Mech Character / Steam Pirate / Pose

I have gotten a lot done and have some characters to show and some updates as well. So this is a big one.

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My hardsurface/Metal Gear Character is done. I wanted to do something with hardsurface and I really haven't done any before. I looked at the Metal Gear Series for an idea. Its not purely hardsurface, more that it has hardsurface componets and a tech style body.

Ref sheet

I found everything thing I could (toys, art, screenshots) and some more concepts and art from the previous games at http://www.creativeuncut.com/


Concept

I roughed out an idea of the character nothing amazing just need to have a blueprint
I started in Zbrush with this model and then I used Softimage for retopologizing. I find that Softimage has the most effective tools for modeling and polygon sculpting. I save so much time on retopologizing in Softimage compared to working in Maya.

WIP

I used Fibermesh to make the hair and I was able to then double it for textures on the face and the low polygon hair.

Final Zbrush model
 

Low Texture version

Low wireframe

I used the tech blades made by z-design and turned them into 3D models. I did have them as a texture and used alphas and so on but my little computer had a heart attack trying to do all that so I just made things easier and rendered them out in layers.

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This other character was done for multiple reasons.
1. I wanted to work on my lower edge flow and perfect some of my lower modeling
2. I wanted to try some clothing
3 and finally I wanted to do an older character with wounds.

So I started find some reference and did some sketches. I wanted to do a Steam punk kind of Pirate woman but it turned into more of a Victorian bad ass/angry woman.


Concept

Ref

I started modeling her in Maya, got the jacket and frills on the shirt done in Softimage and jumped to Zbrush. At this Point I was jumping from the low Zbrush and the low model. I had the UV's set before going into Zbrush to save me some possible pain.

WIP 1

WIP 2

I wanted her wounds to be on her face and look like an Octopus attack and have some cuts and so on. I had a hell of a time trying to find fresh squid/octopus attacks. I found some but than I looked at the marks Leeches leave, similar circle mouth marks I had in mind, and found some great references.

 

Zbrush Polypaint

The Pocket and belts are 50% from the Zbursh tool and 50 what I had modeled before hand. I have her posed, lit and rendered.

Low Model Textured

Low Wireframe

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I am really close to having my newest reel done Just a few more things to render and pose the pirate woman and I will be golden.

 

I finished the PolySculpt class at CG Society and was glad I did. I had only used Maya to animate and do particle effects in and only a little bit of modeling. So that was a great help. I am now taking a Hardsurface modeling class and getting some more modeling tips in Maya and Zbrush.

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 Looking at my Reel I have about 7 characters and everything is looking good but I had to change the pose of Rosa or Hester

They basically have the same pose, So I wanted to change one of them. I have Rosa re-posed and I have an idea for Hester. I will pose Hester and see how the two look.

This is Rosa's new pose I used a stock image from http://faestock.deviantart.com/  as a base pose. I like it but I am not going to say 'yeah' yet till I see how Hester's re-pose comes out; might keep both will see.

http://faestock.deviantart.com/art/Valentine19-367363261

 

Hester still got it; granted it died along the road ages ago. I might keep this pose; I seem to have this sexy pose thing going on today. Rosa looks like a gypsy and Hester is out man hunting(scaring) 

The Clean Sheet

2012 has passed. I look at ALL of my best works and doings and see what I did and where I need to improve and set my sights for next year.



Make a list of what I need to accomplish for 2013 (for my art):

• Human body: Perfect Female Sculpt and do More male sculpts
• SOMETHING with hardsurfaces i.e. Robotics, Metal
• More HDR work and rendering
• Work on lower ver models
• More drawing.
• Monsters, creatures, 
• Mouths from a Dynamesh Model, so I don't always have a closed mouth on the model.

I did some work over the Christmas break/season and finished Zatanna. I also added 4r5 to my system, the auto save feature is really nice, but I hate how the model disappears for a second when I reengage the software.

 It was fun doing the frill/fabric on the corset.  Her hair was the hardest part, it just didn't look right. But then I looked at the Tpose of Rosa and realized, that it's because the face has nothing to it. No Expression

 So I started posing and was shift through Tumblr, and found a image of Zatanna with a cool pose. The over all pose turned out fine but I realized the most important part and something I need to work on. Is the mouth. I need to find a way to sculpt the inside of the mouth for my models in Zbrush. Usually I do the inside of the mouth when I make a low poly version and texture it that way.

I did some drawing as well. Something I haven't done in a while; it was nice to do something outside of tech land.

 

Dragon and Hester update

Adding more to the scene and working on some of the textures.

 The dragon is coming along. Did a quick test and need to work on the lower arms/legs and add more around the tail. I still need to paint and get  the cards modeled to the right size. I am still trying to get the hair to be like fire, smoke mix.

Finding the momentum

I have been finding those helpful thoughts and pointers that get the brain working and this site has a lot of helpful and just great things to help when I hit a wall and can't find that spark.
http://pb-resources.tumblr.com/tagged/resource. I have also been reading those random word generators; I am planning on playing with a few of them and try and speed sculpt one of the odd creatures that it generates.

I have been working on my Photoshop skills and did this quick coloring job today and fine tuning my execution.The skin tone palette was really helpful. I found it in the http://artiststoolbox.tumblr.com/tags.



http://artiststoolbox.tumblr.com/tags

This is a quick speed sculpt I did yesterday to just do something different and not get so frustrated with a project that I end up destroying it completely. I only gave myself a half hour maybe 45 to do it.

Some of my friends said I need to add things to the tables in the scene and make it seem not so empty. I still need to texture the extra things and add some more things, bottles, maybe another hat, things people left and so on. I think this is coming along well.

This is my female character I am working on. I need to work on the fine details in the clothes but the next step is adding the hands and feet. I am using the ones that come with zbrush as place holders and reference. I have a pair of hands I had built earlier and just need to attach them and work on the shoes.

 

I made different versions of the Hood. When I get this out and make a lower model I will make sure to use the hood up and arm zippers open so everything with function the way it need to. She is coming along wonderfully and I hope to have her done by the end of the month. 

I found an old story concept I made in school and am going to touch the images and make an animatic and try and model the characters in my free time.  I need to get my Photoshop and After Effects whipped back into shape. I also want to model out the Chinese dragon I drew sometime ago.  So I got some silver Christmas ornaments and am hoping they will help me get a decent HDR image I can work with and light the scene. I am planning on using the kitchen table so we will see how it goes.

Weekly Update: Red Robin DC Comics, Hester





Here is my most recent work on Red Robin. I am still working on his feet and head. I have been using  I am working with Transpose Tool in Zbrush to get the poses.


My low poly version of Hester is now rigged and animated. I made her textures using XNormal and RoadKill.

Currently, I am working on putting together a new demo reel which will showcase all my latest pieces. I already have a number of them completed and am getting really excited to put new stuff out there. Stay tuned!

Hester and her Hen House

My sister recently went on a trip to India and took tons of pictures. At the Mysore Zoo she snapped a photo of a an animal.

 

Come to find out it is called the Cassowary and is a flightless bird from Australia.

The ugly thing made great inspiration for an old brothel owner to add to Dectective Ram's universe.

I started with a sphere and then hit the Dynamesh button and started working.

 

I then added the gaudy old lady makeup based on the bird's colorings, gave her some vintage madame apparel, and Hester is ready for work!