KISO : The Machine Elements

KISO : The machine elements

I started this project to express the grandeur and freshness of the world where never been to in person. The city's theme is Steampunk, but unlike the traditional factory and machine-centric steampunk, I added harmony with nature to give a fresh feeling.

Story & Camera

The scene is composed from the perspective of a person who arriving in this city for the first time. He starts from the square, explores all over the city, and then moves into the alley to find a place to rest.

Modeling

The basic reference is based on the great works Alejandro Burdisio's "Station" and Sebastian Luca's "KB3D Steampunk." Using these as a foundation, I created box modeling using Maya and then created a previz. Afterwards I worked on each building in detail to match the scale of actual people.

To emphasize the steampunk, add various sizes of pipes all over the building, and created intricate gears so that inside of the watch could be seen.

To avoid a static appearance, I also built an eye-catching train and tram. The train is based on the Mercury train from the 1930s, which presents a futuristic and mechanical look.

Texture

When I working on the texture at the beginning, my understanding of materials was limited, so I just use basic materials. Meanwhile, when I passed by the factory, I have chance to observed various materials there, and I thought deeply about the properties of the material and how contamination occurred. After that, in order to create realistic texture, I was trying to follow by the history of the object.

For example, when creating the walls of a building in an alley, I didn't just use a simple brick texture; I also detailed the moss and mold that form when water doesn't dry properly. For buildings with many pipes, I also recreated the water stains that gradually form from the pipes leaking. In this way, I captured the natural details that develop over time in the textures of each building.

Lighting

The lighting was completed through numerous trials and errors. In the beginning, I just used sun and sky light as a key light but it does not match with my roof textures. So I fixed the settings, but still the texture kept burning. After challenging few solution, I realized that reflected light from the building is also important in lighting. So I used that light as a fill light, the scenes became more lively and beautiful.

Composite

I brightened up the darker area, and I adjusted the density of the fog to enhance the steampunk atmosphere. Additionally, composing some smoke and birds to increase the overall completeness of the scene.

Final Comments

When I first came up with the idea, I started with the goal of simply creating a city that harmonizes steampunk and nature, but I learn many things through various trials and errors while working on it. Based on the knowledge gained from this project, I look forward to creating many works in the future.

Thanks for watching my project!