Plan
In this first entry, we will look at Blender’s Boolean modifier. I touch on a lot of different subjects here, which will likely inspire future ideas. This can be a tad overwhelming though in case you’re unfamiliar with 3D terminology, but I hope to deliver some value to you guys either way.
All in all, I’m mostly writing this to organize my own thoughts—to build structure and discipline through consistent output, documenting process, ideas and evolution over time. This way, in September a Shopify is planned to host a selection of my best work.
As you can imagine, the possibilities are endless using this technique, so limits are necessary. As for meshes, human body meshes will be used, simply because I’ve been doing this for such a long time. You guessed it, they will be delivered by Daz. (Tip: be inspired and spend your cash in their shop.)
Earlier, my meshes were mostly manipulated by a special combination of skin, solidify, deform, displace and wireframe modifiers. By adding booleans to the sauce, it’s now possible to make holes.
In the very beginning, I didn’t even know it was possible to export hair from Daz to Blender. It was only later that the “Make Hair” button was discovered (thanks so much Diffeomorphic). If you pair this with the amazing Principled Hair BSDF in Blender, you’ve got something.
However much I love the hair setup, it can obstruct the science fiction look. Also, using human skin materials can have the same limiting effect. Less robot, less alien, less science fiction.
When playing with the modifier parameters and using different materials, the feeling shifts. The mirror modifier in particular is always a good addition. It allows a kind of controlled chaos. With a solid foundation in place, it’s time to scale up experimentation.
You can get a glimpse of my workflow right here.
The article is getting lengthy. Don’t want to overwhelm you. I’ll continue to refine my Single Body in the next one. Things change; the technique is evolving together with the concept. The plan is to create a more consistent image, worthy of print.
Stay tuned.