■𝟷: Crate-digging online, Face tracking, and Cinematic lighting

Crate-digging online

Someone asked me how to crate-dig online. Here’s one example.

1. You ask ChatGPT for cool words, and it gives you “Anomaly”

2. You search ArtStation for Anomaly and sort by “latest.” You’ve broken out of the algorithm.

   

3. The artist lists someone called Mœbius as an inspiration. You go to his Wikipedia page. Read.

   

4. It says Mœbius was inspired by woodblock printing in Japan.

   

5. You check the Japanese woodblock prints sources, and before long, you’re on the Tokyo Printing Museum.

   

6. The website has an inexplicable link to a company that makes digital museum experiences.

   

Now you’re crate-digging.

Inspiration: Biodiversity Heritage Library

The Biodiversity Heritage Library has a Flickr page with old drawings of plants and animals. Charming! An excellent crate-dig.

Tutorial: How to light people

I made a video on basic cinematic lighting.

I made it because I see most Blender artists lighting as if it’s a glamour shoot, with three-point lighting.

There’s no wizardry, just the basic thought process for lighting a face for cinema.

Tip: Face tracking

Got a video of someone who should have something on their face?

I was reminded of Nathan Vegdahl’s face tracker from 2022. It’s not quite as robust as the alternative, KeenTools, but it’s free, so.

Ian Hubert shows how to use it in this post.

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