My Gummy world
3d designs
my digital wish fulfillment created on Blender
In December 2022, I started learning Blender for fun after seeing this incredibly cute kitchen tutorial. This initial tutorial series is about 45 minutes, but it took me about 22 hours to follow along and get my model to a point that I was happy with.
Since then, I've continued to explore Blender and 3D modeling through little projects here and there—much love to the free resources on YouTube. Here are a few of the Just for Fun projects I've created!
"Notes from a Native Daughter" (July 2024)
This quote from Joan Didion’s Notes from a Native Daughter (Slouching Towards Bethlehem) has been fermenting in my mind for the past year.
“Didion’s writing […] can be deceptive: It pulses with the heady warmth of confession, but in fact has extremely little patience for the indignities of aimless admission. Didion’s confessions are controlled, always, and extremely strategic about what they share and what they keep hidden from view.”
“‘When I talk about pictures in my mind,’ Didion said, ‘I am talking, quite specifically, about images that shimmer around the edges. … Look hard enough, and you can’t miss the shimmer. It’s there.’”
I was trying to capture this aspect of her writing—flat shimmer and controlled confessions—while thinking about the ideas in Notes from a Native Daughter—steadfast change and fickle memory, a love letter to California.
"Come stand in my window" (April 2024)
First pass at photorealism in Blender. Inspired by my last semester in Providence, those old New England windows that never close properly, and Banana Yoshimoto’s Asleep.
"A Banh Mi Op La Breakfast" (December 2022)
First 3D project, created in Blender following @artbytran's tutorial. Inspired by the classic Vietnamese breakfast of banh mi, sunny side up eggs, and soy sauce.
"Pillow Haven" (March 2023)
Furniture proportions and structural integrity doesn't exist in this gummy world—the only rule is that the majority of the world is yellow and everything is soft!
"Windows Home Screen" (July 2023)
A home with a play on the iconic Window’s home screen.
"Self-Portrait" (February 2024)
I had the chance in Rach Gia to design my ao dai with two layers and a looser fit inspired by the wider shape of the ao tac and ao ngu than styles—and with pockets!— and modeled a mini-me in Blender after.
"Mushie" (November 2022)
Character modeled after Smoko's Kai plushie.
"Cube Earth Society" (May 2023)
First attempt at animating. An egg yolk sun with a very close orbit. Or, alternatively, Grube (grass cube)!