Perfect timing! Working on my 2nd cover now, first cover (Cell Metabolism, July 2021) did with procreate. This time I wanted to try modeling using isometric composition, inspired by blender artist polygonrunway. Scene is all blocked out and now just figuring out blenders materials and shading. Being new to blender and a busy scientist, the best advice I can give is Reference, reference, reference! Art and Science are built off the back of reference material, while you can reinvent the wheel you still got to know what a wheel looks like and what it is. Appreciate your channel a ton. Their is a huge need for this within the scientific/academic community where visualization/communication often falls short. Ha…I don’t want to know how long it took you to construct your cover collage/montage reference board but I got to ask.
That is really the truth of it. Build off good reference and you'll have such a good foundation. I love polygonrunway (and tons of other great artists as well). In terms of the reference board that is just a part of it and it's been probably a year plus now. Whenever I see a new one that I like in my journal feed I add it to the board. The file is something like 1.4 GB these days.
@@CGFigures that’s quite the dedication! I assume your using pure ref? If so, a good tutorial might be how scientist/researchers could benefit from using pure ref to track project progress. Use it on a daily basis for organizing data, the hot keys and endless open space make for a great addition to data organization and visualization. And CG figures is absolutely right, if your a student and putting in the time to hash out a digital cover illustration for an investigator don’t be hesitant to ask for compensation. Your time is valuable and your art is worth more then you might think. Last, thanks for the tip on setting up the resolution. I was going to render and post process in affinity. You saved me a good chunk of time.
@@Pihtrainer It is pureref yes and that's a good point. I'll admit that I use it frequently but haven't mastered the shortcuts since I do primarily screengrabs and basic arranging. The resolution part is probably the most useful part of the video haha. I spent too long in photoshop the first time I rendered something and had to convert it to letter size 300 DPI.
It would be fantastic if you did a video on materials shading and texturing for biology. I am yet to come across a video dedicated to finessing the organic, wet and squishy look that internal organs have or more abstract ideas like a cell (or organelles). Keep up the great posts.
Hey Benjamin. I agree completely and it's something I hope to cover. I've mentioned Random42 before as a source of inspiration for some of that style of modeling and shading and will probably do a deep dive on some of that in the future.
Unfortunately, this is one of those things that I've never found a way around. If you use set camera to view and then forget to turn it off and move it doesn't Ctrl+Z... and I have had many frustrating moments with that.
What about graduate student researchers paid a stipend? If they have the skills to make these images, and their PI is aware of it, could the PI ask the graduate student to make these images since they are being paid? Or should this be considered extra work that would warrant extra pay?
This is a fairly major discussion topic that covers a lot of things including academic culture, labour rights, the purpose of a graduate program, the already insufficient pay in many places, and the potential challenges with power dynamics - to name a few. I could easily record a whole lecture on just this question. My opinion is that people should be compensated for their work. In most cases where you are 'asked to make these images' I would consider it outside the scope of a research stipend unless part of your training program includes learning to do this work. As an example, if you make graphics/resources/etc for educational research that might fall under your stipend. Similarly if it's a figure for your own work. Generally speaking though I would see it as warranting extra pay. Same as if you hired a freelancer in any other capacity.
Thanks for making this,
I made 4 of the covers you have shown among the references. Really happy to see them there.
Thanks you so much. For the start. Really appreciate your efforts.
Perfect timing! Working on my 2nd cover now, first cover (Cell Metabolism, July 2021) did with procreate. This time I wanted to try modeling using isometric composition, inspired by blender artist polygonrunway. Scene is all blocked out and now just figuring out blenders materials and shading. Being new to blender and a busy scientist, the best advice I can give is Reference, reference, reference! Art and Science are built off the back of reference material, while you can reinvent the wheel you still got to know what a wheel looks like and what it is. Appreciate your channel a ton. Their is a huge need for this within the scientific/academic community where visualization/communication often falls short. Ha…I don’t want to know how long it took you to construct your cover collage/montage reference board but I got to ask.
That is really the truth of it. Build off good reference and you'll have such a good foundation. I love polygonrunway (and tons of other great artists as well). In terms of the reference board that is just a part of it and it's been probably a year plus now. Whenever I see a new one that I like in my journal feed I add it to the board. The file is something like 1.4 GB these days.
@@CGFigures that’s quite the dedication! I assume your using pure ref? If so, a good tutorial might be how scientist/researchers could benefit from using pure ref to track project progress. Use it on a daily basis for organizing data, the hot keys and endless open space make for a great addition to data organization and visualization. And CG figures is absolutely right, if your a student and putting in the time to hash out a digital cover illustration for an investigator don’t be hesitant to ask for compensation. Your time is valuable and your art is worth more then you might think.
Last, thanks for the tip on setting up the resolution. I was going to render and post process in affinity. You saved me a good chunk of time.
@@Pihtrainer It is pureref yes and that's a good point. I'll admit that I use it frequently but haven't mastered the shortcuts since I do primarily screengrabs and basic arranging. The resolution part is probably the most useful part of the video haha. I spent too long in photoshop the first time I rendered something and had to convert it to letter size 300 DPI.
Brilliant video, thanks!
It would be fantastic if you did a video on materials shading and texturing for biology. I am yet to come across a video dedicated to finessing the organic, wet and squishy look that internal organs have or more abstract ideas like a cell (or organelles). Keep up the great posts.
Hey Benjamin. I agree completely and it's something I hope to cover. I've mentioned Random42 before as a source of inspiration for some of that style of modeling and shading and will probably do a deep dive on some of that in the future.
Hi, there is a way to undo view changing after camera to view, we can select camera as active object then press Ctrl+Z😄
Unfortunately, this is one of those things that I've never found a way around. If you use set camera to view and then forget to turn it off and move it doesn't Ctrl+Z... and I have had many frustrating moments with that.
Helpful. Can you please do something wid pdb file?
I will definitely be doing more work with pdb files in the future and in some breakdowns
10/10
What about graduate student researchers paid a stipend? If they have the skills to make these images, and their PI is aware of it, could the PI ask the graduate student to make these images since they are being paid? Or should this be considered extra work that would warrant extra pay?
This is a fairly major discussion topic that covers a lot of things including academic culture, labour rights, the purpose of a graduate program, the already insufficient pay in many places, and the potential challenges with power dynamics - to name a few. I could easily record a whole lecture on just this question. My opinion is that people should be compensated for their work. In most cases where you are 'asked to make these images' I would consider it outside the scope of a research stipend unless part of your training program includes learning to do this work. As an example, if you make graphics/resources/etc for educational research that might fall under your stipend. Similarly if it's a figure for your own work. Generally speaking though I would see it as warranting extra pay. Same as if you hired a freelancer in any other capacity.