Wajiha Desai - Pepakura - Rising

For this project, I create another model. This was again inspired by my recent not-so-pleasant experience of being sick. So sick that I make my final project all about it, haha.

I modeled this simple hunched over and tired looking tree in Maya, and pulled it into Pepakura.

After sending my Pepakura file into Rhino, laying it out, and sending it to cut, I organized my pieces into layers so I could save time and frustration looking for each piece.

As I got farther into building this, I realized that this model wouldn't be able to stay erect without support, despise such a wide base. The weight and angle of the branches are what make it slouch over even more, and make it look as if it's about to flip over.

Another challenging part was to construct the dividing branches. I had to use masking tape to bind the branches together. Other wise the flaps were almost impossible - unless you have the utmost patience.  

The next time I do a model like this, I will carefully analyze the balance and weight before laser cutting. 

Painting

Before painting, I coated my Pepakura model in Shellac.

 

First I lightly coated the model with black spray paint. Then, the parts that weren't covered by black, I lightly coated those with brown spray paint. To give it more "life", I added a stronger hand of red spray paint. 

I concentrated the brown spray paint on the end branches the most. 

At the end, I lightly sprayed gold all in random places.

 

I started adding the dry flowers (Potpourri) spray painted gold, concentrating them in the 'joint' areas of the tree, where branches meet and bend. Then I added the dry flowers in random clusters all over the base of the tree. 

Concept

I continued this concept from my serial sliced model, also called 'Rising'. It was inspired by experience in suffering from a recent serious illness and getting back up. I usually delve in quite dark and bleak subject matter when it comes to my art, but this is actually quite optimistic. This thought process was very enlightening and enriching. 

 

~ Special thanks to Amanda Marder, Ronald Wu, and Professor Andrew Scott 

Wajiha Desai - Serial Slicing - Rising

I enjoyed this project so much that I've already started creating concepts for the next models I'm going to serial slice. I loved having the ability to turn something so completely harsh and geometric to look like an organic model. 

This process really helped me get a better grasp of Rhino and its abilities. I learned through many trial and errors, and playing around with settings. 

Using the "Contour" command, I converted my model into curves and sliced them with a distance of .23. After the model was converted to curves, I "Extruded" it with the distance of .23, creating a "sliced" look for the model

Since my model was quite large (15.6 in.), it took up 5 sheets. By contouring, I was able to create sheets for laser printing. When a slice had more than one curve, I labeled it with text (red) indicating which side of  the model it belongs on. The cyan square is a reference for the sheets that will be laser cut. I used two .23 in. dowel holes (blue) for my model.

After getting my model serial sliced, I proceeded to cover it in masking take to smooth and even out the surface.

Then I covered my model in two layers of aqua resin. It's tricky to know how much aqua resin to make while working with such large surfaces. And while working on such large surfaces, you must try to keep the application even. Don't coat constantly on top of one spot. Spread it evenly. If not, it will cause lumps, which is what happened to me. I was able to get rid of the lumps by sanding. 

A [cool] gif of the aftermath of sanding! Aqua resin powder everywhere!

From my previous casting project, I really wanted to make a larger version of this cast: 

So I started painting shades of green, and adding yellows, trying to envision what the end result would look like...

I came to this point when I realized that I was not satisfied with this color, and for some reason, suddenly changed my mind about recreating that previous concept.

So out of sheer spontaneity, I mixed up primary black, primary red, and a bit of cadmium red, and started at my model all over again. 

When I got this color, I was actually quite satisfied with it. It was what I was in the "mood" for. I was feeling it. To highlight my model's features, I lightly scratched at gold acrylic paint with a dry fan brush. This deepened the depths and heightened the heights of my model.

So, can you guess what this stuff is? 

It's POTPOURRI spray painted GOLD!

I'd been wanting to experiment with dead flowers for a while, but I was afraid that the dead flowers would just stink up my model and somehow ruin it. My mom suggested already processed and dried flowers - and of course, I had no time to wait for flowers to wilt, die, and dry... and the idea struck me a I was literally refilling our potpourri bowl. 

I proceeded to strategically hot glue little pieces of potpourri on my model. I wanted the smaller pieces to be closer to her face, and the larger pieces to be farther away to create depth. 

Of course, I didn't want to lose all the details of the model by covering it up, so I left it as that in addition to being a fan of asymmetry. But there's a bit of a deeper meaning to this.

Concept

Recently, for three weeks, I had been extremely unwell. And I mean "help me walk to the bathroom" unwell. I was on six different medications, a week behind in school, and in excruciating, and I mean unbelievable pain. I haven't ever had an experience like that (nor would I want to) in my entire life. It was the worst thing I have gone through so far, and I wouldn't wish it on my enemy. Well - this experience really made me think about life and death, the concept of physical pain, and how physical pain can have an effect on your emotional well being. 

The placement of the golden flowers are a depiction of the pain I experienced, because those exact spots are where it all began. Out of frustration and anger from this experience, I thought I should make those flowers something ugly and gray and looking like "decay", but in another way, I somehow managed to find one tiny beautiful thing about it. 

For example, and I know I sound dramatic, a few weeks ago at this moment, I was in sheer agony, but now I'm casually sitting in front of a screen typing this. I call this piece "Rising" because I realized that the feeling I captured in this piece is me realizing that I was going to be alright. I rose. 

Volume Construction - Thulasi

I used mudbox for retopologizing and mesh reduction using curves. My original model had around 1 million faces and after retopologizing and bringing it to Maya  for a manual mesh reduction, the reduced model was left with around 600 faces. As my model's features were not too realistic and cartoonish, the low-poly model wasn't left with too many details except for the big eyes.

I used boolean to merge the eyes and head. Pepakura read the model with open edges around the eyes, so there were no flaps on the eyes. I taped the back of the eye to the head from the inside. 

I used a dark bronze paint spray as the base color and activated the convex areas with royal gold acrylic by dry brushing.  

Serial Armature study - Part 2 - Thulasi

Link to Part 1

The serial slices after they've been assembled.

 

Aqua resin application - my base layer wasn't exactly lump-free as the solid-liquid ratio was a little off and we didn't have enough liquid then. I sanded down the lumps and the surface gained a papery texture so I decided to leave it like that. 

Conceptual influences - comic art, pop art make up, video games with non-photo realistic rendering  

Professor recommended Lichtenstein's works and I found this:

I really want to get the Ben-day effect without having to use stencils. 

My color choices after researching comic art palettes - Chocolate, coal, ladybug red, carrot, egg, camel and jade.

Tested this look on my 3d print composition.

 

I outlined the face and hairline, nose and collar bones with black strokes. This created a toon look as intended.

After outlining the main features, I painted the left side of the face for shadows with dark and light shades of grey. 

Since the model is based on anime style I decided to paint her eyes the manga way.

Finished composition