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A vision of childhood creativity

Overview
The goal for this project was to create a 3D environment using Maya that represents the mind of an artist.

Vision
I envisioned a space that was both structured and creative. In addition, because I believe one of the most creative and artistic periods occurs in childhood, I wanted the environment to be remeniscient of childhood. The foundation of the environment is a board game. As you stroll along the structured roads of the board, you see buildings constructed of various toys - Legos, Lincoln Logs, Jenga, Monopoly houses, etc. You will also see the forests of crayons and markers and might meet up with a Cootie or a Whac-A-Mole. If you wander off the road, you can enjoy the park and the Tinker Toy ferris wheel. But watch out for the Hungry Hungry Hippo! My goal with this piece was to create a tongue-in-cheek environment full of memories and humor.

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play doh texture
Environment
The basic structure of the world begins at the intersection marked “GO.” Proceeding in a clockwise direction, you pass Monopoly houses, a barrel of monkeys, chutes and ladders, and a Monopoly hotel. The road ends at the jail, where a Whac-a-Mole is currently being held. Turning to the right, you will find more Monopoly houses and a grove of Crayola markers. During this journey, you will encounter two Cooties (they don't bite). Another right turn takes you past a Lincoln Log building and a Lego structure. The end of the road is under construction (Sorry!) and yet another Whac-a-Mole is working on the construction crew. The cemetery on the left serves as a reminder that imaginary world is not constant; rather, it changes over time. The final right turn takes you downtown, where the Jenga and Lego buildings tower above the rest. At the end of the road, you reach a stop sign that reads “do not pass go,” leaving you in a difficult position. If you want to take a detour, you can explore the park, strolling through the forest of crayons past the Hungry Hungry Hippo.

barrel This environment is constructed entirely of polygons. I used layers in Maya to show and hide pieces as I worked, which greatly simplified the modeling process. When it came time to texture the models, I created most textures in Photoshop, using filters such as Noise and Motion Blur. In cases when a texture was a single color, such as the Legos, those textures were created in Maya. The dominoes and the crayons were particularly challenging to texture. The dominoes were difficult because I wanted to give them a 3D appearance without having to model the details. Using the Noise filter and the bevel/emboss features in Photoshop, I was able to create a fairly convincing 3D effect. The crayons were challenging because the labels have a very distinct, weathered appearance. Through experimentation with various filters, I was able to create a texture that is quite effective.

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