Ok, so i've added a new tab at the top of the page for my etsy shop.

 https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/3Dobject

OOOOO long time no update.

Well, I have been busy since my last post here.
Most recently I have been designing some more jewellery.
These are for sale now on Etsy. More designs are in the making.

Cafe Race

I have modeled this Norton Commando complete with animated chain, sprocket and wheels.
I've been experimenting with the engine parts in zbrush. On hold now due to mouse injury.

3D Jewellery Pieces.

Here are some more 3D rings, now for sale on etsy......https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/3Dobject?ref=hdr_shop_menu

I made these with Photoshop, Zbrush and 3dsmax. They were manufactured by Weston Beamore. http://www.westonbeamor.co.uk/ 

They are finished by hand with or without anodised colour.

These are anodised.

These are oxidised with Liver of Sulpher apart from the one on the left which is finished without any surface colour.

The one in the middle is coloured with Liver of Sulpher.

The two either side are anodised.

This is the finished model rendered in Zbrush

before manufacture.

Compositing.

Learning some compositing for my 3d work using after effects.

Although the background is not great quality, I used the HDRI environment from www.openfootage.com because I had already used it for the reflection on the model.  I learnt this because I am currently working on another project which will require compositing as I have already rendered part of an animation but want to add another layer of animation to it.

Silver 3D

Today the ring was delivered, some trepidation as I opened the parcel, and to my delight the detail was better than I expected although I'm feeling like I am not quite right with the overall scale of the piece. Now I have this first, actual real silver ring on my actual real finger, I can virtually, make the adjustment. Things need fattening up a bit I feel.

I can now use the model aside the real ring as reference when making new models.
Not the best finish in the world but this is casting, and only a few minutes hand finishing.

Zbrush jewellery

Continuing with my Zbrush exploration  I've made a few rings, to test the water with.
This was a commission but we ran out of time unfortunately,
 it was during the Christmas period.

 On hindsight this would not have worked so well with casting, using this level of detail 
It need something like cnc milling i think, but maybe another day I may look at that.




This one has just a little too much detail as well. when i say 'too much' I am referring. to the size of the detail rather than the amount.

 The folks at http://www.westonbeamor.co.uk/
have been really helpful with teething problems.

Presently there are a few different ways to go making 3d models into metal objects. I'm no expert on the subject and there are many different techniques and methods used for many different industries from sculpture and jewellery to architechture and componant production.

 Direct metal laser sintering will only lose detail once as it is built straight from the 3d model, but only available in 18 and 24 carat gold (bit expensive for experimental purpose) and titanium (difficult to finish). Silver, I'm told, is on the horizon but not yet available for the sintering process.

http://www.cooksongold-emanufacturing.com/

Another way to go is casting, which has four stages to go through. Each stage involves a small amount of loss in detail. First the model is printed in resin, then a mold is made from the resin, then wax is cast into the mold as many times as you want copies, these copies are then joined to a wax tree which is then cast in plaster before finally the molten silver is poured in, taking the place of the wax. (lost wax process).  So this is a simple  design with about as much detail as I think can get away with.
Although casting is not up to the detail achievable with zbrush you can still make interesting and original jewellery.

So here is the model.

















It has a small lip around the edges of the motif as a result of my modelling in zbrush, trying to get the edges smooth, but no matter as this will get lost through the process.

Here an image of the resin rapid protototype.
As you can see the small lip has already been lost which is as intended. Cant wait to see the silver version. I know it will lose a bit more definition but as expected.