Dragon

[Michael Doyle]

I haven't posted anything for a while, but was prompted to by Dee's work on her 3D images. She did a really nice job on the bird in her latest post.
I do a fair amount of 3D work. Some of it is vector drawn, and some of it is bitmap. While I find the vector easier to manipulate, I get some decent results from dicking around with the bit maps. I often duplicate and isolate areas to be manipulated and laid back on top of the original. It can be a pain, but with practice it is not so bad.

I was asked for a dragon design on a pen box, and here is how it came out. This is a manipulated bitmap.

[Rodne Gold]

That looks VERY good...nice job.
There is a way to minimise the "ridging" and banding on the background and that is to use a polishing pass after engraving..ie a high speed lowish power pass.
Another way is to have a patterned background.

[Dee Gallo]

I love this, Michael- it is up to your usual excellent standard. I was always inspired by your spectacular pens and crests... so we've helped each other!

It makes me wonder now: how would a manipulated bitmap come out if you added strategic vector lines for definition where it's really needed? hmmmmm... might make things easier and better yet ... thanks for the thought!

cheers, dee

[Tom Bull]

So by manipulated you mean you "copy" (or something like that) areas such as the back ground and lay them on top of the image and run those through a second or third, etc. burn until you get the desired effect?

[Michael Doyle]

Thanks Dee.

Rodne - The banding is actually the wood grain, and is far more obvious in the photo than in the flesh. I do get some higher ridges on glued up plaques and will try your suggestion on those.


Tom - I make a copy of the artwork and power clip a section then work on the brightness or contrast. When I get it where I want it, I overlay it on the original. If you register it correctly it blends perfectly. I only engrave once.

[Dan Hintz]

Sorry, Dee, but I now have to claim Michael as the champion 3Der in my book... and I swear it has nothing to do with my family's predilection towards all things dragon Remove those wings and I would have a guaranteed hit of a Christmas present for my father.

[Dee Gallo]

Sorry, Dee, but I now have to claim Michael as the champion 3Der in my book... and I swear it has nothing to do with my family's predilection towards all things dragon Remove those wings and I would have a guaranteed hit of a Christmas present for my father.

You are so fickle, Dan!

Sounds like a Dragon Contest, now!

I only do Chinese dragons, BTW.

[Frank Corker]

Michael, great job on the dragon, looks very pleasing to the eye.

[Andrea Weissenseel]

That looks good

Dragon contest sounds good to me, Dee I have one chinese dragon I drew myself, maybe it comes out good in 3D

[Christopher Scoggin]

When thinking dragons don't forget Quetzalcoatl. Not strictly a dragon but a winged serpent. Often seen represented similarly to a oriental dragon.

Just thinking outside the box.