Meet Onion Boy, the Cutest Vegetable of 2021!

This week, I am excited to introduce you to Onion Boy! I had the pleasure of creating him with Ayla Ahmadova, one of my talented classmates from my 3D Object Design Fundamentals course.

Onion Boy is a hybrid of two models; one of the models is Ayla's and the other one is mine. In the process of creating the hybrid, we also refined aspects of the model (such as the face and vertical curves) to produce a more aesthetically pleasing outcome.

Note: The green plants are not part of the models, they are included to show how the models are meant to be used as vases.

The two models we combined were chosen from a selection of 15 concepts (6 of them were Ayla's and 9 of them were mine). All 15 of the preliminary concepts are presented below.

My Preliminary Concepts

Ayla's Preliminary Concepts

Selecting Two Concepts to Hybridize 

 

It was difficult for Ayla and me to choose only 2 models since all the models had interesting features. Ultimately, we ended up making our choice based on compatibility. We chose the two models that we felt could be integrated in the most harmonious way possible. As you can see, the two models we selected curve in and out, and have a strong verticality.

Sketching Out Our Ideas

Ayla's Sketches

During our first video call, Ayla and I talked about the form and function of the final piece. This is when we noticed our hybrid object resembled several things; an onion, garlic, dumpling, octopus, etc. 

We ended up with a hybrid object that incorporated features from all of those biomorphic forms.

Daniela's Sketches

The hybrid object will function as a plant vase since it has the appropriate shape: a wide base and a narrow opening. 

Ayla and I plan on printing the object in white and painting a few details on the face at the end. For example, we want to paint a black line on the eyes to separate the eyelids and represent eyelashes. We also want to paint the mouth pink.

Since our final object integrates the preliminary designs in a more complex way, Ayla and I decided to sculpt it from scratch in Rhino.

Sculpting the Onion Boy in Rhino

Progress shot of the Onion Boy

Recreating the form from the concept sketches proved to be a major challenge. After making dozens of forms over a few days, we were finally able to achieve the proper look. At one point, I thought I had found the correct head shape (pictured on the left) but the next day, I was no longer satisfied with it.

Progress shot of the Onion Boy

I rebuilt the head and created a shape that was more similar to the original 3D models that Ayla and I selected. Coincidentally, the new version resembled an onion more than the previous version.

Ayla and I also decided to have an untwisted neck/chest area in the new version.

Progress shot of the Onion Boy

After joining the head and the body, we added the base for the eyes onto the model.

The rest of the facial features, such as the eyelids and mouth, were sculpted in Meshmixer.

Sculpting the Onion Boy in MeshMixer

I used the pinch brush in Meshmixer with the symmetry option enabled to create even eyelid creases. When creating the mouth, I created a selection and extruded it inwards. Then I softened all the features with the robust smoothening brush and by selecting areas and clicking "smooth" on the menu. After completing the facial features, I imported an obj version of the model into PrusaSlicer to check its printability.

Checking the Onion Boy's 3D Printability in PrusaSlicer

Top view of the Onion Boy getting printed

Onion Boy is ready for printing!

The simulator did not detect any errors in the final model that would cause unwanted solid infills. A good thing about Onion Boy is that he is freestanding and does not require any supports. 

Throughout Onion Boy's construction, he was sent to PrusaSlicer several times to make sure that he was being built correctly. This allowed Ayla and me to fix any problems immediately as opposed to waiting until the end. 

It would have been very dangerous to wait until the end because it's harder to make adjustments when the form is more complex.

Final Renders of the Onion Boy!

We made it to one of the most exciting parts: appreciating the final form of the Onion boy. Get ready to enjoy a mega-cute photoshoot of 2021's cutest vegetable!