Ice Channel 9 FULL UPGRADE, WIP!!!

HELLO!!

I've been thinking about this for a while, and I thought this would be a really nice side project for this month, upgrading Ice Channel 9, and reviving it! I've been wanting to make a proper studio now that I'm better at 3D modelling, and I want to get better at doing environments. I want to create more VRchat worlds too! You could say it's a practice towards something bigger, maybe a city someday?? I feel ready to create bigger things! ALSO! In addition to the studio upgrade, I'm making a whole new outfit!!! I'm gonna go though my thought process on how I create the new Ice Channel 9 look, and try to explain how and why I do the things I do in this little project, because most of it has a reason.

Ice Channel 9 is very inspired by the retro futuristic style, both the 60s/70s version, and the y2k cyber aesthetic. I want it to feel futuristic, but still have a cute vibe, and I feel the retro futuristic look captures that perfectly. I also want to try to incorporate sweet/ice cream elements, but I don't want it to be overpowering. The main focus will be a futuristic environment with a lot of round elements, with white and blue as the main colors. I'm gonna try to get some pastel colors in too somehow, just because I like it! The reason why I wanna go for this look is because Icebear is originally from space, and Icebell is from earth, I thought that the studio could be somewhere in-between space and earth, in the sky! The first studio was also in the sky, so we're staying over the clouds, where we belong! Also, there is a "on cloud 9" joke somewhere here. Plus, I bet there's really good signal up in the sky, perfect for a cool channel!

Before I started on the studio, I started on the outfit. This was just because I felt inspired, and I wanted to start on the outfit asap! When I started on this outfit, I didn't sketch anything because I find it easier to "sketch" in 3D, so I just use basic shapes to illustrate what direction I want to take. It's nice to be able to see it in 3D space right away. I also look for inspirations and outfits I like, and take the elements that I like the most to create something new! I'm gonna add all my moodboard/references as pictures here, so you can get a feeling for what vibe I'm going for. (Thank you pinterest!!!!!!!) The design isn't done yet, but I uploaded some screenshots of the progress so far. I want to try to use emission on some edges and details to create a cool futuristic look, so I hope I can create what I have in mind! The outfit is close to done I think, but the shoes and hair need some more work.

The studio itself is kind of like the last one, a big unit in the sky, but this time it's more thought through and custom made, and it has some walls! I still want to use things I used in the last world, like the stacked TVs, the gachapon machines, and Icebear's UFO, but I want to recreate it into something new. I also wanna focus more on making custom fun furniture! The idea of this environment is that you spawn on the platform outside that is supposed to symbolize clouds, that way you can see the entire unit before you go inside the studio. The unit itself is retro futuristic in style, but I did try to make it similar to the Ice Channel 9 logo with the 3 orbs on top, and the pointed bottom. Kind of like an ice cream! I wanted it to feel spacious, yet interesting, so I played around with rounded openings, and I set a high ceiling with windows on top. I also want to try to make a scrolling LED screen with text all around the inside, and I want to set up a "stage" for Ice Channel 9. This is all still in progress, so things might change, and I have no idea what to do with furniture yet, but this is a solid base I think! Oh btw, the cylinders on the screenshots are supposed to represent human size.

Also also, you might have seen on twitter, but I made an Icebear model! I want to make a little Ice Channel 9 outfit for Icebear too, but it might just be a helmet lol. I want to put Icebear as an avatar you can get here! Both normal and Ice Channel 9 version.

All in all this is just me having fun with designing something cool, but I still don't know how I can properly use the potential of this studio. I just really enjoy making it!! I thought that I could do interviews and such, but I don't feel that's very me. I'm more of a shitposter I feel lol. I guess I can use my virtual studio to shitpost? I do want to bring in my community more into the studio somehow, so I wanna make more spots dedicated to that. We'll see how it goes, I think it's gonna be really cool! Sorry for all these walls of text I keep writing here, thanks for staying here and reading my thoughts!!!!! It really means a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you liked this little update, I'll probably be finished with this by the next post here!!!!!! 

HUGS FROM THE ICEBELL (and Icebear too)