Strick67

AKA Dinoreplicas
What big teeth you have! (The better to eat you with)

what_big_teeth_you_have__by_strick67_df4gvcx-fullview.jpg
 

Strick67

AKA Dinoreplicas
Thanks!

Decided to make another skull for 3D print. Mostly based on specimen MWC 1 with parts adapted from other Ceratosaurus fossils. I normally create these orthographic views traditionally with pencil and tracing paper, this time I drew it entirely digitally in Krita on my SurfacePro, traced over digitally assembled reference.

Original research paper here-
Some specimen photos viewable online at WitmerLab-

In the next few weeks I'm hoping to put a new PC together so I can have a go at the Blender 2.8/2.9 series. With my current hardware I'm still mostly bound to v2.79 but that will be fine for making this model.

df4idwk-6d1c249d-368a-438f-9b50-c5c843e3a744.jpg
 

Strick67

AKA Dinoreplicas
I enjoy your stuff so much! More, please! You are such a gifted artist! :)
Thanks I'll try.

For a change I thought I'd have a go at some ancient weapons, maybe try and make a little pocket money as 3D game assets. There's plenty others doing this though so it'll probably just be a fun diversion.

3 grid squares equals 10cm, I admit it's a bit of a daft scale but it means my A4 gridded paper can represent an area of 1.9 x 1.4 meters, big enough for most sword lengths. The initial idea is to make medium and low poly 3D objects.

First scribbles

df5aj1j-a99b7154-ad7f-4624-96b7-a703d3a49a68.jpg


df5aj9r-347389a2-9ca6-4816-8843-dda33d12619c.jpg
 

Strick67

AKA Dinoreplicas
This one's been brooding in the background for too long, time to get started on the 3D model.
I'll put a few process pics up but not too many 'cause it slows me down. If anyone's interested in my methods there's a few threads here on the Dinotoy Forum.

T.rex W.I.P.
Styracosaurus skull W.I.P.
Dimorphodon W.I.P.
Mosasaurus W.I.P.

Used Krita's color-to-alpha filter to make the ortho drawing transparent for placement in Blender as a template.

df5oe1d-ff03044e-9392-48e8-8e79-6d7abd32a784.jpg
 

Strick67

AKA Dinoreplicas
To make the skull I'm going to employ the same 3-step process I used for the Mosasaurus and the Styracosaurus, it's a bit of an odd approach but I like it.
  1. freeform a 'scaffold sculpt' to form the basic shape
  2. construct a low poly mesh over the scaffold
  3. subdivide the low poly mesh and add details
The original orthographic drawing had a 0.5 meter scalebar but I've changed it to 0.8 meter so it encloses the length of the skull. This makes it easy to set up the template images in Blender which lets you set the width of the image numerically.

cerato_skull_process_01_by_strick67_df5otr0-pre.jpg


Starting the scaffold by approximating the form with subdivision surfaces, this eliminates a lot of messing about push/pulling a cube or sphere into shape.

df5ox38-1c2c39b2-2734-4563-b65a-9732dbf7f82c.gif
 

Strick67

AKA Dinoreplicas
Your skill with Blender is fantastic!! :)
What he said... This stuff is incredible.
Thanks guys, glad this is of interest.

This is the process the building a poly cage. I like to work out the polygon flow by painting lines on the scaffold model. I start by defining the major edges, then fill in a traverse lines to make ladders of irregular, mostly 4-sided areas. It's a bit of trial and error and usually takes a few redos. Then with face snapping on I can just add polygons over the painted guides.

df5qz0i-e0e5c50a-ccb7-4903-ac17-388e25827465.gif


I've got a bit further since I made this GIF but I'm done for today, I'll check it over tomorrow and probably post some updates over the weekend.
 

Strick67

AKA Dinoreplicas
Might as well keep pushing this forward while I'm in the mood. Theropod teeth in Blender, a relaxing break from making the cranium. Apart from the profile shape the main thing is to make sure they are narrow.

df5svtx-307567e0-38fc-4ab6-ba75-fa22d2f03ad9.gif


The solidify modifier is my quick and easy way to add thickness to the polygon surface. Once it's applied I'll need to make a few adjustments with respect to inner structures. Also form a cranium roof.

df5sx04-c54f612b-45a0-4335-bc6a-a0eb44f35396.gif
 

Strick67

AKA Dinoreplicas
This is how the connected mesh came out

df72h28-6bf20f39-e31d-45a2-b852-d85dcd4d01eb.jpg


df72h55-2e2989bf-c257-40f7-b3e7-2776d1c4ef24.jpg


Too much happening last couple of weeks to do much with this but I managed to get back on it Wednesday night. Reckon I'm done with the sculpting part.

ceratosaurus_skull_process_11_by_strick67_df72ha6-pre.jpg


ceratosaurus_skull_process_12_by_strick67_df72hj4-pre.jpg


Now for the next stage which is making ready for 3D print, so I'll need to make-
  • poly reduced version
  • knuckle and pivot for jaw hinge
  • Jaw brace part(s) for tension fit jaw
  • cylindrical hole under brain-case area to mount stand
 

Strick67

AKA Dinoreplicas
Blender's decimate modifier can get a couple of million polys down to a few hundred thousand without mangling the details. I don't go too fine with details anyway as they disappear in the print.

df7c54l-83c51753-a8fb-469a-a053-367580e69382.gif


Made the parts for the print version. This is just about ready now, going to try it at these scales- 1:8, 1:10, 1:12 and 1:16.

df7c5eg-6833aa38-8f69-4113-ba7a-20f1daba3b4e.jpg


df7c5jn-b0d2166d-a293-43f0-91b8-e3c9f78f0cfb.jpg
 
Top