Turtle Hut
This page is an ongoing blog chronicling my senior studio one project, Turtle Hut.
Turtle Hut is a concept I came up with. It’s a result of a culmination of ideas in my head, as well as an image I saw of a cross section of a turtle skeleton.
chart of my thought/ brainstorm process
SKETCH I DEVELOPED LATER IN THE PROJECT
Ultimately I decided that I wanted to create a large turtle skeleton with electric and mechanical elements that would house a traveler. This traveler could use the turtle house to trek through post-apocalyptic desserts, and wastelands.
Week 1-3
Brainstorming continued with my first few quick sketches of the turtle hut. I needed to get a basic idea of what the outside and inside looked like so I could start blocking my model in ZBrush.
I also decided to help out with modeling, a little texturing and layout for a student film, Ole. I took some time off from Turtle Hut to focus on the film.
However I had made significant progress on starting the sculpt as well as creating a more refined sketch.
Week 5
I finally finished my work on Ole and continued to add to the model. I designed and integrated a door into the shell.
Here I have an early turntable.
WEEK 7
Modeling continues.. I’ve still been caught up a bit in other projects but I’ve made progress. I started on interior props including a pilot chair. I also began the neck, eyes and am continuing to add ridges on the shell. I need to spend more time brainstorming what sort of props would be in a turtle house. I want to add food, boxes, survival supplies, shelving and maybe some decorations. I think I dreamed the other night that the turtle house had a chimney too- so maybe that will become a new addition? I’ve also been imagining the turtle in a VR/AR setting where people could experience it’s life-size scale.
Adding eyes to the skull really made a big difference. I’m excited to see what everything else looks like once it’s implemented.
WEEK 9
I’ve now made a lot of props and am going through refining parts of the turtle to prepare for the layout. Besides that I’m also adding bones and re-topologizing the shell (so I can add the ridges on it with displacement).
One of the hardest parts of making the turtle has been constructing the hip bone. Not so surprisingly there aren’t many pictures of turtle hip bones on the internet. Of the few I can find there are also limited angles. And on top of that it’s a very complex shape. While it’s been frustrating at times I’ve really enjoyed the problem solving parts of it. At times it feels a bit like I’m trying to complete a puzzle. After 2 days, and many breaks I’m very happy with the end result.
week 10
More Props! I also decided to add a cast iron stove! I have a lot of work left to do but I’m excited to get to the final result. I’m almost through with re-topologizing the shell as-well. This past week I’ve also done some work in substance to prepare me for all the texturing that’s yet to come.
spring quarter and un-expected circumstances
My plan for spring quarter was to help some friends/ classmates with modeling a Knight asset for a CG integrated shot called Winter Siege and then to finish modeling and texturing my Turtle House. My end goal was to have a rigged and animated turntable of the Turtle House.
This was one of the plans I had come up with, but decided to re-evaluate. I’m learning more and more how to avoid over committing. Turtle House is a project I’m very passionate about and it has to extend in order for me to fully complete it. While Turtle House is my senior project, I’ve used my time to help complete three other senior projects: sculpting and modeling many props as well as completing and retopologizing 2 characters. I look forward to finishing Turtle House in the future even though it may not follow my original plan..
However my plan was created in winter quarter, before the impact of the corona virus had really hit Georgia. It was difficult to account for all the challenges that came with working online and the feelings of social isolation that come hand in hand with social distancing. I had been looking forward to internship opportunities, fun spring scad events, good times with friends and the senior visual effects show.
For the majority of the spring quarter I worked on the Winter Siege Project. I completed the knight model for them and retopologized it. It the first complete full body human I’ve started and finished. I learned a lot through the process of making it from furthering my knowledge of ZBrush to preparing a model to be rigged.
As much as I wanted to finish my Turtle House exactly how I had envisioned it in the winter, I realized that I needed to break down my project and find a point I could realistically get to by the end of the school year. It’s hard for me to say no to things, especially with a project I’m so passionate about. In the end I decided that I needed to just focus on finishing the legs, and feet by the end of the quarter. I also planned on retopologizing the shell and making a displacement map for the shell texture so I could receive more uniformity than I would’ve by just sculpting detail.
I still plan on finishing the Turtle House. My plans have changed quite a bit and I’ve decided to take a creature/ character class over the summer to help improve my skills in this time of uncertainty.