CEI - Work in progress

[Rick 4F]

I'm currently re-re-re-re-re-rendering this.   I'm at the moment only rendering the top half right now and then I'll render some local small parts of it, with and without the straps so the straps can later, when everything is combined, properly placed on the occupant of this "research table". It will be this time without the center device. :) I had it fully cabled up and like this, with just one cable attached and it is/feels still too 'crude'. Too obvious. Not 'sexy'. Too much 'in your face' as they say, at least for me. 

The bottom part still needs some modeling too. I only added it in last Friday as I originally cut the image off right above the area where the bottom 'keyboard holder' now is located. The reason why I added more space to the bottom part is that I decided that once all pieces come together it won't be looking great with the machine's occupants feet cut-off. Maybe I can do something there at the bottom, or between the 'legs'. Forebode stuff not 'push it into your face'. 

I began modeling this last summer. Took me a few times to figure out how to approach this with no sketches or such. It started with a picture of a bikini model standing with her legs spread on a brightly lit beach. One hand on her hip, the other up in her hair. I removed the 'hand on hip arm' and replaced it with a mirrored copy of the 'hand in hair arm' so both her arms where in the same direction. Then I slapped some quick digital rubber on the scantly dressed model and saw that it had potential to become more. 

So I placed the 2D image in #Cinema4D and posed a 3D poser figure more or less into the same pose as the model on the image, after which I started to cube-model the above around it. As written it took me a few times before I got it where I wanted it. I made a few renders and then I got cold feet.  
That happens often to me. This is not an easy thing, mixing a 2D image into a 3D render and make it look convincing and it's so, <em>so</em> easy to fork it up. Especially when you move someone standing in a bikini from a brightly lit beach into a darkly lit room, laying down, strapped to a research table, dressed from neck to toe in shiny latex. Oh, and then I forget to mention that the model is, should be, wearing some sort of head gear, only leaving her eyes free. Last summer I build some sort of mask and at first I was happy with it but then I started to doubt. That, combined with my 'cold feet' made me put this project in the "freezer", next to many other projects until I got my confidence for this project back. And that was last week!  

Final image will be cut in a 19 high by 13 wide ratio. I render this out in a 13 high by 19 wide ratio because otherwise the camera perspective really looks jarring. I maybe can fix that changing the camera's angle but this works too. Only downside are huge PS files when you layer things up. Of course not saving the render as a 32 bit file (which I discovered I have no idea how to properly convert down to an 8 bit file), helps too. 

Things to do: 
- Finish bottom part of the 3D model.
- Add something potentially "menacing" between the 'legs' of the table.
- Render bottom part out.
- Finish head gear, connect it to apparatus in the top then render it out.
- Put 2D rubberized ex-bikini model in/on the table and strap her in.
- Polish the model up, add both her lower legs (original photo is cut off at the knees), give her feet wear (ballet boots?).
- Finish the image.
- Write next entry in the 'Castle of Evil Incarnation-redux' (where this image is aimed at).
- Compose Hype HTML 5 file.
- Put all the stuff online.
- Pick up next project.