3-D Graphic Modeling Final Project

"Gryphon Aerie"

The "Gryphon Aerie" was what I had in mind to make for my final project since the beginning of the semester, after Margaret showed us a project froma previous student, and I got an idea of the scale that we could trully explore with this project. I started collecting images of birds immediately. I hade the idea of making a number of different gryphons, but within a few weeks, and after doing my first project (pictures can be found on the Concept Book page, found below) I realized how much of a novice I was and how challenging it could be. Shortly after starting to collect pictures of birds I started collecting pictures of big cats (lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, etc. etc. etc.) to get an idea of the body dementions I would use once I got there. Our second project was more focused on the cause of inspiration. I ahve always found great inspiration from nature, so decided to make my gryphon's envirment. Unfortunately I lost my work half way through and had to start over again. Thus I do not include images of that project. The third project was learning how to get a project into virtools, which caused everyone no end of trouble, but during which I was able to fix a number of things in my redone environment that I had really hated about it.

Thus we came to the final iteration of the environment and the gryphons themselves for Project 4. I spent a great deal more time on the gryphons than anything else, though I took the first couple days to make the tree, new lilly pads and flowers, and foxglove like flowers climbing the female wall of the environment. I changed the gryphon's head multiple times. I think I went through three different ear shapes and sizes, a number of base coat colors for the main body, a couple of tails, and at least four or five beak shapes and sizes (thanks to my other half's input and research).

I wanted very much for this piece to feel full. I wanted it to feel like there was not a surface anywhere that I had not turned my attnetion to, that I had not somehow made absolutly sure to try and make it look as it really would in a valley inhabited by such wonderous mythological creatures. In this final version I was still disappointed to have not quite reached that. but still being a novice, modeling still takes me longer than I want it to, so I just ran out of time.

I was very specific about the colors I chose for everything, from the flowers to the tree to the water and the gryphon. I didn't want anything to feel overwhelmed by a single color.