About the Project
«Drift» is an interior piece created from an original CGI project featuring jellyfish. A frame from an animated underwater scene has been reinterpreted for printing under glossy acrylic. The reflective surface continues the image of the aquatic environment, and the concealed mounting creates the illusion of an image suspended before the wall.
Original Project
The project was based on CGI animation created in Houdini. In the animation, jellyfish slowly leave the coral reef, moving through the volume of water. The smoothness of their movement and the plasticity of their tentacles were achieved using Vellum simulation.
On the right, a screenshot of the volume simulation setup in Houdini; on the left, a frame from the video after compositing.
The creation process
To create the physical object, one moment from the animation was selected. The original scene was given a new composition and a separate camera, after which the image was re-rendered and processed during the compositing stage.
Thus, the dynamic CGI work took on an independent form: the motion was paused in a single frame, preserving the sense of depth, light, and weightlessness.
The resulting image
Artistic Solution
The visual image is founded on the contrast between the dark underwater space and the soft glow of translucent jellyfish. The placement of objects across different planes creates a sense of depth, while the negative space and subdued color palette form a calm, contemplative atmosphere.
Material as an extension of the idea
Glossy acrylic was chosen not only as a means of presenting the image but also as an integral part of its artistic solution. The material’s transparency, reflections, and how it interacts with light resonate with the visual properties of an aquatic environment. The acrylic surface becomes a conceptual boundary between the real space and the depicted underwater world.
Structure and Exhibition
The work is conceived as a horizontal panel, 40×30 cm, without a decorative frame. The proposed construction includes 5 mm thick transparent glossy acrylic, an aluminum backer, and a concealed wall-mounting system. The small gap from the wall creates a soft shadow and visually separates the object from the surface. This allows the image to be perceived as a standalone, floating element within the interior design.
Preparation for Production
A separate render of the original CGI scene was created for printing, followed by compositing. The image is prepared in TIFF format with parameters corresponding to the selected physical size. Image Parameters Object Format: 40 × 30 cm Orientation: Horizontal Resolution: 3150 × 2362 pixels Density: 200 ppi Color Model: RGB Color Depth: 8 bits per channel Alpha Channel: None Print File Format: TIFF The final file is intended for production handover after the technical requirements of the chosen technology have been agreed upon.
Krea.ai (link: https://www.krea.ai/app) was used to visualize the idea.
