Technique - Cakestack

NARRATIVES

The following pages contain detailed instructional explanations of Studio ideas, thoughts, techniques, and processes used in the construction of artwork and media products.





TO JOURNAL

CONTACT

Don Bergland
redjello@shaw.ca

STUDIO NARRATIVES PROJECT

CONSTRUCTION - CAKESTACK - By Don Bergland

This page provides a detailed presentation of the Studio processes used in the construction of a product called Cakestack. This was developed as an improvisational process in a 3D program.

This studio process was started on January 28, 2013. The result was an image that was not developed any further.

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

PAINTING - 1432-CAKESTACK

Location - Archive/Paintings/1432-CakeStack

Last Worked on

(NOTE - This project started as 1432-Improvisation, but quickly assumed a theme. I went back in and changed the name to CakeStack).

This will be a quick Improvisation Project slapped together amidst administrative deadlines and tasks.

REPOSITORY BUCKET - (ideas ideas, resources, themes, that are currently in mind)

Extreme Pies & Cakes	Props/Exnem/Cakes & Pose/Exnem & Textures/Exnem
Monument	Props/JoesFantasy/Monument
Monument with Arches	Props/JoesFantasy/Arkadente
Mousetrap -	Figures/BionicRooster/MouseTrap
Play Blocks -	Props/ChildeofFrye/COF-PlayBlocks
Renaissance Lute -	Props/Ghostman?GM Renaissance Lute
Skull -	Props/Human Skull
Decorated Eggs -	Props/AAProps/Decorated Egg
Painted Teapot -	Props/ThePeanutGallery/PG Teapot
Swan Boat -	Props/DarkCarnival/SwanBoat.
The Individualist	Hmmm.
Two Unequal People	Portray this
Takes Offense	A person who takes offense at everything
Rich People	A group of rich people
Pie on a Stick	The carrot on a stick concept
Pies for all	Thousands of pies on conveyor belts, being delivered in various ways.

STUDIO MUSIC - iTunes - Podcast - Dark Ambient 2.0 - #9 - Box of Shadows

As I look through the Repository, I want to grab paper and pen and schematize ideas, block out concepts, graphize reflections. I'll probably end up doing this, but I continually think of the iPad Mini experience, the stylus, and some schematic software apps.

After reading through the Repository Bucket, my mind is filled with ridiculous images. Thousands of pies on conveyor belts, being delivered in various ways. Pies for All. A Pie in every hand

This could also be better done with cakes. Cakes for All. People wheeling cakes around in buggies, in wheelbarrows, etc. Cakes stacked everywhere. I need to play with the concept to see if it could happen.

The set of cakes I have is very good, except that many of them come with stands, while others are on plates.

Do the cakes look good stacked while still on plates?

I launched Poser and started a new file - cake01. I installed some cakes.

There are only 3 cakes that come complete on plates. The rest come on stands.

I tried changing the textures on these cakes using the Pose program that comes with it, but no luck.

The Texture Maps for the two different types of cakes have different layouts. I could go into Photoshop and construct new Texture Maps, but I'm going to see if there are any other possibilities.

I moved the 3 whole cakes out of the way and started installing cake pieces. I piled them on top of each other and changed the Plate Texture Map using the Materials Editor.

I like this stack of cake pieces. It has a nice sculptural quality and the colors and rhythms are perfect for a kind of FantasyLand setting.

I want to construct a number of these CakeStacks, but in order to do this, I have to Parent the cakes to Figure. Unfortunately, all the cakes are Props. So, out comes the trusty Ocarina.

I installed the Ocarina (which I will use as the Parent) and scaled and moved it under the CakeStack. I parented all cakes to the Ocarina (Figure 1).

I duplicated Figure 1 (Figure 2) and changed the order of the cakes and changed the Textures on the Plates.

I duplicated the stack (Figure 3) and changed the order of the cakes and changed the Textures on the Plates.

I like how these Stacks are developing, but I don't know what to do with them at the moment.

I have to move on to other things, but I'm just going to try closing this concept a bit by adding a few components to a compositional Study.

I added a Tile Floor from Curious Hallways and changed the Texture to those provided by the Pose Set - Hither&Yon. I eliminated the default lights and added 2 Spotlights of my own.

I created a Render, saved it and imported it to Photoshop. I brought in the Victorian Public Domain painting I used in Painting 1430-Improvise. I added a Black Overlay. I took down the Saturation of the main image and added a Gaussian Blur.

I like the way this is developing. It might be good to change several of the layers into non-layer cakes. Now, I just have to think of a way to bring in some actors and suspense and I may have the origins of an exhibitable painting.

Girls posing amongst the stacks, Rats posing amongst the stacks, Figures behind the stack, peering out, hidden, dark. What about "A Pie Amongst Cakes?"

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013

PAINTING - 1432-CAKESTACK

Location - Archive/Paintings/1432-CakeStack

Last Worked on - Yesterday, January 28/13

Yesterday, I worked on a Painting Improvisation that turned into a theme (CakeStack). I generally like the way this image was developing. There are some interesting directions waiting for it.

Things to focus on:
- Change several of the layers into non-layer cakes
- Bring in some actors and suspense
- Girls, rats, or other Figures posing among the cakes
- Figures behind the stacks, peering out
- Put a Pie in among the Cakes - Tolerance? Diversity?
- Blimps overhead, dropping and delivering the CakeStacks
- CakeStacks in placed in wagons or other wheeled vehicles
- CakeStacks in red wagons (Props/wagon)
- CakeStacks in barred Circus Wagons (Figures/Nightmare)
- In the buggy (LS_TOY)
- Cake in the Cigar Box (Props/Victorian Cigar Box)
- People pushing (or pulling) the CakeStacks along the street

Unfortunately, I can't have the cakes in any other position than the one they are now in. I thought of having a CakeStack fall over, but the rigidity of the model precludes that. The plate is attached to the cake and the two can't be separated.

So far, I have the following files:
- cake01 -
- cake02 - Three CakeStacks on a floor setting

STUDIO MUSIC - iTunes - Podcast - Dark Ambient 2.0 - Various selections. Most of these are good.

10.

I'll launch Poser and open the last file (cake02). I'll save the new file as cake03. I want to see if I can get the Stacks connected with different wheeled mechanisms. The two that come to mind at the moment, are SnakeHorn and Red Wagon.

11.

I installed the Red Wagon (Props/RedWagon).

I like the idea, but the central visual issue at the moment is coordinating all the objects with some sort of size standard or proportion. Before I start playing around with the wagon, the question I have to answer is, how big should the wagon be? To determine this, I need to find out what the SIZE relationship between a Stack and a human is?

Would I be right in assuming that a piece of cake is approximately as big as a person's hand.

12.

I installed IdeoGirl (Figures/CustomFigures) in the set. I also installed Statist04 (Figures/CustomFigures). I want to size these so I'm getting a fairly authentic visual organization of objects.

I'm not sure at this point. The cakes look a little big. I'll try some cake placements to check this out.

13.

I placed one of the pieces of cake in the Figure's hands.

That is a very large piece of cake. To me, the cakes look a little big. This means the characters must be made bigger.

14.

I scaled the Figure4 to 110% and Rendered (Note - I had to Parent the suit top and pants to the Figure first). I also moved the floor a bit and added another Light.

I think this looks a bit better. This can best be observed by looking back at the previous Rendering.

15.

I'm going to take this into the process I have started to call RENDERTRIAL (See Jan. 26/13). This is the process of working back and forth between Poser and Photoshop, adding backgrounds as the painting develops.

So, I rendered this particular iteration, brought it into Photoshop, and then went looking for some Victorian backgrounds. I installed these backgrounds in the Photoshop file and then started experimenting with them.

This is an interesting technique to insert in the Studio sequence. These are just trials, but it provides an entirely new contextual view of the work in progress. I think for now, I like #1 and #6 best.

16.

I'm going to finish off this Studio session by taking #6 and processing it a step further:
- Desaturate the Render
- Gaussian Blur the Render
- Black Overlay

Hmmm. Not sure. "Defining Utopia" or "Entitlement." But the end result of today's exploration was very interesting. I think there is a composition in this if I continue to work with it.

But, it's time to move on to administrative commitments.

CONSTRUCTION - CAKESTACK - By Don Bergland

You can explore further Studio Production Instructional Details through Don Bergland's Online Journal