shoot a stunning 3d set design

8/7/2019 Shoot a stunning 3D set design

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Shoot a stunning 3D set design

Shotopop explains how creative photography can make or break tactile illustration work,

muddling the boundaries between creative disciplines

Tactile illustration essentially involves capturing a real-life three-dimensional space as a 2D image.

You will need to play composer and sound engineer in this orchestra, formulating and devising the

arrangement as well as recording the output in as pleasing a fashion as possible. In a world thats so

technologically reliant, it can be really refreshing to revert to traditional methods of construction and image-

making (of course, technology will still come into play: after all, it is there to streamline our workflow).

Remember though that real tools, unlike the ones in Photoshop and Illustrator, can actually hurt you, so be

careful.

Here well explain how we created this scene, paying particular attention to the role that photography plays

in the process. When viewed from a specific angle, the image is divided horizontally into two defined colour

spaces (red and blue), but as you can see in the image on the right, this is an optical illusion.

Skills

Construct an engaging set design

Use lighting to maximum effect

Work with experimental camera angles

Retouch your shots in Photoshop


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01 A good place to start is with a brainstorm, followed by a rough sketch. This doesnt have to define the

exact layout, but will be useful for figuring out what elements you want to build, and how the whole thing

will work in a three-dimensional space. We came up with the concept of splitting the illustration into two

defined colour spaces (red and blue), created with an optical illusion using angles and camera positioning.

02 Decide which materials you want to use for construction; these could range from coloured cardboard to

acetate to foamboard, depending on the desired effect. Youll also need the basic craft tools for construction,

such as a cutting mat, scalpel, scissors, glue, tape and a metal ruler. We chose to build this illustration out

of bright red and kingfisher blue card quite thick which is easy to cut but supportive enough to take the

weight of the different elements.


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03 If you have complex elements, it can help to do a test build. This is also a good way to get the scale

right and to figure out measurements. It might require a bit of trial and error, but will be useful later in

creating slick objects that dont require many alterations in post-production. This process will also help you

to know whether you need to build additional supports.

04 Once youve made your tests you can take them apart and build precise patterns in Illustrator or

Photoshop. You might want to scan in the flattened test to trace. Its a good idea to use the rulers in either

of these programs to make sure your patterns are precise. When making your pattern, use a very thin

hairline, as this will help you fold more precisely.


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05 Print out the pattern onto cheap paper and cut it out neatly. Now get your coloured card and trace the

pattern with a light pencil. Try to make as few marks as possible so you dont have to erase too much later.Cut the shape out with a scalpel or craft knife, making sure you dont cut off any marks that show where to

fold.

06 Using a ruler, push the paper up along the edge to make neat, sharp folds. If the card is quite thick it

might be necessary to score the card first, by running a blade lightly over the fold line. Remember that you

should score on the side that makes the outer edge of the fold, and be careful not to cut all the way

through.


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07 Glue flaps are very important elements of any three-dimensional build. They are generally quite easy to

control on straight edges and you just need to remember to cut the sides at angles; if youre making a

curve, however, the smaller the sections you make, the smoother the curve will come out. Be patient, asthis can be a painstakingly slow process.

08 Now set up your space to photograph. We stuck a blue piece of card on a wall with tape and laid a red

piece of card on a horizontal surface so that the two coloured surfaces touch to make a right-angled corner.

We often build our sets on an infinity curve, but given the sharp horizontal angles we were working with,

this particular project required a specific solution to suit its environment.


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09 Because this specific tactile piece relies very heavily on the angle of the camera, the next step was to set

the camera up on a tripod in such a way that the corner between the two colours intersects the viewfinder

exactly in the centre. We used a reasonably high angle.

10 Now its time to play set designer. Use all the elements you have built, and dress your set. We had to do

this while we were building because the concept required us to split certain elements into two colours, and

to align elements in the set relative to the cameras position. The camera essentially becomes your eyes in

this step, because the positioning needs to correspond to the camera angle.


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11 Build all the elements in their base colour first: here, were starting with red. Add them to yourcomposition, have a look through the camera, and then re-make their top parts with blue. Now you have to

position them at exactly the right spot and angle for the red/blue divide to be a perfectly straight line this

will take a fair bit of trial and error, so take your time.

12 Add atmosphere and dimension with lighting. This is a key point in significantly increasing the value of

your shot. Lay out your light sources and craft the way in which light and shadow fall on your elements to

enhance them. You also want to make sure that the lighting doesnt flatten out the elements; you want to

enhance their three-dimensionality.


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13 Before taking the photo, you have to play around with the setting to find the right balance on your

camera settings. Start by setting your aperture. There is a simple relation between aperture and depth of

field: the smaller the aperture, the more extensive the depth of field. So if your camera is close to the

composition, youll probably want a smaller aperture to keep the whole image in focus.

14 Adjust the shutter speed to get the exposure right. The slower the speed, the more exposed (brighter)

your pic will be; faster shutter speeds will give darker images. The slower you go, the more chance you

have of shaking the camera however, and if youre going for really slow (or have a wonky tripod), you might

want to put a two-second time delay on the shutter release to aid stability.


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15 Open your photo in Photoshop. To ensure that the image is perfectly straight, select the Ruler tool (I, orShift+I to cycle between the Eyedropper, Sampler and Ruler). Then click-and-drag a line along a horizontal

edge in the photograph, and rotate the canvas as necessary (Image>Rotate Canvas>Arbitrary) to match up

the line. This will rotate your image and widen your canvas so that no cropping occurs.

16 Recompose the image by using the Crop tool (C), or if you need a specific size output, adjust the Canvas

Size (Ctrl/Cmnd+Alt/Opt+C). For this option ensure the layer isnt locked before resizing, to avoid deleting

parts of the image. Photoshop will warn you that clipping may occur, but it is OK to proceed. You can nowmove your image layer around to get the desired framing.


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17 Retouch any blemishes using the Clone Stamp tool (S). First create a new layer, ensure that Current andBelow are both selected in the Sample drop-down in the Options bar, and select a brush size. Use Alt/Opt-

click to sample an area to use as your reference point, and then click and draw where you want the cloning

to appear. Weve removed some tape that was holding together some of the construction, for instance.

18 Your image might also need some colour correction to finish the project. Due to the distinct colourseparations here, it was necessary to adjust the red as this area came out tonally darker than the blue area.

Using the Lasso tool (L), make a selection around the area you want to adjust. Add a Levels adjustment

layer, and alter the mid-tones to lighten the selection. Thats it youre done.

Shotopop

A proud purveyor of both tactile and digital illustration, London-based studio Shotopop designs for print,

interactive media, motion graphics and everything that comes before, in between and

after. www.shotopop.com
http://www.shotopop.com/http://www.shotopop.com/

shoot a stunning 3d set design

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