Gods Of War Sprint 2

 

These past two weeks, I have worked on refining my VFX block outs from the previous sprints. For the fire, I figured out how to implement VDBs so I was able to get them on the character. I used ember-gen to create and render out the VDBs. 

For the water sim, I went back in Houdini and edited the movement of the water so that it had more noise and variation. I'm still working on a solution for implementing the solid water on top of the particles

For the lightning, it is still only done in Niagara. I replaced the bars that held the drum together with the lightning to make it look more dramatic. My next steps are to refine the shape further and add a more detailed material to the Niagara Ribbon.

Gods of War Sprint 1

For Sprint 1, I blocked out the VFX for the three characters, Raijin, Oni, and Susanoo. For Raijin, I created a lightning effect for her drum sticks and a slight lightning spark effect for the drums behind her. For Oni, I created a fire effect surrounding the back of the character and also fire emitting from his hands. For an extra dramatic effect, I added some subtle smoke to surround him. Lastly, for Susanoo, I blocked out a water effect that will emit from his katana. This effect was created in Houdini and then imported into Niagara as both a point cache and geometry cache to layer on top of each other.

Artist Statement

 

Who am I as an artist?

    I am someone who appreciates the beautiful things in life. By that, I mean that I enjoy romanticizing the things that people don’t often think about. For example, I find immense joy in gazing out of a plane window at the tiny cars and buildings below, marveling at the unique patterns of the clouds, and getting a glimpse of the sun setting in the distance. These moments fill me with warmth, joy, and awe.

    I love combining the five senses to evoke strong emotions—like the crackling warmth of a flickering fire or the feeling of snowflakes falling on my face on a freshly powdered mountain. I savor the distinct aroma of coffee in the air as I rush to my gate at the airport, a reminder of the exciting journey ahead.

    How does this relate to my work as an artist? For years, I immersed myself in still life drawing, illustrating the world in the way that I see it. Life is more enjoyable through rose-tinted lenses, even if it's not always practical. It adds a spark of excitement to the mundane. That’s why I am so passionate about VFX. For example, with a simple dust particle simulation, volumetric smoke, and some god rays, I can transform any object or scene into something ethereal. It's all about reimagining scenes to enhance reality. The main challenge that I face is being able to take an immersive real-life experience that incorporates the five senses, and convert it into a purely visual experience.

    My main goal as an artist is to evoke powerful emotions in others—not just any emotions, but ones that bring happiness. I want people to look at my work and see beauty. By beauty, I mean something aesthetically appealing that evokes a sense of pleasure and satisfaction. It doesn’t have to be extravagant in nature; it just has to make someone feel good. Creating beautiful things brings me great joy and fulfillment, and I aspire to share that feeling with the world.

 

 

HW 4 Lighting Assignment

Environment Shots: Moody, Abandoned

 

Reference Boards: moody warehouse lighting

Common Art HW Lighting 3

This week, I pulled an asset from the Epic Library and created a 3 point set up and an environmental scene around the asset.

3 Point Lighting Set-Up

Environmental Shot - 70 mm

Extra Lighting - Day

Extra Lighting - Evening

Lighting Workshop HW 2

 This week, I worked on creating and lighting an outdoor environment with a skylight. I then took screenshots of the scene with a cinematic camera.

Lighting Workshop Assignment 1

3-Point Lighting Setup 1

3-Point Lighting Setup 2