Character: Loge

[DirtEater]

In light of how bad this guy has been going so far, I'm starting over, and starting with more concepts and better image planes.

Here's the new ref for the head:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/DirtEater/loge05.jpg

And a full figure that's more of what I want.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/DirtEater/loge01.jpg

If I feel like playing with the proportions I'll just do that with a lattice once the model is mostly done.

I know these are just rough sketches, but feel free to comment on them as they are, I hope to spend the rest of the day working out details and getting as much established before I start modeling as possible.

[FatherGlory]

Looks good so far for rough concepts. I prefer lots of loose concepts my self unless it has crazy ass detail then I like them more defined. Sounds like you made a wise decision to focus more on your reference first. Some 3D artist over look that important step. As I always like to tell people to hammer home the importance of preproduction: "any good 3D artist can make a model from a concept so... If you don't like it on 2D you won't you like it in 3D!" :thumbsup:

[DirtEater]

Thanks for the comments, FatherGlory. I'd also prefer to model from something loose but I need a lot more experience before I can do that without ending up with something generic. Also, I have a hard time nailing proportions from scratch in 3D.

Anywho, here's the latest in trying to flesh out the character;

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/DirtEater/loge06.jpg

I don't have much experience with color and I bombed the head on this one, but at least I've got a start on the colors. I meant for him to come out a bit more stocky than this. A few more doodles maybe and I'd like to get on with the image planes and get the proportions just right.

Any and all crits are appreciated.

[kOmoo]

I like those black and white sketches, you have posted, he would be a great highpoly figure.

I don't like the cape thingy, it just seems a little off.

[MentalMidget]

Wow.. I really like the legs.. how exactly is that going to work? Almost looks like a crab-like exoskeleton that breaks at the crotch. Are you going to include the 2 large toes like in the grey sketch in the final model? I really like those.. as well as the fleshy head folds.. good work thus far

I also updated my pic a bit.

[blz]

some nice sketches, seems liek you know a bit about anatomy too.
looking interesting so far.keep on going

[DirtEater]

Thanks for all the feedback!

kOmoo: I was thinking about doing a low and high poly version, but we'll see how that turns out. You're right about the cape looking odd. I plan on detailing how that connects and moves before I begin the model, but in general it's supposed to stay close to his body and appear more like a short robe than a cape.

Ben: Thanks, you're right on about the legs, I'm glad that was apparent through the sketches. As long as I model it right, what I've come up with for the crotch will actually be easier to rig than regular pants, IMHO. Yes, he will have two toes on one foot. I'm still not sure if I want to make it look like a big toe and a mass for the others, or two more feral toes. I'll doodle both and see which fits the character better.

blz: Thanks for the encouragement! I still have a lot to learn about anatomy, and even more to learn about weight and balance, but I just got Zach Petroc's DVD on anatomy in Zbrush and that's been a huge eye-opener. I highly recommend it.

Anywho, I plan on working out the rest of this design as soon as I get off work today.

[DirtEater]

I just realized that I removed the character description for this guy when I deleted my first post.

Loge is from Wagner's opera Das Rheingold, and my design is based on the costume from a particular performance of the opera I saw on DVD a while ago. He is the Germanized god Loki, who is the god of mischief, and in Das Rheingold he is the god of fire. Rather than a tricky little devil, I want to make him more subtle. Not really sinister, just quiet and manipulative.

Das Rheingold is one of four operas in the Ring cycle, currently being performed here in Seattle by the Seattle Opera. Tickets are expensive, otherwise I'd be attending. Opera's still for rich people :curious:

[DirtEater]

Ok, last drawing I'll post before modeling. Trying to keep the capes simple:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/DirtEater/loge07.jpg

Fabric's kind of hard to shade without making the forms underneath look odd.

[MentalMidget]

I like the cape a lot.. I can't really make any suggestions when it comes to modeling it though. I'll try to make a few character sketches for you to model later on for practice.

[Cronium]

I like the first concept best. It has much more feeling and character than the others (as first scetches usually do...)!

Are you planning to make highpoly proxys for normal maps?

[DirtEater]

Thanks, Cronium, I agree that the image planes for the head definitely have the most character so far. I think I sketch better with graphite, something's lost when I do digital sketches. So for the body image planes I'm going to use the old mechanical pencil.

I'd like to do a high-poly for normal maps, I'm just not sure which I should do first, the high-poly or the real-time model. I'm still saving for Zbrush so I'll have to do it traditionally. Any input?

[Cronium]

When i work with organical models i use Maya6 for the lowpoly, export it as .obj and import in ZBrush. You generally have more control of your model in Maya (less funky things happen..) and you have a camera with correct perspective (which z-brush dont). Basing a model on a ZBrush sculpture use to end up in wrong proportions when importing to your regular 3d-program.

Image planes are over estimated! ;)

[DirtEater]

Image planes are over estimated! ;)

I couldn't agree more. For now I need to rely on them, but as I improve with sculpture I'll be able to use them less and less.

[DirtEater]

I've started on the head. I'm about to take a lunch break and thought I'd post to show I'm still working on this.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/DirtEater/loge08.jpg

I decided to use this as my first attempt at normal mapping, so this is the start of the high res model. I'm just going to have to do as much as I can in Maya as I don't have Zbrush yet, but that's ok as I don't have to go all out on my first try.

I suppose the topology doesn't really matter for the high res model, but I like how this is going. It will be a nice reference for the topology on the in-game model.

[DirtEater]

More progress on the face.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/DirtEater/loge09.jpg

And a smooth shaded shot;

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/DirtEater/loge10.jpg

A bit more detail and I'll nail the character's age I think, crits welcome.

[Cronium]

looking good so far!
i noticed that you have some six sided polys on the forehead, they might create a pinch point when smoothed. The edgeloops look fine and, as usual, they become a pain when you work on the nose ;).

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