Work Placement #5

My visit to Studio Slash Dot was once again quite fun! Although they didn't have any work for me to do, as they had finished and finalized most of their projects I spent my time creating a business card for my self. As this is a part of the work I need to omplete for this class i thought I would work on it.

This is what i came up with!


Front and Back

Lightwave - My project #3

This is the second building. Although it looks akin to the other one there are differences. I used the same techniques as i did in the other building so it was easier to create. Create box, knife, bend, stretch. Easy!

Lightwave - My project #2

My second attempt at the first building. Looks better but I honestly doubt I will be able to make it look anywhere near as good as it should. I just don't posses the skills or knowledge. Although I will endeavor to do my very best!!!

As I tend to be quite the perfectionist, this project has been crazy trying to get all the edges flush. Damn me!!!

Lightwave - My project

When I decided to create a building for my Lightwave class I figured it would be a nice little challenge. that went out the window when I started to try and create it!!!

First problem = bending walls!

This was so hard to figure out but finally the answer showed it self in the form of an email from Stuart. Knifing and then bending. Although this worked, it's still a very hard task to grasp. Making the edges perfect is impossible.

Below is my first attempt at the building.


Not bad for a two hour attempt!!!

Work Placement #4

As my computer is finally fixed I am able to continue my blogging! Since last I have been up to quite a bit and have done lots of work!

After finishing my work on the fonts i started work on a new project. Harris wanted some hand drawn water colored images for a new D.A.R. campaign. Something similar to the below image.



I started by drawing some figures, male and female.



I wanted to do something different with the drawings so after a bit of brainstorming and discussion with Harris, I decided to replace the drawings heads with animal heads!

This guy was perfect to have a snake crawling out!!!
After I had placed some animal heads I started work on the water coloring. This was my first official attempt at it and it took quite a bit of getting used to. I even goggled a few different techniques.

This was my favorite image i created. The ballerina type pose worked perfectly with the pelicans head, so i decided to start out on this one.

All of this was done over 2 weeks and during the course I also did a bit of work on a new font. This is just a little sneak at it.

Lightwave #7 Animate This!

We had the chance to mess around with the animation options in Lightwave this week.

Surprisingly it was very simple. Well I did only do simple things and I guess it may get harder with more intricate options.
I simply moved the camera up and around a stationary object.

By moving the camera and placing a key frame is pretty much all you need to create a little scene.

The scene I created ran for 10 seconds... So why the hell was it 350mb in size!!!

Although this software is pretty easy and straight forward to use, the designers have done some very silly things. I mean, where is the 'select all layers' option!!!

Now we are able to work on our final projects. I want/will be creating a building and "hopefully" trying to make it look as realistic as I can.I just need to decide on which building I want to recreate.

Work Placement #3 Lame Laptop = (

Just a quick update here...

While at my work placement I coped a huge vius on my lap top which is now out of commission. I will have to fix it. Not only did my laptop die but my home computer died as well. Due to this I am unable to do much and I am forced to do my blogging at my friends house.

I guess I will just sort of touch base here.

I am doing my work placement at Studio Slash Dot. Consisting of a partnership between Jason and Harris, they are located on Toorak Road just off Chappel Street. They do a lot of work, but do a lot of work for CD labels such as Ministy of Sound.

I am doing my work placement on Thursdays from 10.30/11 to 4

During my last visit to Studio Slash Dot I was going to work on something new, but due to my laptop dying I opted to work on some new fonts. I will load them when I have my home computer working again.

Lightwave #6 Nearly Done!

Just a quick up date here. My computer is bust so I am forced to use a mates computer. No imagery is available either...

My kitchen is complete and handed in! Hope you like it Stuart...
The lighting was surprisingly easy. You can add more lights and change the color of the lights.

I took quite a few jpgs of my kitchen. I think it looks like a kitchen out of the old school game Doom. The textures and pixilation looks wonderful!

Lightwave #6

Work Placement #2 Return of the Font

My second visit to Studio Slash/Dot was awesome once again!

I continued on my font work. I created the numbers and main icons such as ! and ?.


After I finished that I scanned the letters and numbers into Photoshop, then moved then over to Illustrator.

Once in Illustrator I used a function called Live Trace then expanded it. I chose which ones I liked best and separated them into a separate document.

Here is my finished font. All I need to do now is import each letter into a program called Fontographer and export it as a True Font, which will be usable in all programs such as Word and Photoshop!!!

Lightwave #5 Thou Shalt Have Walls!... and cupboards and handles...

It was time for some fun this week!

We were able to start on our assignments of creating a kitchen. The exercises we have been doing were for us to build our Lightwave skills.

I started by creating a chair. Nothing special but something a bit interesting. After I finished it I was made away that this design has been created before and it is actually an anti-fall chair. At least no one will be hurting them selves in MY kitchen!

the following images showcase my kitchen so far.

i created walls, windows, benches, cupboard doors and the handles for the doors.

Surprisingly it was much more easier then I anticipated. I was ready to start punching the computer but i didn't have to!!!

I used the boolean tool alongside the magic bevel, bevel tool to create everything.

I did find one thing I screwed up on. I created one handle then I just copied it onto other layers to use. I had a fair amount of layers. So I flattened the image... Big boo boo! No I am unable to individually edit each piece. Lucky i was happy with how everything turned out!\

I quite like my stove top! Good designing if I do say so myself!




Next week I aim to finish the construction of my kitchen but adding a rangehood and a few other kitchen appliances. I will also put the items I have created in the past such as my forks and spoons into the kitchen. The following week will see me adding lighting effects.



During the week I decided to do a little research for out next assignment. It is to create a building and add it into a scene.

I found these buildins which are stunninly beautiful. I am yet to decide which I will endevour to re-create.

Sutyagin House Arkhangelsk Russia

Palm Jebel Ali Dubai United Arab Emirates

N-BLOX Little Italy Toronto Ontario Canada

Jersey City USA first street office

Lightwave #4 Kettle me this!

Kettles, teapots! More kitchen goodness was undertaken this week. Surprisingly, this task was much easier. Am I learning the program???

The task started with a disk which we then beveled to the dimensions we wanted. Moving the mouse caused the dimensions to expand or contact.

The handle and snout (snout???) were created on seperate layers with the magic bevel tool. It works the same as the Bevel tool but all you do is move the mouse and it does it for you. This was tricky as it swivels and spins and creates some 'twisted" results.


The tab key, which makes the angles into curves was then used to smooth my teapot. I wish there was a way to tamper with how it works. Most of the time it smoots it out TOO well.This week we leant how to add textures to objects we had created. First you need to color it, (good old q), then heading into the texture palette you chose which one you want. There were heaps of different ones. The lava one looked awesome! Although the result of the textures can't be seen until it is brought into Lightwave.



My sexy teapot!

Later we worked on text. pretty simple but I don't think I will be using it in my work.

Finally all the class tasks were completed and we were able to work on our own kitchen. I started with a table. I like it! Looks like two slim rocks.And my first wall! With a window and window sill! Go me. Some booleaning and beveling was used here.

Work Placement #1 At the beginning there was word play...

This week marked my first visit to my work placement.

I am doing it at a graphic design studio on Toorak Road. It is called Studio Slash Dot.

This week I went on Wednesday but for the next six or seven weeks I will be doing it on Thursdays. From around 10-10:30am to 4pm.

I met the to designers and they seem to be great guys.
Their studio consists of an average sized room which is upstairs in an old looking house.

My first task was to laminate some of their past works. For archiving purposes. This took a while as there was quite a bit to do!

Lunch followed which saw us go to a Chinese restaurant. All I can say is WOW! It was yum as! Easily the best I have had in a very long time!!!

Once lunch was over and the laminating was finished they gave me the awesome task of actually creating a font! Using a reference of a few letters I was then to create the whole alphabet.
I drew a grid up on some paper and then proceeded to draw each letter. It was much harder then I thought it would be! I think next week I will be scanning in each letter to my lap top and then turning it into a working font.

All in all it was a fantastic first day and I honestly can't wait to head back there next week.

Oh and did I mention I met Kemstar from 1200 Techniques! He just walked in, chatted with the guys there. I had a chat to him, we chatted about his fashion label... It wasn't until AFTER he had left that I found out who he actually was though! I would love to meet his brother, DJ Peril. Maybe next week = )

Lightwave #3 Fork You and Me!

Another week of creating kitchen utensils! We focused on creating spoons. This was more tricky then anything we had done so far. Using all the tools we had learnt so far and a few new goodies we ended up with some funky looking spoons.

My spoon looked more like a shovel... But we all shovel our food done once in a while!


This was my second attempt at creating a spoon. It went much smother then the first time but I still didn't think everything through before creating all of the shapes. I should have used a disk instead of a ball for the tip of the spoon.
After the spoon we started to create forks. Everyone seemed to be having a little difficulty though, so we turned to an online video demonstrating how to create a fork. It did wonders!

Later we were to create a cup. All we had to do was draw one quarter of the side of a cup and using one tool, (the name slips my mind) we ended up with some cool looking drinking cups. Well more like wine glasses really...

Lightwave #2 Bowls and all!

This week marked our second venture into the diabolical program known as Lightwave. The first week I enjoyed myself. but alas, that didn't continue this week. I saw how this program is just like all others and is a pain in the butt!

First exercise. Create a bowl. Easy! Well not really. Place a disk and then a few little other actions and you have a bowl shaped object.















I coloured my bowl blue and then using the [tab] key I caused my bowl to shed it's previously edged body to become nice and smooth.















Ha! A nicely decorated bowl. I'd buy bowls this colour... >_<















We proceeded to then create a box and hollow it out. To do this we first created the cube then on another layer we created a cone. We then subtracted the cone from the cube on the cube layer. Was pretty cool!















After we finished with Lightwave Modeller we moved over to it's animation counter half.

We pretty much just played with the lighting.
















I have to admit, it seems pretty cool, playing with 3D objects and such but I just know the headaches I'm going to have with this class this semester!!!

Thank god for me doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA! I'll have somewhere to vent my frustration and anger!!!

Lightwave #1 The beginning

This week was our first class with Start for this, our last semester. We are learning how to use the program Lightwave. So far it has been quite an experience.

We started of the class with a little discussion followed by some play time! Well I call it that because we got to play with playdoh! It's been years since I touched the stuff!!! Stuart claimed it to be a great way to start to get our minds working on how to use Lightwave. i think it worked as well! We were instructed to create a few different objects using one piece of playdoh.

Here were my creations! As I watched the others create their objects I was surprised to see so many different ways in which to create the different objects. Some would roll, or cut or even squish!

After our play date was over we dived right into Lightwave. Now I like to think of myself as quite good on a computer and using different programs. Well this one is very different from anything else I have ever used. But I can manage!!!

Our first task was to create a box... Too easy. Next we had to create a human figure using these boxes. My guy looked like some body building dude with a huge chest!


After a matter of minutes I realised that this program and all the tasks we would have to complete will be really tedious. I can see most of us in the class raging it!!!

Not being able to do little things and having to do them differently will take a while for all of us to get our heads around. I mean really, why the hell isn't there a select all layers button/feature!!!

Even though it was a pain I actually enjoyed looking at my finished robot dude. But alas... That wasn't our last task.


Next we were to create a human figure using any shapes we wanted. Boxes, spheres, cones and even disks.

This was much more harder then the square task. Now, it actually had to resemble a human. I started with the head followed by legs and arms. I placed a few joint points. Looking at my guy now, I realise that there should be a lot more joints! Elbows, knees, wrists, the list goes on.

The beginning of my guy. Thankfully there is a copy feature so keep the same proportions will be easy.

You can also see the joints I created for the arms. I found that part tricky. Should the joints be bigger then the apendiges or smaller? I did what looked right, but that doesn't mean it is!





















The finished product! The leg joints look too large...

Even though this was my first time using Lightwave I found it quite enjoyable and refreshing. Learning new things is always cool. Our future tasks are going to be fun... I can tell!






Once we had created our figure we learned how to color it. I tried making it look like it was a robot with like one eye and stuff. It didn't really work = (

























Me and Trav messin... Some old skool curb stompin! Yeah boi!