AMBER CHARM
The Amber Charm is naturally organic, meaning it was once in a resin state yet to be solidified, fossilizing that which has been caught within its solidification. It is a "natural purifier", also depicted to cleanse and reactivate energy.
PHASE 1: CONCEPTUALIZATION
The amber charm is one of fossilization and preservation, so we went ahead to preserve a pre-historic feather within it. Also, the frame it is attached to represents some sort of spiral, in which could represent as a "time spiral". It was once coupled with an hourglass amber shape, but we sorta ditched it; 'twas simply a bit cliche and revealing. We still needed something raw-looking for the gemstone.
PHASE 2: MODELING
There's a slight deviation from the concept. As you may be able to notice, there's a cap at the end of the spiraling wire ornament. We had the urge to cap it off because the wires were not welded or soldered together, making it easy to separate. Overall, the cap added a nice touch to the overall look of the charm.
PHASE 3: TEXTURING AND RENDERING
We had the most challenge texturing the Amber fragment. Once again, we needed to balance the refractivity and the subsurface scattering. Because amber is almost transparent in nature, we added more value into the refractivity. The metal parts were quite simple. The feather inside was simple enough, we just had to find the right angle for the lights to bounce around it through refraction. On top of everything, we added a thin layer of dirt to make it look used, as well as scratches.
You can really see the subtle details in this render. From the dirt particles, to the scratches. You can also see the feather, made visible by the multiple refraction bounces from the light sources.
Preserve your natural instinct with this Amber Charm.
