The Radiola Project
I began the Radiola project about a year ago as a way to practice working with various materials, shortly after completing a few weapon portfolio pieces. This vintage record player struck a chord with me because it reminded me of my grandparents’ home, where I first saw a similar model. I wanted to capture not just the object itself but also the sense of warmth and nostalgia it evoked.
This is actually the second version of the Radiola. The first one, finished a year ago, is hidden because it didn’t meet my standards. The current version is a complete remake, with more accurate geometry, cleaner UVs, and a much more polished texturing process. More than just a technical exercise, it was an attempt to tell the object’s story, a piece of equipment that has lived through decades of use, carrying the marks of time.
References
To achieve this, I spent a lot of time gathering references to fully understand both the materials and the kinds of wear these objects naturally acquire.
I began by searching for this specific Radiola model on Google and then moved on to other search engines. Each engine surfaces different results, and cross-searching often reveals hidden gems. I asked ChatGPT to suggest additional sources, which led me to auction sites like eBay, restoration forums, and vintage marketplaces.
I expanded my research to similar Radiola models. Even if they weren’t exact matches, they provided a broader range of photos, technical documentation, and examples of authentic wear. I also relied heavily on restoration videos and before/after showcases, which provided an invaluable look at how real materials age over time.
For specific materials, research was even deeper. Identifying them wasn’t always straightforward, but ChatGPT helped me determine that the wooden body was made of veneer. That led me to even more references of similar furniture, showing scratches, chipped lacquer, and subtle discoloration, all the imperfections I wanted to reproduce.
