Hello everyone!
Since I have a few hours I want to share with you my last design study project. Do you like design or concept design? And what about tea? I'm a big fan of Asian tea, but coffee its the most part of my life. What about you? :)

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This project design is made according to the curriculum for the subject Atelie de Design 3º ano in IPB Portugal. The task in which I was needed to create a combination between two materials: cork wood and black clay. Black clay is one of the materials from which they make various dishes as well as cups and teapots in the traditional manner. Therefore, the task was to create a new type of product design that will look modern and will also be widely used by people or reach a specific target audience.**
To search for information that is necessary to create things that will be associated with the production of black clay products that are used to make in Portugal and in some countries. Before I talk about the history of the origin of black clay and where it is used.

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Summary

In this material of the design work I’ll show you how to create a product design based on two materials - cork wood and black clay.
You will know about the history of creation and info about clay products application and movement in the world. Also, where it is used and how popular this black clay technique nowadays.
You will see how to create a prototype which was based mainly on traditional modeling. Each stage shows in detail the technique and the possibility of creating this design for mass production.
You will also see how it was created by using a 3D modeling program and the removal of the three-dimensional model as a result in the form of render images.

The whole secret is precisely in the smoke of the earth. Firewood, fire, earth, and oxygen form a reaction, which results in the formation of black smoke. This smoke our clay absorb through the pores. So the ceramics become black. Hence the name is smudged or blackened. Without earth, the products would have a brown color typical of clay.

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Figure 1 Example of black clay products

Introduction

First of all, let's see what works are already available not only in Portugal but throughout the world. That “Black clay” or “Barro preto de Bisalhães”. So, this work is a product made in traditional forms and its problem that this work is trying to solve is a modification of the form to a more modern one.

Why is this have been done?

In order to make these products more popular as well as to popularize the technique of making these products using black clay technology.

What the ideas do we have?

The ideas that I used were products that people in society use in their daily routine or often during the week, namely: cups, kettle, sugar bowl of different types of dishes in which you can put fruits and vegetables, different varieties of tea, as well as a sugar bowl for various other spices.

What has been chosen?

In order of creation, it was decided to use as a basis and work on the final results a component of a teapot 6-5 cups, also a sugar bowl, dishes for seasonings or for a different type of tea.

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Figure 2 Example of black clay products

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Methodology

Before we begin to perform this task, a search is conducted for information about this topic as well as all the items and equipment that people have been performing from ancient times to this time, namely. Thus, we can understand that when searching, we see only old techniques, old variations of products that are currently in the interior and also look very old-fashioned when used. Therefore, the main idea was to make the design more modern for different types of people.

For whom oriented design and the product?

This product will be focused on a wide range of people ranging from a married couple to a person who invites friends and wants to surprise as well as residents who have children and a large family who want to sit at the table and spend time together in conversations and tea-drinking conversations.

What will be used to create? What materials will be used?

As mentioned above, only cork wood and black clay are used. Before you begin to make sketches and also to write information about what for how and by whom the created product will be used in the future. It was first made a search for information about the cork tree, its properties and quality, and how this product is available.

After that, a search for information was also conducted and information was obtained about the black clay effect, namely information about heat transfer, processing, and how resistant this material is to damage.
After selecting the material for use, work began on the design of the product. Since there was very little time to create this design, I immediately began to create sketches in my sketchbook. After that, the best and most suitable option for creating the product was chosen and work on the creation of a 3D model was started.

Figure 3 Sketches "black spot technique"

Figure 4 Detailed sketches"

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Creation process

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In order to create 3D work, I divided the work into several stages.

First step.

Before creating a highly detailed model, it was necessary to first prepare the basic form from which a lot of manipulation oversimplification was made. For work, was used the 3dsmax 2019.
Work began to build polygons on a simple surface. This surface makes it possible to create exactly those basic forms that were necessary in order to make, after certain changes in the form, the necessary object, or rather its exact copy, which we would like to convey.

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Figure 5 Screenshot of the teapot

Figure 6 Screenshot of the teapot with the grid

Figure 7 Screenshot of the teapot in 3dsmax

Figure 8 Screenshot of the teapot in 3dsmax

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Figure 9 3D Sketch of sugar pot

Figure 10 3D Sketch of sugar pot

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Figure 11 3D Sketch of the pot for tealeaves

Figure 12 3D Sketch of the pot for tealeaves

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Second step

After this base model was prepared for further work, it became possible to use and apply to smooth models as well as compaction to increase the wall thickness of the objects. This made it possible to see how the object will look in the future, with possible editing and returning to the previous version of the low-poly modeling to the high-poly modeling. You can see that the work was done immediately with the whole batch of further products that are immediately processed without concentrating on only one object, namely, to maintain a balance in design and form, so that each object is connected to something else.

The desired form was designed and used for these three-dimensional models for photographic mode or rather using them for design and realistic images for further presentation. This image will enable potential buyers to see as well as the application of this product to a wide audience of buyers.

Figure 13 Screenshot with all objects with grid. Hi-poly models.

Final stage

Here we use Photoshop and work with ready-made images of our three-dimensional forms. These forms must be made and processed so that they look like real ones. Then you need materials that are suitable for us to apply to the image of the rendered forms. Namely, images that show the texture necessary for further work on the creation and for potential customers, because without accurate visual data a person may not fully understand the idea and be in delusion.

Figure 14 The final render

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Conclusion

It was an interesting experience of creating a tea set, as I had never done so before I achieved a new level up :). Since there were some problems with the creation of the outline and the shape of the clay. It's also given me understanding about the black clay creation process and all aspects that person needs to know to create a good design of the product.

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As a participant and the winner of the "Six of the Best" MAP17 Minnow Contest project, I want to say thank you for watching and for all your support.

Thank you for reading to the end! If you liked "design of a Tea-set" vote and follow me to see more new artworks🔍

Sincerely yours,
Andrey Lebed