This series explores several themes during the pottery process. From slow to quick, from soft to hard, and from monochromatic to multicoloured. Over the course of the project, I've developed several animated sequences to imagine and capture the essence viola beuscher ceramic - the duality between neutral and vibrant with hints of imperfections.
The goal for me was to practice the full production process - from idealization to post-production, while continued to develop my animation skill. In consequence, I've developed a better grasp on my style and pace of working, and more importantly, an understanding of my strength and weakness in each process of the pipeline. Also, I have developed more technical understanding of Houdini where I start to take on FLIP simulations and experimented with manipulating FLIP in various ways.
All assets are modelled, animated, and textured.
Challenges
To FLIP or not to FLIP
One of the most challenging part is the ceramic paint and glazing. Paint was relatively manageable compare to the glaze effect. The initial attempt of a simple FLIP setup is very underwhelming where no adhesion and control of the flow of the liquid could be achieve. My attempted solution was creating a velocity field to control the liquid flow, however, the final result turns out to be too thick and lack the subtlety of a glaze. The final solution is to turn to SOP and VDB for more control which resulted in the best looking out of the three. It was a huge learning experience dealing with various nuances with FLIP - jittery liquids, uncontrollable splashes, surface meshing issues - you named it. This just show how much there is to learn and I've developed much more respect to artists who specializes in these systems. I have included AI generated fluid, just to see if it can do 'my job' :) Key takeaway? A 'fluid' does not have to be flip.
Camera focus tracking
In the scene where we morph from plates to vase - there was an issue with changing focal point due to camera movement. I was able to resolve this issue with a little bit of research, creating a set up where the focus distance can accommodate the moving camera while remaining focus on the subject.
