Getting to Know Evelyn
This is from a blog I am doing for my client on this project. The Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center Sculpture Blog.
Reference
Yesterday, my client was kind enough to take time with me and allow me to thumb through old photo albums. It is interesting… I’m looking for photographs of my subject, but it is seeing the family photographs, hearing the stories, this is what makes me feel bonded to my subject.
I’m trying to not only capture a likeness, I’m trying to find Evelyn. Watching her playful side in photographs, some that I have never even taken as reference, hearing about her parents, my clients and the relationship to them, even talking about death. All of these things add an element to a sculpture that you can’t get by just “doing the work.”
I once heard an artist say, “posthumous sculpture is just another commission.” It is so much more to me. This is a life lived. It is someone’s mother and wife. It is a person whose life made a huge difference and will continue to make a difference. How can I honor that? Who are you Evelyn?
My client also took time for me, and posed in a similar sweater like Evelyn is wearing in the key photograph. I needed to see folds all around. Folds are so important. In a recent sculpture of a young man playing ultimate frisbee I hired a young man of similar size to be my model. He spent an hour jumping up and down in the yard of my studio while I took video. Photographs were impossible as I could never catch the folds I needed when he was at the high point of his jump. So I filmed him, and then took stills to use as reference.
I could have had a friend pose for me, in a sweater like Evelyn’s, but even this little detail of having someone she knew and love pose, this makes a difference. We are cocreating. This is not just “my” artwork it becomes “our” artwork.
I’m becoming intimately familiar with the stature and physical nuances of Evelyn. I study the photographs. There are photograph from many different ages. Some are taken at 20- 50 even 70 year of age. This process is much easier at this age. Once I had to do a sculpture of a little boy who had passed away, the reference photographs I had spanned from ages 1-4 and 7. A child has huge changes in facial and body structure at that age. This is not so much with a grown person.
helps me to see elements without a
lot of visual distraction.
I’m spending time today tracing some of these photographs. I can set them over my digital sculpture image the way I would use them comparing them to shape and form traditionally in the studio. Again this process is giving me the general shape of Evelyn, so that I can have it enlarged for an armature to put on the clay. Tracing these images helps me to see the basic shape without a lot of visual disturbance.
Length of Skirt
My client helped to confirm the length of the skirt. We changed the length and, as mentioned in a previous post, the height of the figure. Much more to do on this model before sending it off. My goal is to have it to the enlarger before I leave town at the end of the month. That way, if I am lucky, the armature will be waiting for me upon my return.
on details for my armature and model.
I can’t wait to get my hands dirty.
All of the digital preparations are nice,
but I long to be with the piece physically.
Thinking
I’m looking at the pearls and wondering, where did she get them? My husband gave me pearls. I don’t wear jewelry, not even my wedding ring. It is hard to wear jewelry when you have your hands in goo most of the time. But pearls are all I wanted, a simple strand to wear when we go out. So, I think about these intimate details as I work on the sculpture.
Some of my thoughts, broad back, slight overbite, questioning her earrings, thinking about how she brushed her hair, who did it for her?
This is the Christmas Card From the University
How nice. Thanks for sending it to me Dr. Talley
Detailed Description of The Process of Tra-digi Art
POSER, DAZ 3D and Zbrush- Creating of digital armatures
Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center.
This is a rather long and detailed explanation for a process that I use called tra-digi art. It is copied from my sculpture blog, and is intended to not only show the process, but help other individuals who are learning these processes. Tra-digi art is incorporating traditional processes with digital processes for artwork that is realized in a physical form.
In this project I’m trying to obtain an armature that I can use for the new life-size bronze sculpture of Evelyn Rubenstein. I know my pose, so I don’t need a tradition sculpted maquette to show my client. The pose is from a photograph that my client has of Evelyn in a suit. I am, however, missing some information such as the position of her legs. And I need to create a 3d model of this pose because I intend on having it milled for me. In other words, Synappsys digital services will take my 3d model enlarge it and mill it out in foam, instead of me having to go through the tedious process of welding medal, using spray foam and making a life-size armature as I used to do before the tra-digi process. This process is very similar to what I did with the 11 foot panther project.
So. using the provided picture and a program called Poser along with Daz 3d models and 3d clothes I can expedite my process by creating a similar pose to the one in the photograph.
It helps me to be able to see and I can create the information that I don’t
have in the photograph, like her legs and feet
I really like working in Poser, though Daz 3d does have a free modeling program that does the same thing, I wish I had the time to learn it. Poser, feels very intuitive for what I am trying to do, I can push and pull, repose, try different things- meanwhile seeing my figure from all sides and getting to “feel” the pose. I’m not using Poser to “create my art,” instead it is just as one would use their clay, or how we used to use an old wooden maquette to get a feel for the pose and try out different elements. I have done this before and have a video of the Jenna project that shows this process in more detail.
In the picture of the Poser model on this page, it is showing the mesh, or underlying structure. I need to see this to be able to know how things will work as I continue on the sculpture. For example, this model has eyelashes. I would not want that “milled” out and so they must be taken out before I can bring it into zbrush.
the underlying mesh or geometry. Then when you tried to sculpt
on the piece it would be deformed.
Zbrush by Pixologic, is one of the digital sculpting program that I use. It has quite a few new features. Dyanmesh being one of them. Usually Dyanmesh is used to sculpt from a blob, pull things out and then it remeshes the 3d model so there is no pulled or deformed geometry. This pulled gemoetry was one of the things I hated about digital sculpting, when I started years ago. Basically what this means is that behind every computer generated sculpture there is an underlying mesh.
If you double click on the elephant sculpture you will see a larger photograph that demonstrates the pulled mesh that I am speaking of. See how the squares are not uniform but some are bigger and further apart? Now, the digital tools are improving. It makes it more and more like traditional sculpture. For example, with Dyanmesh in Zbrush- just pull and push and add digital clay and then press a Dyanmesh button and the program magically creates your sculpture into an overall good workable mesh.
So far my workflow has been, Poser, and Zbrush, but I have had to do this in parts. When bringing the entire figure back into Poser I am using Dyanmesh to remesh the underlying structure so that I can revise it.
I had to experiment with a few different resolution settings. But I was able to get a pretty good mesh that I could work on. Problems with dynamesh with my process- holes. I found that I had some holes in the geometry in my piece when I remeshed using dynamesh in Zbrush. Just use the inflate tool and then remesh using dynamesh and this usually fixes the problem. Remember you are trying to get a basic geometry to work with. You can’t do details when using dynamesh.
Still needs some work.
I believe I will shorten her legs
a bit as well as her skirt.
I also will add her pearls.
The back of the sculpture
needs work, I’m off next
week to take some pictures
of her daughter-in-law
with a sweater on
so I can see the folds.
Yes, I could have started from scratch and sculpted Evelyn in the computer from a ball of clay, but this way expedites my process. I can see what a mesh will look like coming from Poser and remeshed. I think this may work.
I worked on the head, which in this view still needs more hair and is not a true likeness of Evelyn, but has a good form to start with. Much of the final detail is done in real clay down in my sculpture studio. I also worked on her arms separately. Now that I have gotten her this far here are the problems I have to work out.
Height. I believe my original model used in Poser is too big, and after confirmation I find that the Victoria 4 base model is 5’10.5″ tall. My subject evelyn is 5’6″. This confirms some of the visual things I was noticing with this sculpture. The other thing is that I believe the skirt in this view is a bit too long. Call me a stickler but I’m going to shorten it a bit, or try different lengths to see what I like. Back to the drawing board. I’ll update more later.
If you are new to 3d sculpting and want to learn about topology, a wonderful video is created by Guerilla CG Called Subdivision Topology: Artifacts. It is a good thing to realize what is going on behind the scene, but I am thankful that the sculpting programs are making it easier for artists to sculpt without having to deal with the mundane but necessary topology.
Armature-Part 2
I have been using digital processes with my traditional sculpting processes for a while. A process I call tra-digi art. I was thrilled to create a book on part of this topic called Digital Sculpting In Mudbox: Essential Tools and Techniques for Artists.
It still feels strange to do so much work on a sculpture and not getting my fingers dirty in clay. But here I sit in my office, above my studio, working out details of Evelyn. The pose has been decided on, but there are some details of this pose that need to be worked out.
1. In what position are her feet? What is the missing information that I don’t have in my reference photograph?
2. How will she stand within her placement at the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center? She is going in the lobby, but we need her to work well in the lobby design and, still be secure. That means she has to be secured to the floor and perhaps a third point. I’m considering hiding that 3rd place of securing in her right elbow sweater folds.
I will not be creating this armature in the traditional process as mentioned in part one, instead I will be creating the basic armature of her within the computer and Synappsys Digital Service In Oklahoma will take my 3d file and then mill out an armature in foam. Then, I will cover the foam with clay and add my details. You can see this milling part of the process in the video showing Jenna in the previous post. You can also see how we used a foam armature if you take a look at the Prairie View Panther Project Blog. The Prairie View Panther was a large 11 foot panther that was created in bronze for Prairie View University in Prairie View Texas.
In the next post you will see my process of working up the digital sketch of Evelyn for her armature.
Creating an Armature- Part 1
to the enlarged Newsboy sculpture
piece, point by point. This will
not be the process used to
create the armature of Evelyn.
Instead new digital process
will be used by the artist.
Traditional sculpture has changed for some over the years. When it comes to creating a sculpture for a client, many start with a small maquette, or small sculpture. This is usually done to try to obtain a pose and work out the movement of a piece. An example of creating a maquette can be seen in my Newsboy blog, and is shown on this page.
In the case of the Evelyn sculpture we are not going to create a maquette. Instead, we are going right to a large sculpture. The reason for this is that we know the pose. It has been decided on, and there is little to figure out in this sculpture project.
life-size sculpture
of the newsboy.
Going from a maquette to a large sculpture in the traditional process can be very, very time consuming, and up until adding digital technology to my process, it was one of my least favorite things to do. There is some detail about this traditional process in my journal of creating the newsboy. The process consists of measuring up the sculpture, point by point, creating an armature, made up of rebar, and or pipe, chicken wire, spray foam and then of course clay. It is time consuming and not a very creative part of the process, but it is necessary.
New part of my creative process
Over the last few years I have been incorporating both traditional process of sculpting with digital technology. You will see this in the up and coming posts about the armature. I call this tra-digi art. I love it, it expedites my process, gives me more control over my tools, and when these tools are used to help to create a pose, as the example of Jenna in the video below, it helps my client to visualize the piece.
Here is a video that describes how I have used tra-digi art in the past. Check back to see how we are using this with Evelyn.
The Pose
The pose of the sculpture to be created for the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center- Houston has already been decided on. It will be the exact pose that you see of her hands on hips, sweater, suite and pearls. This pose was already decided on by my client before I came into the picture, but I love it. I think, it has a personal meaning to me as well.
I didn’t know Evelyn, I wish I had. I hope I can as I work on this project. Some tell me I develop a relationship with the deceased through my posthumous sculpture. I know it sounds a bit strange, but in hindsight, I guess that is what I do. I learn so much about them. It is important to me to do this, as I want more than a likeness, I want their essence.
What this pose tells me….
Back in the 80’s I was reprimanded for this pose. Yes, a man once told me a woman never puts her hands on her hips. I disagree. This pose says, I’m confident of myself, I’m friendly, but… don’t cross me, I know what I am doing. Perhaps, back in the 80’s with the man who said it to me, it was threatening to him. I’m overjoyed to see this pose that demonstrates not only strength but grace at the same time. Wow, how she does that is so impressive. I hope I can transfer that to the clay.
Often, when working on posthumous sculpture I get a “feel” for the person. This is most likely drawn by the comments I hear from others. That is why I count on the stories of others, and visiting with others about Evelyn.
What I feel about Evelyn today
Empowered.
Strong
Creating a legacy
I’m honored to work on this sculpture, and look forward to getting to know Evelyn a bit more.
A Wonderful Project For 2012- Finding Evelyn Rubenstein
I am very pleased to announce that I have been asked to create a life-size sculpture of a very influential woman of Houston. The Jewish Community Center has been renamed as the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center. It is my job to capture not just the likeness of this woman, but the spirit and essence of someone I have never known. I’m up for the challenge, but unlike many of my other posthumous sculptures, it is difficult to find information on Evelyn. I count on family and friends to assist me with this process. For me posthumous sculpture is a cocreation between myself and those who know and love my subject. It is their stories that assist me with that etherial part of posthumous portrait sculpting. So if you knew Evelyn, please share your stories. You can do so through comments or by contacting me directly
The life-size sculpture will greet individuals as they enter and leave the ERJCC.
Here is an article in the Jewish Herald Voice describing the entire new renaming.
A Sculpting Project for the New Year and The Jewish Community Center of Houston
Some of my friends in Houston may have noticed that the JCC is no longer called just the Jewish Community Center, it has a new name- The Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center. Here is an article in the Jewish Herald Voice describing the entire new renaming. I am thrilled to finally be able to announce my newest commission of Evelyn Rubenstein for the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center. I always love doing posthumous sculpture, this one is a treat, as I have the honor of sculpting a very strong and influential business woman! She will be in this stance, from a family photograph, even with this suit on. My contract was received last week, and I’m beginning the process of working on the armature—
digitally in the computer. The life-size bronze sculpture will greet individuals as she stands inside the front door of the building. More updates to come.
Editing Closed Captions in YouTube
I am moving some of my favorite podcasts and incorporating them into You Tube. I talk about the reasons why, in a previous post titled New direction for me concerning YouTube and I talk about my process in Moving your Podcasts to YouTube. Now I would like to talk about closed captions.
I don’t know where I have been, but I am so thrilled to see that YouTube is offering Closed Captions. Once I loaded up my new long podcast, created as an Imovie, and loaded to my YouTube account, I wondered where the closed captions where. I think there are several settings in your account at You Tube that you have to activate. Under your account name in the top right hand corner of your You Tube account you will see a drop down arrow. Click on it and go to “settings” Under “Playback Setup” in my account this is what I have selected. I hope it makes sense, and it seems to have worked.
I noticed it took some time for Closed Captions to show up after loading my video. To see them click on the little red CC in the bottom of the screen. Once they do show up you will see that the automatic transcription that YouTube provides is not that great. It is however a start and better than typing in all of the copy yourself. As I am editing my transcriptions I feel I am providing a service to the deaf community along with helping my own marketing.
Before I go on to tell you how to edit your auto transcripts let me point out a few great things about these closed captions.
- They are searchable by Search Engines because they are text.
- There is another service that they provide in that someone from another country can also use the CC and have your video played but the closed captions on in their language.
- They offer you another audience, the deaf community.
EDITING
Once your movie is up go to the “Video Manager” from the drop down menu at the top right corner of your YouTube account. When this comes up there will be a little arrow next to “Analytics.” Click on this and go to “Captions and Subtitles”
You will see on my image here I have two green sections. I only had one when I started but I have uploaded a new version of the machine transcripts that are edited. I have only edited them up to about 6-7 minutes at this point. It does take a little time to go through them all. You should have a download button on your screen when you get to this screen. Download the transcripts to your computer, and load them into a simple text editor.
Change only the words and not the time settings and upload the file back to your you tube account.
When I originally got to my page showing the closed captions I noticed if I hovered my mouse over the word “English” a pencil came up for editing. I was then brought to the editing screen where I though I could editing them right on you tube. But it does not work that way. I had to download them and edit them and then put them back up. But if you do click on the editing pencil and then click on your movie you can listen to it and watch where it is reading from and this helped me to edit my downloaded version. It would be great if you could edit right there from your YouTube account. Maybe you can on a PC, or maybe YouTube intends on making this a part of the admin process at a later date. It certainly would make it easier for individuals like myself to edit their transcripts and making them available to a wider audience. I could go to my account when I wanted to take a few minutes from my work day and do a little bit at a time, until a video was transcribed properly!
That is it. I hope these tutorial have helped.
If you like this you might want to see the others pertaining to this post.
New direction for me concerning YouTube
Moving your Podcasts to YouTube.
My first podcast in You tube
Moving Your Podcasts to YouTube
To move my podcasts to YouTube it is a little time consuming but here is my process.
CREATING Please note: I work on a Mac
I already have the audio created for the podcasts because they are published. The prepublished audio clips are in my itunes on my desktop. I drag them into I movie. Imovie, itunes and garage band, which are used to edit my podcasts and movies are all free programs that come standard with any Mac. The green bands in I movie is the podcast. (Click on the image below and you will see a larger image. Note the picture on the right of the screen is what you see when the curser is over a particular section in the movie. The upper window holds previous clips from a different project. The main Imovie rests in the larger screen on the bottom of the Imovie window.) Now, I just have to add as many visuals that I can to take up the time on the movie. I have opted for a photograph of both my guest Robin Brande and myself. I have put our names on the top of the screen, because I was afraid that they would get lost when closed captions were used. I also put photographs of my sculptures, our sponsor is God’s Word Collectibles and this gave me a place to show off the collectibles. Something I don’t get to do with an audio podcast. She mentions another author’s book and I found an image of that and put it in there as well. I felt that trying to break up the continuous photograph of her and I was better. The blue line that you see in the track above the photographs is really the copy that is placed over the images.
GETTING THEM TO YOU TUBE
As I understand it YouTube has allowed longer videos to be loaded . For a long time it was only minutes then it went to 10 or 15 minutes. This was a huge thing for me because my podcasts, at minimum are 20 minutes and this one is much longer. I think there are ways that you can become a partner and get them to allow you to put up longer videos, but in my search I heard that if you have had an account that is in good standing, which I think means that you actually own the material you are putting up and get hits, then you “might” be able to put up a longer video. I went ahead and created it, crossed my fingers and uploaded and indeed, I must have an account in good standing, because it allowed me to do it.
You can see this video on my Sculptorwriter you tube channel or in the previous post New direction for me concerning YouTube
YouTube now offers closed captions, and this is very important. To see the importance and how to edit closed captions please see the next post Editing Closed Captions in YouTube
