Fractal Gallery 4: Aural Ascendancy Series

I started this series but never got to finish it.  I have a bunch of fractals I designed that just never got around to rendering, so they may come out slowly this year.  Nonetheless I shall post up what was started in this series.  As the name might suggest for this series, I wanted to go for something more audio inspired.  A lot of these works to me felt like they captured the essence of audio or sound or a particular function that happens in the physical world.  For example, take "RT60" based on a particular method that I used to analyze an impulse response from a sample library I have and brought it in to Apophysis as a particular sample cloud to create the fractal.  Here's the collection so far, and feel free to check my deviantart page for the full views.

Red

Pulse

RT60

On another note,  I just got a nice private tour of a nice studio in Modesto with Troy accompanying Mok and myself.  We mingled and talked about projects.  Lots of awesome people to network with there.  Troy and I are cooking up something pretty cool if I don't say so myself in fact.  I showed him and a few friends this RPM Challenge coming up in February and have gotten a few people onboard with the idea.  I may start posting up some information on it as it gets closer.  

Right now I'm just working full force on this story concept of mine, and networking / job hunting.    Even have an audition on Saturday for a lead guitarist spot in some band... Lots and lots of opportunities I'm working on!

Stay tuned for more developments

Fractal Gallery 2: Degeneration Series

After my first set of fractals went up, working full time at a local retailer was pretty much my only livelihood at the time so I spent a lot of time away from my computer, which allowed me lots of rendering hours to complete some more interesting ones I'd come home and fiddle with.  Degeneration series was born out of some rather unusual concepts just playing around with the fractal designs that I would "degenerate" from basic fractal patterns.

I'll forgo my commentary and just state up here that only a select few have any slight adjustments in photoshop, everything else is straight out of Apophysis 2.02. through 2.06.  For wallpaper sizes, please see the entire collection in full view at my deviantart. 

Motion Purge

Apeface

Escape

Escape 2

Helix

Butterfly

Dreamcatcher

Pulsar 2.0

Quantum Fold

Spiral Addiction 1.0

Spiral Addiction 2.0

Fractal Gallery 1: Argive Series

About 2 years ago, I was introduced to Apophysis and other fractal programs, and what was initially a small personal side project turned into an addiction of sorts that comes and goes.  Several of these are featured on a couple of patron's sites, as well as being used for album artwork in a couple upcoming releases.  For wallpaper sizes, please see the entire collection in full view at my deviantart. 

A Solar System Called Baroque

My very first forray into Fractals.  Apophysis 2.02, no post.  I'm horrible at math but getting to play with the traingles for the coordinate system was definitely interesting.

Autumn

I started with a random generated fractal in Apophysis 2.02 and started playing with the mutations, getting to check out all the different types of algorithms available.  Ended up with something COMPLETELY different from the original fractal, and then edited the coordinates and weighting to end up with this final image.  No post.

Collapse

Went through several iterations, played a lot with the rotation and crop/zoomo to get this piece to look good.  Apophysis 2.02.  No post.

Dances With Colors

I can't even remember how much time I spent getting a color gradient I really liked on this one.  I just loved the way the whole thing looks and feels with these two colors.  Apophysis 2.02.  No post.

Ghost of an Angel

Still one of my favorites.  I don't know how I was able to come up with something so resembling of a human form sitting indian-style, with wings.  It took a lot of playing with the coordinate system and it just came out at random, so I kept it.  I used a random pattern generator to come up with the weighting and color gradient, and I just kept it that way, it came out really well.  Apophysis 2.02, no post.

Gravity Well

I imagine if one could ever actually see what a gravity well, it might look something like this.  Pretty simple fractal, spent more time on weighting and color gradients to get something I liked.  Apophysis 2.02, slight contrast adjustment in Photoshop CS.

Liquid Superstructure

Did a few variations on this one, I just loved the color scheme and the rhythm in this one,  and yes... used a lot of negative space, for effect.  Apophysis 2.02, Photoshop CS.

Nullified transmissions

An alternate version to Liquid Superstructure shown above.  I thought both looked interesting.  This one definitely feels more like a "transmission", and the use of negative space and rhythm differ enough to make it a whole separate piece.  Apophysis 2.02, no post.

Shards of Reality

Never thought this piece would make it but the more i looked back at it, the more interesting it got.  I decided on the title last minute as I really didn't know what to do with this piece until the name came to mind.  Apophysis 2.02, no post.

Solar Eclipse

Somewhat interesting variation of the Nullified transmissions.  A lot of whisps here and there and a rough circular center made me think of an eclipse.  Apophysis 2.02, no post.

Solar Flare

I absolutely love how the cloud-look came out in the flare.  This can be so many different things.  Apophysis 2.02, no post.

Spiral Thoughts

Exactly as it is titled, and often my state of mind!  Just kidding...  At least, not entirely.  Apophysis 2.02, no post.

Stay tuned for more series as I will be posting up all of them on here this week!

textual problems

Been busy working on some test ideas for textual animations to go into some credit sequences.  I can't post any of the actual project info here, but these tests I decided to do for my music project with Redhawk for some of the music video possibilities we might have lined up later.  So far this shot below was what I was happiest with.

 

I've been trying to test out multiple renders with demolitions plugins but so far have been unsuccessful with the little time I have been able to spend learning it.  Instead I ended up with several test shots trying to hone in the look for the Scrap Children feature.  This next one below was one of the earlier renders just playing around with the plugin; obviously let it grow for too long!  The 2nd below is the first test render, and the very bottom was playing with Vray fur ideas but I quickly scrapped that look.

Later on, I'll post up progress after I get the demolitions plugins sorted out.  My intention is to have a cracked stone look to the text, have it crumble underneath a falling text above it that reveals the artist name, and crumble again for a final text drop, all under 10 seconds.  Nice short animation. 

Gyros Up!

More progress on the shoulder joints and back / structure.

Here you can see the bearing system that will hold the joint in place, still deciding on how to assemble the overall joint and connect the arm to the torso.

Piece of the puzzle

Besides being sick and focusing on exercising, I've been as busy as ever.  So with the downtime from being somewhat laziness-bound I've worked more on the mechanical angel design and FINALLY got some more software working again...

I started on the hip area and the joint system for where the legs will branch from the hip.  Still needs a lot of work as I'm visualizing how joints should move and be fluid but I'm also constantly weighing decisions on what mechanical features I want to emulate the human anatomy and still retain a more "machine" feel.

I also started on some of the structure work in the forearms....

Gearing up for some fun!

I've been pretty busy most of this month doing a LOT of everything except my artwork.  Filming projects coming together, music production and recording studio stuff aside; I've been dealing with some computer issues as of late and finally got all the bugs worked out and software back in the game to do some more work.

As of right now, I'm finally fleshing out some ideas on paper for the wing designs.  Let's just say toying with a lot of notions for how the final piece should look can be fun and difficult at the same time.  So far my favorite design which i may post up after a few iterative sketches are proofed, is a multi-spur gear system that the blades will be attached to, to create the wings themselves.

Above, you can see I've started the base for the joint, and i'm just trying to decide on how I want the overall design to look before i start working the entire span from Humerus, elbow, radius, all the way out to the phalanges.  The wings will definitely be menacing :)

Just another view to see the mechanical structure that will connect the wings to the body frame.  Note that the Joints will actually be pointing almost completely vertical when the actual wing skeleton is created.

So far she's coming together better than i imagined, I just wish it wouldn't take me so long to progress.  It definitely helps to do your homework,  an excellent quick reference for proper anatomy of a wing, now that I know this, I know what I want it to look like (since it will be mechanical) but I will at least have the proper ideal to source from.

Amazing-race?

It's amazing how far I got just from scratch piecing things together..  I've reached a point where i really need to start sketching out plans for what I need to finish to make sure things remain consistent and believable.

Quick render of frontview

 Quick render of sideview.

Once all the major framework is properly in place, I'm going to do some finishing work with wires and detail work.

I wish I had friends to be around to collaborate with on stuff..  On another note, the orchestral song project I was working on is complete finally!  I am going to be spending the next few days prioritizing my projects and really deciding what should be worked on next: to final product!

These organs definitely don't grow on trees..

Just playing around with the model a bit more.  I need to really sit down with this project and start forging ahead.  Another close-up of the mechanics, and a quick and dirty render with Vray.  

 

Abstractions...

So, a few weeks ago I was playing with greeble, and Vray.  Came up with this! 

The title is...

So, with some hiatus time taken the last few days to spend with friends and good friends at that, we've gotten into games, some stupid fun times, and a stupid video project that will end up on youtube eventually.  In fact, there may be lots of posts on youtube coming up in the next few weeks.  I'm also positive that the latest project i've been working on with these said friends on a more serious level will be finished soon.
The orchestration is two thirds of the way completed, and then we just need to record.  Last but not least, the music video will be in pre-production and then production before we know it!  Lots of fun times this summer making creative things.  I will continue to put more into the personal projects but there is still a trickle of progress.  Mostly on the stories that inspire my work lately.

Wierd Science

She's back...

Some more progress on the mechanical angel...

An oops shot, playing with the DOF settings and never have before, now i know they directly control the size of the aperture and not the F-stop like a physical camera.

Dialed back in right, still got a pretty "extreme" DOF effect on but it's within reasonable expectations..

My angel in disguise, Part 2

Finally!  Getting to play with some of my projects, and I'm enjoying the little updates here and there.  i'll soon be back to modelling the steampunk-ish angel, just playing around with some new texture ideas and a different renderer.

So far I'm liking the way she's turning out. I definitely want a rustic look to her.  Now that I like some of the texture ideas going on I need to do some real texture mapping.

 

 Just playing with the light, and no GI is not on.

My sky is falling!

It was very easy getting the lighting and background as I really didn't plan for it to be much.  Overall it was really simple thanks to Maxwell!  The studio application really simplifies things.

Alternate shot, no post on either of these.  I wanted to show some of the detail work that I did for the main shaft that's holding the whole thing together.  I'm thinking if I ever go back to this project I may update the panels for a series of glass windows with interiors that stretch across (kind of like a deck system from some futuristic space movie / tv show, take your pick).

So, with that said, I promised the wait would soon be over and there would be more updates on some of the projects I've started.  The wait is over!! Next blog expect some nice surprises for a favorite project of mine that I want to get rolling again.

That said, I wanted to show really quick some of the earlier renders I did working on this one,  this is where i started duplicating what i had made.