Sean VanGorder - 3D Artist

New Site!

Sean VanGorder — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 03:48:21 +0000

So I finally went ahead and got a new domain name and hosting, so my new site can be found at www.seanvangorder.com. It will be run pretty much the same way I ran this blog, but will eventually be turned into a portfolio website. Thanks for checking it out!

Rock Study

Sean VanGorder — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 06:24:09 +0000

So in order to keep this blog update with new content more frequently, I’m going to start posting little things I work on now and then, even if they aren’t complete pieces. I need to make some rocks for a few upcoming projects, so I’ve been working in Zbrush to really nail down a solid technique for sculpting nice, believable rocks. Here’s a quick study I just finished up. I’m fairly happy with how I was able to get nice sharp surfaces, but I still need to work on getting stronger forms and deeper crevices.

Generator – Textured

Sean VanGorder — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 18:29:10 +0000

Finally got around to texturing the generator model. It was a bit rushed due to time constraints. I’ll be posting more work in the coming weeks.

What Happens When Left To My Own Design

Sean VanGorder — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 02:40:24 +0000

I’ve been doing some freelance work for First Eye Interactive recently, for their upcoming project, Aries. My latest task is to create some sort of large power generator. I had a ton of reference, but no real concept to work off of, so I was pretty much allowed to design it however I wanted. The thing is, I’m horrible at designing things. I think it came out pretty decent in a technical aspect, but the design leaves a lot to be desired. I’m calling it finished for now, just because I need to move on to other tasks.

Game Art IRC Channel

Sean VanGorder — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 01:16:44 +0000

Just wanted to let everyone know I started up an irc chat channel for anyone who’s interested in discussing game art, or anything game related. It will be open 24/7 and is a place to just chat about whatever, or ask for help if you need to.

If you want to use the basic web based chat room, go to this link.

If you want to use your own client ( I suggest Ice Chat, XChat, or mIRC),
then here is the info.

Server: Freenode
Channel: #game_art

It may take some time to build up a good sized chat, so help spread the word.

An Odd Water Wheel

Sean VanGorder — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 03:15:15 +0000

Here’s a model I did just finished for a Game Production Team class at AIP. I did the textures over the course of about 3 hours. I’m still having trouble nailing rust, but I think I’m getting better at it. It’s definitely not the best model I’ve ever done, but I feel like I need to start posting work more frequently.

3ds Max Script – UV Strip Straightener

Sean VanGorder — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 16:10:36 +0000

I’ve been doing a lot of models recently that happen to have a lot of curved surfaces. When I’m unwrapping curved surfaces, I like to keep their UVs as straight as possible. This is helpful for a few reasons. First, it makes it easier to paint out errors in any of your maps, and second, it takes less pixel space to keep a nice clean line (as shown in the image below).

Anyway, although its certainly possible to keep curved UVs straight by doing it manually, I’ve come across a script that makes the process extremely quick and easy. The “UV Strip Straightener” script written by user Garp over at Script Spot allows you to straighten your UV strips in a few simple steps. It also gives the option to normalize your UV shell, and average it on both the U and V axis. It’s a very handy tool, and I highly recommend trying it out. You can find the download link here. While you’re there, make sure to vote for this script, as it deserves the recognition.

I’ll be posting a lot of new work in the coming weeks. The recent lack of updates is the result of being swamped with school, work, and freelance jobs. So check back soon.

I Don’t Do Characters…

Sean VanGorder — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 21:53:46 +0000

So check out my roommate’s blog, http://taboria.wordpress.com/.

That is all.

Eat3D Challenge – Vault Door

Sean VanGorder — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 23:22:01 +0000

Only a few weeks after Eat3D’s first challenge, they’re hosting not just one, but two more challenges. One is oriented towards environment artists, while the other gives character artists a chance to flex their artistic muscle. You can check out the details here.

For my small scene, I’m doing an entrance to a fallout shelter, similar to the vaults in Fallout 3. So far I have the basic scene blocked out, and have started on the high poly for the vault.

Medieval Brick WIP

Sean VanGorder — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 04:29:33 +0000

So for my Advanced Level Design Class at AIP, my group has decided to do an old medieval castle environment. I’m in charge of creating all the modular building meshes that will be used to create the interior and exterior of the castle. I’m starting by establishing a workflow for sculpting and texturing the tiling bricks. After a few failed attempts, I’m finally pleased with the results I’m getting.

Here’s a shot of what I have so far. I’m still trying to decide if I should add more to the diffuse or not. After it’s finished I’ll go on to create the other modular meshes. Click on the image below to see a high res version.