Black Patriots - Acts of Agency
Turnaround of detailed 3D scan of Branly Cadet clay sculpture with ZBrush refinements
Historically accurate 1766 Charleville Musket. Digital assets were modeled separately, then textured with traditional mark making before final integration with Cadet's work.
Installation at Maryland State House
(Photo by Branly Cadet)
I recently had the opportunity to collaborate with traditional sculptor Branly Cadet on a monument commemorating Black Marylanders who fought for the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War. I was honored to contribute to this remarkably unique commission that stands as the only monument dedicated to Black Revolutionary War soldiers at any state house in the United States.
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As a 3D artist working with Cadet, my responsibilities included:
- 3D site installation previs
- 3D maquette previs
- 3D modeling of historically accurate 1766 Charleville Musket digital asset
- 3D modeling of historically accurate Continental Army canteen, cartridge box, jacket buttons and officer's epaulette digital assets
- Compositing of digital assets with a high resolution scan of Cadet's traditional sculpture
- Digital asset texturing to achieve a seamless, integrated whole
- Final touchups for a STL deliverable that was 3D printed in wax, cast in bronze and installed onsite at Maryland State House
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As a three-part installation at Maryland State House, this sculpture is inspired by Thomas Carney, a free Black Marylander who was born in 1752 or 1754 and enlisted in 1777. He served in the state’s 5th Regiment Army and later the 7th Regiment. He fought in battles including the Battle of Germantown and the Siege of Ninety-six in South Carolina, where legend credits him with carrying a wounded Maj. Gen. Perry Benson off the battlefield and saving his life, according to the American Battlefield Trust.
(Maryland Daily Record, https://thedailyrecord.com/2026/11/02/black-patriots-revolution-monument-maryland-state-house/ )
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Special thanks to Branly Cadet, and by extension the Maryland State Arts Council for this commission that will inspire Americans for generations to come.