| Before we begin to explore all the theory and techniques that are involved in the process of texturing, it is vital to observe the world around you in such a way as to enable you to understand exactly what you need to create within the computer-generated environment in which you work. Merely observing the world on a superficial level is not sufficient. Take a look around you. What do you see? Naturally, you see the world that you have been looking at every single day of your life.
Now take another look around you. This time, concentrate on every different surface that you see and describe to yourself exactly what the surface looks like. When you begin to describe what you see, you will realize that every surface is comprised of many different qualities.
Concentrate on one particular surface. What colors are in the surface? Are there any scratches, fingerprints, or other blemishes or imperfections in it? Is it reflective? Does any light penetrate the surface? Answering questions such as these will help you to understand exactly what you need to know in order to recreate a surface such as the one that you are examining.
Look at the photo of a dusty electric guitar in Figure 1-1 on the following page. The fingerprints in the dust tell us that someone (me!) has recently touched it. However, the heavy layer of dust tells us that the guitar has probably been sitting unused for some time. (I just don’t have all that much time to practice anymore.)
Touch the surface. Is it hot or is it cold? Smooth or rough? The actual tactile quality of the surface is very important. To make a texture believable, you have to be able to convey to viewers exactly what the surface would feel like if they were to reach out and touch it. The art of creating textures is so much more than just defining the colors of surfaces; it is about creating the quality and tangibility of them too. |
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| | Advanced CalculusNew publisher! Corrected version! Demonstrating analytical and numerical techniques for attacking problems in the application of mathematics, this well-organized, clearly written text presents the logical relationship and fundamental notations of analysis. Buck discusses analysis not solely as a tool, but as a subject in its own right. This... | | |
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