Create a sci-fi evening scene in Blender – half 2 · 3dtotal · Study | Create

Introduction

In this tutorial, I will include the importance of the theory “Form Follows Function” and talk about the working process from 2D concept to 3D final design. Blender has been used as a tool to try out various compositions and integrate different props into a final scene in Photoshop.

That is the ultimate picture of this mission that illustrates how totally different props combine collectively.

Seek for references

Because it was an area station, I wished to provide some thickness to the constructions and add some quantity into the design with a capability of over 70 aircrafts. I then looked for plane provider references to research its stable construction that provided higher safety and stability for carrying and deploying aircrafts.

Search for references to know its construction

Sketch with notes

I did a tough sketch to attract out the concepts first. My preliminary thought was to create two ranges, including extra hangars to extend the amount and placing the primary space on the centre for creating a transparent point of interest. I additionally added some spaceship capabilities in comparable to photo voltaic arrays, generator, photo voltaic panels, and so forth,  to make the station design look extra purposeful.

Sketch out idea first with annotations

Block out in Blender

After I finished brainstorming, I started blocking out shapes in Blender, fixing the overall height and proportion. This modeling was quite challenging as it was not symmetrical and I had to think how it looked in every view. Every time when inserting new geometry, I needed to consider the theory of “Big, Medium, and Small” to avoid repetition and try to make it look interesting.

Block out main shapes in Blender

Refine details

This step was the same as the previous chapter by using toolkit, Boxcutter and Hard Ops to build the model. My concept was to build structural details with thickness like the aircraft carrier and inputted sci-fi element into my design. As the draft was quite rough, I mostly worked on the designs in 3D, building props first and combining or arranging them in different directions to form a complicated shape. To increase more volume, I duplicated more hangars and scaled them in different sizes to prevent too much repetition.

3 totally different views of the ultimate idea with some close-up

First composition of the area station

After modeling, I added a easy materials texture and adjusted the emission lights to power 30. To render the lights properly in Eevee Render Engine, I enabled the Bloom in Render Properties. Subsequent, I arrange a digital camera in Blender and selected a most popular angle. Rendering “Object ID” go was mandatory as properly for simply slicing out the area station from background that I demonstrated in subsequent step.

Set up a base in Photoshop

Add background

After cutting the space station out from “Object ID” pass, I searched for a preferred space background in Blender add-on, Pro-Lighting: Skies, rotating to an angel that fit my drawing and modifying the settings as well. As the background looked too sharp, I blurred out the color a bit in Photoshop by adding some mist around with soft textured brushes and adjusted the overall color in “Color Lookup Adjustment”.

Choose a background and modify it with brushes

Clipping mask in Photoshop

Putting an Earth into the scene can make it look more like it is located in space with better storytelling. I firstly inserted a solid shape. Next, I searched for Earth texture and used clipping mask to clip it into the solid shape, doing paint over on top, adding shadows, and blurring out unnecessary details. When adding highlights, I usually set the blend mode to hard light, soft light, or overlay depending on the final result.

Use clip masks so as to add additional particulars

Second composition of the area station

Engaged on two scenes may give me extra concepts on my ultimate illustration piece, making an attempt to search for a greater angle for the ultimate scene that I might discuss within the subsequent chapter. At this stage, I repeated step 6 by selecting the area background in Blender add on, Professional-Lighting: Skies. I actually preferred the inexperienced gentle on the backside however for now, it had some lighting issues that wanted to be modified within the subsequent step.

Add background that matches the scene

Work on point of interest

Because the background was too noisy with too many stars round and missed out point of interest, I painted excessive with huge delicate brushes. To give attention to the primary construction, I attempted to darken the remaining areas and added a purple gentle gently on the high left, making an attempt to guide eyes to the area station.

Blur out the pointless components to give attention to point of interest

Coloration Lookup Adjustment

The general colour was a bit uninteresting with out highlights, so I added “Coloration Lookup Adjustment” to switch it. There are numerous comfortable accidents when utilizing this adjustment, so it’s higher to do extra experiments. To manage the colour manually, I used the delicate brush and painted it gently within the masks.

Remaining picture of the second composition

Don’t stick with the primary thought

It takes time for our mind to heat up, so it’s at all times good to try to work on extra sketches for extra concepts.