A few of my models, used in the LAZARUS comic book

xayzer

So I really do not know words to compliment you on this.

Thank you! You've succeeded in complementing me nevertheless

very nice!
If I may; how does the collaboration go? You get a list of the models he needs?
Who decides on the style / tech finishes of all the vehicles?
Is it a ping-pong of ideas and revisions?

That is a great question! After the artist (Michael Lark) receives the script for the new issue from the writer (Greg Rucka), he creates a list of vehicles, objects and interior/exterior settings he's going to need models for and sends it to me.

As to who decides on the style/tech finishes, the answer is that it depends on the model. With some of them, I get very specific instructions and visual reference material that I should follow. On others I get a basic orientation as to what is required, and am given a carte blanche to do what I think would look good. I've been working for so long with the illustrator, that I have a good idea of what he needs, and major revisions are very rare.

To give you an example, this is the quick sketch provided by the illustrator on which the Insectoid Spy Drone model is based:

measuredmove

A very unique and enviable job to have. So creative it must be very exciting when a new concept is started.

xayzer

@measuredmove said:

A very unique and enviable job to have. So creative it must be very exciting when a new concept is started.

It's definitely exciting. Unfortunately, not all my work is like that. For my other main client I have to make hundreds upon hundreds of wooden crates with minor differences between each, then use complex equations to enter them into his proprietary crating software. It's quite mind-numbing.

Lately I haven't had much work, so now I'm desperately looking for more.

solo

Great stuff, looks like a ton of fun.
Where are you located?

measuredmove

I hear you on soul-sucking jobs. Had a few of those but mostly in the CAD realm.
Good luck with future jobs. Not that I know very much about story-boarding but perhaps your skills would work for commercials or TV production or animated versions for cartoons, perhaps of the work you do already.

xayzer

@solo said:

Great stuff, looks like a ton of fun.
Where are you located?

Thank you, solo!

I'm located in Bulgaria, but over the years most of my clients have been from the States.

@measuredmove said:

Good luck with future jobs.

Thank you!

@measuredmove said:

Not that I know very much about story-boarding but perhaps your skills would work for commercials or TV production or animated versions for cartoons, perhaps of the work you do already.

I haven't actually been involved with the storyboarding, I just make the models and renders. But nowadays, I'll take any work that I can find.

db11

Wow! Amazing stuff!

I love both your super-cool models, and the incredible graphics that were created with them.

Hard to imagine that with all your talent, you're still lacking for work. Hope it picks up for you

xayzer

@db11 said:

Wow! Amazing stuff!

I love both your super-cool models, and the incredible graphics that were created with them.

Hard to imagine that with all your talent, you're still lacking for work. Hope it picks up for you

Thank you, db11, much appreciated!

Here are another two exterior models, one of a marine station that has suffered a few missile strikes, and one of a docked ship in a Havana port:

alvis

wuaa!! Just spectacular

pilou

Very cool result!

No project to make the same in Virtual Reality for give more "true 3D" at this 2D story?
As you have yet the 3D models !

xayzer

@alvis said:

wuaa!! Just spectacular

Thank you!

@pilou said:

Very cool result!

No project to make the same in Virtual Reality for give more "true 3D" at this 2D story?
As you have yet the 3D models !

I wish I had a VR headset, it would be awesome to be able to explore the interior models I've made in Virtual Reality.

Bryan K

Impressive work.

xayzer

@bryan k said:

Impressive work.

Thank you!

Here's another update. An interior model of a Lab, as well as three test renders. This one is from the latest issue of the book, Risen #2.

pbacot

Lab renders are totally real. All wonderful artwork! I hope you find the work you deserve.

kaas

absolutely stunning. I totally agree with pbacot.
I'm curious - whats the polycount / edge count of some of those models - for instance the lab. We are talking several millions or..?

xayzer

@pbacot said:

Lab renders are totally real. All wonderful artwork! I hope you find the work you deserve.

Thank you, pbacot!

@kaas said:

absolutely stunning. I totally agree with pbacot.
I'm curious - whats the polycount / edge count of some of those models - for instance the lab. We are talking several millions or..?

Thank you!
I just checked, and the lab model has 4,300,000 edges and 1,900,000 faces

tuna1957

Absolutely fantastic work !

xayzer

@tuna1957 said:

Absolutely fantastic work !

Thank you!

Yet another update:

This one wasn't used as much in the book as was initially intended, and it got changed a bit after the final renders, but nevertheless:

faust07

Absolutely outstanding work! Thank you for the presentation here in the forum. Which techniques and which software do you use for the visualizations? How are the characters and their gestures created - 3D models or are they drawn into the pictures?

xayzer

@faust07 said:

Absolutely outstanding work! Thank you for the presentation here in the forum. Which techniques and which software do you use for the visualizations? How are the characters and their gestures created - 3D models or are they drawn into the pictures?

Thank you, faust07!

For the models I use Sketchup, for the renders - Enscape and Photoshop.

The illustrations you see below or to the right of my renderings/models are made by the artist of the LAZARUS comic book. The characters are drawn by him, though sometimes he does use 3d models as reference for them as well, especially if they are wearing some sort of specialized gear, as is the case in the two examples below: