I created this 3D suit for an upcoming project that has yet to be released. It is called the Summoning Suit. It is, without revealing too much, a time travel device, ritualistic costume, and body armor which is sought after by Earthlings and aliens alike across time and space. I sculpted it by hand in Gravity Sketch, a VR program. I have been trying to learn 3D modelling and art for several years and this project represents a turning point for me. Due to the intuitive nature of 3D sculpting in VR, I finally felt a sense of mastery and expressiveness while creating this piece.
The design of the suit has several inspirations, including Samus Aran from the Metroid video game series, costume designs from the Shizuoka Performing Arts Center production of Antigone that I saw at the Park Avenue Armory in 2019, the costumes Bjork wore in her 2015 album Vulnicura, Joan of Arc, and dinosaurs. While these references were helpful to me initially, I actually designed this completely on the spot in VR without prior sketches as reference. The physical act of sculpting with my hands was profoundly important in creating this.
A few features of the suit that I would like to highlight are: the icy, bone-like armor plates, the metallic thorns, the arm sheets, and the ceramic black tubing. Each has a fictional function/purpose that I cannot share, but the aesthetic qualities I can talk about. The armor plates have an exoskeleton quality that communicate strength and flexibility. All the plates are concave or convex, and thoughtfully alternating between these two allowed me to add complexity to the form while keeping the overall silhouette elegant. The alignment of the armor plates create visual lines throughout the body that are inherently simple despite the number of unique plates. I think of the metallic horns as locking together the armor plates and directing energy throughout the suit. You may also notice the decorative patterning in the hips which reads as ovarian and feminine; the suit is meant for a woman and represents a kind of feminine power. The black tubing I think of as the structural component of the suit, functionally keeping everything together, perhaps concealing some sort of zipper as well. The tubing has a noticeable vertical and horizontal quality in contrast to the flowing armor plates and thorns, which I think provides a nice contrast.
I can't wait to show this in context, but for now, I am happy to share it as it is. Like I said earlier, it represents a real turning point for me as an artist learning 3D. I will be continuing to sculpt work in VR for the foreseeable future!
