Bayard Cutting Arboretum - Tree Life Cycle
A Scientifically Accurate Diagram for a Newly Built Welcome Center
Clients: The Bayard Cutting Arboretum and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation
Studio: Pure+Applied
Roles: Designer, Illustrator, Animator
Art Director: Paul Carlos
Timeline: Fall 2023-Spring 2024
Tools: Illustrator, Photoshop, Indesign, After Effects, Blender
The Brief
The Bayard Cutting Arboretum opened a visitors center in the summer of 2024 to more effectively welcome guests to the historic park. Pure+Applied designed the exhibition space and commissioned me to design & animate a diagram illustrating different processes in the life cycle of a coniferous tree.
The main objectives were to create an engaging and informative exhibition within the visitors center and have guests walk away with a deeper appreciation and understanding of the arboretum and its mission.
Bayard Cutting Arboretum Tree Science Loop
Looping animated diagram illustrating the life cycle of a tree.
The Challenge
I had to make the diagram visually engaging while maintaining scientific accuracy. I incorporated feedback from the team at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum to make sure everything was right.
What I Did
I designed and animated a diagram showing a coniferous tree's life processes using the storyboard provided by the client.
Mood Board
The first step in the process was to create mood boards showing 3 possible visual treatments of the final animation. The look that ended up being approved was influenced by a series of drawings of pine trees by Jamie Hewlett (middle row).
3D Modeling & Texturing
I created various 3D models in Blender of the pine tree and its relevant parts. The team at Bayard Cutting Arboretum provided references and feedback throughout this phase to ensure the models were scientifically accurate.
The Geometry Nodes modifier and the Sapling Tree Gen add-on in Blender were indispensable tools in the 3D design and animation process. I wouldn’t have been able to model and animate the complex structures of a pine tree and it’s various parts without them.
After the models were approved I applied a non-photo-realistic material to the models to give them a hand-drawn, 2D look.
Female Pine Cone Opening Up
Male Pine Cones
Style Frames
The client provided a storyboard outlining the sequence of the life processes of the tree. Using that, I designed still frames for key moments to show what the final animation would look like. The text layout ended up being simplified during the animation phase.
Style Frame 2
Animation
The 3D animations were created in Blender and the compositing and 2D animation was done in After Effects.
Female Pine Cone & Geometry Nodes
I used Geometry Nodes in Blender to accurately model and animate the complex structures of the pine tree.
Male Pine Cones & Geometry nodes
Pollen Particles Simulation
Seed falling out of pine cone 1
Seed falling out of pine cone 2
Sprout Growing