Abstract Modeling in Cinema 4D (C4D)

I will explain the basics of the very popular abstract modeling techniques I use in Cinema 4D (C4D).

First, we'll learn how to select and abuse polygons.

Create a basic object (I'll use an oil tank) and rotate it 90x90 degrees.

Now, with the oil tank selected, make it editable by pressing C. Then, click the icon on the left of the screen which is the poly editing tool.

This is where the fun part comes in, extruding and inner extruding to get a shape on your model. Select the polygons you think that should be extruded.

Hit E to use the extrude feature and move your mouse forwards or backwards to get the effect you are aiming for.

I will now hit I to inner extrude. Using inner extrude allows us to make our polygon selection larger or smaller.

After that, you can extrude this too.

Now, we're going to use these two features some more. If you're following along with this model, extrude the center, then inner extrude on that, and then extrude again to make a hole for a light.

For technical detail, I'm now going to make some minor extrusions on the sides.

Next on the list, is creating an extension tube for the back because I want to add a tube there. I'm going to use the scale tool, but first, extrude some polygons on the back like this:

Then, click on the scale tool (the icon between the move and rotate tool).

Now hold your mouse and move it. This is what I get:

Those are some basics for the first object. I now add some lights around the object with different strengths, and soft shadows to get a nice preview.

Onto the tube! Begin by creating a cylinder. Rotate it again like you did with the oil tank.

Using the scale tool, make the tube a bit smaller than the radius of the cylinder.

Hit C to make it editable and press the polygon tool again. Now, select the flat part of the cylinder and stretch (extrude) it, then rotate it a little, stretch it again, and continue until you have a 90 degree angle.

Using scale, extrude and inner extrude tools, go further with modeling the tube. This is what I got:

Next, add a capsule onto the end of the tube.

Make the capsule editable and go nuts extruding that with extrude, inner extrude, and scale.

Create a null object (Objects -> Null object) and drag the oil tank and tube into it. Now copy the null object and rotate it 180 degrees so it's opposite of the original. I then move it until the tube is into the capsule.

Hopefully you now have the hang of these techniques and how powerful they can be. Try modeling your own inspiration and ideas into it.

After some duplication, rotating, and playing with perspective, this is what I got:

Now, add materials - one tip: add HDRI and materials with a bit of reflection to get a cool material in the render.

This is my result after some quick texturing and HDRI adding later.

Tutorial reproduced with permission from Bo de Kriek