Christmas 1999 - Rudolph 1

Copyright © Peter MacDougall, all rights reserved

Rudolph 1 is my Christmas card design for 1999. This was my first opportunity to use Carrara and to experiment with its new features.

With "Rudolph 1", the idea was to create a Christmas image which illustrated the ambiguous feelings of replacing the trustworthy and familiar old way of doing things with the thrilling and untested new way. Santa Claus has a brand new mode of transport, a rocketship. Being a toy-maker, Santa Claus has constructed a rocket that looks like a toy. On an inclement Christmas Eve Santa Claus is lifting off on his inaugural run while his concerned, loyal reindeer look on.

To produce "Rudolph 1", I used a variety of programs: the rocketship itself began its life in Ray Dream Studio with further modification in Carrara, the reindeer are from Poser 4, and some texture and terrain bitmaps and final touch-up were done with Corel PhotoPaint.

The Digital Carvers Guild and Lost Horizon Software texture extensions were used throughout for special texturing effects. The DCG noise extension was used to add texture to the rocketship, the DCG elevation extension was used to get the black pads on the outlying nacelles of the rocketship, and the LHS Lumber Yard extension was used to do the sign post.