The concept behind this project was to model one of the robots from the Transformers franchise; this character is called Hot Rod, the original protagonist in the 1986 Transformers: The Movie. The design direction was something much closer to the original Gen 1 style of the cartoon and also the Bumblebee live-action film in 2018. I have always been a fan of the Hot Rod character from the G1 Transformers cartoon, and seeing how I hadn't seen the original design recreated in any of the live-action films, it felt like a unique project to take on.
It is a challenge to try and recreate a 2D cartoon character as a 3D model. However, I felt that if I kept the face and helmet overall shape the same, as well as the main colour scheme in addition to the painted yellow flames on the chest, the rest of the body's design could be somewhat different - but, it would still echo the original G1 design and the robot would be recognised as Hot Rod at first glance.
Finding good reference of both real-world objects and concept art is crucial while modelling, it will usually answer a lot questions that may arise. I always like to think of the concept as being there for the overall idea/shape, and then it's grounded in reality by trying to match the reference you have. I hope you enjoy this step-by-step breakdown of my process, and find some useful tips on both modelling and texturing your own Transformer.
01 START WITH A CONCEPT
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CGI creatures
Leading film creatives pick the VFX animals that have inspired them
Creating photorealistic visuals for Shōgun
The digital matte painting team at Goodbye Kansas Studios embrace a collaborative approach for the environments in Disney's miniseries
FaceBuilder
PRICE £18/$23 monthly / £180/$230 annual COMPANY Keen Tools WEBSITE keentools.io
Mars 4 Ultra
Elegoo has created quite the name for itself within the 3D printing community, with a loyal band of users singing the praises of its machines from the Mars range to the Saturn series, and also the quality of its resins.
Revodok Max 213
Although a new computer or the latest GPU are the obvious contenders for your cash, there are things that will offer big benefits even if they don’t have the same initial appeal, and a good dock is one of these.
DESIGN CHARACTERS INSPIRED BY HISTORY
Marco Teixeira explores a personal piece that resonates with Brazilian culture and influences to create an appealing portrait
HOW DO I MASTER MATERIALS IN KEYSHOT?
One of the best things about KeyShot is its ability to create and render realistic materials. When paired with beautiful lighting, product visualisations take on a whole new level of believability. When it comes to materials, KeyShot isn’t quite as advanced as some other rendering packages, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still able to create some killer materials.
HOW DO I MAKE A REALISTIC JELLY MATERIAL IN BLENDER?
This issue’s Q&A is a real sweet treat, as I’m going to show you how to prepare a realistic jelly material in Blender – you’ll have to provide the strawberries and cream yourself though! This is a relatively straightforward procedural recipe and can be done in three quick minutes.
CRAFT UNIQUE MARIO FAN ART WITH A TEAM
Pejman Rajabi explains how his crew of expert artists put their own twist on a classic video game character
BLEND BUILDINGS AND NATURE IN A PEACEFUL SCENE
Find out how Navid Ahmadi combines a selection of assets from BlenderKit to create an awe-inspiring forest setting
