On the way to 3D Grooming. My Story. Episode 7 — 2017 — Dreadlocks
Hey everyone!
In this episode, I want to tell you about a project that was born out of my personal passion! 😅 I’m absolutely crazy about dreadlocks, especially about people who have them. For me, there’s a special kind of aesthetics and freedom in it!
When I lived on the island of Samui, this idea stuck in my head so much that I decided to get them myself. I started growing my hair, and it was already long, down to my shoulders, and just a little more to reach my joking goal of “growing it down to my butt”! Heh.
But then something clicked inside me, and I… shaved my head! 🤷♂️ Well, more precisely, I gave myself an undercut. And it was all because dreadlocks take so much effort to maintain! I realized they just weren’t a fit for my lifestyle. But I decided to capture my love for them in this project by bringing it to life in 3D.
I downloaded tons of photos of girls and guys with dreadlocks and got to work. As I’ve said before, every new project for me is a challenge. I always set new goals and try to solve fresh, unusual tasks. And back then, nobody was showing how to make dreadlocks in 3D.
There was only some tutorial in ZBrush, but its quality was, to put it mildly, not great. So I had to experiment and find the right way on my own. In one of my videos on the channel (actually in two!), I later showed how to braid dreadlocks in a more proper way.
Back then, of course, I made them incorrectly, and over time I think I’ll return to this project to upgrade it and improve the quality. The thing is, I made a few mistakes that gave the dreads a more “artificial” look rather than how they really appear in life. What do you think those mistakes were? Write in the comments! 👇
The Story of a Return
By the way, a couple of years ago I had already returned to this project. After working on the cinematic for Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, I decided to apply all the new knowledge and experience I’d gained and took on those dreadlocks again! I was actively working on them, recording the whole process, editing videos… and then I lost everything… 😔 I even wrote about it here with a heavy heart.
Then I came back to them again, but that’s when the heavy shelling of my city began. I spent 3 months without electricity, in the cold, without water or heat… It was a really hard time. 💔 I also wrote about that, starting from this post…
In the end, I managed to get out of the city, but I still plan to return to this project someday and finish it.
For now, I suggest checking out all the WIPs (works in progress) that I shared on ArtStation and YouTube.
ARTSTATION WIPS:
YOUTUBE:
The most interesting part is that all those trinkets, rings, and other accessories — I was making them for the very first time! Those were my first assets of that kind that I really put effort into. Back then I got hooked on sculpting in 3D-Coat and painting everything in Substance Painter. It was pure joy to see the project come to life!
That’s the whole story of this project. I still hope to come back to it someday — I really want to finish everything I had planned.
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You can check out the old version HERE.
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