Steampunk Myths and Legends Entry: Jim Heathcott

[soapy]

Ok kiddies, buckle up and get ready for a wild soapdawg steampunk joyride. There is no telling where this will go but it should be fun. Yes I have a vague idea for a theme but you know I can't give it up, it just don't work that way!

[soapy]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/22/16215/16215_1226636009_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/22/16215/16215_1226636009_large.jpg)

Just startin out slow here by adding a little steampunkification to this friendly little deer mesh. Notice the saddle, oh the horror!

[Gunilla]

Ha! This is just getting better and better - glad to see you here.
Good start, no idea where you're going with this.

[Canche]

Nice job. i like the old look. keep up the good work.

[varma]

Very nice and sharp render, and excellent material!
:buttrock:

[miketche]

Ok, I have to attach myself here. These are always wild and crazy, yet in a bizarre fashion, cool.

[daWinky]

Hey there:wavey: , great to discover your entry!
I remember well that it's pointless to ask for a story or concept, so I just lean back and enjoy the things coming! The little deer looks already charming...

Have a great time!

-sabrina

[Ferx]

Hey Soapy,

Really cool that you joined to the challenge ! :D ( we miss you on the uplift universe :)) Can´t wait to see your really creative ideas on this concept. Cheers!! :beer:

[soapy]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/22/16215/16215_1226951674_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/22/16215/16215_1226951674_large.jpg)

Another battle hardened steampunk ride-on animal. This one is amphibious!

[JackZhang]

those are so cute and... creepy!

[Gunilla]

Oh dear, that's one tormented duck. Your materials and renders are top-notch. This looks like its going to be a legend already.

[Ferx]

Hey Soapy,

Fantastic textures for the duck!!! :D Love that great artwork, you take care on all of the details, really awesome, the scratchs are simply amazing and the rope is a cool touch! Great work! Cheers my friend! :beer:

[mdavid]

I've always thought these challenges could do with more ducks ;) Lovely stuff soapy. As always I'm intrigued to see where you'll be taking it

[daWinky]

So cute and pefectly well made:thumbsup: , nice little fellow and I think it will be glad to meet Mark's Mighty Duck, the answer to all the questions ducks ever had...

-sabrina

[handlebar]

Great to see you in Soapy, the old scratched lead paint textures look great.

[varma]

It's so alive it's almost scary! Super sharp renders and great 3d feel!
What software are you using, btw?
Great going!
:applause:

[miketche]

Your textures are always so well done. They have a realism you don't see often.

[soapy]

Hey thanks for the kind words and comments.

For this contest I will not be responding to each comment specificaly unless there is a direct question. However I will be reciprocating comments to your threads as usual.

Varma: I am using Cinema 4d. I also use zbrush but nothing on this thread so far employs it.

There is a narrative slowly building but I will save that telling for later. Especially since these first two props are mostly incidental to the story and image. They are used for riding and transport by the gods.

[andreasng]

HA that sounds wonderful. a duck and a deer... gods riding them. hmm who might that be :shrug:

[soapy]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/22/16215/16215_1227066408_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/22/16215/16215_1227066408_large.jpg)

One of the gods. Or is he just an alien invader? Anyway he is a petulant little perpetrator of under handed back room deals and social manipulation.

[Ferx]

Hey Sopay,

love your crazy model my friend !! Awesome!! Cheers!! :beer:

[Cyberone]

hey there...i really like ya ducky.

you've really got a good style going there :)
nice folio too.

will watch with interest :)

[varma]

That Alien intruder/invader is such a qute creature, but his eyes scare me a bit!
I bet he if off to no good!
Curious to get the rest of the story!
:)

[soapy]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/22/16215/16215_1227160274_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/22/16215/16215_1227160274_large.jpg)

Steam powered Orca Jet Ski. Perfect for raiding parties or oceanside romantic get-aways.

[daWinky]

Hey Jim,

ah, I really missed this crazy kind of stuff. Anyway he is a petulant little perpetrator of under handed back room deals and social manipulation. Yes, you can tell this clearly from his grin, reminds me somehow of my insurance agent...I should check his background:hmm: ...
And this Orca Jet Ski looks quite comfortable to me....

-sabrina

[Ferx]

Hey Soapy,

Love that orca and I want a toy like that, simply great! :D Cheers!! :beer:

[Try]

I must say all of theese are splendid design. And I really like the surface on the animals. Look fantastic so far.

[Gunilla]

The punk god looks mean! - Is that a steam outlet on his head or perhaps a siren?
Orca is really cute - that texture style you got going is very special. It gives a graphical look that looks fab!

Bring'em on! :beer:

[soapy]

Hey thanks everyone for the kind words.

Gunilla that thing on his head is the hopper and control mechanism. You would throw handfulls of coal or wood down that chute into the firebox to drive the steam engine. I guess I left it pretty minimal looking. There could have been more controls and linkages I suppose. Now as for plausibility? Yes, I think you could generate enough steam driven horsepower in that small space to push the impellors for a jet ski.

Well so far I have taken most of my steampunk inspiration from victorian era carousels. Wood brass and chipped paint.

The exception being little Purple but I figure since he is an alien he can show up to the party looking however he wants. My setting is one of a dystopian future past steampunk wasteland. So an alien or steam powered jet ski is ok with me.

Pretty soon I will be adding in some more boilers and clockworks for added steampunkiness. Right now I am working on some new characters.

[varma]

Jo Jimmy!
Yet another great cahracter with superb shape and excellent material! Your texturing
abilities are really good and fits the charaters very nicely!
Somehow, you are tempting me to cross over to C4d, and explore its super fast and precise
raytracer engine, that I've heard about many times, or just render my work in there!
Curious to see those boilers and clockworks, yes, for added "Steampunkiness"!
did I spell it right?

:thumbsup:

[DaddyMack]

lol so far soapy... seeing your work here is almost enough to pull me in

[soapy]

Hey Varma, I don't know what to tell you, I like cinema. I am using v9.6 and they are up to v11 and they say there are improvements to AR. Cinema is good for the plasticy looking toys I do. Sometimes I think Vray would be a nice add on but still a lot of money and more learning. What software are you using?

Hey Daddy Mac you should jump in! Misery loves company! Ooops wrong saying, we are having barrels of fun here!

[Climax]

Wow, i just entered today and u are almost done :beer: good work!

[Zapan]

Hey , jeez, you got an entire zoo already ...

And every little guys are freakly darn cute !! :applause:

Can't wait to hear your story about them ,

cheers ,

-Zapan

[varma]

I see what you mean by software cost and all, it's not small change, to say the least!
I'm on Proz.. ,eh, I mean Maya, and just like you, I'm 4 major realeases behind, still
using the ver. 7 outdated several years ago, but it still fulfills my needs!
I'll wait and see what my christmas gift has to offer this year, well, the latest version
has been on my wishing list for quite some time!
Be well!
:)

[OKMER]

Just love the mix of creepy and cute!Great ideas & designs!Subscribed.Good luck & have fun!

[handlebar]

The whale looks great soapy, for a less plastic look have you thought about ditching the specular on your materials altogether and reflecting an environment instead, i haven't used cinema for a while now so i cant advise on the process but you'll get more photorealistic results. It might increase your render times but could be worth a shot it all depends on what style you are going for.

[soapy]

Thanks peeps, much appreciated.

Varma, yeah that software upgrade thing is a bitch. If you don't need animation I have heard good things about Modo but have not yet tried it myself. But as always there is the learning curve issue.

Handlebar, I have tried to use reflection in place of spec but it is pretty hard to get right and for me does not always work well on some textures. The environment has to be just right also. I will look into it more as I go. Most of the time plastic works for me too.

[soapy]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/22/16215/16215_1227422410_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/22/16215/16215_1227422410_large.jpg)

Bzzzt, grrrraattttz, sproing!


Disclaimer: No pretty ponies were harmed in the making of this picture.

[mdavid]

I love it. What kid hasn't faced a scene like that in his/her toy box? That usually meant the end of playtime. But in this case I get the impression the fun is just starting

[Cyberone]

hahaha
that last one was sweet :)

[varma]

Bzzzt, grrrraattttz, sproing!
I guess I need to upgrade not only my software, but also my dictionary, no chance I
could find these words in my old one!
:blush:

Man, that last pony is no less masterfully done than the previous ones, excellent style,
and I believe the shader you are using, works pretty well without the additional reflection!
My only critique, maybe the scraches on his back is a bit too much, but of course, that's
only me!

Awefully wondersome!!!
:curious:

[daWinky]

oooh, this is sad:cry: ...and creepy...and really well made:thumbsup: !

-sabrina

[Gunilla]

Wonderful! A my little pony splatter scene :D
Excellent work, especially on the "hair" - it got just the right plastic look.
You're so rolling here, can't wait to see whare it all leads.

[cpt-elektro]

HA! youre calling my ideas crazy? watch yourself! :applause:
nice to see a c4d guy around:beer:


bye elektro

[MINTY1974]

I actually find these terrifying mate lol! Top work so far. Really looking forward to seeing where you go with this.

[Ferx]

Hey Soapy,

Simply great my friend!! Fantastic textures !! Cheers!! :beer:

[M477]

Hey nice progress and some cool renders (especially the duck!).

Maybe the pony needs some mechanical parts that move, like the eyes or mouth? That would help explain the mechanical bits and pieces from the break. Maybe even a pool of water coming from the neck like a blood but in a less grusome way :p

[varma]

It's been a while since the last update, hope everything is alright!
More renders pleaese!

:wavey:

[soapy]

Thanks everyone.

I am slowly working on some new models and ideas. Hopefully I will have a new image up in a few days. Super busy here with work and hockey.

Hey Sabrina, don't worry pony will be back together for the final. I was just checking to see that everyone was paying attention.

Electro- crazy equals good around here. ;-)

M477, I wondered when somebody would bring up pony's lack of moving parts. hahah. This was just built for fun for that picture. Most the the gears and clockwork is going into another model I am working on at the moment.

As per my usual I tend to go in fits and spurts on the progress. I am a creature of inspiration when it comes to this stuff, so downtime can happen. But don't worry more is coming soon.

[honestdom]

nice renders... very scratchy!

[TheSoracle]

nice thread soapy, looks great so far. :) i really like the animals

[soapy]

Thanks for popping in guys. Are you going to enter Steven?

[silenceimpaired]

Every image in your portfolio makes me go what?! -- In a very good way. I am forced to look at your creations like one is to a car accident, you are constantly asking, what is going on here and wow that's disturbing. :) I look forward to seeing your finished image!

[soapy]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/22/16215/16215_1228028292_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/22/16215/16215_1228028292_large.jpg)

A victorian gentleman all decked out in the ubiquitous formal attire.

[handlebar]

realy great chacter Soapy, suits the steampunk style perfectly.

[varma]

Excellent! Simply excellent, man!
:buttrock:
On both counts, modeling the specific shape, and then fabulous shading work!
You could be a real good ambassador for Maxon, (soon to be autodesks! :rolleyes: )
Especially the shoes are very remarkable, the way they are oversized in comparision
with the body, and the great shader look!
10 points out of ten!
:applause:

[Gunilla]

Hehe, looks like he's on his way to a ballroom dance "... putting on the ritz"
Very smart looking and perhaps a bit vicious? His eyebrows are saying a lot here. Splendid as always!

[daWinky]

Hello Jim,

Hey Sabrina, don't worry pony will be back together for the final.
uh, I'm really glad to hear this! And I welcome your new character, the perfect victorian gentleman:thumbsup: ! As always at this time in a challenge I really begin to be curious about the story...but I won't ask!:D


-sabrina

[soapy]

Heya thanks peeps. H; especially.


Varma yikes! Autodesk buying Maxon!?!? hehehe.

Gunilla yeah, he is pretty evil looking, as i was putting it together I was thinking, 'oh my god it is Jack the Ripper!'

Hey Sabrina, you know I have a story in mind but I gotta wait and see if I can build all the resources needed to flesh it out. Pretty soon I will let the cat out of the bag.

[mdavid]

I love that image all on its own. Sure, it depicts elements of pure evil but the way you've handled it as a piece of art is superb. The smartly spot-lit framed portraits of Mussolini and Hitler, and the elegant dress code in the toy character suggest that slick appearances sometimes mask the true character. As always your work provokes thought and a second and third and fourth look. Bring it on.

By the way, Maxon bought by Autodesk? Yikes from me too!

[LiquorArt]

pretty work!

I like your idea.sweet.....

[daWinky]

you know I have a story in mind but I gotta wait and see if I can build all the resources needed to flesh it out. Pretty soon I will let the cat out of the bag.

Ah, the story is awaited with bated breath:thumbsup: ! Meanwhile I'm looking forward to see more bits and pieces and entertain myself with some guessing:) ....

Nice day for you!

-sabrina

[madshooter]

Hey Soapy, thats some great stuff in your thread:cool:. Very nice and different concept.
Keep going Dude:thumbsup:

[Ferx]

Hey Soapy,

Great, love the design for the victorian gentleman, the hands and the big shoes are a really cool touch, reminds me a bit the hats and tails on the old warner cartoons (merry melodies cartoons :D). Again, superb work my friend!! Cheers!! :beer:

[soapy]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/22/16215/16215_1228497812_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/22/16215/16215_1228497812_large.jpg)

Introducing Mr. Hard, (aka, Jason). Born of the DNA of the Rubber man, here is Mr. Hard in minty fresh condition, ready to put the hurt down.

[varma]

Haha, hillarious! Very cool turn in the concept, I must say this came as a pleasant
supprise, comparing to those other characters, and I'm very intrigued now to see the type
of interaction between them, should be fun!
He seems to take the issue of protection quite seriously, and that will no doubtedly help
him survive what he's about to do to those other characters!
:)

[mdavid]

Considering Rubberman's rubberiness it's sometimes a real surprise to see how the kids turn out, but it looks to me like Mr Hard turned out really well.

This character is as original and confronting as your other characters. Bravo!

[Micro26]

Nice touch with these models.I like the dirty and old looking dolls u made so far.
I m curious to see whats next.
Have fun:thumbsup:

[Ferx]

Hey Soapy,

Fantastic!! hahahahaha Mr. Hard, aka Jason, son of Mr. Rubber Man, is simply cool!! Great work on the joints and articulations, great work!! I want him for my toys collection :D Cheers my friend!! :beer:

[miketche]

Wow, I really have no idea what you're up to. Any clues? (I somehow think the pictures in the background are a clue, but I can't figure it out.):shrug:

[Gunilla]

Oh! Mr Hard is a really cool addition to your collection - looks splendid!
As Mike I'm getting even more puzzled now... what can you be up to this time? Have you got a plan or are you playing it as it comes?
Either way, this is a thriller.

[cpt-elektro]

ok...if this would have been a make-it-crazy-like-hell-contest, you would have won right now :thumbsup: this is one of the threads, that is really incomparable to the rest.:applause:


i also would like to see whats happening with all this characters.

bye elektro

[soapy]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/22/16215/16215_1228708313_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/22/16215/16215_1228708313_large.jpg)

The golden fleece, the object of Jasons quest. Also here is Jason aka Mr. Hard in chrome.

[soapy]

Thanks for all the kind words.

As you can see now, I am doing the myth of Jason and the Argonauts and the quest for the Golden Fleece. It is a really rich myth, there are wars, intrigue, treachery and slaughter. It sounds just like the Victorian age... no?

I have been doing a bunch of reading on the Victorian era and am going to tie my story back into that and also move it forward into the 20 century as well. Like all good steampunk it is all about that future past time play. Mine will have a dystopian backdrop which I have always preferred.

In the original myth the Golden Fleece was the skin of a winged ram called Chrysomallos. Over the years there have been various interpretations to suggest it represented everything from the idea of bringing sheep husbandry, (hehe, insert Beavis chuckle here), from the east to Greece to the use of a sheep fleece in a sluice box to collect gold, etc. Myself I decided it should be a sort of mystical golden chain mail fashioned from the bones of the vanquished. Of course it gives it bearer the usual requisite kingly powers, riches and other dictatorial entitlements...

[thebest]

was going to reply sooner but had some connection problems .... u have a nice idea and going good so far looking forward to the next update :thumbsup:

[Ferx]

Hey Soapy,

Love your great and crazy ideas !! :D The Jason chrome version ( featured by Mr. Hard :D ) and the golden fleece are totally insane!! :D in the good way :D Think your concept is really cool and cant wait to see your whole idea ! Cheers my friend! :beer:

[daWinky]

Hey Jim,

great work on Mr. Hard of course, but what is even more interesting now is the direction you're taking - so finally you've decided about a myth! Jason and the fleece is a rich theme indeed and we can already see with your truly original choice to picture the fleece, what we can expect! :thumbsup: So the suspense is still here and I'm looking forward to see the progress with your idea...

Have a great day,

-sabrina

[madshooter]

You got a nice theme now Dude:). Just waiting now for more updates.

[varma]

Hehe Jimmy, that Silverado dude seems to mean business, and I'm really enjoying the way
this project is turning! It's the sense of suspence that keeps it even more interesting, even
you have revealed the story behind!
Those skeletons and spines is a very very cool touch, I couldn't think of such originality!
:buttrock:

[soapy]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/22/16215/16215_1229018358_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/22/16215/16215_1229018358_large.jpg)

British Infantryman with Zulu warrior and Queen Victoria portrait.

[thebest]

well that looks nice .....keep going :thumbsup:

[Gunilla]

The golden fleece looks great - very cool design! So it's Jasons quest you're gonna show. Great idea and I love the new characters, especially the Zulu warrior. I like the way they are in full, human size compared to the paintings. Makes it even more creepy.

[varma]

Hehe, priceless! You keep surprising all the time with these funny, stylish characters!
Very well modeled and textured! the sense of suspence is coming back again, I'm
wondering how you will put these all together and make up the relations!
No backpack for the infantryman? nokay!
;)

[mdavid]

Another cool update. I'm enjoying the paintings in the background too - they add a lot of value and real interest to the scene

[soapy]

Thanks everyone.

When I got too work I realized how bright this image looks, I must have accidentally turned my monitor way up. No wonder I had to cranks the lights in cinema to see anything... Doh

Gunilla, actually the models are still toy size but the scale has gone out of whack because of the look and detail of the paintings. Hopefully in the final that will be resolved. Plus there are a couple of things I can try to bring them back to scale. For instance I can make the frames more simple, such as small extruded plastic ones. Or makes the painting prints thumb-tacked to the wall. Plus perhaps I can do some photo-manips to make them look like small prints.

The paintings are done in Artrage which is a great little paint program. Only 25 dollars and it does a few things very very well. They are made from old paintings grabbed from the net and repainted entirely.

Varma, yeah I was a bit torn as to whether or not to add a backpack. In some of the old paintings they have them and in some they don't. What I really should add are the little pouches they have at the waistband, I will add those.

[Ferx]

Hey Sopay,

Cool !! Like the textures on your last two models, great "toy" touch, superb! :D ( you use ArtRage, that is great, is a fantastic program for sketching, I love the pencil tool of ArtRage, the best digital pencil, not doubt :D) Cheers my friend!! :beer:

[daWinky]

Hey Jim,

more characters, great, I like especially the Zulu guy...even if I have not the slightest idea how you'll combine all this in your Jason theme...as I've already said: The suspense is still here:thumbsup: ! And your gallery is also growing I see, I like this Queen Victoria portrait!:)

As always looking out for more,

-sabrina

[handlebar]

Great little paintings Soaps, i'm diggin' the playoff between realism and toy.

[soapy]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/22/16215/16215_1229484133_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/22/16215/16215_1229484133_large.jpg)

One of the Argonauts, Aquaman. Pretty handy being a water dweller on an ocean voyage. Not much to go wrong with that.

[daWinky]

Hey Jim,

pretty unhealthy colored this guy:scream: ...or maybe it's just the other way round and aquamens just need exactly this color to be in perfect health:curious: ...but then he needs to be a bit more slimmy...anyway, impressive to watch the wide range of characters you've already produced for this!

-sabrina

[varma]

My uncle used to say; "-never trust a girl with green eyes", but he never mentioned
anything about Aquamen! I might need to call him about this one and get an update,
cause by the look of his eyes, he can't be up to any good! Kind of hypnotiZZZZing sort
of eyes!
:eek:
More suprises down your path, jimmy! this makes the suspense even more exiting!
Looking very very forward to see the final render!
:thumbsup:

[Ferx]

Hey Soapy,

Totally cool my friend!! Aquaman is a great addition for the Argonauts! Great ! :D Cheers!! :beer:

[handlebar]

Lol i can just see his head pop up between the clashing rocks to save the argo from a watery grave.

[soapy]

Well Aquaman has been around for a while. Parts of him were built for the machineflesh contest and his feet are from the spectacular contest. All the parts have been rebuilt, modified and changed several times since. His fingers and toes went from 5 to 4. The head got rebuilt and recently he got lengthened and repainted. In spite of all the work I have put into this guy and all he changes he has never appeared in a published image.

Since the rule changes I have been trying to use a bunch of the old resources I have laying around. It is a good thing though since it lets me present a classic style soapy image. I like the idea of having older vintage models alongside newer work. Although sometimes the old stuff gets retired. Rubberman is dead now, he has been replaced by Mr. Hard.

[Gunilla]

So, any chances of seeing your Paris Hilton in this one then? I remember her with joy along with a lot of your other characters.
Aquaman is a cool addition for the scene and even if you now have told what's it about I'm still puzzled. In a good way.

[soapy]

Hey Gunilla, it is funny you should mention the Paris model, I am reworking that one too. She is getting a top to bottom rebuild. You may not recognize her when she is done. It will be a sort of experiment so I am not sure what is going to happen with the new version. But anyway that model will represent Medea from the myth.

[madshooter]

Aquaman looks good:thumbsup: . Maybe his shoulders can go little down, just a suggestion.
Keep up the good work.

[soapy]

Hello,

sorry about the lack of progress and attendance. I got into holiday mode and got away from working on 3d. We have been busy playing hockey, skiing and also I sat and read a couple of books. Now that holidays are over I will try and get back at it and finish up as best I can in the limited time remaining.

Cheers
soaps

[Gunilla]

OK - hope to see some more here now, now that the holidays are over. How about your remade Paris for instance?

[Kostadamus]

Nice entry, but Hitler and Stalin need more mustache imo.

[varma]

Heyhey Hockeyboy!
I really hope you can finish this concept, you have put so much dearly work in it, and it
has great potentials, with all those brilliant characters!
Looking forward to more news about updates!
Happy 2009!
:)

[cpt-elektro]

hey,

its sunday night and still no final image? gogogogo! i want to see the final! it would be a shame to let all these charakters buried on your hd :)

bye and good luck

e

[daWinky]

Yep, I'd also like to see the whole bunch together in a final scene:bounce: !


-sabrina

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