'Softimage XSI'

Making Of 'Praying Mantis'
by Victor Maiorino Fernande
 
Web | Email


Software Used :

Softimage XSI, ZBrush and Photoshop


Hey guys! My name is Victor Maiorino Fernande and I live in São Paulo, Brazil. I'm just starting my digital artist career by studying at Melies Cinema and Animation School.

Usually I use software like Softimage XSI, ZBrush and Photoshop for post-production and map correction. I study a lot of traditional art, such as paintings, composition and drawing, because it really helps when it comes to my digital projects.

This is my first Making Of and I'm going to write the production process of my image “Praying Mantis”.

My inspiration came from Igor Siwanowiczv photos. He shoots a lot of macro photos of insects. And that was just the style I wanted for my image. I chose the praying mantis because it is my favorite insect. I also searched lots of references on Google.

I started the modeling in ZBrush, using ZSpheres for the base mesh and blocking in the form I wanted (Fig.01).

Fig.01

Then I started a second blocking process, where I added more details. After that I started reconstructing the model in ZBrush so I could take a lighter mesh into XSI. I opened the mesh in UV Layout and sent the OBJ files to ZBrush; that way I could make all the details and do all the painting so I could turn them into maps (Fig.02).


Fig.02



Bugatti_Veyron_eBook




For those details, I turned off the ZBrush symmetry and used some alphas to make the mesh have a more organic feel. Then I used thinner tools so it could have a more natural look (Fig.03 – 05).

Fig.03

Fig.04

Fig.05


Page 1
Page 2
Page 3

Related Tutorials

If you liked reading this tutorial, you may also be interested in the following.

"Making of Mantis Queen" by Nick Miles
The Mantis Queen came about through my desire to push the boundaries of abstract form within my work whilst maintaining what I deemed to be a coherent, clearly identifiable character silhouette.  For a while now I have been incorporating abstract patterns and shapes into my own work and I wanted to see how far I could push this.


"Making of Alien Baby" by Martin Beyer
This alien baby was an old idea, which I first sculpted with clay five years ago. The clay sculpture was now a good reference for this 3D project – in fact, it was the only reference!