3D and visual work 3D Modeling

Blossom

An exploration of 3D animation rigging and UV mapping, featuring a 3D sculpted and animated guppy fish floating among a sea of translucent coral petals.

Duration
Feb – Mar, 2024
Tools
Cinema 4D, Octane Render, Illustrator, Photoshop, Procreate
Role
3D Designer (Independent Study)

Ideation & Planning

Concept

Blossom is a self-led project where I tested my boundaries with 3D modeling by experimenting with character rigging and animation. Being deeply interested in animals and their natural movements, I wanted to bring a small yet elegant creature of my own design to life. I made sketches of various angles of guppy fish using Procreate so as to understand the natural movements and fin pattern details, as well as how the fan-like tail fin ripples in water.

Moodboard

Moodboard for Blossom, image 1Moodboard for Blossom, image 2Moodboard for Blossom, image 3Moodboard for Blossom, image 4Moodboard for Blossom, image 5Moodboard for Blossom, image 6Moodboard for Blossom, image 7Moodboard for Blossom, image 8Moodboard for Blossom, image 9Moodboard for Blossom, image 10Moodboard for Blossom, image 11Moodboard for Blossom, image 12

Images in this moodboard are partly sourced online, strictly for reference. I do not own them, and all rights remain with their original creators.

Concept brainstorming

Concept sketch: the fish moves in a curved path over white coral, red as the highlight against the background
Concept sketch

Reference sketch

Procreate sketches of guppy fish from several angles
Guppy fish: reference sketches

Modeling & Rigging

The guppy model in diagonal bands: wireframe, UV-mapped texture, rig joints, clay model, and the final render
UV mappingPatterns and vibrant colors of the scales translated into a UV map of the finished model, applied to the surface.
Main modelSilhouette traced using the Polygon Pen tool.
Character riggingJoints placed on points of movement (spine, dorsal and tail fins) based on the real anatomy of a fish. Closely-aligned joints towards the end of each ‘limb’ to create a natural flow.
Final render

Texturing

The guppy model before texturingThe guppy with its final textureClayTextured
Drag to compare

UV mapping

The guppy mesh before UV mappingThe guppy with the UV map appliedMeshUV mapped
Drag to compare

Environment Building

Environment composition testing

Environment test render 1
Test render #1
Environment test render 2
Test render #2
Environment test render 3
Test render #3
Environment test render 4
Test render #4

Camera & lighting

Viewport with the light and the camera placed among the coral petals, the guppy in the middleLightingCamera
Camera & lighting screenshot

Final Render

Blossom

Length: 00:00:15
Dimensions: 1080 × 1350 px

Blossom final render: a red guppy over white coral
Watch on YouTube ↗