VR Immersive Art

Brief

Introduction

This blog post focuses on exploring immersive art through VR tools like Open Brush, Gravity Sketch, and ShapesXR, where we will create a diorama that blends art with virtual reality. Additionally, we’ll use Adobe Aero to build an augmented reality experience. As part of a group, we will develop a concept that showcases our ability to craft immersive art, while considering VR’s potential. To document this process, we will include a series of video captures that detail the exploration of different applications and the step-by-step development of our final diorama.

 

What is Virtual Reality?

Virtual Reality (VR) allows users to experience a fully simulated environment by engaging their senses, primarily through visual, auditory, and sometimes haptic feedback. According to Lee Down, “VR technology creates a deep sense of immersion and presence in a virtual space, often pushing the boundaries of traditional experiences, especially in the art world” (Down, 2023). VR is increasingly being adopted in art, allowing for exhibitions that transcend the typical gallery format.

 

One well-known example is the Vincent van Gogh VR gallery experience, which has captivated audiences around the globe, offering viewers the chance to step into a virtual recreation of his iconic works. This experience, alongside others like it, highlights the growing role VR plays in the art world, opening new possibilities for both artists and viewers.

 

With tools like Gravity Sketch and ShapesXR, artists can now create complex, 3D models in VR environments, where they can physically interact with their creations in real-time. The combination of VR and AR brings a new dimension to how art is experienced and shared, making it an essential field of exploration for contemporary creators.

Figure 1 – Video of Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience (Fever, 2023)

VR is transforming the art world, and pioneering artists like Rosie Summers are at the forefront of this movement, creating immersive art experiences that push the boundaries of traditional artistic expression. As a VR artist and animator, Summers has made a name for herself by crafting dynamic, interactive art pieces that invite audiences to step inside her virtual worlds.

Her art is a perfect example of how VR can offer entirely new ways of storytelling. Rather than being limited to a canvas, Summers uses VR to surround viewers with her artistic vision, making them feel as though they are part of the narrative itself. This approach creates a deep sense of immersion, where the audience experiences art from within, walking through virtual landscapes, interacting with characters, or even watching a painting come to life around them.

Figure 2 – Video of Creating Seven worlds, One Planet in VR360 (BBC Earth, 2020) by Rossie Summers

Anna Zhilyaeva, also known as Anna Dream Brush, is another visionary artist making waves in the world of virtual reality (VR) art. Her unique ability to blend traditional painting techniques with immersive VR technology has allowed her to create truly captivating, interactive artworks. Known for her mesmerizing live performances, Zhilyaeva paints in 3D space using VR tools such as Tilt Brush, where she brings her dream-like creations to life in real time.

Through her creative process, Anna Dream Brush has become a leading figure in the VR art community, inspiring both traditional artists and tech enthusiasts alike to explore the intersection of art and technology. Her ability to merge fine art with cutting-edge VR tools highlights the expanding role of virtual reality in contemporary art, opening up new opportunities for how art can be created, experienced, and shared in a digital world.

Figure 3 – Video of Virtual reality painting (Anna Dream Brush, 2019) by Anna Zhilyaeva

Exercise 1 – Open Brush Immersive Art Coraline Movie Diorama Design Development 

 

Group Design Concept

Our VR immersive art project revolves around creating a diorama inspired by the movie Coraline, aiming to capture and convey its dark, whimsical atmosphere. The goal is to develop a visual story that immerses viewers in a unique art scene, making it dynamic and engaging while staying true to the tone of the film.

As part of our collaborative exploration of immersive art, we utilized Open Brush to bring the diorama to life. Open Brush, known for its intuitive interface and diverse toolset, allowed us to experiment with a wide range of creative techniques. The software offers an extensive variety of tools, shapes, and settings, including background and lighting manipulation. These features enabled us to build an immersive environment that enhanced the depth and atmosphere of our diorama.

We began by focusing on the platform creation, using circular shapes as the foundation of the scene. This initial stage was crucial for establishing the structure upon which the rest of the diorama would be developed. Early on, we realized that Open Brush’s strength lies in its free-flowing, expressive strokes rather than precise lines. This encouraged us to adopt a more fluid, organic design approach. We used long, sweeping strokes to create circular motions, which formed a tunnel-like structure, an element central to the movie scene we were replicating.

Figure 4 - Image of Coraline Movie via Focus Features

As the scene progressed, we added walls, a figure representing Coraline, and additional details to enhance the narrative of the diorama. This process demonstrated that Open Brush is best suited for gestural, expressive art rather than rigid, detailed designs. We embraced this discovery and focused on using gestural techniques to build a dynamic, immersive visual experience.

This project has shown how VR art software like Open Brush can push the boundaries of traditional art forms. By working together and experimenting with digital tools, we explored the creation of complex, multi-dimensional spaces that go beyond what is possible with physical media. Our experimentations in this immersive environment helped us realize the potential of VR to transform storytelling through art.

The following series of images and videos document one stage of our project development, along with additional experiments with a solar system diorama. They provide a glimpse into our journey through VR-based immersive art creation.

Figure 5  – Video of Building the foundation of our movie diagram (2024) by Ashley, Lewis, James, Nick, Gabriel, Rilley, Ella and Andreana

Figure 5.1 - The final movie diorama made in Open Brush
Figure 6 - The final diorama of the solar system
Figure 6.1 - Close up of the solar system diorama

Final Thoughts

Creating a VR experience for the first time proved to be a challenging yet rewarding journey. For many of us, including myself, this was our first attempt at designing in a virtual reality environment. The complexity of learning new software, combined with the immersive nature of VR, made the process both exciting and overwhelming at times. Open Brush, while intuitive in some aspects, still required a lot of experimentation and trial-and-error, especially when it came to manipulating 3D space and working with free-flowing strokes.

One of the biggest challenges we encountered was coordinating the creation process within a group setting. Since we were all taking turns working on different elements of the diorama, it was difficult to capture every step of the development in real time. Recording each scene became tricky, as we had to pause frequently to switch between roles and contribute to the design. As a result, we weren’t able to document every detail of the project as thoroughly as we would have liked.

Despite these challenges, the experience was incredibly valuable. It pushed us out of our comfort zones and gave us a hands-on introduction to the world of VR art. The collaborative nature of the project also encouraged us to learn from each other, further enhancing our skills and understanding of immersive art.

In conclusion, the Coraline VR diorama project was an enriching experience that allowed our group to experiment with immersive art in a virtual setting. It provided valuable insights into the creative potential of VR as a storytelling tool, while also revealing the challenges of working in a team-based VR environment. Despite the technical difficulties, our collaborative exploration of Coraline resulted in a dynamic, engaging diorama that demonstrates the unique possibilities of VR art.

Exercise 2 – Creating an AR experience using Adobe Aero

 

What is Adobe Aero Geospatial Creator?

Adobe Aero Geospatial Creator is an innovative tool within Adobe Aero that allows users to create immersive, location-based augmented reality (AR) experiences. The “geospatial” element refers to its ability to anchor digital content to specific real-world locations, meaning the AR objects you create can be viewed and interacted with at precise physical coordinates. This tool is ideal for outdoor AR projects, as it uses mapping data to integrate 3D assets and animations into a real-world environment, providing a seamless blend of digital and physical spaces.

Aero simplifies the AR creation process with an intuitive interface, allowing creators to import 3D models, add interactions or behaviors (such as scaling, rotation, or movement), and then place these models within real-world contexts. The geospatial creator extends these capabilities by allowing the positioning of AR content based on global coordinates, opening up possibilities for location-specific experiences.

 

Why I Chose to Work with Adobe Aero Geospatial Creator for My Second Exercise

I chose to work with Adobe Aero’s Geospatial Creator for my second exercise because of its user-friendly interface and its strong integration with Adobe Creative Cloud applications. Having limited prior experience with AR, I was looking for a platform that wouldn’t require extensive coding knowledge but would still allow me to create impactful, immersive experiences. Aero offers this balance perfectly—it allows for sophisticated AR creations without the complexity of more advanced platforms like Unity.

Another reason for selecting Adobe Aero is its geospatial capabilities, which I found particularly intriguing. I wanted to experiment with location-based AR, where 3D objects could be viewed in specific real-world locations. This feature opens up many creative possibilities, such as designing immersive exhibitions, placing virtual objects in public spaces, or creating interactive art that changes based on the viewer’s location. For my project, I saw Aero as an accessible entry point into more advanced AR development, enabling me to create engaging, contextually relevant experiences with relative ease.

Figure 7 - I began by incorporating some free assets into the scene.
Figure 7.1 - Making myself sure the "snap anchor to the ground" option was selected for accurate placement.
Figure 7.2 - Adding more assets and applied animations to enhance interactivity.
Figure 7.3 - Reviewing the scene from a distant perspective to check asset positioning and composition.
Figure 7.4 - Introducing an animated dinosaur into the scene, complete with roaring sound effects.
Figure 7.5 - Sharing the completed project, ready for testing and feedback.

Figure 7.6  – Video of Testing Project Location Based Aero Experience

Final Thoughts:

My experience using Adobe Aero Geospatial Creator was both insightful and challenging. I found the interface intuitive for asset management, though there were some complexities when dealing with positioning. For instance, I had to delete certain assets to maintain a clearer visual layout and moved the dinosaur away from the bear to avoid overcrowding the scene. Despite ensuring that “snap anchor to the ground” was checked, I encountered an issue where the assets floated slightly above the ground, which made positioning tricky. Overall, this exercise helped me understand the potential of geospatial AR but also highlighted the importance of fine-tuning asset placement for immersive experiences.

Reference list:

Anna Dream Brush (2019) Virtual reality painting. [Video]. Virtual reality painting (youtube.com) [Accessed 20 Oct 2024].

BBC Earth (2020) Creating Seven Worlds, One Planet In VR360 | BBC Earth. [Video]. Creating Seven Worlds, One Planet In VR360 | BBC Earth (youtube.com) [Accessed 20 Oct 2024].

dffdv. (2024) Dinosaur Roar with Screams and Growls. Pixabay. [Streamed]. Available online: Dinosaur Roar with Screams and Growls | Royalty-free Music – Pixabay [Accessed 21/10/2024].

Features, F. (2014) CORALINE PARTNERS FOCUS FEATURES AND LAIKA RETEAM FOR TWO-PICTURE DISTRIBUTION DEAL [Photograph]. Available online: Focus Features Signs Two-Picture Distribution Deal with CORALINE Studio LAIKA; Will Release PARANORMAN Next August (collider.com) [Accessed 21/10/2024].