Fig 1: A screenshot from Sketchfab of the Dodo bird model.

Joshua Hatfield, a 2018 UGA Scientific Illustration alumni, had his 3D model of the Dodo bird featured in Sketchfab’s: Cultural History and Heritage Top 10-week 40 page on October 12, 2021. “The Dodo Bird” was then selected for Staff Pick at Sketchfab on October 14, 2021. Sketchfab is an online library of user uploaded 3D models that are used for both artistic and educational purposes.
Hatfield’s featured model of the extinct Dodo bird, Raphus Cucullatus, was created for BIOL 217 Conservation and the Environment at St. George’s University (SGU), taught by Professor Leon Radix. The 3D model, along with a poster of the Dodo in its environment, will be used to educate students at SGU about conservation and extinction. The bird had no natural predators but was driven to extinction in the mid to late-17th century, likely due to human intrusion on the once isolated island of Mauritius, off the eastern coast of Africa near Madagascar. Human contact led to the introduction of predators including pigs, rats, cats, and dogs, which very quickly drove the flightless bird to extinction. For this reason, there are few accurate depictions of the Dodo. Hatfield’s model and poster will assist Professor Radix’s students in visualizing the extinct bird in a scientifically accurate manner.
   

Since the Dodo has been extinct for nearly 400 years, much of its external appearance must be inferred from primary accounts. Of these, several of the first sketches of the Dodo, created in 1602 by Joris Joostensz Laerle, were among the most important. These were created during the first voyage to Mauritius by the ship VOC Gelderland and are assumed to be life drawings, which are likely more accurate portrayals compared to later versions which were created post-extinction. “In these sketches the tail tuft was smaller than later depictions of the bird, which we can assume is more true to life”, Hatfield says. While much of its appearance must be inferred, the head and beak were based on the only surviving soft tissue fossil of the bird’s head, which has been generously scanned and uploaded to Sketchfab by Oxford University’s Museum of Natural History. This scanned model bears a remarkable likeness to one of Laerle’s sketches, seen in figure 2. “This made for the perfect reference”, Hatfield says. From what little remains of the Dodo, we can still get a good understanding of how it would have looked, although, we’ll likely never know for sure.

Fig 2: Sketches of Dodo birds by: Joris Joostensz Laerle, 1602 CE. © National Archieef http://www.gahetna.nl/collectie/archief/inventaris/gahetnascans/eadid/1.04.01/inventarisnr/136/level/file

The process behind the creation of the Dodo model began on paper. Hatfield first sketched the bird, using many references. He then took the concept to Pixologic ZBrush, where he digitally sculpted the Dodo model, which is comparable to sculpting with clay in real life. After many iterations, he had a detailed model that was ready to paint. He painted it in ZBrush much like one would paint a figurine. After a series of revisions, he worked the model into its final detailed state. 

Fig 3: An earlier iteration of the Dodo bird (left), the final model before painting (middle), and the final model (right).

Next, he used a technique in ZBrush to reduce the size of the model but maintain its detail to optimize it for online use. This process involved creating high-resolution texture maps to cover a low-resolution version of the model. This can be compared to wrapping a birthday present using wrapping paper that displays photorealistic visual designs on the outside while covering the simple cardboard box underneath. This was one of the most challenging parts. Josh says, “It can be tricky finding ways to hide the seam lines, which are the edges of the texture maps that give the model its fine detail and color.” These seam lines are equivalent to the edges of wrapping paper on the gift box. If wrapped improperly on the model, the edges of the maps can appear obvious and will be distracting to the viewer and will lower its aesthetic. But if wrapped precisely, the edges are mostly hidden. 

Fig 4: An example of the low-resolution model of the Dodo’s legs without the texture map (left), the texture map (middle), and the texture map applied to the legs (right).

Hatfield took advantage of Sketchfab’s material features and added varying levels of reflectivity to the beak, eyes, and feet of the bird. “This allows for fine adjustments and adds a sense of life to the model”, Hatfield says. Sketchfab also has 3-point lighting settings that also increases the sense of realism and easily adds a sense of space to the model. “I took advantage of this feature to make the model really look like it was alive in the background environment”, Hatfield says.
The background was created using a variety of references of the Dodo’s natural habitat in the forests on Mauritius. He created the background using a 2D render of a 3D model he made in ZBrush. He then finished the environment using digital painting techniques in Adobe Photoshop. The background together with the posed models of the bird was used to create a 2D illustration of the Dodo bird living in its natural habitat. 

Fig 5: The Dodo bird poster for BIOL 217 at SGU.

UGA graduate Joshua Hatfield created this model while working as a Medical Illustration Fellow in the Biomedical Visualization Fellowship at St. George’s University, which is located on the island of Grenada, West Indies. The model and poster were designed to educate students about biology, ecology, conservation, and extinction at SGU in the School of Arts and Sciences.

Fig 6: Joshua Hatfield working on the Dodo 3D model.