Intended Outcome:
- Create a realistic camping lantern.
Problems I encountered and how I overcame them:
- Because this model is extremely symmetrical, I added my reference image to the background of my interface while modelling to use as a stencil. The made the proportions easier to align, and modelling in a wireframe view and allowed me to create an extremely accurate replica. When creating this model, I made sure to separate each component in order to make texturing this model as efficient as possible.
- While this model was complex, it was achievable by extruding, indenting, and moving points of the mesh to match the reference image. This was particularly evident when creating the base, bulb, and top portion of this model.
- To create the side pieces of this lantern, I added a cylinder, rotated it slightly, and used the ‘spin’ option, altering the angle and the pivot point until it matched the image behind. I then duplicated this model for the other side.
- To add the tabs which the handle hooks on to, I altered the shape of a plane to match the reference image, moving and adding vertices where needed. I then extruded this shape, and added cylindrical boolean to create the hole, before merging this shape with the side pieces to make one mesh.
- There were certain parts of this model that were made out of wire, something I was not too confident in creating the effect of, so I was rather interested to see if and how I could create the effect. To do so, I began with a circle, created a face, indented slightly, and then removed the inner face. I then extruded the remaining mesh, before moving parts of it to match the image. The wire on this lantern is rather uneven, so I made sure not to use too much proportional editing, so that when a subdivision modifier was applied, it would create a wonky and bent effect.
- While the lantern in my reference image had only 3 holes in the top part of it, I decided to make 4 in order to simplify my modelling process, but also ensure each hoe was an equal distance from the other. To create this, I removed the bottom face of the top mesh to make the model hollow, before using the boolean tool to create the holes mentioned. I then created a face below this portion, and solidified the material around tho holes to resemble a thin sheet of metal.
- I used the same process as I did when creating the base parts of the lantern to create the nozzle.
- To the side of the lantern, there is a sheet of metal with wire leading to it. To create this sheet, I originally planned to alter a plane, but soon found it difficult to curve the piece. Because of this, I ended up using my design on the flat mesh to model the same shape but onto faces taken from a cylinder. Although complex, this proved effective, and once I added a solidifier modifier, it resembled the reference image perfectly.
- To create the handle and the wire to the side of the bulb, I used the same method as I did with the side parts of the lantern.
- To complete this model, I bevelled any edges that were too harsh, and I ensured that the normals of the mesh had an auto smooth angle of 30 degrees. I also removed any unnecessary faces/vertices and grouped parts of the model that would be textured identically.
Where to go from here:
- Add more detail to the scene.
Timelapse:
Final Model:
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