3D Fundamentals 2 - Part 2

My second term/semester at Art Center has come to a close. While the first term pushed our limits in raw volume of work and number of projects, our second term was a more focused effort, which nonetheless ended intensely.

During the first half of 3D Fundamentals 2 we continued to learn different tools and techniques in the workshop, following the work we had done in 3D Fundamentals 1. The second half of this term was closer to Study Models in its approach.

The basic premise of the course is to learn the clay modeling techniques used in automotive design and in the process understand the development of industrial lines and surfaces by creating a so-called “speed form”.

We began with several pages of sketches delineating concepts for an abstracted form inspired by air, land or sea.

Once the direction was selected orthographic views were created.

From these, a basic armature was constructed from MDF and masonite.

Using Chavant Y2 Klay, we packed the basic form.

The templates allow us to roughly determine the section views of our model.

A variety of tools allows us to shave the clay.

Crossing the strokes creates a far more even surface.

Design adjustments were made, such as the addition of this outer ridge.

Using splines to check the quality of our lines.

Finding section lines allows us to balance the design over to the other side.

Using a height gauge to check the symmetry.

Tape lines allow a better read of the surfaces and where they need to be balanced.

Using blue steel scrapers we shaved a final thin layer of clay to make the surfaces perfectly sharp.

The final steeled model.

Spray shellac was applied to protect the clay and provide a surface for the primer to bond.

First coat of catalyzed primer.

The primer was sanded down in order to further smooth the high and low spots in the clay.

Metal Glaze was used to fill in low spots and other imperfections.

Yours truly, spraying a second coat of primer.

A guide coat of Krylon was applied to better differentiate the high and low spots.

One last coat of primer was applied and wet sanded smooth.

Applying the automotive paint.

Once the color was dry, a glossy clear coat was applied.

I was quite happy with the final result!

3D Fundamentals 2 - Part 1

Second term is going well here at Art Center and we’ve just passed the midterm point. The past few weeks have been intense but the rhythm has slowed down and we’ll soon be gearing up again for finals. With the midterms we ended the first portion of 3D Fundamentals 2, a direct continuation of 3D Fundamentals 1 which I had mentioned last term.

The second part of 3D Fundamentals 2 will be a continuation of Study Models. We will be working on creating a dynamic-looking form out of automotive clay.

As expected, we continued to learn new tools and techniques and practice our skills with the ones that are now familiar. The class started with a refresher on the table saw. The aim of this project was to build a tool box to specific dimensions, with a sliding cover. It will be used to store our clay modeling tools in the second half of the course.

I used the laser cutter to engrave my name, adding a personal touch to the project.

Along with the tool box, we created “modeling angles” out of plywood and masonite, which will help us in sculpting our clay model. These had to be perfectly square.

The wood was cut on the table saw, then sanded to clean up the grain. Two triangular shapes were cut out of a rectangular piece of wood and stacked together so they could be made to the same shape. I then drilled holes to create the handle which was cleaned on the router and then sanded.

The parts were then glued together and finished with wax. A layer of masonite was finally added to make the angles more durable.

A new skill we learned was working with fiberglass. We started by creating a simple shape out of polyurethane foam, which was then vacuum-formed to create a mold.

Once sprayed with gel coat, we applied layers of glass fiber and resin to the mold.

After letting the resin cure we extracted the part, cleaned up the edges and finally sprayed it with gray primer. The final result is a sturdy reproducible fiberglass part.

Our biggest project was probably the so-called “geoforms” project, a set of the four basic shapes (cube, cylinder, cone and sphere) that are used for reference in our rendering class (Viscom 2). We also had to build a base and acrylic case to store these in.

The cylinder, cone and sphere all started with a rectangular block of wood which was mounted on the lathe.

From the block of wood we created a cylinder with an even diameter all the way across, which is the base for three of the shapes.

For the cone, we simply carved down the cylinder making sure to keep the proper angle and height.

The sphere was far more difficult and starts with flat angular guidelines.

We smooth these down and use a laser-cut template to check the accuracy of the surface, slowly chipping away at the high spots.

Eventually the shapes were sanded down to the exact measurements, the grain was patched with wood filler and the shapes were primed and painted.

Building the acrylic case was a rather frustrating and arduous process, but in the end the result was a rather nice set of reference material.

3D Fundamentals 1

Another post in my recap of term 1 at Art Center. These are the results of 3D Fundamentals 1. The class was geared towards learning the tools in workshop and getting practice using them. A bunch of projects are missing and there isn’t much process in these pictures, but they’re still worth a look.

We started the term with some simple exercises to learn how to use the bandsaw, sanders and drill press. Our first big project was building a “tool tote” from MDF. The cuts were made on the table saw and I engraved my name on the laser cutter. The rest was just a matter of gluing, clamping and finishing with spray lacquer.

A quick side project was making a cast of our hand. The mold was made from alginate, often used in special effects. The cast is made from plaster.

Throughout the term we worked on building this mirror model. The shape was sculpted from dense polyurethane foam (peach foam as they call it here) and was then sanded and coated then primer before finishing with automobile paint. The shape was placed on a mirror to create the illusion of a symmetric form. Mine was inspired by manta rays.

We worked on the lathe as well, making a bowl, a spindle and a foam shape.

Our last project was a return to the table saw, this time working with birch plywood to make a briefcase. Again, the laser cutter was used to add a personal touch.