Cloudy Whale

From my previous thumbnails, I chose to expand on the whale coaster and design each coaster to be its own individual design that combine together makes a whale. I also did one of a seal to explore the concept further. I was thinking of incorporating hydrochromic ink post-laser cut so that the coasters changes colors in reaction to water.  

 I started with a mindmap to help broaden my ideas a bit before drawing my thumbnails. Keeping in mind that we had to do multiple coasters, I wanted to experiment with a themed series. I also thought of making a mini game with them, for example werewolf. 

  Reflection After finishing my initial model of the peacock, I felt that the tail was too one-dimensional and flat compared to the main body so I layered it with additional feathers. I also wanted to add texture so I used two shades of color for the body and tail feathers.  I experimented with glass and gem textures to render glossiness for the feathers but ultimately decided on using metal instead. To start with camera angles and lighting, I knew I wanted to begin with a top down view that highlights the peacock's tail and rendering of the main body. By making the lighting distant and high from the model, I was able to create long shadows that could called attention to the model's silhouette and the distance prevented overexposure from the metal reflection. I learned a lot about how to render the model to simulate certain textures using different textures. I also gained better understanding how lighting could change how the model could be percieved and how to simplify detail...