Metallic Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa (Lestis)) - 2nd V-Ray Render

Modeled in  - Maya
Render in     - V-Ray
Texturing in - ZBrush
A previous render and a modeling time-lapse can be found HERE

Instancing test using Maya's Mash + Vray

This is a test for instancing grass with Mash in Maya. Very simple. Very quick. The settings are low and the render took next to no time. Perfect for previewing.

Oh how I am going to love using mash... and it has a python node!

I recently delved into writing some math nodes for Maya with python, (and compiling them in c++), with the idea of building something like what Rhino has with Grasshopper. It's turning into an excellent learning exercise. However, mash already has a lot of what I always wanted Maya to have. So... fun times ahead.

To test out some instancing using Maya's Mash:

1. Paint Effect for grass  - converted to polygon quads;

 

2. UV's organized 3X3. Vray 2 sided shader applied:

 

3. I thought I would throw in an old skull I poly modeled a long time ago. I decimated it in Zbrush, instead of using a displacement, and gave it a Vrays SSS shader. Here is a time-lapse of the Maya session:

4. In mash I instanced the grass over a plane and created a falloff object to mute the grass around the skull within a strength node. I also added a random node to the mix.

There is so much artistic control with this kind of procedural approach. Change, add, swap, blend, randomize, mute, duplicate etc.

Green Cicada

3DS Max - Zbrush - Vray

Light Balance - Vray for Max

 

Base mesh for Cicada - Modeled in 3DS Max

 

Zbrush - Detailing and Poly Painting

Dragon Head Modeling - Part 1

Drawing silhouette's to model from:

1. Dragon silhouette drawings

2. Base mesh modeling in Maya with polygon tools:

3. Rough concept render in mental ray with some textures I painted in photoshop:

Hunting Humans

Hunting humans - Red Demon

Modeling:      Maya + Zbrush

Texturing:      Zbrush + Photoshop

Rendering:     Mental Ray

Compositing: Photoshop

Look Development: Funnel Web Spider

Modeling     - Zbrush/Maya

Textureing    - Zbrush/Photoshop

Rendering     - Mental Ray

Compositing - After effects

Demon - Work In Progress

Look Development - Demon (WIP)
Modeled in Maya/Zbrush
Textured in Zbrush/Photoshop
Rendered in Mental Ray

Look Development: "Mouth Of Hell"

Funnel Web Spider - WIP

Funnel Web Spider - WIP

Here are a few test render with a blend of materials in Vray for Maya with displacement, normal maps, specular maps blended with subsurface material.

Eric Keller's Insect DVD has been a great help.

Modeling Practice Session - Dragon

I modeled a Dragon in maya today and recorded the process - fun! Might put some more time aside to see where this goes - still at an early stage atm.