To make this house, we don't start from concept art but from an idea and a few references found on the internet.
It is very important during any creation to spend a little time documenting to confront the different possibilities of shapes and styles. We need to see what has been done previously and be informed enough to be precise in our work.
As we are not completely sure of the form as a whole, we will adopt a method that involves testing and quickly developing ideas with simple forms. This method is called Blocking. This is done as follows:
- We will begin the modeling by adding a cube at the center of a new scene (Shift + A and select Mesh | Cube), which will represent the central part of the house.
- In the Object Mode, we will adjust the size in the Transform tab to have something realistic. It is an imposing house, so we will set 7 m on the z axis, 7 m on the x axis, and 8.5 m on the y axis.
- In the Object Mode, let's duplicate our cube (Shift + D) in order to make the terrace. So we will scale it to a height of 1.26 m, then we will place it at the base of our haunted house under the main block previously created.
- The terrace is not completely cubic. We will add two edge loops and an extrusion to the front, which is less wide (on the x axis) than the main block.
It is necessary that this terrace is large enough to be credible, so we will create a passage of at least two meters wide. It is not necessary to be very accurate for the moment, but be aware of your measures, and remember to apply the transformations when you switch back to the Object Mode (refer to step 1 in the following screenshot).
- To improve the general shape of our house a little, we will add a new cube that fits in the front of the central part of the house, centered on the x axis.
The height of this cube exceeds the height of the other cube by one third. The rest is hidden in the central block. It has a square base, and it is higher than the main block by about 45 cm (refer to step 2 of the following screenshot).
- Likewise, on the rear part, we will duplicate our front block (Shift + D) and move it to the other side on the y axis. This block is lower than the main block. Its size is 4.7 m on the x axis, 1.67 m on the y axis, and 5.3 m on the z axis.
Now we have our basic volumes. We can now make the roof that is composed of several parts; one for each block. This is done as follows:
- We will begin with the roof of the front block by adding a new cube (press Shift + A, and select Mesh | Cube). We need to adjust its size to be larger on the x and y axis.
- We will move down the top face to flatten it. It is the bottom part of this section of the roof.
- Then we will do an inset (I) and an extrude (E) to the top. We will adjust the scale of the top, and then we will add two extrusions (E) to make the top thicker and finish the shape (refer to step 4 of the following screenshot).
- We will duplicate this part of the roof (Shift + D), and we will place it on the rear half of the central block. We will scale it on the x axis (press S + X) in order to have the same width as the central block. This is also lower than the roof of the front part, so we will also scale it on the z axis (S + Z) (refer to step 4 of the following screenshot).
- In the same way, we will make another roof that covers the front portion of the terrace. It will be supported by pillars. We will again duplicate our roof that is cut in half, and we will adjust it according to the dimensions of the front of the terrace. We will remove the top part to form a small balcony (refer to step 5 of the preceding screenshot).
- For the roof of the rear block, we will slightly change the style with a simple tilted platform. We will change the rear block to bevel it. We will duplicate the top face (Shift + D) and make a new object with it (press P and select Selection). We will need to make an extrusion on the z axis to add a thickness, then we will adjust the size and the position of the wireframe in the Shading Mode (refer to step 6 in the preceding screenshot).
- We will now mark a boundary of two floors with a concrete ledge. For this, we will need to add a new cube (press Shift + A and select Mesh | Cube) scaled on the y and x axes (S + Shift + Z) to be around the main block. We will give it a height of 15 cm and make it exceed the block by about 20 cm (refer to step 7 in the preceding screenshot). We will do an inset (I) on the top and bottom faces, then we will delete the nonvisible faces.
- Let's form the stairs. We will add another cube, then we will resize it to be 84 cm on the z axis and 1.5 m on the y axis. We will need to divide it into six equal parts horizontally and vertically. In order to gain time, we will add a Mirror modifier (refer to step 8 in the preceding screenshot). We will remove the unwanted faces, and then extrude the contour of the top towards the symmetry axis to create the missing faces (refer to step 9 in the preceding screenshot). We will place our stairs in the middle of the front part of the terrace.
These few simple 3D models done in a short time gives us an idea of what our haunted house will look like with further modeling.