Behind the Scenes: Afghan Woman Likeness

Uncover the intricate artwork course of behind Gündüz’s 3D modeling of the enduring ‘Afghan Woman’ {photograph}, the place each element, from texture mapping to lighting, brings a brand new depth and dimension to Steve McCurry’s timeless picture.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

Hiya, my identify is Volkan Gündüz.

Earlier than diving into 3D, I graduated from the Industrial Design division. Throughout my closing yr at college, I spotted that creating 3D fashions for manufacturing did not go well with me, so I transitioned to mesh modeling, and later, I moved on to digital sculpting.

Switching to one thing fully completely different from the rules I used to be used to was difficult at first, however realizing that the probabilities are countless and making an attempt out new issues has all the time excited me.

After graduating, I used to be unemployed for some time, which affected me emotionally, however I didn’t cease engaged on enhancing my portfolio. Finally, I obtained a job provide through social media from the studio I at present work with. I’m nonetheless collaborating with them as a contract artist.

INSPIRATION

The “Afghan Girl” {photograph} has been a deeply impactful picture for me since my childhood. The inexperienced colour of her eyes, the way in which the sunshine falls on her face, and most significantly, the putting message it conveys… Due to this, I’ve all the time needed to create a chunk impressed by the Afghan Woman.

From a digital sculpting perspective, making a mannequin primarily based on a single reference picture is an actual problem, which makes it much more vital. With the ability to obtain that is additionally essential as a result of, when engaged on likeness tasks, it may typically be troublesome to search out enough reference images.

This mixture of technical issue and the emotional affect of the Afghan Woman {photograph} is what motivated me to undertake this challenge.

PROCESS

Software program

Digital camera Settings

On this challenge, I first centered on establishing the digicam and creating the bottom shapes by means of it, as I solely had a single reference, and it was essential for the mannequin to match it precisely. I began by adjusting the focal size and place of the digicam in Blender to find out the position and distance. As soon as that was set, I created the first types of the bottom mesh in Blender.

Afterward, I transferred the mesh to ZBrush for detailing. Utilizing ZWrap, I wrapped the TexturingXYZ base mesh onto my sculpt.

Texturing

For the texturing course of, I edited it node-based in Blender. In some areas, I adjusted the publicity, whereas in others, I used projections from the unique reference picture to create the textures.

(Sure, quite a lot of nodes 🙂)

Distortion

Probably the most difficult half was making certain that the mannequin did not distort when considered from different angles, as working from a single reference can simply result in such points. Stopping this distortion was the most important problem all through the method.