Rocket Ship

My name is Natalie Lo, and I love creating art that feels whimsical, magical, and fun. When I think of "Make it Fly," my mind immediately goes to a rocket ship—a symbol of exploration and imagination. I decided to design a rocket ship and bring my authentic style to it, blending playful, personal touches with a fantastical vibe. Let me walk you through how I brought this vision to life using Autodesk Maya!

Supplies

For this project, I used Adobe Substance Painter and Procreate along with Autodesk Maya.

Step 1: Begin Modeling

I began by modeling the rocket in Autodesk Maya. From the start, I knew I wanted to make a rocket that felt approachable and playful—something that could belong in an illustration from a whimsical storybook. Instead of sharp, technical edges that scream "sci-fi," I leaned into rounded, friendly shapes. To sprinkle a bit of myself into the design, I incorporated stars inspired by my star tattoo and added details like soft curves to make the rocket feel warm and inviting.

Step 2: Keep Adding Details

Once the base of the rocket was complete, I began adding more details that truly made it my own. I surrounded the rocket with floating planets, cute teddy bears, and even more stars to emphasize my love for stars. It was important for me to not only make a visually cohesive piece but to also tell a little bit of my story through the elements. I experimented with different designs and placements until I found a composition that felt right.

Step 3: Add Materials

Next, I exported my model into Adobe Substance Painter to bring it to life with textures and colors. I wanted my rocket to have the feel of a sketchbook, specifically mine, so I incorporated hand-drawn elements. I painted the rocket and teddy bears in pinks, blues, and purples—my favorite colors—to give it that dreamy, magical vibe. This step was where I could lean into my passion for sketching and texturing to merge my love for both 2D and 3D art.

Step 4: Add Lighting and Background

After I finished texturing, I imported the rocket back into Autodesk Maya and started lighting the scene. I created the background in Procreate, drawing a purple cosmic environment that matched the feel of my rocket. Lighting is something I’m still learning, but Autodesk Maya made it easy to experiment with different setups. I explored subtle variations in light intensity, which was both challenging and rewarding.

Step 5: You Are Done!

Finally, I rendered out my results. Ta Da! My rocket ship is now complete, and I am extremely happy with how it turned out! This passion project allowed me to create something that feels personal and uniquely mine. My favorite part was sketching the little doodles onto the rocket and seeing how they enhanced the personality of the rocket. This project also pushed me to explore new texturing techniques and lighting, and I modeled my first teddy bear!