Vasco De Mello - 3D Modeller and Texture Artist

[VascoGDM]

Hey everyone, while roaming the internet looking for some projects to join I came across this forum.

I've been getting advice from friends on my Port-Folio but that can only take you so far. Hoping to get some good advice here on the site and also on the work on the site.

My strengths are 3D Modelling and Texturing, primarily Environment and Asset. I can do other work, but I tried to limit how much of that I show since that isn't my job title. (Saying that I should probably get rid of my 2D Gallery... should I?)

 

Anyway, looking forward to you guys decimating my Port-Folio pointing out everything bad. Thanks.

 

http://vascogdm.com

[kikette]

Hey Vasco !

By looking to your work in general, I've the sensation that your scenes aren't completed. Lot of things could be pushed farther very easily ;

 

 

http://vascogdm.com/onewebmedia/House%20C.png  => It looks very low poly, even for a video game asset by example.

 

http://vascogdm.com/onewebmedia/glade_Env.png => The texture work is missing here...

 

In fact, what you should do is to study an object and try to recreate it with the higher level of detail you can. Try to learn how it get old, dusty, rusty or whatever. Tell something in your work.

http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/vintage-red-fuel-pump-close-up-super-32749523.jpg

Details aren't always in the diffuse map, they can also been revelated in the specular map

Edited January 31, 2014 by kikette

[knj]

Hi there and welcome !

Kikette is on spot, you work looks like it's rushed a lot, try to be patient and level up with your art with every new peace. Also if you want to work in game art dep, show your work in some real time renderer !

[VascoGDM]

Thanks for the advice, really appreciated.

 

Your right in the assumption that the street scene is unfinished, I was debating on having that in the website, hoped I could pass it off, but it was obvious I guess. I'll have to work on that one a bit more, or maybe redo it all from scratch with better concept in mind.

 

The Gas Pump is very clean, ye. I'll see if I can give some flakes and scratches to the paintwork. Oxidise the metal.

 

The Truck, Robot and Pod Racer I consider my most complete pieces because I've taken their textures a bit further and added an environment. Is there anything I can do to them? And do they look rushed also?

I'm planning on adding an interior to the truck but I'm not sure what to do other then that.

 

Also when you say to show work in a real time renderer, is Marmoset good? I've heard a lot of talk about it on forums and sites.

[kikette]

About your gas pump ; As I said before, you don't really need to improve the diffuse. I think you should boost your specular map by adding few subtilities (hand marks, oil splatter, etc.) wich aren't in the color map. It'll add more interest to your object when you turn around.

 

Btw, personally I enjoy these week end when I go outside to take some materials reference. It's very teaching and this is the best advice I can give you according to your work. Watch where to put your rust, your dust, etc. Just adding them isn't enough.

 

 

Here is the painted metal of the main gate of the "Parc de la tête d'or" at Lyon. The rusty / polished look of some of the most exposed edge is awesome ! This is the kind of thing wich could give you inspiration.

 

You'll notice that paint don't get rusty like your car. This is the metalic layer under the paint wich become rusty and cracks the paint over. It also oxidize it I guess since the paint lose its color in these spot. Btw, it depends of the kind of paint used. The one used for car is quite different but again, we are looking for pretty reference =)

Edited February 1, 2014 by kikette

[VascoGDM]

Oh right ok, I understand now. I never thought about using the Specular for those kinds of things. Only ever used it for dust or dirt.

 

Thanks again for the advice, I'll try go out more with my camera, it's been a while and I almost always forget to take closer photos of how texture works.

I will probably come back and post updates on here at later dates. This would be the right part of the forum to do that on, right? Or am I better off, creating a new topic elsewhere?

[VascoGDM]

 

I've drastically improved the textures, after looking at how some people worked on 3DTotal amd then I rendered it in Marmoset Toolbag... Im not too familiar with UDK or Unity yet to render them in those engines.

 

Im working in the right direction then?

 

The textures are at 4k resolution, here is a 512 version: 

[knj]

over 16k for that prop man cut that down !

[VascoGDM]

I thought 16k might be overkill, but I liked how smooth it was

 

Here is a 4k version, any lower and I would need to delete alot of the work and remodel.

 

 

I hope 4k is reasonable...

[kikette]

It's a bit disapointing ; Is it a Video game asset ? in that case, you should constraint yourself to 4000 vertices, no more (and it's very generous).

For the texture, a 1024*1024 for this one should be really enough. But again, only if it's supposed to be made for Realtime =)

 

About your texture, I think you didn't understand what I tried to explain you. Adding grunge map on your texture wont make it better automatically. You need to learn how your materials works. You totally lose your metallic paint effect and you have somekind of colored noisy metal =l Try to just work with your specular and simplify your diffuse by removing noise. Rough material such as stone or old rubber has noise. Not shiny paint =)

 

A last thing ; Dont try to mimic other people mistakes, mimic reality =]

 

 

Here's an exemple of how you could dirt up your pump.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is interesting to see is how the rust comes where the water stills. It's also great how it highlight the edge work of the object.

Edited February 7, 2014 by kikette

[VascoGDM]

I'll remodel it, sometimes I find things easier when working from a clean slate rather then editing/taking away. Thank you for the advice again, really appreciate, especially if looking at my work is frustrating. I use to model towards the goal of working in VFX and Animation, it's only recently that I changed my goal to work on games, I find more opportunities on the internet to help with Indie games then I do finding indie films.

 

Anyway, I'll give it another attempt, pull way back on the grunge and noise, focus more on the specular, hopefully get the Polycount lower then 4k and then shrink the texture resolution.

 

Thanks again.