My Demo Reel
I'm thrilled to present my ShowReel! I poured my heart and soul into these creations, and I'm eager to share them with you. Take a moment to look over my hard work and passion in these two pieces. I'd love to hear your thoughts!
My Demo Reel
Alexandra Brak Demo Reel
Visual Effects Entry:
Caught in a Picture
A stunning woman, with fiery red hair, sits inside an ornate frame surrounded by deep, lush green leaves. Against a stark black background, her emerald green clothes pop, adding an extra touch of elegance to her already striking appearance.
With her posture exuding poise and confidence, she gazes off to the side, revealing her mesmerizing grey eyes that seem to hold within them a wealth of mysteries waiting to be unraveled. Her red lips curl slightly, hinting at a playful and mischievous side, while her delicate freckles add a touch of sweetness and innocence.
It's as if she's a living embodiment of nature's beauty, surrounded by the leaves that complement her fiery locks. Despite being a picture within a frame, she seems to exude an aura of energy and life, as if she could jump out of the frame at any moment and whisk you away on a whimsical adventure.
She's a timeless masterpiece, the epitome of grace and elegance. Her presence is truly enchanting, leaving a lasting impression that lingers in the memory, long after she's gone.
Reference
When I discovered the concept art of a stunning character, I was immediately inspired to create a 3D model of her. Luckily, I found all the necessary references in the art itself, and was able to bring the character to life in stunning detail. It was a labor of love that allowed me to explore my creativity and push my limits, resulting in a beautiful work of art. And it all started with a single image that ignited my imagination.
Credits:
Concept Art: lemon89h
Reference Board
Modeling
I had an amazing time modeling all the small details and ornaments of my latest project. The whole process was a real challenge, especially when it came to the hair. Instead of using XGen, I wanted to show off my modeling skills, which meant I had to put in a lot of extra effort to get the hair just right.
To work faster, I started by putting the character in symmetry and focused on doing most of the displacement work at that stage. Once that was done, I moved on to the rigging phase with ZBrush to put her into the desired pose.
With the pose locked in, I was finally able to give her all the additional details and finishing touches she needed to really shine. It was a lot of hard work, but the end result was worth it. I had created a stunning 3D model that truly captured the essence of the original concept art.
I tried using hair brushes to create a basic shape, and then focused on making it look like the hair had volume with natural-looking interactions. Of course, one of the most important parts of modeling hair is adding the fine details that make it look realistic and visually appealing.
Modeling the folds and wrinkles of the clothes was also a fun and satisfying part of the process. I took great care to study the reference images closely in order to create a realistic and believable effect.
It was a bit tricky at first, as I had to balance between creating the right amount of folds without overdoing it and making the clothes look too stiff. However, after some experimentation and trial and error, I was able to achieve the perfect balance and create the desired effect.
Overall, the entire modeling process was a real challenge, but also a rewarding experience. I am really overjoyed of the end result.
Turntable
Beauty/Ambient Occlusion/Wireframe
Details
Hands
Backside of the body
During the process of creating my latest 3D model, I made a decision to skip modeling the back part of the character since it wouldn't be visible in the final rendering.
When you're working on a project that involves a lot of detailed modeling, it's important to find ways to save time and streamline the process without sacrificing quality. In this case, skipping the back part of the character allowed me to focus my energy and resources on the parts that really matter and would be seen by the audience.
Of course, since I created the entire model myself, I already had a clear idea of how everything would look and interact with each other. So even without modeling the back part, I was still able to create a beautiful and believable character that met all of my expectations.
Typolopy
As I started working on this project, creating the body was easier to create since I had already done it in a previous project. However, adding more details and refining the topology was a time-consuming process.
To speed up the process, I utilized the ZBrush retopology tool and performed a clean-up on Maya. While this saved me some time, it was still a challenging process to get the topology just right.
Texturing
Texturing was a really fun part of this project for me, and Substance Painter was the perfect program for the job. It allowed me to create textures that were both realistic and detailed
I particularly enjoyed hand-painting most of the textures, which gave me the flexibility to bring out the character's unique features. The skin texture, in particular, needed to look soft to complement the model's elegant and timeless appearance. Her cute freckles and red glossy lips were also given careful attention to ensure they looked natural and added to the overall charm of the character. It allowed me to bring out the character's unique features and add a personal touch to the project.
The texturing process was enjoyable, as it allowed for the creation of a character with intricate details that made her even more captivating.
UV's
UV unwrapping was a real challenge for this 3D model due to its intricate details. It took a lot of effort to ensure that all parts of the character were properly mapped to their respective UV space. But the end result was worth it - the character's unique features like her freckles and soft skin were perfectly showcased in the final render.
Lighting
Before and After
I wanted to share my process of adding lighting to my 3D model. It was a lot of trial and error, but it was also really enjoyable. In the beginning, the lighting looked terrible, but after some research and experimentation with aces, it started to look much better and more natural.
I'm grateful for the previous project that helped me learn a bit about aces, so I could use my Maya files for this project. Working with aces was a bit challenging, but it was worth it in the end.
Step by Step
I also want to show you the step-by-step process of how I added lighting to my model, so you can see the progression and how each element contributes to the overall look and feel.
Compositing
In the final step of the compositing process, I made some small adjustments to the model. I cut out the side parts to make it look like she is sitting in the picture, and added a subtle glow effect and color correction to enhance the overall image. I also decided to use a white background to create a cleaner look. It was a simple but necessary step to bring the entire project together and achieve the desired result.
Under the Surface
This striking 3D model was inspired by a concept art that depicted a beautiful underwater siren. The model features intricate details that are faithful to the original design, including shimmering scales on her skin that glisten like precious jewels in the water. Her clothes also shimmer like pearls, adding to her mystical appearance. Her skin has a radiant glow, giving her an otherworldly aura, while her white eyes seem to reflect the very essence of the ocean itself. And let's not forget her luscious red lips, which add a touch of seductiveness to her overall charm. While some of the red colored details may have gotten lost in translation during the 3D modeling process, the end result is still a stunning creation that captures the essence of a wondrous and captivating underwater siren.
Working with Marija Derkovic on this project was amazing. Her lighting skills were essential in bringing the underwater siren to life, and without her expertise, the scene may not have been as beautiful and realistic. I learned a lot from her, and I am proud of what we created together. Marija's passion and dedication were inspiring, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with her. Together, we were able to create a breathtaking and captivating scene that showcased the beauty of the underwater world.
Credits: Marija Derkovic : Lighting, Lookdev, Rendering, Compositing Alexandra Brak : Modeling, Texturing, Grooming
Reference Board
Modeling
Creating this 3D model of the underwater siren was like diving into a deep, blue world of creativity and wonder. Focusing on the siren's face allowed me to immerse myself in the mesmerizing textures and details of her skin, which was a truly great experience. To create a lifelike portrait, I carefully studied the placement and proportions of the siren's features, taking into account her unique traits such as her blue skin and scales.
To streamline the modeling process, I started by sculpting a symmetrical model of the siren before using ZBrush's rigging tool to pose her in a way that highlighted her aquatic nature. From there, I worked tirelessly to refine every aspect of the character, including the design of her shimmering, pearl-like clothing. Honestly, I did run into a few challenges when it came to defining the clothing's appearance, but with some experimentation and a little problem-solving, I was able to create a look that perfectly complemented the siren's beauty.
Overall, this project allowed me to plunge deeper into the technical aspects of 3D modeling while also tapping into my imagination and artistic expression. I was thrilled with the result and can't wait to explore even more fantastical and otherworldly characters in the future.
Before
After
Turntable
Details
Texturing
The texturing process was a crucial step in bringing the siren's portrait to life, allowing me to create a realistic and captivating appearance. I started by adding a blue skin tone, which was a signature feature of this mythical creature. I then incorporated the red lips, which added a touch of sensuality and femininity to the character. The red lips perfectly complemented the blue skin tone and added a striking contrast to the overall look.
To further enhance her beauty, I added red eyeshadow and light red cheeks, which complemented the blue skin tone and added a subtle hint of blush to her cheeks. One of the most unique features of the siren was the sparks that surrounded her cheeks. I approached this by experimenting with various textures and materials, finally deciding to use a combination of transparent and glowing particles to achieve the desired effect. The result was a mesmerizing display of gentle light and energy that perfectly captured the siren's mythical nature.
The white eyes were another important aspect of the siren's appearance, giving her an otherworldly and ethereal quality. I created the eyes using a combination of transparent and reflective materials, which helped to capture the essence of the siren's underwater environment.
To create the scales on the siren's skin, I used a texture that I found online. I carefully applied this texture to the 3D model, ensuring that it was properly aligned and scaled to the size of the character's body. By using an existing texture, I was able to save time and focus on other details of the texturing process, while still achieving a realistic and visually stunning final result.
The process of texturing the siren's portrait was a rewarding experience, providing me with a platform to exhibit my artistic flair. By leveraging the power of 3D texturing, I was able to push the boundaries of creativity and bring this mythical creature to life.
Typology
I started to enjoy working with typology because it allowed me to create more complex and organic shapes. It was fascinating to see how small adjustments in the topology could drastically change the appearance of a model.
Working with typology also challenged me to think creatively and problem-solve when creating complex models. It required me to balance functionality with aesthetics, ensuring that the model not only looked good but also had the necessary geometry to be animated or printed.
Grooming
Creating realistic hair for a 3D model is always a challenge, but it is also an essential part of bringing a character to life. For the siren's portrait, I knew that the hair would play a critical role in conveying the character's unique personality and allure.
To start, I studied various hairstyles, paying close attention to the way that hair moves and falls. I then began sculpting the siren's hair, carefully crafting each strand to achieve the perfect balance of realism and fantasy. It was important to ensure that the hair complemented the character's facial features and body shape, while also capturing the essence of her mythical nature.
For the siren's hair color, I decided to go with a mix of blue and green hues, which complemented her blue skin tone and added to the underwater aesthetic. I then used a combination of simulation tools and manual sculpting to create natural-looking waves and curls in the hair.
Overall, the process of creating the siren's hair was both challenging and rewarding. Through a combination of technical skills and artistic vision, I was able to create a beautiful hairstyle that captured the essence of this mythical creature.
Uv's
UV unwrapping was a relatively easy process for this project since there weren't many parts to the model. I used basic techniques to unwrap the UVs, ensuring that each part of the model had its own unique space in the texture map. This allowed me to add the desired textures, such as the scales, without any distortion or stretching. By taking the time to properly unwrap the UVs, I was able to ensure that the final product looked polished and professional.
Lighting/Lookdev/Compositing
Here you can witness the transformation of my siren sculpt after Marija expertly added lighting and integrated the textures seamlessly into the environment. Her skills really made the siren come to life and sparkle with beauty. I'm incredibly grateful for Marija's contribution to this project, as her work truly elevated the final result. Without Marija's expertise in Lighting, Lookdev and Compositing, the beauty of the siren would not have been fully showcased. Her meticulous attention to detail have brought the siren to life, creating a mesmerizing and enchanting character that shines in her underwater environment. Marija's contribution has been invaluable, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to collaborate with her on this project. Together, we have created a work of art that we can be proud of.
Softwares
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