Alright, so I messed around with building a falcon totem thing. Let me walk you through how it went down.
First, I started by gathering some reference images. I wanted to see what other people had done, get a feel for the shapes and overall vibe. Google Images was my best friend here. Just searched for “falcon totem,” “falcon sculpture,” you name it. I downloaded a bunch that caught my eye. Nothing too specific, just wanted inspiration.
Next, I sketched out a few rough ideas. Nothing fancy, just quick doodles in my notebook. I wanted to capture the essence of a falcon – the sharp beak, powerful wings, piercing gaze. I tried different poses, some soaring, some perched, some with wings spread wide. Just brainstorming visually.
Then, I decided on a basic shape and started blocking it out in Blender (you could use any 3D software, but I’m most comfortable with Blender). I used simple primitives like cubes and cylinders to get the overall form. Think of it like sculpting a rough draft. I wasn’t worried about details at this stage, just the proportions and general silhouette.
After the basic shape was in place, I began refining the form. I used Blender’s sculpting tools to smooth out the edges, add curves, and define the major features like the head, wings, and tail. This is where the reference images really came in handy. I’d look at the images and try to replicate the angles and curves in my model.
The wings were probably the trickiest part. I spent a good chunk of time getting the shape and feather arrangement right. I ended up using a combination of sculpting and modeling techniques. I started with a flat plane and extruded edges to create the basic wing shape. Then, I used the sculpting tools to add the curves and details of the feathers.
Once I was happy with the overall form, I started adding details. I focused on the face, adding a sharp beak, piercing eyes, and subtle feather details. I also added details to the wings and tail, like individual feathers and subtle textures. It was all about adding those small touches that bring the model to life.
Next up was texturing. I decided on a color scheme – mostly browns and grays, with some subtle highlights. I used Blender’s texture painting tools to apply the colors directly to the model. I also added some procedural textures to give the model some subtle surface variation. Think of it as adding a layer of realism.
With the texturing done, I moved on to lighting and rendering. I set up a simple three-point lighting setup in Blender. This involved a key light, a fill light, and a back light. I experimented with different lighting angles and intensities until I got the look I was after. Then, I hit the render button and waited for the magic to happen.
Finally, I did some post-processing in Photoshop. I adjusted the colors, contrast, and sharpness to give the image a final polish. I also added a subtle vignette to draw the viewer’s eye to the center of the image.
And that’s pretty much it! The whole process took me a few evenings, but I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. It was a fun little project, and I learned a lot along the way. The key is really just to start, experiment, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. You’ll get there eventually.
