Process: Steampunk series

You might have noticed the new Steampunk Virtuoso collection front and center in my store. I'll post pictures and details of that in my next post, but right now I'd like to let you in on some of my designer process, sketchbook pages and all.

 It started with a vision:

A planner page, actually. Yes, I doodle in my planner in class when I should be taking notes.

This is just a quick sketch, obviously. I sketch out my ideas as a way to organize all the chaotic information flying around my head. As you might have predicted, not all of it makes its way to the final product unscathed; but the feel remains.

You might notice the second top and second pair of boots were never made; those were scrapped when I decided they were rubbish. *slashes through paper* I always have way more ideas than I have products. (Way more color combinations, too... I've recently learned the value of "less is more".)

 The last section of the page, however, has NOT been scrapped. I was originally planning to release the wintry accessories and boots as part of the Steampunk line, but somewhere during the process I realized that they weren't very steampunk as stand-alone items, so I'm working on them as a separate companion set, the Altitude series. More details on that later. So far it's just the boots that are out, but I plan to have the gloves, hat, and scarf out soon, coat to follow later.

I drew up rough drafts of the corset and chemise in a frenzy of productivity.... months ago. They sat on my hard drive for months before I finally got around to adding the final details. Lucky I waited, because in the intervening time I finally got ahold of a 3-D modeling program called Modo that allows me to make *drumroll* SCULPTIES!

Modo, I love you. <3 Sculpting AND model painting tools. Even texture baking. By the way, that's the Windows 7 release candidate... surprisingly painless.
I don't really want to tell you the obscene amount of time it took for me to do up the sculpts you see above... it was inordinate. Mainly because they're my first sculpts and I'm still learning the program. Better process next time.

Once I got my mitts on Modo, I did everything pretty much at once. For some reason I was set on finishing the boots before putting up the corset, chemise, and recently finished (incl. sculpt cuffs) leggings/trousers. Since the boots are a different category I don't know why I was in that mindset. Ohwell - they look great with the trousers anyway.

*insert frenzy of texturing, detailing, and photo-taking here*
Results to follow in next two posts.

Cheers!
~Gryph
GryphonWings Designs