@@ -122,14 +122,64 @@ I then use the detection using Webcam and start with Target the Face, with facia
Then I made two videos showing a short animation with the front view of the first version of the 3 characters, this animation took about two hours to render. I made a second animation that was doing a body scan view of the character of Verdandi that took also about two hours to render.
Week 24 February
I made the characters again so that they could have better rigs and that they would fit better to their characteristics. Indeed, I decided to collaborate with Dora and Sara, that would be the two other Nornes for the 3D animation and the film. Dora would represent the future (Skul) and Sara the past (Urd).
I asked them to send me a place that would represent a place of refuge or resistance for them, so that I could translate what they reply into my alphabet and then weave it onto the balaclavas that they will wear.
So I made the characters on makehuman, I changed the parameters of skin, body shapes, but I didn't put them hair because they are wearing balaclavas which should fit to the body. I added them rigs in “animation”.
Then, from the youtube tuto, I exported them to be able to get them into Blender.
Then on Blender, I had to open another version, older, because it didn't work with the recent one I had. Then I had to open it with right click “run as administrator”. I deleted all elements. Then I had to open the file.
I could set up an atmosphere. Then I set the add on for motion capture. I repeated few times the physical moves so that they would fit with the way they are being read.
The few moves were :
standing, passing the gut-cord. I started with passing my arms in front of my body. Unfortunately it then resulted to have the hands entering “inside the body”. So I started to make moves with my arms less close to my body. Even moves with hands towards outside. I tried with small moves and bigger moves. The feets didn't look very realistic as they were disconnected to the ground. Bending created weird body shapes and the bust didn't really make the turn.
Standing, making the character talk. I made smaller moves to make it more realistic, with some head and arm moves.
3D prop on Blender: the small mold of alien head from clea picture:
Then I made a small 3D from the website....., that got me to draw its shape thanks to this tuto. I then exported it into Blender to modify it. I could sculpt it on top of the shape. I added first a picture of the real element to have indication of volume. Then with the tablet graphic, I drew the eyebrows with volume, the mouse and made hole where the nose is, pushing it more or less with the graphic tablet pen.
I also have the mycelium version of it that I made during Fabricademy and that I want to use for the video, on the floor near the Nornes, at their feet.
## **Prototypes**
knitting :
I knitted another big sample of 140 crochets. I had less troubles than before, I imagine it is thanks to the material, knitting with cotton of this size seems easier. I had to put bigger weights on the comb and every few lines of knit I had to put up the weights on the sides. I had to be carefull that the crochets were properly opened and that they were taking all of the threads, to not get holes. What worked the best was mixing cotton threads with wool threads for some reason, although there should be a way to make a bit fabric with only wool, but I didn't manage with the weigh and the quantity of knitting I needed.
pattern making of the balaclava:
For the pattern making of the balaclava, I decided to make a cut myself, from the past prototype. I took the measurements and did some adjustments to have it a bit tighter at the back.
I then passed it onto Inksape, drawing it so that it would use as little fabric as possible.
I wanted to have a fabric pattern to help me at the time of cutting the knitting and also I could use it as a “doublure”. So I used the laser cut to have a perfect cut.
Then I added the pins to give it its shape and try it on and I put it on the head.
Sewing :
In Leynaud, Textile lab in Lyon I got to change the 4 threads of the overlock. In the end, there were only three of four functioning because there were just 3 needles and not 4.
I struggled to set up the machine as the threads were detaching. Pauline helped me to see if everything was ok inside and told me to change the two last threads to “mousse” for a better effect. I checked the drawing to see where I had to set up the threads into the right needles. After few attempts I managed to make it work, with different tones of colour, some UV ones as I wanted.
I wanted to get the overlock sewing outside of the balaclava this time to try it out. I cut the outside border of the big neoprene pieces because they were being too big. I pinned the neoprene on top of it with all the layers at the same time. The struggle is going to be to not have the knitting falling apart because it cuts the threads with the overlock. I may have to make other sewings on top or add something.
I made the sewing by first the first two big pieces of the balaclavas with the sewing on the top middle. Then I sew the borders of the middle triangle with the neoprene. Then I sewed the border of the balaclavas that is around the face. Finally I sewed the triangle in the middle. Then I just made the last sewing on the bottom border. There is a hole there which need to get fixed because as it is where the head is going to pass the hole will increase.
Knitting:
In oullins I received the french company yarns that I ordered, and the UV light threads.
I thought the cotton threads were going to be thicker and they were thinner than the ones I was using for the previous samples that I used for the two first balaclavas that I got to be satisfied with.
I then had to make few trials of combinaisons of threads together. I tried different colours and threads. First with yellow cotton and red wool but the yellow wasn't as satisfying as the previous one, and the tension I put was about 6. the first one was not dense enough and we would see less the patterns as there would be more space between knots. Then I tried to make one opposite colours and threads, yellow on red patterns, cotton on wool. It had an interesting look but quite not the one I wanted. I the tried with two wools blue and green and 4 as tension and I added conductive threads in the symbols. It could become what will be the tentacles or part of the head balaclava piece. The texture was better as more dense but maybe too dense and it shrinked a bit. I made another sample with 2 wools red and blue with a tension of 5 and I think that its the one that is the most appropriate for it. Then I made a last one with white cotton and black wool and some conductive thread and I quite liked the result, with a 5 tension.
I will anyways have to be care-full with the size of the fabric that is going to be smaller anyways if it is just wool. Ill have to calculate the size ill need for the balaclavas, probably have double for the two sides.
I then started to make a new prop of alien head out of the mycelium trash from Amandine's workshop.
I had to disinfect my tools, gloves and wear a mask. I then had to wet the mycelium pieces and make it into powder to put it back into the silicone mold I had.
