CGTalk - Beast of Burden - Character

Steve Warner

07-06-2002, 09:55 PM

IC4-, thanks! It's my first WIP and I'm having a blast so far!

Gabe, Sharp eye! ;) I'm working in Lightwave 7.5. :thumbsup: I've been learning it slowly since last September. I was thinking that your WIP looked like a Lightwave screencapture but I couldn't be sure. All I can say with yours is that it's damn fine work!

Thanks for the comments! I'll be posting an update soon. :)

Steve

ZrO-1

07-06-2002, 09:57 PM

nice character design. I like it's stubby little chicken-butt. hehehe :D

Steve Warner

07-06-2002, 10:56 PM

ZrO-1, thanks! I originally wanted to build something that had the influeces of domestic farm animals like chickens and rabbits, which is why the body and feet turned out like they did. :)

Here's my latest update:

Steve Warner

07-11-2002, 05:48 AM

I spent a little while on the arm this evening. I'm not sure I actually like it. What do you think? :shrug:

Fetus23

07-11-2002, 05:53 AM

what a cool way to show different options....
hmm...i like the big cartoony hands but maybe the feet could be bigger if you use them..

Steve Warner

07-11-2002, 03:02 PM

Fetus23, the feet are in dire need of detailing, but would you make the feet even bigger than they are in the pencil sketch?

gwelty

07-11-2002, 03:08 PM

like they say...big hands, big feet, big .......

big,large,huge,humongous,gargantuan...well maybe not that big

but big

AroundTheFur

07-11-2002, 03:16 PM

i like the smaller muscular arms, seems more state-of-the-art to me than some big bulky cartoon hands. as for the feet big all the way. :buttrock:

Steve Warner

07-18-2002, 09:57 PM

Updates...

I went with the smaller hands as those reflected better my original sketches. I liked the cartoony look, and that matched my inspiration (the Flintstones), but the cartoony look didn't really offer any modeling challenges. With this being my first-ever character model, I wanted to try things like wrinkles, muscles, etc.

My understanding of basic anatomy leaves quite a bit to be desired, but I'm pretty happy with how this is turning out so far.

Crits and comments??? :shrug:

Steve

Steve Warner

07-18-2002, 09:59 PM

Update2

Steve Warner

07-18-2002, 10:01 PM

Update3

For the most part, the body portion is complete. I'm still working on the legs and hope to have those done in the next day or two...

Steve Warner

07-18-2002, 10:03 PM

I spent some time today working on the feet. :)

Crits and comments are certainly welcome.

Steve Warner

07-18-2002, 10:04 PM

Another foot shot

Koma

07-19-2002, 02:35 AM

lovley detail ,love the feat ,your on the right track dude ,keep it up

Eugeny

07-20-2002, 01:28 PM

Nice ditales Steve! Love the idea :thumbsup: Keep it up :buttrock:

Flypaper

07-20-2002, 02:43 PM

I'd like to place an order for 2 BC-2000's please. If there is an upgrade price from the BC - 1000 let me know, as I've found it to be a valuable machine.

ZrO-1

07-20-2002, 03:02 PM

Hey Mr. W, that foot is looking cool. I think it fits really well with the style you've modeled the face in.
The body shots of the beast all look good. I'd say you are definetly on the right track with this BoB.

Steve Warner

07-20-2002, 10:55 PM

Hey guys, thanks for the encouragement!

Gabe and Eugeny, your modeling skills are something that I aspire towards. I hold you both in high regards. :bowdown:

ZrO-1, my girlfriend called this morning and said she killed something in her art gallery that looks an awful lot like your BOB... :argh: Your challenge makes me smile as much as it makes my skin crawl...

Flypaper, since you acted during our special offer, you'll not only be upgraded from your classic BC-1000 at a low introductory rate, but you'll also recieve the complete accessory kit at no extra charge. :)

Oh, man, I've seen way too much late night TV. :rolleyes:

More updates on the way. Thanks again for the comments, guys.

Steve

Cman

07-21-2002, 12:40 AM

I really like teh wrinkly details in the feet. I hope you're gonna add some of that to the head and necks areas?

Steve Warner

07-21-2002, 01:05 AM

Good idea, Cman! :thumbsup: I'm just about finished with the legs. Then I need to detail the chest between the arms and add detail to the area around the eyes. Adding the wrinkles to the feet was just an experiment, but it was fun. Adding them to the rest of the body is an excellent idea!

In an unreleated note, I just went to Target to purchase a new showerhead. Yes, I do lead an exciting and dangerous life. Anyway, I sign the VISA receipt and the register guy says, "Happy showering, or whatever you're going to do." :curious: Is that normal?

Steve

ZrO-1

07-21-2002, 01:09 AM

Hmmmm, it must be an Arizona thing. "happy showering"? is that like happy trails? :p LOL just kidding man.

You have a lot of bugs that look like my beast huh? First one out of your sink, and then your GF sees one in her studio. I'd love it if you could get a photo of the bug if you see annother one. I sort of made up my beast from my imagination, but seeing a pic of a real-life(tm) version might give me some more ideas for details ;)

Steve Warner

07-21-2002, 10:19 AM

Ahhh, nothing like being up with the diehards at 3:30am...

I got the leg detailed and attached to the rest of the body. Did some test renders. The back of the legs definitely need work still. And God willing, I'll have time to add wrinkles to the rest of the body as per Cman's tip. Also, where the leg attaches to the body looks weird. And the eyes, of course, need work.

This is where the crits and comments come in handy, so please keep them coming! :)

Thanks,

Steve

http://www.trinitymediainc.com/WIP/BOB/Render_005.jpg

http://www.trinitymediainc.com/WIP/BOB/Render_004.jpg

http://www.trinitymediainc.com/WIP/BOB/Render_003.jpg

http://www.trinitymediainc.com/WIP/BOB/Render_002.jpg

tubby

07-21-2002, 10:38 AM

hey im glad im not the only one up, heehee. thats comming along really good. i like the look as well as the shapre of the head.here are some things that might be of help.the character needs to be balaced more,like there is too much weight in the front(maybe give the back an arch, or maybe bend the knees and shift teh body back a tad. um maybe exxagerate the wrists more, bend them down more and make the wrist bone more aparrent, like his arms look like they are floating up kinda, and the detail, jesus, if you can get to the detail at the end like you did on the feet this is gonna look really really strong(as in good). hey i hope i dont sound like im being a little bitch i just really wanna see this thing turn out by adding my 2 cents. its a frickin kick ass model and i cant wait to see more:) :)

Eugeny

07-21-2002, 04:58 PM

Now u mast give the same details to the arms, looks great :thumbsup:

ZrO-1

07-21-2002, 05:53 PM

First let me say that this is really coming along well. I have a few suggestions/crits for you:

The fingers look to square, I think making them more round and thinner/bonier would look good.
I think you need deeper & sharper folds/wrinkles around where the back legs meet the hips.
From the full profile the beast looks like it's leaning too far foreward, but you can counteract that by making sure any burden stuff that will be on the beast is placed above or behind the back legs. Also if you're going to have it pulling something have the harness conect to the beast like a backpack around the arms. Those two things would explain why it's leaning forward without having to mess with the beast itself.

Steve Warner

07-22-2002, 07:30 PM

Thanks for the pointers, guys! A couple of notes:

If I'm able to get the character done before the challenge ends, I will have him hauling the waste containment unit shown in my sketches. I've never rigged a character in Lightwave (or any other app for that matter) so I'm attempting to model the character in his final pose. I found out after I had started modeling that a better approach would be to create the character in a neutral position and then pose him after the bones were in place. Doh!

@ tubby, you're absolutely right about the arms. They do look like they're floating up. Nice call on that one! I'll work on repositioning them and making the bone structure more apparant. I'm confused, though, about your comments on repositioning/balancing the body. His back does have an arch in it... Can you expound on your thoughts on this? Thanks! And don't worry about sounding critical. When you work on something so closely, it's hard to be really objective. A fresh set of eyes is just what I need to make this model successful. :)

@ Eugeny, Thanks! Details are in the works.

@ ZrO-1, ooohh, you got me! The fingers were originally quads that I extended out. That's why they look boxy. I like the bony fingers idea. That will also give me the opportunity to add more details. :) With regards to the back legs, are you suggesting wrinkles towards the front of the legs, or towards the back? Or both? The BOB will be hauling something, but I also plan on adding some grass to have him chew on. That's another reason he's leaning forward so much.

Thanks for the crits and comments, guys! I really do appreciate it! Please don't hesitate to offer more advice. :)

Steve

tubby

07-22-2002, 07:42 PM

as soon as i sent the reply i realized that your character is just positioned to be pulling something. i just though from an idle pose that the character was leaning too far forward, but if he is gonna have wieght in the back from whatever he is gonna be towing then it looks just right, sorry for the mixup. hope i did more good than i did damage, heehee. well i cant wait to see an update of this character, let us see more!!

Steve Warner

07-22-2002, 07:44 PM

Ah! Gotcha. :) No worries. No damage done. Thanks for the clarification!

Steve

Steve Warner

07-23-2002, 02:43 AM

Worked on the backside today... Hope to tackle the arm re-do tomorrow. Thank goodness it's slow at work...

http://www.trinitymediainc.com/WIP/BOB/Render_006.jpg

http://www.trinitymediainc.com/WIP/BOB/Render_007.jpg

http://www.trinitymediainc.com/WIP/BOB/Render_008.jpg

http://www.trinitymediainc.com/WIP/BOB/Render_009.jpg

As I mentioned before, this is the time where crits are the most useful. Any thoughts are welcome!

TIA,

Steve

Daxx

07-25-2002, 12:42 AM

Steeeeve!!! Great Concept and Great Model MAN!!!!!! :applause: :applause: :applause:

You Got My Vote!!!

:thumbsup:

Steve Warner

07-25-2002, 09:47 PM

Daxx, thanks for the nice comments! I've still got a long way to go. You've got a great model going yourself!

I'm Hoping I'll be able to dedicate some solid time this weekend so I can get closer to being "done." But I'm making progress.

Ok, I rebuilt the hand from the ground up today. Added veins, which I think looks cool. :) I'm still working to pose the hand, then I'll add it back to the arm and rework the arms so they don't look like they're floating. Here's an animated .gif file showing the work on the hand.

Crits? Comments? Thanks!

http://www.trinitymediainc.com/WIP/BOB/Newhand.gif

Steve Warner

07-25-2002, 11:24 PM

And now it's attached to the arm.

Steve Warner

07-26-2002, 11:10 PM

Ok. I reattached everything, tweaked the body a bit more, and sculpted the eyelids to cover the eyes and give him a tired look. I then posed the hands a bit. Still need a little work there. I'd like to detail the head a bit more, but we're running down on time and I need to get cranking on the contraption to make this WIP abide by the rules. So for now, let's say the character is done.

Crits? Comments? I appreciate your input!

http://www.trinitymediainc.com/WIP/BOB/Render_011.jpg

Steve Warner

07-28-2002, 12:46 AM

Working on the waste containment system...

http://www.trinitymediainc.com/WIP/BOB/Render_012.jpg

Crash

07-28-2002, 12:52 AM

Breathtaking modeling. I like esoecially the blood vines on he's hands, that's really top notcha. When are you going to make the contraption, time is of the essence ya know :p . Gimme so mo :buttrock: .

Steve Warner

07-28-2002, 01:21 AM

Thanks, Crash! I'm feeling the time tick away! Hoping to have this all done by Wednesday. :)

Steve

erilaz

07-28-2002, 11:46 AM

It must suck not having opposable thumbs! Great work Mr. Warner. The hands have come out well! :thumbsup:

Steve Warner

07-29-2002, 01:09 AM

Ah, yes. This bad boy was genetically engineered to not have opposable thumbs. Keeps him from detaching the waste containment unit and running free. That and it was easier to model. :) Thanks for the comments!

Steve

Steve Warner

07-29-2002, 09:26 PM

Oh, man. I'm getting to the point where I laugh every time I see this thing. :D

The DinoDiaper is done barring a few minor details. The harness is done, which wasn't in the original design but I realized I needed to abide by the Challenge Rules. ;) I'm still working on the waste processor unit that he'll be hauling around. Also on the to-do list is the Range Rover collar and the Free Motion Limiter apparatus for the feet. See my original sketches.

Crits & Comments welcome!

http://www.trinitymediainc.com/WIP/BOB/Render_013.jpg

http://www.trinitymediainc.com/WIP/BOB/Render_014.jpg

tubby

07-29-2002, 09:32 PM

ahaha, that character is turning out great! i love the dino diaper thats frickin hilarious, i actually want one for myself so i dont have to get out of my seat. if you ever develop a full workin model i want one:) . one question, is it gonna have ears, just askin?Good stuff, keep it up!

Steve Warner

07-29-2002, 09:57 PM

Hey Tubby! I'm glad I'm not the only one finding this amusing. :)

Ears... Hmmmm.. Did dinos have ears? But now that you mention it, it does look like he's missing something up there... I vaguely remember dinos having a little hearing hole. Ummm... Lemme try it out.

Ok, it's looking kinda weird. Thoughts?

Steve

tubby

07-29-2002, 10:12 PM

dang, i did some quick researching and i noticed most dinos dont seem to have ears, well your ear is placed too high at the moment i think, the hole for the ear is usually below the eye an back. heres an image of one example of a dinos ear. i think it might work. i hate writing suggestions cuz i feel responsible for distracting the artist with ideas they might not like. i hope i didnt screw you up in any way. to me there is somethin missing on the head and it might be the ear, or the fact that im lookin at a dino with a daiper on , hahahah. well, i hope the pic helps a bit. your character is really comming together :) :)

Steve Warner

07-29-2002, 10:28 PM

Thanks for the reference pic, tubby! I agree that the head is lacking something, but it may just be the necessary details that the rest of the body now has. I have several things I really want to do, but it was imperative that I start in on the contraption and other rules requirements. But no worries! It isn't distracting at all. And it hasn't really affected my model, as the ear-test I did was on a copy of the dino. :)

Thanks!

Steve

Virtuoso

07-29-2002, 10:34 PM

All in all that is one fine job Steve, To me it seems to be somewhere inbetween a toon type beast/Dino and a more common realistic type, I personally like your rendition. It's a clean good looking beast, a bit sad, I quess with all the work it has to do, but it seems gentle and kind, good emotions seem to exude from it, very nice..................:thumbsup: :)

Steve Warner

07-30-2002, 04:33 AM

Virtuoso, thanks for the comments! I'm glad that the character's emotions are coming through. I never really sat down and determined whether I wanted to do a realistic dinosaur or a cartoon one. I developed the storyline and idea from the Flintstones cartoons, so the comic influence is definitely there. But the cartoony look wasn't really that challenging. With this being my first character, I wanted to put some extra work into it, which is probably why I ended up with a hybrid cartoon-realistic design. I'm glad it isn't too disjointed in appearance, and that the kind-hearted thing is coming out. That was definitely something I was thinking as I sat down to sketch. :)

Here's the latest:

http://www.trinitymediainc.com/WIP/BOB/Render_015.jpg

Got the FreeMotion Limiters done. They're the feet shackles.
Got the RangeRover Technology done. That's the collar with the large hammer protruding out of it. :) It works on remote. You can see the rabbit ears at the top of the collar.

I'm trying to determine whether to spend more time on these, or to go ahead and finish off the contraption and then spend the rest of my time detailing the head a bit more.

Thoughts, anyone?

Still to do:

Finish off the Waste Processing unit. Since I'm only entering the character challenge, I'm not too concerned with this, but it seems like everybody is doing both, so I don't want to be left out. :)

Crits and comments are welcome. Thanks in advance!

Steve

Drongo Stabbins

07-30-2002, 05:52 AM

great work steve!
Really like the ideas and humour!
The hammer thingys great...
"RangeRover Technology" (you should get that patented!)
excellent!

Eugeny

07-30-2002, 06:56 AM

Yea nice :thumbsup:

tubby

07-30-2002, 07:25 AM

well i definetly agree with the kindhearted feel of the character showing(his eyes and face especially), its definetly got a personality to it(which isnt easy to do). about what to focus your time on first, i dont know. i think its important for you to decide what you want the overall composition to include. if you feel the contraption is an important part that brings the piece together i would make the contraption first and then add in final details after. but if you think the composition is complete without the contraption than spend time workin on the details. i personally feel that the contraption plays an important role in the theme and feel of the piece(dont the rules say it needs to be hauling somethin?). so my personal opinion is to finish the base of the complete composition and go back and detail after. god i just ramble on forever dont I. im gonna shut up and finish by saying that you are doing some impressive work which keeps gettin better every time you post, i love it and i hope i helped.:) :) :)

Steve Warner

07-30-2002, 03:31 PM

@ Drongo Stabbins: Thanks for the comments and for visiting my WIP. :) I'm humbled in your presence.

@ Eugeny: Thanks! You know I greatly respect your work and your wealth of LW knowledge. Now you know why my questions on deforming a tube showed up on the LW forum. I really appreciate your help!

@ tubby: You have definitely helped me through this process. You have taken the time to give me detailed comments, and that says a lot about you. You certainly do not ramble. :)

To all three of you: You are each accomplished modelers and I am awed by your talent, thankful for your comments, and encouraged by your kind words.

When I first started browsing CG Talk, I told my girlfriend that this is where the serious artists hung out. I told her that my goal was to reach a level where I could work amongst you. To join one of the Challenges and not be thoroughly embarassed. This has been an amazing challenge and so many people are putting out rock solid, gorgeous work. I am thrilled to simply be part of the scene. To recieve positive feedback and constructive criticism is really awesome.

Now who's rambling? :p

Back to work. Tubby, I'm taking your advice. I think you're right. He needs to be hauling something, and that really was part of the original design.

Take care,

Steve

KnightWhitie

07-30-2002, 08:10 PM

He is coming along quite nicely, I love his metal droors. I would just suggest less of a humanoid mouth and forehead. I like the idea though. Nice work :beer:

Steve Warner

07-30-2002, 09:09 PM

KnightWhitie, thanks for the suggestions! The contraption is just about wrapped up, so I'm thinking about revisiting the head. If I have the opportunity, I'll give them a try. :)

Here's the latest:

I worked on the waste processing unit. Didn't like my original sketches so I modified it a bit. Added some grass. Ok, lots of grass. Seriously bogged down my system. Added some cheap trees as well.

I don't really like the grass or trees, but it was interesting to render them to see what they'd look like. Let me know what you think.

Crits and comments are always welcome!

Thanks,

Steve

http://www.trinitymediainc.com/WIP/BOB/Render_016.jpg

http://www.trinitymediainc.com/WIP/BOB/Render_017.jpg

http://www.trinitymediainc.com/WIP/BOB/Render_018.jpg

Steve Warner

08-03-2002, 03:49 AM

Thanks for the kind words, Virtuoso! :) I actually got sick and was pulled away from working the last several days. Hoping to make one last stab at this before the challenge ends.

Take care!

Steve

erilaz

08-03-2002, 03:58 AM

A lot of your grass seems to be floating! I wouldn't worry about it (I ditched mine!). The creature speaks for itself without the extra landscaping.:D

Brilliant beast. Keeps getting better.:thumbsup:

Steve Warner

08-03-2002, 04:06 AM

Erilaz, you got me. :D The grass is actually a 17 Meg file. :surprised Huge, compared to the 400k for the rest of the models combined. Takes so stinking long to render that I couldn't justify the cpu time at work to redo the scene. Gotta be at least marginally responsible with my job. ;) But 'cause you caught me (great eye!), I'll pull the grass. I agree that it's not really helping the model that much. If I could get it all over a mountain scene, maybe... But not this weekend.

Thanks for the comments!

Steve

erilaz

08-03-2002, 04:33 AM

Gadzooks! 17 megs? How many polys was in that??:eek:

Steve Warner

08-03-2002, 09:57 AM

Ahhh, once again I'm up with the diehards at 3am. The grass object has just over a half million polys. :rolleyes: The actual poly count came out to 526,620. Of course, each was a subdivision object, so once it hit the renderer the mesh was multiplied from there. But half-million was the base object. :surprised Huh. No wonder the render took such a long time. ;)

Steve

Eugeny

08-03-2002, 11:24 AM

Why u not use simple poly object with clip map for grass ?
Bdw. love it :thumbsup:

verti

08-03-2002, 01:37 PM

few years ago ive made clock... in cinema4d... i think that was version 4... or 5... it took me a week to create the model on my performa 6400/180...

the file was 30mb big :surprised

verti:buttrock:

Skit

08-04-2002, 08:22 AM

Steve,

I just want to say, "wow"! I have been following your progress from the beginning but have not formally commented on your work until now.

You have successfully fulfilled the expetations set forth by your sketch. The details you have developed, such as the bony veins in the hands, the thick folds in the feet, the subtle droop around the eyes, etc., suprise and satisfy.

You have done more than create a stunning model; you have achieved a being that is breathing, a form that exudes conflicting emotion: exhaustion, anger, apathy, sorrow, and through this conflict life's complexities are conjured.

You have captured the nuances that furtively transform an object to a lifeform, that penetrate the psyche and cause the suspension of disbelief -- because the imaginary can be real, as you have so magnificently demonstrated.

Yours truly,

Skit

Steve Warner

08-04-2002, 08:49 PM

Hi all,

I was hoping to get some time this weekend to do some final tweaking and get a decent final render done, but I've got a large project for the U.S. Army starting this week and have to get ready for it. As such, I don't really have the time I was hoping for. But thanks for the encouragement and feedback along the way. And thanks for the positive votes! That means so much to me. This has been a blast and I can't wait till I'm able to join in another challenge again. :)

@ Eugeny: I was thinking about using a clip map for ferns, flowers, and grass, but then remembered that the challenge was a modeling challenge. Textured objects aren't supposed to count in the final judging. So I ruled that out. But thanks for the suggestion. And thanks for continuing to drop by and comment on my performance. It's much appreciated! :)

@ Verti: That's insane! :surprised How long did that thing take to render?

@ Skit: Thanks for the generous words! :blush: :D I'm glad you liked the character model. It's a first for me and I've learned a lot along the way. While it's not the most detailed model of the bunch by far, I did accomplish what I set out to do, and I'm proud of that. The success and encouragement I've received along the has only strengthened my resolve to build more complex pieces in the future.

Thanks everyone!

Steve