D_Rogue Game Art Project

H ere are some full-frame Arnold renders of the  F/V  Scully now   more or less externally complete ! After all these years, I could only ever visualise this fishing vessel finished in my head...until now!  Seeing a manifestation from your imagination, brought to life through your hands and tools and captured in a single image, is profoundly satisfying. Words fail to capture the kind of peace/elation I feel after  countless hours, late nights and meticulous hard work.  More than  seven years have now passed since I began construction. The very first thing I modelled was the bow mast (for what was then an unnamed vessel)!  Seeing the 4K renders below brings a true sense of accomplishment and a big ol' smile to my face!  I can just picture a foggy morning in a Seattle boatyard for its maiden launch. Although, I'm not so sure it would be watertight if I were to place my actual 3D model into water! Still, there is a loooooong way to go. UV unwrap...

T he stern superstructure of the  F/V  Scully has been a deeply gratifying task to model. I've been fortunate to have plenty of references of this aft section (thank goodness) and all the shapes have been relatively easy to form. One of the only real significant challenges this end of the boat, was the integration of the wheelhouse with the stateroom. This took a bit of figuring out, as I had adjusted the general dimensions while modelling the interior (for better gameplay/aesthetics). To fix this, I had to adjust the external geometry using the interior walls for reference points and windows as guides. Here are some progress screenshots, along with a before and after comparison which really shows just how much the aft has evolved! Jason Bartlett © Jason Bartlett © Jason Bartlett © Jason Bartlett © Next time, my last post of 2025! Thanks for reading :)

M odelling the forecastle, especially where the hull curves up to meet the bow top, presented unique topology challenges.  After completing the bow, I was able to use this, in unison with the  original model, as a guide to recreate the forecastle. For those unacquainted, a forecastle is   the forward upper deck of a vessel. Historically, it served in medieval times as a  defensive stronghold and  for archers . Today, it is used for anchor and mooring operations.  On the  F/V  Scully, the   forecastle is just that, an area for the bow mast, anchor winch and mooring bollards. With a sparsity of reference photos, I had to piece together  parts from different crab fishing vessel images in order to complete the section. As this area of the boat is mostly symmetrical, it helped massively speed up the process by mirroring a majority of the assets.  Additionally , t here were visual  aesthetics to consider like  the side scuppers ...

U nlike the relatively rectangular mid-section, the curvature of the bow demanded a lot of attention to model correctly. Accuracy of the  F/V  Scully's  bow was paramount, as the front of the boat defines the vessel’s silhouette but also its ability to cleave through the sea. I was determined to get this to feel right and improve upon my first attempt from back in 2019. To achieve this, I scoured hundreds of images of crab boats, just to find at least one with a clear angle in dry dock below the water line  for reference .  I then stumbled upon a couple of images of a boat undergoing repairs with its hull plating partially removed. This was a massive breakthrough, offering a much better understanding of the reinforced internal structure. What’s more, the reference image just so happened to be of the fishing vessel seen in the TV show Deadliest Catch I originally based the F/V  Scully on…the F/V  Kodiak ! Following the reference image, I actually laid o...

F ollowing on from the progress made modelling the bulwarks of the  F/V  Scully's  main  deck, I continued along towards the bow. Below we have the forepeak. This is the very most forward section of a boat, typically used in crab fishing vessels for frozen bait, general storage and essential machinery. The process of bringing the forepeak to life involved not just creating its fundamental shape, but also considering the practicalities of its function for authenticity; much like the rest of the boat. Given how vital this area on the boat is, I made sure to pay careful attention to the steel plating and seamless transition from the sides upwards .  The forepeak, in particular, has to look integrated with the rest of the deck and feel like it is capable of withstanding the constant battle with the elements; visually reflecting both its inherent strength and industrial purposes. Jason Bartlett © Next time, I concentrate very hard on getting the bow just right (that'...

A fter months and months of modelling, UV unwrapping and exporting assets, it has been very refreshing to now open up Maya 2026 and experiment with all the new features. The first thing I just had to do was to try out the latest version of the  built-in ray tracing renderer, Arnold 7.4. Excitedly, I opened up the wheelhouse interior scene, dropped in a HDRI map on a skydome light, and experimented with all the settings. I increased the brightness of the lights in the attribute editor (as it is an interior space it will be inherently darker), and played around with the number of samples to improve the overall image quality (more iterations for rays to bounce and do their thing). I'm incredibly pleased with how these greyscale renders of the wheelhouse below turned out. They not only bring the space to life visually, but also motivate me to get back into the creative flow. Jason Bartlett © Jason Bartlett © Jason Bartlett © Jason Bartlett © Next time, I'll show some development of...

T he 50 th Anniversary Re-Issue IMAX screening of Steven Spielberg's  Jaws  (1975) was not just a revisit to a classic, but a thoughtful re-education and celebration of cinematic history. From the moment the MCA Universal logo and the iconic JAWS title card graced the colossal IMAX screen, the experience justified every penny. The stunning clarity plunged the audience into Amity Island’s perilous summer like never before. The enhanced resolution revealed details previously lost to small screens and the compression/conversions to old VHS and DVDs. A prime example of this is immediately apparent in the opening sequence. The day-for-night shots where Tom is running after Chrissie on the beach, is remarkably clearer. This allows for a much richer appreciation throughout. As someone with deep admiration for analogue artifacts, particularly works shot on ARRIFLEX or Panavision cameras with anamorphic lenses, this IMAX presentation elevate...

T aking a break from working on the interior of the  F/V  Scully , I redirected some much needed attention to the exterior . Looking back at previous screenshots, it would appear I haven't worked on the  F/V  Scully's exterior deck since 2021! A majority of the original boat model I worked on in 2019 was rushed. This was due to a deadline for an orthographic plan paint over I wanted to present for a portfolio review (see here and here ).  While that artwork was great to showcase at the time and provided valuable experience, it didn't directly lead to any new opportunities. Using the original model as a template, I dove in and overhauled the exterior hull. I began at the main deck level, working outwards and along the port and starboard bulwarks (a vertical extension of the boats side above the main deck for protection against high waves and strong winds). I focused  particularly   on the rear bulwarks, ensuring features have the right thickness to loo...

A s my Maya LT license is due to expire in the next few months, I'm faced with the daunting task of migrating all my files from Maya LT to Maya Indie. Maya LT, being a limited "lite" version of the software, does not fully support cross-compatibility of its scene file type (.mlt) with other versions of Maya. Which absolutely sucks. This means that all the files I have ever created in Maya LT over the past FIVE years must be exported and organized before moving over to use Maya Indie. As well as this, I think it is good to just back up everything as FBX files (a widely used file format that efficiently stores 3D model data). This migration process is truly a mammoth undertaking, demanding all my attention and energy. I've had to put all ongoing project progress on hold just to prevent possibly losing years of work, as Maya LT's native scene files won't be fully supported in the full release Maya and will become inaccessible as of September 2025. Ugggh. To p...