Images courtesy of Leighton McDonald.
Making AR Magic
Leighton McDonald talks about creating augmented reality filters
Scholastic Art: What is your job?
Images courtesy of Leighton McDonald.
Leighton McDonald: I am a concept designer and a spatial interaction designer. I work with augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to communicate ideas. Lately, I’ve been creating filters for companies and artists. I’ve created about 63 filters so far. I was trying to make at least one a week last year, when the pandemic happened. Everybody was home, so I figured I might as well show them my art in 3-D and give them something to play with.
Images courtesy of Leighton McDonald.
McDonald uses a variety of digital software to plan and build his filters. Then he tests his designs with friends.
SA: How did you become an AR designer?
KAWS sculpture: Carl Court/Getty Images.
McDonald created a filter based on artist KAWS’s sculptures.
LM: When I was in college for industrial design at the Savannah College of Art and Design, I did an AR project for a construction company. I made it so that digging machines could use ultrasonic waves to scan the ground for pipes. That data would display on the machines’ windshields so workers could see the pipes and avoid them. Years later, I was inspired by contemporary artists, like KAWS, to make sculptures. I thought, “How do I get people to see my stuff?” So I put one of my sculptures in AR and published it on Snapchat.
SA: What inspires your filter designs?
Images courtesy of Leighton McDonald.
LM: I always try to think about the future and what digital fashion will look like. It’s not limited by physical things. For example, sunglasses you don’t have to put on your ears because they just float in front of your face. I enjoy playing with different shapes in that way. It makes a futuristic look when you don’t have to worry about manufacturing. I also pay attention to pop and hip-hop culture. I’ll see something cool, like a meme, and I’ll try to make it a filter so people can be the meme.
Images courtesy of Leighton McDonald.
McDonald uses a variety of digital software to plan and build his filters. Then he tests his designs with friends.
What is your typical process for creating filters?
LM: I sketch out my idea in Photoshop or on my drawing pad. Then I’ll go into Spark AR, which is a software from Facebook to help create filters. When you load Spark AR, a face mesh automatically pops up so you can keep yourself oriented in 3-D space. If I want my filter to have 3-D effects, I’ll model on top of the image in Modo or Blender, scale it to the proper proportions, and then put that model into Spark AR. Then I send it to my friends to test, and if it works, I publish it.
SA: What is the most challenging part of your work?
LM: Sometimes I can get lost in overthinking and become anxious from there. It’s important for me to take pieces of projects and knock them out one by one.
SA: Do you have any advice for students interested in a career in AR?
LM: Learn how to think like a programmer. Think of the logical steps you need to take to get from one place to another. Learn about game engines like Unity and Unreal Engine, programming languages like JavaScript and Solidity, and of course, Spark AR and Snapchat Lens Studio. Go on YouTube and search for video effects creators. You’ll find a huge community of people who are very open to helping new people learn.
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