In
this tutorial I'll be going over the
general steps taken to create the train
image you see here.
The
first and most important stage is research.
Before
ever opening any 3d application I started
researching images of actual trains
and their environments.
I
collected as many reference images as
I could get my hands on. I used these
images as guidelines throughout the
project. Obviously as reference for
the modeling stage but also for inspiration
in the design and look of the environment
and background.
I always go back to these images to
get ideas and for things I might have
missed.
Modeling
The Locomotive
When
modeling I always try to get in as many
details as I can.
I also make a point of staying as true
to the original reference as I can.
It's the little details that make the
difference between a good model and
a believable one.
A
good model also makes the texturing
stage much easier.
Once you know how your model is built
you get a better idea of how to texture
the different elements.
Front
Metal Map
I
like to personalize my textures for
the specific needs of my scene so almost
all my textures undergo some form of
manipulation in Photoshop.
3DTotal's exhaustive library of textures
was a great source of raw materials
for this project.
The thumbnails on the right show the
basic manipulation the textures underwent
before making it to the front of the
locomotive
Orange
Metal Map
I used a similar process for creating
the textures for the rest of the train.
The thumbnails on the right show the
steps from the initial texture to the
final one.
Finalizing
the Textures
3DTotal
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The
Environment
The
environment posed a real challenge for
me.
While it's not heavy in details achieving
the specific feel of desolation and
a cold gray day were the real challenge.
Although this tutorial is centered around
texturing I'd like to get a little into
my workflow.
The first step was to block in my models
and basic camera angles and create the
general composition.
I also started blocking in the colors
and initial textures to get the look
and feel I was going for.
It's only when the final picture started
to emerge that I went into the little
details - finalizing the textures and
tweaking the lights.
Finally the image underwent further
color correction in Photoshop.
Step
1
Step
2
Step
3
Step
4
Step
5
Step
6
This image was created using
a few of the hundreds of textures from
the Total Texture CDs - very comprehensive
texture collections priced with the
hobbyist in mind. To see more examples,
download free
samples and read full details follow
this link
