In this project, I modeled a game asset of a phone booth to improve my modeling skills and texture work.
I followed the brilliant FastTrack tutorials, which helped me immensely in acquiring new techniques and overcoming creative barriers to achieve awesome results.
I began by blocking out the scene, referencing images to ensure that all the shapes were correctly scaled for the environment. The best approach was to introduce a humanoid model into the scene to verify the correctness of elements such as the phone's size and angle of tilt.
One enjoyable practice I've adopted, and one I intend to continue, is conducting all the modeling within ZBrush. Despite the availability of 3D software like Blender or similar tools, I find the ZModeler brush increasingly compelling with each use. This project was an excellent opportunity for me to enhance my skills in this aspect. As a side note, I'm planning to incorporate C4D in future projects, primarily due to its compatibility with pen tablets, but I digress.
For UV unwrapping, I once again utilized RIZOMUV. It's both easy and enjoyable to work with this software. However, this time I acknowledge that my packing wasn't optimal. I recognize the need to focus more on texel density in future endeavors. When it came to texturing the model, some areas didn't yield the best results in my opinion. Nevertheless, there's always room for improvement in the next project, right?
Before diving into texturing, it was necessary to introduce dents and imperfections in ZBrush. This step was vital to enhance the visual appeal of the model, ensuring it conveyed a story beyond sharp angles. The objective was to include subtle dents here and there, creating a high-poly version for baking that would preserve smooth corners in the low-poly version, thus preventing pixelation.
When it came to Substance Painter, this project presented my largest file to date, given the multitude of layers I incorporated to achieve effects like rust peeling, color variation, saturation changes, and roughness imperfections on both the metal and glass. This endeavor taught me numerous new techniques within Painter. Layer by layer, the model gradually transformed into an aged look that, for some reason, is visually captivating.
In summary, the journey of creating a realistic vintage phone booth game asset highlighted the significance of embracing new techniques and tools in 3D design. This project underscored the value of continuous learning, experimentation, and the transformative impact of attention to detail in modeling and texturing.
