1. Intention
In this final lesson on rendering form, as opposed to the binary modalities of planes and rays, we will explore spectral modalities of curves as they emerge along surfaces and accumulations of particles. We will conclude with rendering a “dreamscape”.
2. Curves
A surface which turns gradually is what we will refer to as a curve. Sculpting form as curves is inherently a spectral modality because a decision to alter the surface occurs progressively (more strict decisions, i.e. planes, were explored in the previous lesson). The image below depicts a dynamic range of curves applied with creative control to establish a contrasting force against the static figure.
Clouds represent one of the most commonly understood curved fractal phenomena. Notice in the image below how clouds, along with mountains from the previous lesson, exhibit distinct near formations and abstract far formations.
Effectively, curves allow the artist to convey a more subtle sense of form than planes, potentially requiring more effort to construct the turning of the surface in a gradual way. Nonetheless, curves alone deserve a lifetime of dedication to manage in terms of silhouette (2d) and surface (3d) application because of their utility in establishing bold effects in one’s art, like movement.
3. Particles
For our purposes in artistic rendering, we will refer to loose accumulations of a substance as particles. As noted in the previous lesson, light travels linearly through space in rays. When a ray proceeds through a collection of particles, an infinite scattering behavior occurs within the collection which “traps” the light effectively creating an ambient-refraction scenario. The image below depicts the essence of this behavior in a typical cloud consisting of water vapor (water which itself exhibits refraction, but this is ignored for simplicity).
Though we will not explore the physics of light emission in this lesson, we can still observe a strikingly similar resemblance between the following natural phenomena, and can approximate them with a similar rendering model. The image below features clouds, smoke, fire, and cosmic fractals all which naturally exhibit curves and varying standard/inverted lighting schemes mostly emphasizing occlusion.
Summary
Curves fractally model gradual changes in surface direction
Particles fractally scatter light within an accumulation