VIRTU DESIGN INSTITUTE

Written by Rachel Hawkins

2D & 3D GRAPHIC DESIGN VDIS10019

BASIC TOOLS FOR 3D RENDERING

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This lecture is an overview of how to achieve some 3D effects to enrich your 3D Character design to be used on Cereal Box packaging.

When digitising drawings for 3D rendering you can use a combination of software tools to achieve your desired finish. For the purpose of this subject, it is recommended that you work in Photoshop and Illustrator.

There are some software tutorial resources available to you on the Virtu Youtube link:www.youtube.com/channel/UChDtm_NW5ViQcUl3S-5mTFg

Here you will find three tutorials that cover helpful basic Photoshop and Illustrator software skills like;

• Live Tracing• How to create compound paths • How to create clipping paths• Distort, scale, rotate images• Deep etching (cutting out an image)• Plus more....

VIRTU YOUTUBE LINK

www.youtube.com/channel/UChDtm_NW5ViQcUl3S-5mTFg

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There are several key factors to consider in the development of your 3D character drawing that will help to bring it to life.

GRADATIONGradation of size and direction

produce linear perspective. Gradation of colour from warm to cool and tone

from dark to light produce aerial perspective. Gradation can add

interest and movement to a shape. A gradation from dark to light will cause

the eye to move along a shape.

PERSPECTIVEPerspective is an approximate

representation of the of a three-dimensional object on a two-

dimensional surface (paper or screen) so as to give the impression of their height, width, depth, and position in

relation to each other.

LIGHT & SHADOWThe way light hits an object

determines it’s shading and is how the eye determines the appearance

of flat 2D object from 3D forms. When light hits a 3D object it can cast a shadow. Shadows ad depth to a form and will enrich the 3D

appearance.

CONTEXTContext may be the environment in which your character is presented.

Placing your character in the context of a space with perspective will help bring the shapes, colour, texture and

shading to life.

TEXTUREThe way a surface feels or is

perceived to feel. Texture can be added to attract or repel interest to an element, depending on the pleasantness of the texture. It is a great way to make your character

look lifelike and tactile.

A SENSE OF HUMORA character is a comical

representation of something that we see in real life. It is important that you approach the design process with a sense of humor and the perspective of a child’s view so that you are open to new textures, colours and shapes.

SCALE/PROPORTIONUsing the relative size of elements

against each other can attract attention to a focal point. Proper use of scale and proportion or the

exaggeration of these elements will help to make your 3D Character and

its surroundings look realistic.

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GradientsUse gradients as a way of creating light and shading in your design. You can achieve gradients with colours and neutral tones in both Photoshop and Illustrator. Your gradients can also have transparencies so that they reveal colours and textures beneath them. Illustrator also has a useful gradient library that can be accessed through the swatches tab to help you along. All gradients can be edited in the Gradients tab. See below screen grabs to locate them.

Photoshop Illustrator

Double click or drag on the gradient toggles to edit the gradient. You can also flip and rotate it in this menu

Select your object are with the magic wand selection tool or in any other way and create a “New Fill” (Gradient) in the bottom of the Layer tab.

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TextureUse textures to make your character more lifelike. You can use photos of textures and place them into the shapes in your character design to give the form depth and make it more lifelike. By using textures you will evoke the brains experience with the senses touch and sound (hearing) and therefore enhance the experience that your character gives the viewer.

You can use photos of textures like metal, wood, plastic, glass, water, foods and fabrics like - leather and silk, etc.

The below link shows you how to use photos of textures in your illustration. Have a look at this online tutorial:

Adobe Illustrator & Photoshop tutorial: Create a realistic 3D character without 3D softwarehttp://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/tutorials/photoshop/create-realistic-3d-character-without-3d-software/

This online tutorial shows another way of using photos of textures in 3D rendering in illustrator:

Create a Textured 3D Box in Adobe Illustratorhttp://www.vectology.com/create-a-textured-3d-box-in-adobe-illustrator/

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Texture cont.There is also a “Pattern Overlay” tool in the ‘fx’ layer style in Photoshop. You can load your own patterns/textures into it. This is a great place to load textures and apply shadows to shapes at the sake time.

Photoshop

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CONTEXTContext is the environment in which your character lives. Placing your character in the context of a space with perspective will help bring the shapes, colour, texture and shading to life.

Below is a two part online tutorial showing how to illustrate a 2D drawing into a 3D character illustration. This particular tutorial gives a good amount of focus to the context and surroundings of the character and how this enhances the personality and narrative of the image. This is applicable to how you should approach your cereal box packaging. Think of your character illustration in the context of the cereal packaging and how it will look as a whole finished product. Check out the two part tutorial:

Create Character Driven Book Cover Art Using Illustrator and PhotoshopPart 1 and Part 2Part 1 - http://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/create-character-driven-book-cover-art-using-illustrator-and-photoshop-part-1--vector-3445

Part 2 - http://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/create-character-driven-book-cover-art-using-illustrator-and-photoshop-part-2--psd-6515

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ShadowsTo give your illustration depth you can use light and shadow. Depending on which angle you choose to have light cast on your character, it will send a shadow onto the background. You can create these shadows with automated tools like ‘drop shadow, inner glow, inner shadow, outer glow and outer shadow... or by creating gradients that have transparencies on the edges.

Photoshop Illustrator

Radial Gradient

Drop Shadows

Check out the changing shadows cast by these characters.

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fx (Effects)Photoshop fx

Photoshop

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Creating 3D Shapes - PhotoshopSome of the 3D capabilities are limited to Extended Versions of the software. Photoshop’s 3D capabilities are quite diverse and really fun to play with, if not a little complex requiring advanced Photoshop skills. It is however simple to follow step by step tutorials to achieve effects you are after. You can create shapes from scratch and place 3D effects on them or create 3D effects from photos. I recommend the later process in particular for the development of your 2D character drawings to 3D.

To start, you will need to have your drawing or object on a transparent background. You will also need to be in a 3D workspace.

2D Photo

3D Render

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Creating 3D Shapes - Photoshop cont.Below are 3 links to online tutorials that take you step by step through how to make 3D objects of different kinds. You may or may not have the extended version on Photoshop required by the first two links however every version of photoshop is capable of the 3rd link.

Create 3D Objects by Inflating 2D Photographs in Photoshophttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqAi5mNa2gM - Complex (advanced Photoshop)

Create a 3D Object in Photoshophttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB4632-k7_E - Complex (advanced Photoshop)

Cheat At Photoshop: Change any 2D objects into 3Dhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjVrmm4VFrg - Easy (basic Photoshop)

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Creating 3D Shapes - IllustratorIllustrator has an ‘Extrude & Bevel’ tool that can be found under the ‘Effect’ menu. There is also ‘Revolve’ and ‘Rotate’ tools.The ‘Extrude & Bevel’ tool is perfect for creating your cereal box shape in 3D. You can then copy and paste the shape into photoshop to finish it off or complete the finished graphic in Illustrator. To start, selected a shape you have drawn and go to the menu. Once the shape is created in 3D, you can “Expand Appearance” so you can edit it’s faces with colour and gradients.

The online tutorial listed on page 5 is relevant to this exercise also:

Create a Textured 3D Box in Adobe Illustrator

http://www.vectology.com/create-a-textured-3d-box-in-adobe-illustrator/

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Photoshop: Transform - Distort Using the “Transform - Distort” tool in Photoshop, you can drag the edges of your finished cereal box front to fit the 3D render of the box. There are several ways of achieving this same finish, however this is a nice simple way. I suggest designing/colouring the top and sides of your cereal box to enhance your presentation.

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ConclusionThe above tools and links will assist you in developing your own style in creating your 3D character. Using a combination of these tools and techniques will help you to create fun and colourful unique character design.

The internet has an ocean of helpful tutorial and you are encouraged to explore and play with the software to learn and express your creative flare.

Please direct any software questions to the appropriate thread in the forum and we will endeavor to answer it for you.