Judith Tymosiuk | These Boots are Made for Walking

Hi all!

My name is Judith and I am currently studying at PIXLVISN Media Arts Academy. My goal is to become an Asset Artist, focusing on modeling and texturing for assets and creatures. The initial project I want to show you is my first demo project, where I spent about three months creating a pair of cowboy boots. For the second project, I spent almost three weeks modeling and texturing a Dr. Martens boot during my time here at PIXLVISN.

The first step in every project is reference hunting. I usually struggle to stick to just a few essential references because I like elements from many different photos. However, this time I tried to be strict and managed to narrow down my mood board to only the essentials (plus a few extra).

I used different references for each part of the boot. To avoid creating a "Frankenstein" cowboy boot, I carefully planned all the colors and ensured the pieces fit together well design-wise. 

I started by loading my orthographic references into Maya. After matching all sides to a rough block-out with correct measurements, I ensured the orthographics and perspective images aligned. Next, I refined the block-out until the cowboy boot's shape was satisfactory. The following step was to retopologize the shoe and separate parts into their own meshes, like the shaft, sole, and instep. With all the parts of the main body ready and a clean topology overall, I began focusing on details and extra props like the pull straps and spurs.

The leather spur straps were challenging as they wrap organically around the boot. This required estimating the correct length, height, and shape of the mesh while wrapping it neatly around the front half of the instep. I created a plane with the right measurements and used a nonlinear deformer to curve it around the shoe semi-manually. From there, I refined the details of the leather strap by creating a flower shape on one side and separating the leather into two parts, then I added the buckle.

Next, I worked on the spur at the heel. Initially, I converted an edge from the boot mesh into a curve but soon realized the better approach was to use a cylinder. This resulted in a symmetrical and clean look, as spurs are made separately from steel. I added thickness and extruded the metal part that will later hold the spinning spur, matching it to a specific reference. I created the spur itself from a cylinder as well, ensuring the right amount of subdivisions for curvature while keeping the poly count low. The final details were the hinges on the spurs that connect to the leather strap.

With the modeling part finished in Maya, I moved on to UV unwrapping. Starting with the largest shapes, I cut the UV seams to maintain detail in the final presentation. I merged a few parts to save UV space, fitting them onto one UDIM. This included merging the toe cap, hinges, and spur plate, as they share the same material and don't touch. I also merged the buckle of the leather strap with the metal frame of the spur.

After finalizing my UV layout, I moved everything into zBrush to start working on details for the displacement map, including wrinkles in the leather, metal details, and stitches. To get a good foundation, I sculpted the leather wrinkles first, as they significantly impact the boot's overall shape. My main focus was to match my reference and give the illusion of a foot wearing the shoe, as the leather of a cowboy boot behaves like a second skin and adjusts to the shape of the foot. Sculpting the details in the leather was enjoyable, ensuring all volumes made sense.

The volumes around the shaft were more challenging. I used a template, poly painted it onto the shoe, and utilized the layer tool in zBrush to sculpt the bumps between the stitch patterns. Initially, I planned to sculpt the stitches in zBrush but moved this step to the texturing phase for flexibility and resolution. Instead, I focused on refining the leather shape, especially the spur strap, which must deform dynamically, so I bent up the edges to make it look worn. I added life to the sole by sculpting imperfections at the tip and scuffing the rubber part of the heel, as these areas wear out first. After completing details like the seam at the shaft's sides, I baked my displacement map from zBrush.

I had many issues with the displacement and normal baking from zBrush, which is typical for me. This time, my UV seams were visible in Maya, and there was some stretching. After almost two days of troubleshooting, I was ready to move on since I didn't have time to keep fixing it. I minimized the issue enough that it wouldn't be noticeable after adding textures, and my mentors and peers advised me to proceed. Then, after a final attempt to unfold all my UVs, I re-projected my details from scratch and used a higher subdivision level, the displacement map finally looked right. I could move on to the texturing phase without worrying about any unfixed problems.

I started by baking my AO map, cavity map, and others from my zBrush normal map. I added base colors to each piece in Substance Painter and focused on height details first. I began with the engravings on the spurs, as I was excited about them. I had tried to add that detail in zBrush but found it too destructive. Instead, I projected those details in Substance Painter using alphas I made in Affinity Designer. I used my UVs to match the shape of the metal pieces perfectly, fitting the ornaments into the spur shape to create a coherent pattern. Applying these patterns in Substance Painter was very rewarding.

Height details also included a base leather pattern, stitches, and ornaments on the leather strap. I used a similar method to the metal details. I spent more time on the leather strap, matching it to my reference and adjusting height, roughness, and base color. I worked on all parts to the same level of detail. I created a "clean" version of the sole first and then gradually added scuffs. I used different leather textures for varied detail and wrinkles. Smaller textures came from Substance Painter materials, and larger wrinkles were projected using a purchased leather material from 'texturing.xyz'. Creating realistic results without using actual leather detail is almost impossible. Following a specific leather reference was crucial for realism. I initially modeled a different shoe, which made applying the same texture look from the reference to my boot challenging.

Regularly checking my progress in a rendering software was important because textures can look different compared to Substance Painter's viewport.

Once I was happy with the textures, I exported them to tweak the final details in shading. With different masks for the shoe parts, I had a lot of flexibility and could adjust my texturing work. Lighting greatly impacted the textures, so I adjusted it to complement my work, keeping it interesting and not too evenly lit. I avoided a studio lighting look, saving that for my turntable. Instead, I chose a late afternoon ambiance with harsh shadows, a warm key light and a cool rim light.

With some final post effects in compositing, my shots were complete.

You might wonder, why did I choose a Dr. Martens boot? I wanted to model and texture a shoe because it offers a chance to work with various materials like leather, fabric, and rubber. When deciding which shoe to pick, I did not have to search far. I looked around my own closet and found my old, worn, and weathered Dr. Martens boots. They seemed like the perfect choice for this project, given their rugged look and personal significance.

After selecting Dr. Martens boots as my object of choice, the next step was to gather reference images to ensure an accurate representation. This first step sets the groundwork for the following stages, providing a clear direction for the modeling, detailing, and texturing processes. To ensure a personal touch, I used my own shoes as reference alongside other images, infusing my style into the project. Additionally, I went on a reference hunt on product websites, allowing me to see the shape of a new and clean shoe straight from the store. I realized that I needed specific references for the folds that form only after extended wear. Although I had Dr. Martens at home for reference, they were not quite suitable. The leather folds differently depending on the shoe's height, and mine was too tall for what I had in mind. Fortunately, being in an environment surrounded by fellow students allowed for easy exchange, and one of my peers kindly offered to provide photos of their shoes for reference.

In Autodesk Maya, I began with the foundational structure of the boots. Initially, I created a rough blockout to establish the overall shape, using reference photos to ensure accuracy in curvature. This approach allowed me to focus on achieving a 'clean' appearance before adding worn details and folds in zBrush later.

Once I was satisfied with the main shape, I increased the poly count. It took some back and forth to maintain a nice curvature without adding too many edges. It proved helpful to utilize viewport shaders like "blinn" as they provided a clearer representation of how the leather would appear and if there were any bumps visible. After establishing the silhouette, it was time to separate the parts of the shoe that were not made from a single leather piece in the real-life version of the shoe. Since my edge flow did not yet completely align with the separation lines, I performed a quick retopology. This allowed me to simultaneously establish my desired polygon count. I then added thickness to those individual parts and shifted my focus to details such as the eyelets and the label in the back. The eyelets themselves were easily modeled, but placing them in the correct position proved to be a tedious task. I had to ensure they all had the right orientation and were positioned precisely in their designated space.

My initial plan was to have the shoelaces lying on the ground, as I envisioned the shoe in its final presentation. However, I knew I might change my mind later, so I decided on a procedural approach. I utilized Maya curves and sweep mesh to create the laces. Similarly, for the distinctive yellow stitches characteristic of Dr. Martens, I employed curves. I selected the edge of the sole where I wanted the stitches to lie and converted it to a curve. Then, I utilized a MEL script called "Duplicate along Path" to scatter geometry representing stitches along that curve.

When everything was beveled and clean, I was ready to create the UVs for my model. In retrospect, this is where I would have worked differently with my current knowledge. I think I should have postponed that step until I had finished the sculpting process because the base model might, and indeed did, change. Therefore, I had to unfold and layout the UVs twice. I decided to use 13 UDIMs after establishing the rough camera shots.

Having imported my model into zBrush, I started to consult my references for the wear and tear. I studied the folds of the boots, taking great inspiration from the pair I was wearing daily at this point. Using the standard brush was my go-to and carried me through most of the sculpting process. I sculpted the folds using one main reference. For the underside of the sole, I utilized an alpha I created from photos of the sole's underside as a stencil. I planned to use Substance Painter's warp projection tool for the pattern on the edge of the sole, so I set it aside for the time being. Instead, I focused on refining the wrinkles, deforming the shoe's shape, and adding details, including the border at the top of the boot shaft. Looking back, it might have been better to add this part as separate geometry, but I managed to achieve the desired effect by simulating it with height and normal.

As I deformed the boot, I noticed that the laces no longer aligned perfectly with the shoe, and adjusting them in zBrush proved to be challenging. I decided to export my low-poly model to Maya and made the necessary adjustments to the shoelaces there. At this point, I changed my mind about the presentation and opted to have the shoe hanging from an electricity line. My procedural workflow for the laces came in handy, and modifying the curve in Maya proved to be a straightforward solution.

Once satisfied with the sculpt, I prepared to bake the displacement map. However, I realized that the base mesh had deformed significantly, necessitating another round of UV unfolding to prevent stretching and errors in the displacement map.

After checking the height map in Maya by rendering the boot in Arnold, I transitioned to the texturing phase.

I added a base to separate the varying materials. Then, I focused on refining all the height details since the texturing needed to be adjusted accordingly. To ensure accuracy, I created a custom seamless texture for the shoelaces to closely match the lace texture. Additionally, I meticulously applied stitches along the seams and incorporated a thread-like texture to accentuate the larger stitches on the sole.

One of the challenges I encountered during the texturing process was finding a method to recreate the tiny wrinkles that naturally form in leather creases. After seeking advice from mentors and peers, a fellow student proposed a procedural approach using a noise texture. While this solution was not the quickest, the result closely matched my vision, making the extra effort worthwhile. I painstakingly painted masks for the wrinkled texture, utilizing Substance Painter's warp projection tool. Gradually, I progressed towards refining the base color.

In the initial texturing pass, I focused on incorporating Subsurface Scattering into the sole to achieve a rubbery appearance. Additionally, I applied a black gradient towards the top of the sole. This helped enhance the impression of slight translucency. The warp projection tool proved effective for the sole's edge as well. It provided precise control over the placement of the lines I added in the height channel of the boot. Following that, I focused on addressing the dirt accumulation in the grooves and crevices, which required adjusting height, roughness, and color variation interchangeably.

The leather material covering the main body of the boot posed the most crucial yet challenging aspect. After establishing a solid foundation of roughness and color variation, I meticulously matched the specular properties to closely resemble those of the real boots. However, the dark material made it challenging to discern the added details, so I adjusted the color for better visibility. I planned to revert it back to black later for realism. Exporting my textures and periodically rendering a work-in-progress in Maya with Arnold proved to be essential. Unfortunately, time constraints began to impact the texturing phase, prompting me to prioritize specific areas of the shoe for the final presentation.

Recognizing the significance of Dr. Martens boot labels, I dedicated special attention to capturing the embroidered look. Substance Sampler provides a fitting tool for simulating embroidery on diverse textures. To craft the logo, I used online images, tracing them to create a vector graphic, and then generated my custom material.

At the top of my priority list was the toe cap. Upon examining my shoes, I noticed it had the most captivating and intricate features in terms of roughness variation and dirt accumulation. Adding layers of scraped-off leather, smudged dirt, and weathered surfaces turned out to be quite enjoyable.

As the deadline came closer, it became evident that certain details of the shoe lacked refinement. Despite this, I knew it was crucial to move on to the next stage to finish within the given time limit.

I selected a basic HDRI for neutral lighting and used it during the turntable breakdown. In Arnold, I set up the shaders and adjusted the texture maps using 'remapHSV'. For my main presentation, I decided to experiment with a distinctive style. I embraced a cyberpunk theme for the lighting, incorporating purple and yellow rim lights to set the mood.

Thank you for reading!
And last but not least THANK YOU so much to my classmates and mentors for carrying my through these projects and through my time here at PIXLVISN.  If it weren't for you, my time here wouldn't have been half as rewarding and fun! I'm already dreading the end of these amazing 1 1/2 years. But at the same time I can't wait for what's to come and what the future holds for every one of us.