The Overview
This was the final project I was assigned to create for my 3D class. The task was for us to choose any exhibition piece from The Noguchi Museum and recreate it through Blender. This is my rendition of the Karatsu Stoneware titled "Buson, 1952" from the collection.
The Problem
The Noguchi Museum is in need of a social post to announce their 40th anniversary celebration and hopefully get others to visit the museum on the day of the event.
The Solution
Design a social post displaying one of the exhibit pieces that has been recreated in 3D.
Textures Used In Blender
The top textures were used from Poly Haven and created by Rob Tuytel. The bottom 2 are stock images.
Museum Reference
This is a piece created by Isamu Noguchi, and like many of his art, this piece showcases wabi-sabi. According to the dictionary, "wabi-sabi meaning a world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of appreciating beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete" in nature."
Modeling in Blender
I struggled a lot with creating the model in Blender and found the UV Editing to be the most confusing part. I did learn a lot however and I really want to master Blender in the future. For reference, I pulled the image above and did my best to recreate it in Blender, with a little help from my professor. I think if I were to try this again, I would try to figure out a way to add imperfections to the 3D model so that it would look more worn like the original.
Test Social Posts
These were posts created using the original photo instead of the Blender model in order to see what the final product could look like.
Finalized Social Posts
This post celebrates 40 years of The Noguchi Museum. I was tasked with creating a variety with subtle differences in its rotation.
Instagram Post
This is a mockup of what these images would look like on Instagram
Individual Posts
Outcome + Reflections + Next Steps
This project turned out to be the hardest one out of all the projects I have ever worked on. Learning 3D software like Blender and (briefly) Unity in a slim time span amidst the other design courses I had to take, left me feeling overwhelmed. I believe Blender is one of my weakest skills at the moment and during the project, I found myself relying on my professor more than I anticipated. I would love to revisit these programs in the near future and work on them until I've gained more confidence in my work. Overall I was satisfied with the direction this project went in, but I would love to take my skills in 3D to the next level.
