Alright, so lemme tell you ’bout this “Land of Lincoln Trophy” thing I messed around with. It’s a bit of a story, so buckle up.
It all started when I was lookin’ for a fun little project. Something to kinda stretch my skills, ya know? I stumbled across this thing, the Land of Lincoln Trophy. Sounded kinda cool, kinda historical. I was like, “Yeah, let’s give it a shot.”
First thing I did was gather as much info as I could. I mean, what even is it? Turns out, it’s a trophy related to some rivalry, whatever. The details didn’t matter so much as the challenge. I wanted to recreate it. Digitally, of course. I ain’t got a forge or nothin’.
Next up: planning. I sketched out a rough design. What shapes are prominent? How’s it all held together? I ain’t no artist, but I needed a roadmap, a starting point. I figured I’d use some 3D modeling software. Blender, probably. It’s free, and I’m cheap resourceful.
Then came the actual modeling. Oh man, that was a journey. Started with the base, a simple shape. Extrude this, bevel that. Slowly but surely, it started to look like something. This took ages, tweaking and adjusting ’til I was happy-ish. Let me be clear, I am not a 3D modeling expert, so it looked okay for an amateur.
After the base, came the more intricate parts. Some emblem thingy, I think. That was a pain. Lots of tiny details. I cheated a bit, used some pre-made assets where I could, but even then, it was slow going. Lots of coffee involved. And a fair bit of cussing, I ain’t gonna lie.
Once the modeling was done, it was time for textures and materials. I wanted it to look kinda old, kinda weathered. So, I played around with different textures, added some scratches and dents. Gave it that “been around the block” kinda vibe. This part was actually kinda fun, seeing it all come together.
Finally, the rendering. Setting up the lighting, finding the right angle. I wanted it to look dramatic, ya know? Like it was a real trophy, sitting in a museum or something. Hit render, and waited. And waited. Computers are fast, but good renders still take time.
The final result? Not perfect, by any means. But I was pretty proud of it. It looked like the Land of Lincoln Trophy, more or less. And I learned a ton in the process. Messing with the 3D Software, figuring out textures, trying to make something look real. It was a good experience. A frustrating one, but a good one.
So, yeah, that’s the story of my Land of Lincoln Trophy project. A bit of a headache, but totally worth it in the end. Would I do it again? Maybe. If I’m bored enough. There were some parts that were tedious, but some parts were satisfying. And that is why I’m sharing it!
