio section in the latest issue. It was so good we just had to share it with you online!

Artist: Léandre Hounnaké
Title: Southern Ground Hornbill
Software: 3ds Max, Mudbox, V-Ray, Photoshop

“I work as a 3D artist and have started my own studio, PIXEL23, which produces hyperrealistic illustrations for advertising and product and architectural visualisation. Personally, I’m inspired by nature and so I enjoy real-world observation.

“I worked on this image in my free time as a personal project. From concept to final render, it took about two months. I used Sculptris for the base mesh and finished the image in 3ds Max and Mudbox. The rendering was done with V-Ray, and I used MultiScatter and Hair and Fur to create the feathers.

“The biggest challenge in creating the image was getting the bird to look realistic and natural. I really enjoyed the texturing process and creating the feathers – I kind of forced myself to reach a certain level of quality.”

• Find out more about the latest issue and how to buy it in print or via one of our digital editions.

The Spanish Bandit is awesome to look at but you wouldn’t want to bump into him in a dark alley would you?

Artist: Diego Romo
Title: Spanish Bandit
Software: Softimage, ZBrush, mental ray, Photoshop

“I’ve just finished a collaboration on a TV show for children, which I’ve been working on for two-and-a-half years. There were two seasons of the show, and I met many good friends through working there. Now, I’m using my time to finish my showreel. Previously, I worked for three years at Main Frame Facilities, a Brussels-based post-production house.

“Spanish Bandit is a piece I worked on in my spare time. It took around two weeks to complete. I didn’t use any particularly unusual techniques, just Softimage for modelling and shading, ZBrush for the details and Photoshop for texturing and compositing. It was then rendered with mental ray.

“The part I most enjoyed working on was the face, looking for the personality that would convey the character.”

You can see more wonderful artwork like this piece in EVERY ISSUE of 3D World!

Also, check out Butterfly Gun – which recently featured in the Portfolio section in the mag – and find out about its creation and the man behind the art…

Want to see your work in 3D World?

We love to see new 3D art and you could gain exposure you never dreamed of.

International readership
Many 3D artists currently working in the 3D industry have been spotted in the pages of 3D World first – after all, Oscar-winning VFX supervisors and leading studios all over the world read 3D World.

If you would like to see your work featured in 3D World, email us, attaching a low-res version of the image.

Artist: Mahmoud Salah
Title: Hyena Master
Software: 3ds Max, ZBrush, mental ray, Photoshop

Mahmoud says: “I’m a 24-year-old CG generalist artist based in Giza in Egypt. In my personal work, I’m inspired by other artists, my culture, and meditation. I love the freedom personal work offers: it lets you do whatever you want. This image took around six months to create. Although it doesn’t use any special techniques, it still took a lot of effort, as you can see from the walkthrough below!”

Creating Hyena Master

Mahmoud Salah takes us from stock ZBrush models to finished image:

01 The base model

I begain with a stock model, SuperAverageMan.ztl (included in ZBrush 3.1), for the big guy, and had fun with sculpting using ZBrush’s Clay, Standard and Move brushes, then some PolyPaint and projection texture work.

02 The hyenas

The hyenas also started out from a base ZBrush model, dog.ztl. Its proportions are quite different, so a lot of ‘Z-surgery’ was required to turn it into a hyena! Again, I used the Clay, Standard and Move brushes.

03 Texturing and posing

Setting up the UVs wasn’t the best part of the process, but it worked out okay. I used 3ds Max’s Hair and Fur; then skinned the characters to Biped in order to pose them.

04 Rendering

Choosing the final render settings took a lot of render and shader tests. You can see some of my work-in-progress images below.

05 Final touches

In the near-final stages, I bulked out the environment with the funny spheres shown in the top-right image to refine the composition. Once they had been replaced with proper geometry, I played with light and shaders to refine the image

salah-cg.blogspot.com

Artist: Jamie Martin
Title: C.R.A.B. Robot
Software: Cinema 4D, Cinema 4D’s Advanced Render, Photoshop, Final Cut Pro

Jamie says: “I am a designer and art director. From the initial design to final 3D stills and animations, the project was undertaken over a two to three-month period, in my spare time.

“I tried to achieve a level of believability by furnishing the model with as much detail as possible, without drastically altering render times.

“There are many carefully place counter-sunk rivets and nuts all over the surface, plus numerous decals and signs that had to be carefully added; each one having to have a logical reason for being there, with matching logical warning/message.

“I like to create fantasy concepts that have the potential of existing in the real world, whether they be an intimidating fantasy robot or a concept car

“I’ve created an award-winning design for the New Bus for London competition in 3D – I was one of the four winners chosen to inspire the design of the final bus for 2010.

“I also designed and modelled the Cobra Venom V8 concept car in 3D, which was favourably received by the public and press. I have also designed other robot, product, weapon and sci-fi creations, modelling them all in 3D.

“I like to create a showcase animation for each of my designs, whether than be a teaser video or a more elaborate mini-movie”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cISe03rmv0U

Creating the C.R.A.B.

01 Concept art

“I avoided the usual biped or humanoid robot design and – taking influence from insects and crustaceans – I decided to conceptualise a multi-legged creation. The sketches quickly veered towards a ‘moving gun platform’ proposal with twin, side-mounted weapons”.

02 Detailed modelling

“I wanted to create a highly detailed model so that I could do some close-up renders for an animation later. After the legs and platform were complete I continued modelling the main body/head and guns; I went back later to enhance various elements”.

03 Adding detail

“This WIP image shows the almost complete detailing for one of the guns. Further refinement to the shape and proportions was still needed. I wanted to get the right balance between adding enough detailing (rivets, nuts, panelling), but not too much to detract from the overall design”.

04 Adding texture

“The robot was textured predominantly with cubic projection. The overall surface colours have extra ‘dirt/scratch’ textures layered on top to create a worn look. Once I was happy with the main body colour and metallic textures, I set about adding decals, warning signs and graphics to the robot.”

05 The composition and camera setup

“I placed the C.R.A.B. in a futuristic ‘clean room’, which gives the impression that you are witnessing the final stages of the tweaking of its mechanics and programming before it is revealed to the public. I intended the angle of this particular render to resemble that of a ceiling-mounted security camera. The images of the technicians were taken from NASA photographs, cut out and comped into the final shot using Photoshop.”

See more of Jamie’s work at www.jamiemartindesign.co.uk.

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Do you have great images you want to share with the world? Get in touch with 3D World if you want to be part of the In focus section.