Chinese Antique Jewelry: Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl

2024 will be celebrated as the Year of the Dragon. In ancient Chinese mythology, the dragon's pearl represents the essence of the dragon, symbolizing the fundamental spirit they nurture. As a result, the artistic portrayal of two dragons engaging with a pearl is often used as a symbol for the pursuit of a fulfilling life.

The choice of this artwork was driven by my ambition to advance my skills in photo-realism sculpting and look development. The process of adding details to a simple material is deeply rooted in observation and thoughtful interpretation.

In sculpting and texturing, numerous subtleties aren't immediately visible, yet they play a crucial role in enhancing realism. For example, capturing the colour variation in metal through photography can be particularly challenging. For this piece, I envisioned and implemented subtle colour changes, especially in areas that would typically experience more wear. A prime example is the pin parts of the jewelry, which I depicted as slightly lighter in colour due to constant friction with hair. From a sculpting perspective, incorporating elements like detail distortion and break-ups can significantly enhance the realism of a render. These intentional irregularities on the surface create more varied and interesting reflections. However, these details are also hard to immediately discern in a picture, but we can always build them up with thoughtful interpretation.

Furthermore, for lighting a simple metal scene, use reflection to hide some details subtly while highlighting others, creating a visually dynamic and compelling effect.

This project has been an incredible journey in enhancing my skills in realistic sculpting, texturing, and look development. I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to my fantastic mentor in texture and look development, Johnny Fehr. Your passion and invaluable advice have been important in bringing this amazing piece to life on my journey. I also wish to express my gratitude to the Hanfu Culture Association for lending me the jewelry to take photos as a reference. For anyone interested in Chinese traditional culture, I highly recommend checking out their website and events. They are a Vancouver-based non-profit organization, mainly organized by UBC and SFU students, dedicated to promoting traditional culture in an engaging and fun way.