Delicious Latte & Cookies Recreated in 3D with a Watercolor Style
Yuasa Yuu showed us the workflow behind the Sweet Time with Café au Lait project, discussing modeling and texturing a watercolor-style 3D illustration, modeling a grainy cookie surface, and creating a hand-painted feel through texturing and lighting using Blender.
Introduction
Hello, my name is Yuasayuu, and I'm a 3D Artist. I originally started learning Blender to incorporate 3D models into my illustrations, especially for backgrounds. Over time, I explored various styles – from photorealism to cel-shading and character modeling. Eventually, I developed my own stylized approach, which blends all those techniques into the painterly look I use today.
Inspiration & References
When deciding what to create, I often browse Pinterest to gather inspiration from photos and illustrations. I like to challenge myself by choosing materials or objects I haven't created before, especially ones that look technically difficult. It helps me grow and try new techniques.
I keep all my reference images – past and future – organized in a single file for easy access. When thinking about what to make, I always consider what would be fun or interesting to viewers, and what kind of expression is possible because it's 3DCG.
The Workflow
Modeling
My general workflow is as follows:
1. Rough modeling
2. Layout planning
3. Detailed modeling
4. Material setup
5. Final adjustments
I mainly use polygon modeling and rarely use sculpting. For grainy or uneven surfaces like cookies, I often use the Displace Modifier to add surface variation.
I didn't perform UV unwrapping for this piece, as I built the color and surface details using Shader Nodes and Vertex Paint.
Texturing, Stylization & Coffee Animation
To achieve the hand-painted look, I edited the Normal Map to add a brush-like texture. The coffee animation was created by multiplying a Noise Texture over a Gradient Texture, and animating the Mapping coordinates. This creates a gentle, wavering effect that makes the coffee feel alive.
Lighting, Rendering & Presentation
Lighting is one of the most important elements in my work. I use multiple lights and sometimes adjust which lights affect which models individually. For a watercolor-like effect, I slightly offset two lights so that the shadows blend at the edges.
I rendered the scene using Eevee. In Compositing, I applied subtle color correction and sharpening filters to push the painterly look further.
For the final presentation, I used a simple background and floor so the cookies and café au lait stand out clearly. To highlight the strengths of 3DCG over 2D art, I often include subtle animation or a turntable so the final post can be shared as a video.
Duration, Challenges & Takeaways
The entire piece took about three to four days to complete. The most challenging part was definitely the glass material, which required a lot of trial and error to get just right.
