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Little Cloud
About Truespace Archives
These pages are a copy of the official truespace forums prior to their removal somewhere around 2011.
They are retained here for archive purposes only.
Little Cloud // Work in Progress
Post by splinters // May 26, 2007, 7:00am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Okay, new start...new work. Planning out a new children's book about a Little Cloud..hence the working title. Can't give too much away right now (probably because I haven't actually written it yet ;) ) but suffice to say, I need to model a cloud that can display simple expressions....more later.
This is quite rare for me...posting little more than a thinking 3D sketch to get a feel for the projec but this is often how I work-make a cover that sums up the feel of the project then take it from there. So crits by all means but this is real basic and just a sketch but I thought some of you might like to see how such a concept evolves...:D |
Post by skipper // May 26, 2007, 8:10am
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skipper
Total Posts: 113
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Something like this?
http://www.creativebusinessadventures.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/GraphicCartoonStormCloud.gif
http://www.tombraider4u.com/pictures/casper_casper-pictures-04_ghost.jpg
A mix between those two perhaps? I mean you'd need some sort of face, eyes and at least a mouth. |
Post by aeroplane // May 26, 2007, 8:54am
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aeroplane
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It might actually be more intriguing if you could give the cloud personality without facial features... this would be pretty hard of course. Any ideas on the story yet? |
Post by skipper // May 26, 2007, 8:58am
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skipper
Total Posts: 113
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It might actually be more intriguing if you could give the cloud personality without facial features... this would be pretty hard of course.
I don't know how well that would work for a children's book, I mean how many faceless and popular cartoon characters are there? |
Post by weaveribm // May 26, 2007, 2:50pm
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weaveribm
Total Posts: 592
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There are all sorts of clouds, some are less hard-edged like veils and the required expressions could form out of the pattern in a more complex cloud and dissolve like the Cheshire cat. The sun can catch different parts if the light's right and there's also the refractive component and the way clouds can become very dark before a rainbow depending on his or her mood and maybe tears forming like rain if he or she was upset and haloes when icy or at prayer. If he was a boy-cloud you could call him Alto. Was he around when Icarus and Daedelus looked jealously at birds
Peter |
Post by Dragneye // May 27, 2007, 9:02pm
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Dragneye
Total Posts: 602
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Splinters, - the cloud needs to have more (totally?) round edges. - expressions (and/or facial features) can be had by using the 'shaded' part of the cloud - the quantity of shading can be used to denote mood also (ex: more/darker shading means madder) - maybe slight variance in color can also denote mood (whitish= normal, yellowish = happier, bluer = sad). Using shades of white rather than full color, or, using changes of color more liberally even.
Just some passing thoughts
Drew |
Post by splinters // May 27, 2007, 10:44pm
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Cheers for the input guys; I may have to bite the bullet and make a start on this today...but it is a Bank Holiday, albeit a very wet one...:( |
Post by W!ZARD // May 28, 2007, 7:45am
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W!ZARD
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...but it is a Bank Holiday, albeit a very wet one...:(
LOL! Is there any other kind? |
Post by brianalldridge // May 28, 2007, 8:03am
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brianalldridge
Total Posts: 397
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LOL! Is there any other kind?it's a balmy 75 degrees here :cool: |
Post by hemulin // May 28, 2007, 10:14am
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hemulin
Total Posts: 1058
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It's been raining on and off in North England all day. I'm surprised I didn't get soaked when I went out this afternoon. Aaaah, well typical British weather, we love it really. :rolleyes:;)
I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes. It's been a while since a good story came around these forums. |
Post by splinters // May 28, 2007, 10:26am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Alas I have writers (and artists) block today...well, actually I spotted a Wii in Asda (the last one) and had to buy it...:D
Not so much writer's block as my arms are knackered and the whole day seems to have flown by...still, it was a bit wet and cold outside...:rolleyes:
I now have my sketchbook on my lap doing penance...:p |
Post by skipper // May 28, 2007, 10:36am
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skipper
Total Posts: 113
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I fail to see the relationship between you doing your cloud renders and there being a banker's holiday, rainy weather and you buying a Wii? :D
"What does God need with a starship?" - James T. Kirk
So what game(s) did you get with your Wii? If your arms are hurting, I'd guess it's Wii Sports... it's seems they are still in short supply in my region... the stores still only sell the accessories, which is absurd, that's like selling spare parts for a car that isn't sold in your particular country...
Anyway, are there any other characters in your story? |
Post by splinters // May 28, 2007, 10:41am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Anyway, are there any other characters in your story?
Just a cloud...who loves to watch children play in the sun, lots of other clouds who tend to block out the sun when they gather together, and a little boy who just lost his balloon....:rolleyes:
AS for the Wii, it was just chance I got one...I hear they could be in short supply until 2008 (Gamespot) making 1.5 million a month and still selling out.
I got Sonic thrown in (well £9 for a £35 game is thrown in by my reckoning) then picked up Wii Play as well.
Much fun...but more distractions...:o |
Post by splinters // May 29, 2007, 8:54am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Got an hour or two today and 'sketched' out a character...little more than that.
With this book I am going for a simple watercolour style/plasticine...soft focus...well, you get the idea.
My problem is avoiding detail. Anyway, here is a first attempt at the boy...cute and simple enough for now? |
Post by splinters // May 29, 2007, 9:51am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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And getting a feel for the pages, although I expect to have a sea with waves, rolling fluffy clouds etc. |
Post by JPSofCA // May 29, 2007, 10:49am
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JPSofCA
Total Posts: 300
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However it comes along, I would make the cloud much bigger and I would put it higher up to give it a more whimsical feel - as it stands it could be a friendly little cloud of cigarette smoke.
A shot looking over the cloud's "shoulder" (with the cloud's profile visible) to the ground at a distant upward-looking boy would achieve this effect.
Kinda like this: |
Post by JPSofCA // May 29, 2007, 11:06am
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JPSofCA
Total Posts: 300
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Oh, wait a minute...a "Little" Cloud! :D
Well, keep him small then...but this shot can still achieve the effect that he's high in the sky - this shot demonstrates distance, not necessarily scale. ;) |
Post by kena // May 29, 2007, 1:32pm
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kena
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I would get rid of the current boy's mouth, and just use an image map for it. Looks a bit too much like a pie hole, and if you modify it too much, you will increase your detail. or you could use something along the lines of the old Rankin/Bass specials
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Rudolphdvd.jpg |
Post by weaveribm // May 29, 2007, 11:18pm
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weaveribm
Total Posts: 592
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image map
kena does 'animated texture' mean that a mouth could be animated very simply that way?
Peter |
Post by kena // May 30, 2007, 5:07am
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kena
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Not too good with animation myself, but if you applied an animated image for your image map, I'm sure it could work. |
Post by splinters // Jun 2, 2007, 12:19am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Still playing around with this but really struggling for time this week...:( |
Post by splinters // Jun 2, 2007, 1:33am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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A bit more fun....now for that cloud...:o |
Post by Methusela // Jun 3, 2007, 9:46pm
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Methusela
Total Posts: 414
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Whenever I'm going for low detail, sort of cartoony look, I never advise the use of five fingers. Strangely enough, that's too much detail. A thumb and three fingers works best I think. Looks good so far though! |
Post by splinters // Jun 3, 2007, 10:04pm
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Yeah I was thinking that. I just made these hands/arms and I was thinking they would suit Harold better but I already have two books where he has three fingers...not sure I want to go back and change all those images to suit.
Guess I will just remodel the hand...:D |
Post by weaveribm // Jun 4, 2007, 11:21pm
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weaveribm
Total Posts: 592
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Smashing.
avoiding detail
I'd looked at the weekend for man in the moon images, how textures can appear like faces, those lamps from the early 20th and the Face on Mars: the Cheshire Cat's smile disappearing and re-appearing. So that the face of/in the cloud only appears at key moments and dissolves. A light cloud passed over the low and still northern-climbing sun this morning on the way to the station and I thought of this thread. Hamlet and the cloud that sometimes looks like a whale, sometimes looks like a Camel. Nightmare for WW1 German observers
clouds who tend to block out the sun when they gather together
Not bully-boy clouds surely :)
Eyes that pop open only at key moments but otherwise are er, clouded? Occluded :)
Peter |
Post by splinters // Jun 5, 2007, 2:38am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Good ideas; all of them. I am still working on the character of the boy but I have an annoying bald headed handyman vying for my attention as well...;) |
Post by splinters // Jun 6, 2007, 4:05am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Ok, made a bit of progress with this today. I was really stuck on a look for this then I realised just how washed out the character was. The story is set in the summer after all so I decided to ramp the colours up and make the character more 'tanned'. I also thought this might be a good time to dive into a Vray project so I until I am limited to textures, layers etc., this is going to be a Vray project.
Anyways, crits always welcome but I am just getting the mood and proportion right here, I still need to simplify the hands and get some details sorted out. |
Post by kena // Jun 6, 2007, 4:57am
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kena
Total Posts: 2321
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Use the sub-surface material and tweek it until it looks right is a good suggestion. For the current look - for some reason, the legs look more like the soles of the shoes than the arms for color. Very good progress though!! |
Post by splinters // Jun 6, 2007, 7:19am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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All the skin is the same colour but the legs are in the shade of the shorts; you can just see a little of the correct colour next to the sock...:D
SSS is next and then I mess with poses, light etc. However, what do you guys think about the relative simplicity of the scene and the colours? |
Post by mykyl1966 // Jun 6, 2007, 8:36am
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mykyl1966
Total Posts: 221
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I quite like this one. I would try and perhaps tone down the colors just slightly. Then again it depends on the actual look you are going for I suppose.
I will be keeping an eye on this.:)
Cheers
Mike R |
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