This is the second project i realized at SkyUp Academy.
The process works like the first project: recreate the reference image in 3D.
This time i had to recreate an helmet design made by the talented Ivan Power.
I tried to approach this model trying to do as musch as possible in ZBrush.
I did the main shapes and the skull in Zbrush, the different little parts around the helmet were modeled mainly in Maya. In Maya I made the uvs to bring the project into Substance Painter.
To render the helmet, I took inspiration from Lee Fitzgerald’s "Sith Helmet" on ArtStation. I really liked the simplicity and visual impact of his presentation.
For my own lighting, I decided to go with a 4-light setup:
1 Key Light: Positioned above the helmet to highlight the front and top areas.
2 Rim Lights: Since the top-down key light created heavy shadows around the sides, I added one rim light on each side (left and right) to restore some shape and definition.
1 Back Light: A small red-tinted light placed behind the helmet, helping to subtly separate it from the background and add depth.
To create the low fog, I stacked three layers of planes and generated alpha maps in After Effects using fractal noise. I also added a touch of volumetric fog in V-Ray to get a better result. Once V-Ray finished rendering, I brought the images into Photoshop for the final touches: color correction and refining the fog and bloom effects.
In the following images, I’ll show the final result, but you’ll also be able to see the before/after of my post-production.
