Behind the Scenes: Pennywise – BlenderNation

Bennie, a self-taught 3D artist from South Africa, shares how he introduced Pennywise to life utilizing Blender, mixing creativity and technical ability to craft this iconic character.

INTRODUCTION

Good day everybody,

My identify is Bennie, and I’m a self-taught 3D artist, born and raised on South African soil. I stay in a rustic wealthy in historical past, racial range, language, and tradition, crammed with African wildlife and breathtaking landscapes comparable to bushvelds, grasslands, forests, majestic mountain peaks, seashores, and coastal wetlands.

I developed a love and keenness for character artwork at a really younger age—preschool, to be precise. All through my adolescence, I sketched varied varieties of characters virtually daily. Nevertheless, after graduating highschool, I needed to face the challenges of grownup life. Throughout this time, my ardour for sketching characters started to decrease, as I used to be too occupied and exhausted from working and constructing a life with my late spouse.

Years later, a former colleague who knew about my sketching talents launched me to Blender. My first encounter with Blender was with model 2.5 Beta in 2010. Sadly, on-line tutorials on the time had been moderately restricted and lacked the comprehensiveness they provide at the moment.

The very first thing I wished to study was whether or not I may create character artwork utilizing Blender. Someday, whereas shopping the online, I got here throughout a YouTube video by Kent Trammell, the place he sculpted a male torso. That video reignited my ardour for creating character artwork in Blender.

I grew to become a hungry 3D artist, desperate to grasp human anatomy programs. This led me to find my favourite 3D artist, Rafael Grassetti. I bought Rafael’s female and male anatomy programs, which stay gold requirements to at the present time. Though Rafael primarily makes use of ZBrush, his workflows and sculpting strategies might be successfully utilized to Blender as properly.

Other than character design, I wished to grasp all of the workflows within the 3D pipeline in order that sooner or later I may create my very own brief films. I grew to become a citizen member of CG Cookie, and it was by means of their foundational programs that I started attaining my objectives. These complete programs allowed me to raise my expertise to ranges I had by no means imagined. My favourite course from CG Cookie, even to at the present time, is “Piero” by Kent Trammell.

I began setting objectives for myself and dedicated to every day observe. I immersed myself in studying theories, terminologies, and the basics of the complete 3D pipeline. Day after day, 12 months after 12 months, I continued to hone my craft—and I haven’t stopped since I started.

Right this moment, I can proudly attest to the exhausting work I invested all these years in the past. Was the journey clean? In fact not. There have been moments after I virtually gave up on myself, overwhelmed by the complexity of Blender and the pressures of the surface world.

However one factor I knew for certain was that I wished to excel in Blender. I embraced the challenges as a result of giving up merely wasn’t an possibility. Artwork doesn’t simply carry pleasure and happiness to my life—it additionally serves as a therapeutic medium for self-expression.

Now that I’ve launched myself, let’s shift gears. How did I’m going about creating this character, Pennywise? Please be a part of me as I share a few of the insights behind my inventive course of.

INSPIRATION

All of my inspirations are rooted within the exhibits, films, video video games, and comics I loved throughout my childhood. The inspiration for this explicit piece struck me shortly after watching IT: Chapter II. I all the time attempt to degree up my talents in terms of creating new tasks. The wonderful thing about evolving as a 3D artist is which you can all the time return to outdated tasks and create revised variations.

Right here is an instance of such a check I did on myself…

PROCESS

Gathering & Finding out References

The primary and most evident step was to gather references. I used PureRef to handle my artboard. To get a greater understanding of the character’s likeness, I watched sure scenes from the film a number of instances to review muscle construction and circulation. As soon as I used to be assured sufficient, I launched Blender and began a brand new file. The target I had for this undertaking was to create a mixture between lifelike and stylized, not geared toward likeness.

Sculpting the Head

Step one I took was activating “Sculpting” from Blender’s Splash Display screen.

I manipulated the default sphere by sculpting major particulars with a voxel measurement of 0.350 till I had a suitable form. Afterwards, I sculpted secondary particulars by altering the voxel measurement from 0.350 to 0.01. Once I create character busts, I all the time begin with the pinnacle. This offers me a transparent perspective on deciding how the remainder of the character’s physique will circulation. For full-body character sculpts, I take advantage of spheres to “block out” the character’s form and kind. Typically I take advantage of a pores and skin modifier, relying on the kind of character I’m creating. Right here is an instance of such a workflow.

Making a Manufacturing-Pleasant Mesh (Retopology)

After I had accomplished the pinnacle sculpture, I proceeded to the retopology section. I used a paid add-on known as “Quad Remesher” to calculate the mesh’s density and remodel it right into a clear mesh with a good topology circulation. I’ll be sincere, I really like creating handbook topology utilizing RetopoFlow, however I used to be too drained that day, which is why I selected to make use of “Quad Remesher” as a substitute.

Baking Texture Maps

As soon as the retopology was finalized, I added some seams and did a handbook unwrap. The one texture maps I baked had been Coloration (painted in sculpt mode), Ambient Occlusion, and Regular. Baking texture maps, so far as reminiscence serves, can solely be performed in Cycles’ Render Engine.

Here’s a 3-minute tutorial on the right way to bake texture maps from a high-poly object to a low-poly object.

As soon as the feel maps had been baked, I began to use them to the low-poly mannequin. To conclude the character’s face, I modeled his eyes and enamel.

Creating Hair

For his hair, I used the outdated technique of utilizing a “Particle System.” I’ve experimented with hair within the “Asset Browser,” however I nonetheless choose the particle system. Someday I’ll finally transition, however for now, I’m too comfy with it.

One factor to notice is that if you create a particle system for hair, it’s excellent and sensible to pick the affected areas that may include hair in vertex mode after which duplicate that mesh. In my case, I didn’t observe this technique. I created a particle system straight on the character’s scalp, which is wrong. Nevertheless, since this was not a undertaking for a shopper, I wasn’t too nervous about it.

For an in-depth tutorial on creating hair utilizing the brand new “Asset Browser,” please consult with this hyperlink:

Creating the Collar

His collar was essentially the most enjoyable to create. I all the time get pleasure from enjoying round with material simulations. I began by including a circle, extruding it as soon as, after which subdividing it a number of instances so as to add extra geometry. I then chosen the interior circle and assigned it to a brand new vertex group. The vertex group that was utilized held the interior circle in place, performing in a passive state whereas the remainder of the vertices had been affected by the simulation. For collision, I created a faux torso.

After a number of simulations and mesh tweaks, the fabric modifier was then utilized. I duplicated the simulated mesh by two and began inserting them in a perpendicular place. Afterwards, I utilized a solidify modifier so as to add some thickness.

So, with sculpting, modeling, and the hair particles system out of the way in which, I lastly reached a concluding end result.

Depth of Discipline

For depth of discipline, I used an “Empty” object as my focus to drive the depth of the scene. Nothing to notice right here, only a easy setup.

Lighting

Lastly, at this level, I reached crucial a part of the undertaking… lighting. I solely used 2 lights right here (Level Lights) as a substitute of a 3-point lighting setup. I didn’t need sharp shadows, so I adjusted the radius of the sunshine to make the shadows softer. I created a chilly and heat mild with a worth of 20,000 – 25,000 watts.

World & Quantity

For the world, I used the default settings however made a number of tweaks to the quantity so as to add a fog-like look.

Shaders & Supplies

The shaders and supplies that had been compiled consisted of straightforward node networks. Beneath is a listing of every.

Head

Last render earlier than compositing with quantity disabled.

Quantity disabled

Last render earlier than compositing with quantity enabled.

Quantity enabled

Compositing

For compositing, I’ll embrace a step-by-step node setup, together with the render end result for every, which led to the ultimate composition.

Denoise, Diamond Sharpen and RGB Curves:

Coloration Steadiness and Brightness/Distinction:

Grunge Picture, RGB Curves, Combine Coloration(Multiply) and Lens Distortion:

Ellipse Masks, Blur, Combine Coloration(Multiply), Hue/Saturation and Composite.

And that was it!

RENDER: Pennywise

On a ultimate notice, I want to thank everybody for taking the time to learn. I hope that a few of the data offered was of worth and help.

Take care!

In regards to the Artist                       

Bennie Griffin is a 3D Generalist from South Africa. He’s identified for creating character artwork and props for 3D printing.