Next Dimension: Countdown Teapot

I really am not that great at 3D modelling, physical or digital. Memories of my ordeals with clay, most notably the ten-hour GCSE Art exam – in which I had to try and model a giant wristwatch – are now revisited with laughter, though at the time it was a truly hideous experience; I’d have rather been out on the field playing football with top set, which really is saying something. I never saw that watch again after the exam was over. I can only assume my teacher destroyed it in secret, for fear of it not only damning my chances of securing a decent grade, but also damning the entire school’s reputation at the upcoming exhibition.

Digital modelling has a much greater appeal to me. It’s something I’ve been working at relatively half-heartedly for a couple of years now, but indeed, once I’m forced to move beyond spheres and cubes and am confronted with NURBS, booles, texture maps, anti-aliasing and goodness knows what else, it does start to vex my little brain somewhat. So, I’ve decided to pull my socks up and try and throw myself into it, starting at the bottom and clawing my way upward.

Where better to begin than the much-coveted Countdown teapot? What an object of envy this would be to fellows at afternoon tea. This is the ‘masterpiece’ distributed exclusively to Countdown champions – the only way to get your mitts on one is to go on and vanquish your competition. Or, if you’re really desperate, you can hop onto eBay and pay in the region of £300 for one. But that’s cheating.

It’s a bit of a rickety, gaudy mess even in real life, so I felt confident in it as a starting block. The most interesting element of the exercise was trying to achieve the glazed texture; I added bump and noise in an attempt to get that feel. It looks quite poor under the complex lighting of the set (which incidentally I made for some quiz graphics long ago) and marginally better in a simple three light setup. I’ve no doubt it could be refined much further.

Perhaps I can use this symbol of victory as a push to go forward!

• 3d
• Art
• Channel 4
• cinema 4d
• Countdown
• design
• game show
• model
• prize
• teapot