3D CGI Comes Aboard Nova's Ark
When children's author/illustrator David Kirk's
best-selling Miss Spider books were first published, people marveled
over how his images looked as if they were created with 3D CGI. This comparison
to the process used in films like A Bug's Life and Toy Story
led to the innovative idea of Kirk moving from illustrating his books solely
with his paintings to including CGI images. Kirk's latest book, Nova's
Ark is the first children's book illustrated using both the artist's own
paintings and 3D CGI made in conjunction with a professional imaging house. Nova's Ark is a futuristic tale about a boy robot named Nova who goes
on an intergalactic expedition to search for the energy source that can save
his home planet. To bring his stellar world and robotic characters to life,
Kirk worked with Engineering Animation, Inc. (EAI), an interactive developer
in Iowa. Currently the largest independent developer of computer games in
the world, EAI specializes in 3D work of all kinds and produces custom animation,
special effects and visual effects for a number of clients. Recently, the
company produced A Bug's Life Active Play CD-ROM for Disney Interactive
and also developed several CD-ROMs featuring the Animaniacs and Looney
Tunes for SouthPeak Interactive. The Process
Forty images were created to illustrate Nova's Ark. To create each
image, Kirk began by sketching a black and white line drawing. Next, he made
a color oil painting demonstrating the lighting and coloration for the piece
from which the EAI production team interpreted an image. Kirk then worked
with the modeling department building digital models of the characters and
scenes in wireframe. The next step was texture mapping and lighting design.
Finishing touches were applied in 2D paint software in areas where Kirk felt
the 3D wasn't effective. "That's one thing that was different about working
on a book," explains Robert Coshland, Director of Entertainment Production
at EAI, "We did a lot of painting right on the image. That's how we were
able to develop a look that was both 3D and illustrative at the same time."
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