Enhancing Hair Using A 2D Graphics Program

Here is my original picture:



I wanted to give myself longer hair (plus I just wanted to pactice on being able to create realistic-looking hair. I did some work on the original render above and this is what I came out with (so far):



I'm using the Gimp program (which is a free 2D graphics editing program) to enhance the hair on the 3d model. It still doesn't look quite right yet.

Terragen

Terragen is a terrain generator program that is available as a free download from the Planetside website.

Currently I'm working on a terrain from the Renderosity Terragen Challenge so that I can enter their latest Terragen Challenge. This challenge involves downloading the terragen file specified for the monthly challenge and then creating a "look" for it. One of the rules is that you can't change / alter the landscape. But what you can do is give it different cloud, atmosphere and sun settings. And I just found out today that you can also change the surface of the landscape meaning you can make the landscape itself look different - ie snow, grass, soil, etc.

If you would like to take part in this (and the other) monthly terragen challenges you first have to become a member of Renderosity.

I have had and used this program before - just for my own pleasure - and you can see one of my renderings below:



So I'm off to fine-tune my Terragen challenge..........................

I Didn't Think Of My "Photography"

It never occured to me to add the photos that I have taken as part of my "artist's portfolio"! But I was visiting an Artzone member's site where she had put up pictures that she had taken in her area and it made me realize that I had been doing the same thing for a while now! The pictures that I have taken so far have been with my camera phone on my cellphone. So now that means that a digital camera will be needed by me! (And since I am a "self-employed blogger - amongst other things - I can deduct the cost of the digital camera on my income tax! - Thank you Adsense Consultant!

Below you will see a picture that I took of a cherry blossom tree in my area that was in full bloom during one of the past spring seasons!



To see more photography of my area, you can visit my LaMott, PA Blog

So now I can add photography to my artist's resume!

Editing A Hair Model

I have a 3d hair model that I'm currently "tweaking".

I'm using the hair model on my basic Victoria 3 model that I have adapted to my own look.

Unfortunately the hair that I'm working with is in the model's face and that is what I have been working on.

I'm using the Wings3d program to edit this hair model and so far I have managed to get the areas that were in the model's face removed. There are still some small areas that have to be fixed but for right now I have come to the conclusion that I can paint over these problems when I post-render the picture.

I also had to import the basic Victoria3 model into the same program so that I could see how the hair would look on the model.

I'm still doing some "tweaking" with the hair - like I'm trying to figure out how to add bangs - which I can also do when I post-render the image.

I have even worked on this hair model and then imported the 3d object into Bryce. I was doing that to try and find a good hair texture so that the hair would look more realistic. In Wings3d you can save your 3d object and give it a simple material color - nothing too complicated, just a basic color - and when you import it to Bryce it should import with that material color.

So for right now I'm tweaking the hair model and trying to find a good hair texture to add to the hair object so that the hair looks more realistic.

Wings3d!

I just had a fun 4 HOURS "playing" around with Wings3d which is a 3d modeling program.

I have had it for a while so I don't even remember where I got it from but I do know that it is available as a free download on the Internet.

What was I doing for 4 hours? Actually I was following along with the tutorial for Wings3d. The first tutorial showed how to make a "crude" tooth model. The second tutorial is for a doghouse and that is the one that I am working on now.

The above picture may look like an easy object to you but it took me a long time to even get this far - and I'm not even finished with the tutorial yet!

About the hardest thing to do was to make the doors and windows see through - K had a hard time with that one!

As I'm learning the program things are becoming easier to do even though I have a long ways to go - I'm having fun though!



The final render of the doghouse picture was created in Bryce where I simply imported the doghouse model (as it is so far) into Bryce (which I also saved the object in Bryce so that I don't have to keep importing the same 3d object model over and over again).

Me?

Below you will see one of my very first (presentable) pictures that I created!

It took me a long time to get this final render but it was well worth it! (It also showed me that if one has patience and takes their time you will learn more about what you are doing!)




I made this picture using Daz Studio! It was a free download and I'm glad that I was able to get it! The free downloaded included some Victoria 3 models and poses and I was able to convert the skin tone to one that matched my own! I was able to do this after downloading some free Daz-Studio related items for the V3 model.

Daz Studio is a very powerful program. Besides already including models that you can work with you can also change the model itself! You can make them fatter or skinnier or even change the features of their face so that they can look cat or feline-like. You can change the poses of your model(s) too!

The hair that is included in the picture (and looks very close to my own hair) is from a free hair model that I got from Renderosity.com - a good place to get some free 3d objects!

Now working on this model of myself also reminds me to save a working copy of this model in Daz Studio so that I can work with it over and over again. That's one very important lesson to learn when you are doing 3d work and that is to save copies (and backups) of your work! - I learned that the hard way!

Once I finished creating this model in Daz Studio I saved it to my 3d program (Gimp) and did a lit post-editing to clear up some of the areas - especially the hair!

So what do you think?

About The 3d Beginner?

Hello World!

I decided to start this (additional) blog because of my love (and sometimes frustration) of creating 3d art!

Mind you I am definitely a beginner!

But I'm having a lot of fun with it!

I work at home doing grant research and you can find out more basic information about grants and the grant process by going to my Grant Basics 101 Blog.

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