Sketchbook Thread of Collings - 2D/3D

[Intervain]

Excellent! WELCOME to the fun land :D And a great start already - I love the knees - if that doesn't sound perverted ;) but my she's a skinny lass...

Will be keeping an eye on this thread for sure :thumbsup::bounce:

[collings]

thank you for your warm welcome Magda.
here is my latest head study by the way ( completed in 8h)

Hires Image HERE (http://img299.imageshack.us/my.php?image=challengesubdivmodelingsv6.jpg)

http://img49.imageshack.us/img49/545/challengesubdivmodelingra6.jpg

[Agnaldo]

Hey Collings, welcome to the room.

Gonna try to keep my eyes in your artwork too, it´s nice to see how the peoples are studying anatomy in the digital media.

The girl´s torso looks good, I don´t have comments to make until it´s finished... so keep going with this sudy.

[Womball]

Welcome to the forums! Nice work so far. I don't think you need to say who the face was, its apparent. You managed to get a very close likeness in a short time! The anatomy study could use some more work. The tendons should be visible slightly on the top of the feet. Something looks off about the breast, I think its the attachement to the sternum, but I'm not sure. Could you post a side view as well? Is she not going to have a bellybutton?

[anandpg]

Hi Nicolas! Great to see you here! Awesome start!:thumbsup: keep rocking!!:scream:

[muttonman222]

hi Collins

I agree with everyone that its some beautiful modeling there but I also agree with Womball that a couple minor things might need some tweaking. Maybe the breasts should flow more into the chest bone and there's a muscle right above her left knee that looks a touch to buldging. Great modeling though. Mudbox is the bomb BTW:)

[collings]

Womball: it's really the beginning , idon't even work on the feet tho, but i'm agree with you about what you pointed out , thank you man.

Agnaldo: thank you man

anand: hey thanks for visiting my thread . Yours is simply a true inspiration man, thank you ;).

muttonman222: it's done in Zbrush3.1 actually but the head is done in Mudbox. It's been almost a year that i don't even touch zbrush so need some practice. I find it's easier to sculpt in mudbox tho. :D

[razz]

Hi Collings! Welcome welcome.

Happy to see another 3d artist here. Looking forward to those studies.
Head study is really well done. I'm amazed what now can be done in a pretty short amount of time.
And hooray for Mudbox!

[SpankTheMonk]

Really nice work Collings! Could you show your refrence on the female model?

[DimSum]

Hey Nicolas, guess who it is ;)

Beautiful work as usual :) Very nice proportions, I'm eager to see follow ups of your model.

I agree with what has been said about the breast, and more other things, but hey hard to judge at this point.

Keep up the good work ! (I should also try to post something here in the future hehe)

[collings]

razz : thx you dude, mudbox rocks but i fell like i have to get back on zbrush since the V3.1 is released :scream: .

SpankTheMonk: sure i use this ref Flora Sepia (http://www.drawing-workshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=106&osCsid=6be056cce7954f2d632e273303f03905) from modelalisa.com ! great site for artist tho.

DimSum: hey wai, thanks for droping a comment. and you should definitely create your own thread here. :bounce:

[Rebeccak]

Great to see you here collings! Nice to have another fantastic modeler aboard. Really looking forward to seeing your thread grow. :)

[plunq]

Hey Collings, great start to your thread here! Your Denzel looks great.

The figure study is off to a really good start. Her left ribs are starting to look like they are being squished by her hips instead of being rigid. Her left shin is also looking a little skewed, maybe bringing her left knee closer to her center will fix that. Can't wait to see more updates!

[collings]

hi Rebeccak, thank you for the welcome :) hope i will try to update this thread as much as i can. I really need a lot of practice. :/

plunq - thanks man, i'll try to improve it in that way.

by waiting an update here is some lil' sketches. need even more practice in 2d i'm completly a newbie in that field. lol

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/2926/drawingsvv7.jpg

[Intervain]

Oh Great to see you diving into 2d as well Nicolas! looking forward to more!

[collings]

hey magda stay tuned i did some more sketches but i will post them Friday 'cause i do'nt have any scanner atm.

here is a little update a the female figure. Still need to work especially on the legs/knee/feet...

Maddam's shader slightly tweaked
http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/1313/01bp2.jpg


Ralf Stumpf 's bronze shader slightly tweaked
http://img65.imageshack.us/img65/5769/02ly9.jpg

[Agnaldo]

Very, very nice Colling.

I´m impressed how you add a lot of realism with the Bronze shader. Keep posting your progress in that piece... I´m seeing some gaps in the feets/toes, but I know you´re already working on it.

[rasmusW]

hey nicolas!

-great to see you've started a thread here. i remember, you talking about it somewhere.
your denzel sketch, is really well done. think i've already told you.
looking forward to see more progress on the lady. you're off to an very good start.
maybe she could need a bit more belly. even skinny ladies tend to have a bit belly...
well that's just a thought.

keep it coming.

-r

[plunq]

Hey Collings, great update to your 3d work. One thing I feel you could look at again before going further is the pose itself. She feels a bit off balance, if you shifted her hips to her left a bit I think she'd have more weight over the weight bearing leg and look more solid.

Nice Bridgeman studies, I'd love to see these translated into 3d!

Keep up the good work dude.

[collings]

thanks for the comments guys.

Here is some 2d sketches from this week. Feet study :D
Based on the book Constructive Anatomy byGeorge B. Bridgman.

http://sillord.free.fr/Portfolio/sculpture/drawings_study_02.jpg

http://sillord.free.fr/Portfolio/sculpture/drawings_study_03.jpg

[DimSum]

Hey collings, very nice drawings you have there! I can see already some improvment and quality in your strokes. Keep up the training and you might get far ;)

[collings]

Thank a lot Wai ;)

Eventually i had some time to paricipate to the workshop managed by Intervain.
Here is my progress so far. Still a long road to go :D
I mainly don't like the mouth , i really need to put more effort on that.

By the way, he's a black old man :scream:

http://img66.imageshack.us/img66/8998/wip01dy0.jpg

and here is a little paintover .

http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/8316/wip02vb2.jpg

[SpiritDreamer]

Hi ...Collings ..:)

GREAT start on your thread...Really enjoy what's in it so far ...very strong draftsmanship ...For your 2d, and for that matter,especally your 3d also, you might check out the books of Burne Hoargth..all of them are GREAT tools for learning...The information and his demontrations in his book DYNAMIC FIGURE DRAWING, will really take you FAR..I don't think there is another book like it out there..check it out, if you haven't already...deffinitly worth the investment..:)
Anyway...really enjoyed going through your thread, and really looking forward to seeing lot's more of your work, and the progress that comes with it ..:thumbsup:
TAKE CARE
Glenn

[collings]

Hi Glenn, thanks for visting my thread.
I checked out the books of Burne Hogarth and i'm definitely gonna buy them :thumbsup:
I'm glad thta you enjoy the thread so far. Here is a new update on the old man,

Still need a lot of work :arteest:the ears, nose, mouth, eyes. pretty much everything indeed :D

http://img113.imageshack.us/img113/8374/wip04sa9.jpg

I think the nose is too pointy , and the ears are quite wrong. Need to fix that first.

http://img125.imageshack.us/img125/1840/wip05kd4.jpg



http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/3480/wip06kg5.jpg
http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/5622/wip08fh4.jpg

[rasmusW]

hey nicolas!

great work on the old man. he looks very charismatic (not sure if that's spelled right), imo.
i think you are right about the nose, though.

looking forward for your next update.

-r

[rdsarna]

Hey Nicolas!
Great sketchbook.....I envy you 3D guys and sculptors...
Your sketches are also awesome!
The old man is looking great so far.....lets see you adding more character to it.....

Looking forward to more wonderful work....
Ratul

[RedSquirrel]

For the body sculpture I think her lower abs seem really flat to me, although saying that there are women athletes out there that look the same. That face is really spectacular though, looking forward to updates.

[collings]

thanks a lot guys ;)

hop a little update for tonight :)
I changed quite a lot the proportion, added some more details and broke the symmetry !

http://img239.imageshack.us/img239/1400/wip09rr0.jpg (http://img528.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wip09ab2.jpg)




------------------------------------------------


Cgarena.com asked me to write a making of on my celebrity head Denzel Washington.
Click on the picture to see it :)

http://sillord.free.fr/Portfolio/makingof/makingof_DW.jpg (http://www.cgarena.com/freestuff/tutorials/misc/digitaldouble/index.html)


--------------------------------

[collings]

OK here is an update, hope it's getting better... Let it rip with your comments ;)

http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/7936/wip10wk0.jpg

http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/6215/wip11xg4.jpg

[collings]

I started to work on the texture this evenning. really the beginning and i'm not very good in this task :D still need a lot of practice. Anyway here is my progress so far.

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/8813/wip13hw3.jpg



And here is a test in mental ray with a SSS fast skin shader.

I think my lighting setup really sucks. i tried to lit the scene with an hdri and some spots light :hmm:

http://img126.imageshack.us/img126/82/wip14dl3.jpg

[NR43]

man that's an awesome sb you got here!
great sculpts and your 2D is certainly not bad, don't be too modest ;)

[DivineRAiN]

what NR said. You've got some sweet models so far... and nice foot studies too.

[collings]

hi all, yesterday evening i decided to pick up an old model that i did 2 years ago and started to texture him. Here is the result so far with only the diffuse map. I still need to add a normal map for the face as well as spec map sss map etc..

hope you like it, the design is from Jordu Schell.

this is a test render with mental ray.
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/7080/01compae5.jpg

[Rebeccak]

Wow, awesome, I love the energy this little guy has!

[collings]

Thanks a lot Rebecca , glad you like it. I'm so fan of the work of Jordu Schell :) .
Here is the last render.
http://sillord.free.fr/Portfolio/modeling/Jordu02.jpg


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is for the workshop here on cgtalk on the body in motion.

i decided to reproduce a sculpture from canova called "Hercule et Lycas".

I started by making the head in mudbox then i exported the geo in zbrush to put it in the correct pose. Next Step will be obviously the body of hercule which i'm going to sculpt directly in the right pose ( i don't know yet if i'll do it in mudox first or straight in zbrush) .

I'm not sure i will be able to finish the 2 characters for the deadline, but anyways i will finish it for sure.

Reference ( i don't have any bigger image then this so if you have some don't hesitate to pm me :) ).

http://www.summagallicana.it/lessico/e/Ercole%20e%20Lica.jpg

Here is my progress... ( i used a shader from Fatmiri which i downloaded on zbrushcentral )

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/3860/wip02mt7.jpg

[anandpg]

Hey Nicolas!! Awesome texturing work on the old guy!.. keep rocking!!:thumbsup:

[collings]

Thanks Anand.

Here is an update my the last sculpt....
Still a lot of work on this dude !

http://www.nicolascollings.com/WIP/Workshop02/wip05.jpg

[Rebeccak]

Hey, awesome updates! :) The lower arms of the Hercules figure feel really fluid but I know this is a WIP. Great stuff, keep it coming! :)

[collings]

sorry for the lack of update :blush:, i eventualy found some time and energy to work again on this model. I worked some more on the anatomy of Hercule and i also added the other elements of the final piece. still a lot to do, ... the position of the second character's head is still not correct ...
http://www.nicolascollings.com/WIP/Workshop02/Hercule_wip01.jpg
http://www.nicolascollings.com/wip/Hercule_wip01.jpg

[kary]

Lots of respect for going after that model, it seemed like one of the more difficult ones on the list.

I like the 'feel' of your piece now. In places it reads better then the original, and some of your adjustments work very well (head angle change makes it look a lot less like an armpit sniff test pose :D).

The skirt is a little odd. It falls down to mid-tigh in a stretched leg pose, which should mean that if he were to stand up straight it would fall to the knee and make it difficult to walk in. The inside of the characters knee (frame right, character left) seems a strong. The original version seems odd, but where you've taken it seems to make it stick out a bit much.

It's really coming along well :) I bet there will be a big step forward when you get into those hands. Hercules' grip on that foot and hair is telling a lot of the story, and the other fellow's frantic grasp of the ground tells as much about his state of mind as the expresion on the face... and you've got a very firm base to build those details in on, I hope you have time and energy to take it through to the finish :)

[collings]

Thanks a lot for your comment kary. Its motivate me to complete this piece :)
I'm agree with you about the skirt, didn't think about that when i did it. Here is the other ref that i used for that skirt.
http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/3116/imageuploadkkashxsf5.jpg

[collings]

i worked a few more hours on this one. hope it's getting better ...
http://www.nicolascollings.com/WIP/Workshop02/Hercule_wip02.jpg

[collings]

here is an update on my female body study.

http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/modeling/Female_Body.jpg

[Rebeccak]

Love that last post, will there be a head attached too? :)

[collings]

hey thank you rebeccak !
nop, no head for her :D

[Rebeccak]

Hehe, it's a great body model, she shall remain headless :D

[xsiyou]

great work on the 3d,I will take your advice.

[collings]

Final update on the female body. I'm quite happy with the final result. Now i have to finish the hercule&Lycas piece ! :arteest:

http://www.nicolascollings.com/WIP/female_body_study_hires.jpg

[Intervain]

nice finish Nick! You're quite productive nowadays :) I just noticed you're going for the DM as well :D Best of luck!:bounce:

[anandpg]

Hey Nicolas!!.. the female has come out great!:thumbsup:
...now, can I have that marble material, pleeeaaase??:blush:

[Rebeccak]

Awesome stuff. :)

[razz]

I'm happy with your final result too, haha. The model looks good and the material rocks. Makes me want to work more on the sculpt I'm doing. I really should..

What's next on to do list?

[collings]

thank you guys.
razz: i'm gonna finish my entry of the mouvement 3dworkshop " Hercule é Lycas", better too late than never :D
anand: you can find the material by following this link ;) http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/showthread.php?t=056692

[kary]

Great piece Nicolas, very solid sense of weight :)

[collings]

I took back an old model ( Ashla from StarWars:Attack of the clones) that i did in september 2005, and tweaked the geometry with zbrush a bit then i added some textures using polypaint in ZB. Render done in Maya with MR. Still need to tweak the settings but anyways here is my result so far.

http://www.nicolascollings.com/WIP/04small.jpg

[nightwoodwolf]

looking good ... i also admire the work on the female body .. looking forward to see whats next :thumbsup:

[Deepam]

Hi nicolas ! :)

I hv seen your artworks before and the character in your avatar is one of my favourite.
Good to see your thread here.

Like the female figure study and the last one is also nice.

[collings]

Hi guys Thanks for your comments.

Here is a last image of teh female body.

http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/modeling/Female_Body.jpg
And... alsos just decided to take back the denzel washington's head to tweak the model some more.
I added some hair, worked on the neck and some area here and there.
ScreenGrab from Zbrush.

http://features-temp.cgsociety.org/gallerycrits/144290/144290_1207230840_large.jpg

[Rebeccak]

Both models are great but the Denzel sculpt is especially strong - you can definitely tell right off the bat it's him!

[collings]

thank you Rebeccak, glad you like it.
Actually in this version i tried to make him a bit "fatter" , a bit more fleshy. I also wanted to see him with some hair, looks really different. Still like the first version too :)

[collings]

Yesterday, I have been inspired by the gorilla's head made by a zbrush user. So I decided to do one myself. Hope you'll enjoy. Here is the base mesh and the 3d sculpt .

http://www.nicolascollings.com/WIP/Kong_Wireframe.jpg


http://www.nicolascollings.com/WIP/Kong_Render.jpg

[Deepam]

Hey nicolas !! :)

it's looking beautiful to me . . . can you tell me approx how much time you took to complete this, from start of the base mesh to the finished one ?

[collings]

well i did that yesterday, i started at 3pm then stopped at 7pm, restarted at 11 pm until 3 am. First session - BaseMesh and Second Session - Zbrush. So basically 1 working days.. 8 hours.

[Intervain]

good stuff Nicolas! 3am?! :eek: - and I thought I was crazy :scream:

[Rebeccak]

Hey collings, great new sculpt! I think the front looks great, but something about the back of the head / the really pointed area, isn't doing it for me and I'm not sure why. Perhaps it's too generic looking or something? At any rate, this is definitely a good piece!

[collings]

Intervain: héhé yeah i know sounds crazy, but when i'm sculpting in zbrush i can't see the clock turning , i have no notion of time at that point :D

Rebeccak: thanks rebeccak, indeed there is something wrong with the skull area. i'll have a closer loook to that. Adding some fur would maybe fix that issue ...

[collings]

ok i changed the overall proportion , because it was quite off in the previous version.
I also worked a bit on the asymmetry.

Here is how it looks right now.
http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/modeling/Kong_Render.jpg

[Rebeccak]

Hey, I definitely like this version better! A big improvement, nice job. Do you plan to texture him?

[collings]

thanks rebec, yes i'd like to make a render of it in maya with some texture & fur .
But i do'nt know if i will have enought patience tho :D, so maybe i'll move on something else.

[bradjames]

looking forward to seeing more work from you man..consider me signed up for the show...ahah

[razz]

Nice monkey! Having done such a great work on the sculpt, you should really spend some more time on it and give some fur. Really worth it, in my opinion.
Love the sculpt of Washington also. All those tiny details...How about if you textured him, mm? Ok, him or the monkey :D

Inspirational work, do post more!

[collings]

thanks guys :).
here is an update :scream:

i decided to model a women wearing the viper suit :) you know from the tvshow " battlestar galactica" . It's been about a month now that i started that model, just a few hours from time to time during week-ends.

The head is not the final one, i just used one of my old heads.

here is the result so far, still in progress.
http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/battlestar03.jpg

note: This is not really anatomy related but it's still character work ... hope it's ok to post that kind of stuff in that thread.

[collings]

Here is a new update .
I decided to put some color to the old man head i did some month ago.
One Evening of work so it's not perfect http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/images/smilies/tongue.gif
Zbrush ScreenGrab with Sebcesoir's skinshader .

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/wip19-.jpg

[Rebeccak]

Wow, that's looking pretty amazing! :)

[DimSum]

Hehe glad to see you are more active than ever Nicolas !
Nice work on the old man, some specular variation on different spot may be cool :)
What bothers me on the viper suit are the folds which are not really natural though... but I'm sure you'll come back to it one day knowing you... anyway congratulations for your new job :))

[SpiritDreamer]

Hi ...Nicolas..:)

GREAT job so far on that last one posted...:thumbsup:

Hey, I was wondering if you could help me out,...i'm having trouble finding that skin shader that you just used in that guy that you just posted. The link that you gave to the skin shader doesn't work for me...When I press the link, all I get is a blank white page with a smile in the top corner..:)
I have never tried to use a skin shader before, but would like to give it a try on some of the head sculptures that I have done,... so any tips would be very much appreceated and helpful.
I only have Z BRUSH to work with, and am still a long ways away from figuring out all that it is capable of.
Anyway, if you could help me out, by pointing me in the right direction with that skin shader, it would be great...THANKS ...and Keep up the GREAT work,..VERY INSPIRING.:)
TAKE CARE
Glenn

[collings]

Rebbeca : Thank you , glad you like it :)

Wai: Hey dude thank you. About the fold on the Suit , i agreed i really have to tweak them. not very dynamic so far. About the Spec on the old man, there is just a defaut spec in the shader. since it's a zbrush render i can't put a spec map on it. But hey, i will do some rendering with MR very soon ;) stay tune !

SpiritDream: Thank you man, I uploaded on my ftp the shader for you. I guess the owner of that shader wouldn't mind ( FYI : his name is Sebastien Legrain). http://nicolascollings.com/temp/Sebcesoir_skinmat_02.ZMT
you can also find it on zbrushcentral though.

[collings]

Test Render with MR in Max9 .

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/wip20.jpg

[SpiritDreamer]

Hi ...Nicolas...:)

Looking GREAT..:thumbsup:

Wanted to thank you for that link to that skin shader..I just tried it out on an older bust that I had started a few months ago...just posted it in my thread..take a peek and let me know what you think, if you get a chance that is..the shader works great..:) ..I still have a long long ways to go before I even come close to doing what you have done with it,..but it's a big step forward for me just the same, ..so THANKS AGAIN..MUCH APPRECEATED...:)
TAKE CARE
Glenn

[anandpg]

Hey Nicolas!! ... this is awesome, dude!!:applause: So realistic, its difficult to tell from real!:eek:

[collings]

thanks guys :thumbsup:

[DimSum]

Hey Nicolas! very good job ;)
I find the specular on the eyes a bit too strong maybe, and the lips could be less grainy... but otherwise it's really turning very well overall speaking... nearly finished I guess :)

[collings]

yep you're right dude. the bump is slightly to strong at the moment. As for the Reflection in the eyes, mmm i don't know i tried to make is less visible but they lose some intensity.

Still need to work on the textures, add some variations in the diffuse, etc...

[collings]

I 'm gonna move on the denzel washington head now. Hope it will look better.

So here is an update for that one ( changed the textures a bit, decreased the bump value as well as the eyes reflection. )

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/wip21.jpg

[razz]

Wow, that is looking good! Lesser bump added to the realism. I do like how it looks. Is this where you'll stop with this one?
I am practising a little to UV and texture so it would be awesome if you could share a little making of.
Seeing this just keeps me going. Looking forward to seeing the better looking Denzel Washington :D

[collings]

Here is a few update ! I eventually did some textures for the denzel head :)

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/denzel_render.jpg
and i just can't resist to attemp a challenge on the 3dtotal Forum.
The subject is Real-Life Cartoon ! Anyways here is my result after a 4 hours session.

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/TheClown_Render.jpg

[collings]

i'm really sorry about all those 3d work! I'm feeling ashamed to not post more 2d drawings. :blush:

Will try to push myself for the next updates , really need to practice my bad 2d skill :arteest:

[selphoo]

Hey collings!

Wonderful work with last 2 piece's - showing you respect for so good 4-hour clown head modelling.. I really like it. Spawn rules ;)

Cheers!

[anandpg]

AWESOME!! :eek:

[collings]

thanks guys , glad you like it :)

[collings]

here is another, still for the same challenge with same topics.

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/Wolvernie_3dtotal.jpg

[nightwoodwolf]

very great work i really like the low res model as well .. very clean :thumbsup:

[Intervain]

wery vicked ;) - nice one Nick!

[kary]

Great stuff lately nicolas, grats :)

[collings]

thanks guys :) .

ok since i'm in a texturing mood, i decided this week-end to create a final image my wolverine speed sculpting bust.

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/Wolvernie03_3dtotal.jpg

[anandpg]

WOW!!..... :eek:

Btw, It would be great to have you on the Workshop (http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=199&t=643381&page=1&pp=15)! :)

[collings]

Hey Anand, i wish i could participate but i'm on a lot of stuffs these days :/ Personal Art Stuffs + Administration things for my moving. and moreover I would need a huge motivation kick 'cause i'm not really in an animal trip :/ :hmm: That's said, you can definitely count me in for the next one ;)

Here is the last and final version hopefully. http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/images/smilies/biggrin2.gif

i tweaked the eyes, the cavity map, and overall i tried to give it a look a bit softer.

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/Wolvernie04.jpg

[collings]

Long time no post, here are some update :) and at least some 2d sketches :D

http://nicolascollings.com/temp/Alien_3dsketch.jpg

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/sketchbook01.jpg

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/sketchbook02.jpg

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/sketchbook03.jpg

i really enjoyed doing those sketches , there are all based on photoreference of course.

Any comments are welcome :) !

[collings]

by doing those sketches, I'm trying to learn the different rythme and gesture of the human body. trying also to understand which masses/forms overlap the other etc.. As a support i'm watching some Glen Villpu's dvds on gesture and quick sketches. I'm still of course at the beginning of my learning process, but if i can keep going regulary to sketch i fell like it will be beneficial for my 3d skills.

Here are a few more from last night. Photoreferences from characterdesign.com

Edit: I moved the image to the next page


My shading sucks so hard! i have no clue how to make it looks good... I guess practice is the answer :rolleyes:

[mxyzptlk]

amazing work mate:thumbsup:

[collings]

Thanks mxyzptlk.

Here is another 3d study, i focused on the torso this time.

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/sketchbook06.jpg

[Deepam]

Hey Nicolas !! :)

This female torso study is quite balanced and proportionate . . good job !

well, I am not a great anatomy expert but just a little one - Are you sure about the bicep and latissimus dorsi area, I think those should be little smoother ?


Also good to see some 2d sketches from you.

[alenah]

hi Nocolas,
just wanted to say your 3d work is a m a z i n g !!
and - also your 2d sketches are not bad at all, considering you did not draw before!
did you ever try to draw/sketch from life already?
and - if I can ask - do you find it difficult swiching from 3d to 2d??
I do not mean the drawing technique (shading, lines - that you will improve by practice soon, I am sure) - but - I mean - if you have to think "more" / if you have to "try harder" / deciding where 2d "projected" lines/shapes of the models should be placed on the flat surface - or you just do not need to think about it, since you are used to create great anatomy 3d concepts/models, having strong 3d modelling skills .. ?? (hope my English makes sense :) )
just curious :)
a.

[collings]

Well alenah, honestely i just feel like a very noob when i do sketches. The only thing that help me is actually my basic knowledge of anatomy. It's just a matter of practice, but maybe it's a bit easier to jump from 3d to 2d than 2d from 3d. I don't know... i never had any traditionnal training and i never drew from real-life models, so it's a hard transition for me.

[anandpg]

Hey Nick! I love that torso and arm study!! In the female torso, I think the rib-cage should be smaller. Your sketches are not bad at all! May be you should think of buying a new scanner, though! LOL!! :D Just kidding.. perhaps the settings are just a bit off or something.

[collings]

héhé yeah the quality of my scans are really bad. perhaps the settings are just off like you say, but i have no idea how to set them up. this is my scanner http://www.clubic.com/afficher-en-plein-ecran-320409.html . Any helps for scan tricks would be awesome ;) lol

[alenah]

.. yes, you definitelly know what the anatomy is about :)
I am sure - after some practice - you´ll be good also in 2d, as you are in 3d already :)
a.

[collings]

thanks alenah :).

hey anand, i played a bit with the settings of my scanner , it looks quite better now :D

All from reference.

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/sketchbook04.jpg
http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/sketchbook05.jpg
http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/sketchbook07.jpg
http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/sketchbook08.jpg
http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/sketchbook09.jpg
http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/sketchbook10.jpg

[magtataho]

Nice studies! I like the girl's hand on her waist / hand on her leg pose. Did you draw the guy with ballpoint pen? ( * p *) Your 3d work is beyond me, so I'll just close my eyes over here as to not get blinded by the awesomeness of it all.

The golum-ish guy with the gun, is the line on the forearm that digs into the upper arm supposed to go that far up? Or maybe it's something with the upper arm?

Sorry if I'm coming off as nitpicky; I'm no anatomy expert so I'm not sure myself. Just trying to hone my observational skills a little... If there's one thing I can say with some degree of certainty, playing around with the line weight of the figures a little more (like the outlines of the face, in your portraits) may go a long way in giving them even more character.

Hope I've been marginally helpful (;;' x `)
More power!

[collings]

thanks for your comment magtataho, i took note of what you said :). I tried to make those sketches quite quickly so there are a bunch of mistake both in Anatomy and Proportion. Actually i try to catch the gesture of the poses, hope i succeed in some way lol. I have a long road to go in 2d, it's not gonna be easy !.

Here is a new character on which i'm working on. This is the final Hipoly, I am now working on the Lowpoly :).

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/AbeSapien_Wip11.jpg

[Heozart]

Hi Nicolas,

You have a great way of giving character to your 3d works, so much that some of them almost look like 2d illustrations! It is hard to believe that you are just starting out in 2d. I am sure with a little effort, your 2d skills will catch up to your 3d in no time. :thumbsup:

[aesis412]

like your works, that last character looks awesome, what you said by working on the low poly are you going to make low poly cages for different parts of his clothing, or is it going to be one whole mesh and you'll project the detail to the new low poly.

[NR43]

Here is a new character on which i'm working on. This is the final Hipoly

Wow, p r e t t y d a r n g o o d

:D

[collings]

Heozart : well you know i wouldn't be able to do that from imagination. Those drawings are copies from PhotoReference, so it's not that hard to have an acceptable result ^^. My goal is to be able to design new character from imagination, so i need to master the figure drawings as hell lol.

aesis412: indeed i'm going to make an in-game res character.

NR43: thanks dude ;) .

[Intervain]

My goal is to be able to design new character from imagination, so i need to master the figure drawings as hell lol.


LOL it's like reading my own diary hehe... totally feel ya! Great job on Abe there sir... could you share the lighting details? [I so suck at lighting it's sad, wouldn't mind learning something :D]

[collings]

Madga, about the render, it's quite basic actually nothing fancy. i just created a plane ground which bends up behind the model. Set the render engine to MentalRay, Then placed 2 Area Photometric Lights ( 1 key light and 1 back Light ) checked the Shadows type to raytrace and exluded the Plane from the BackLight , and Hit Render . Then i render an Ambiant Occlusion Pass to enhance the render in photoshop. So no GI, FG or HDRI at all.
The important thing is to use Photometric lights instead of the standard one, 'cause it simulate real lighting.

By the way, there's been some important delay with the immigration service to obtain my working permit, i guess due to the holdays period. So i shouldn't leave before mid-august. :( . I'm so impatient now to arrive lol. I heard some great news about the new acquisition of Ubisoft , futur sounds promising :deal:

[kary]

Great piece Nicholas :)

In future pieces (if you do something similar) it might be nice to make one of the top pockets obviously have something in it. Unless you're looking to symmetrically map there it might add a bit of variation to an area that is getting a bit formal in it's shapes (sharp red lines, pockets read as squares, formal sweeping curves above, all together get a bit rigid).

Did you play with elongated toes with a touch more obvious webbing? The first knuckle webbing is beautiful on the hands, but the feet are not quite as interesting (mind you they are well done feet :)).

On the lighting: As Magda said it is nice and the character looks great under it, but I would really like to see it lit traditional portrait key light position. Although the light is very high it seems like there is still a tiny bit of flattening from having it directly behind the camera. More of a "give us other shots and another lighting setup" then a "redo this one" sort of thing.

Wonderful work! The props look great (although getting those shorts off, with those fins, must be a pain ;)), the character has weight and a real sense that it could take a step forward at any second. It's impressive to see works of pure imagination that look a half second away from breathing :)

[Kanga]

Very nice female torso there! Lovely stretch and compression.
The drawings look good too. Maybe try some really simplified ones so you can concentrate on sizes.

Cool fish man, lovely zb skills there.
Cheerio Chris

[Sky_Eagle]

awesome abe model !!
for the figure drawings you may want to have a look at the drawing manual of glen vilppu. I have the book and it's pretty good ( even bother if you allso have the dvd's) because he first talks about gesture and then breaks the figure drawing into boxes/spheres/cylinders and then it's easier to draw.
So you're gonna move to canada ? if so belgium loses another talent, as allways,lol.

[collings]

kary: Thanks for your comment dude, i'm too far to take the modeling critics into consideration but i too note of it for futur models ;) . About the Lighting it's just temporary, a basic studio lighting.

Kanga: thanks man, i'll try that ;).

Sky_Eagle: I actually have a few of the Villpu's dvds, they are great idea, i learn a lot from it :). thanks for your comment, yep i'm moving to Montréal !.


Here is an update, i finished the lowpoly , i have to optimize it slightly 'cause now it's around 7500 tris. Anyway, i baked the diffuse and the normal map. I still have to bake a AO map and then create the Spec map and rework the diffuse and the normal map.

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/AbeSapien_Wip13.jpg

[retardedmonkey]

collings, that character is awesome. The normal map came out perfect.

Not sure how much more you want to do with the diffuse but I'll tell ya my thoughts either way :D

Would be cool if the pants had some sort of red or yellow stitching. The pouches just look really nice with the red outline, might look tight if you carry that idea throughout the rest of the cloth.

The feet would look cool with the purple webbing stuff in between the toes, like on the hands. Not sure if there is webbing between them tho. The only other thing I thought would look good is to have some sort of color variation on the legs, like you have on the arms.

Either way its looking great!

[anandpg]

WOW!! Awesome model, dude!!:eek: Absolutely kick-ass!! Is that last image rendered with displacement map/normal map/both?

[collings]

retardedmonkey: thanks for the comments man, i took note of it.


anandpg: thanks dude :) Lowpoly + Diffuse / Normal / basic Spec maps . 7200 tris so far, i need to reach 7000 tris héhé.

Here is a new shot with a back view also ;).

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/AbeSapien_Wip14.jpg

[Intervain]

looking real good :D :buttrock:

[kary]

Yep I was just thinking of future work -- this one is already far enough along (and more than good enough :)) as is.

Very good job carrying the detail from the high. Good luck in the quest to 7k :)

[Sky_Eagle]

that looks awesome! now you only need to do a render with a 3point light setup to cast a nice reflection onto the side of the model ( sort of like rim light) that would be awesome , like a red or white maybe dark blue light.

[razz]

Nah, you have to put him underwater! Great, amazing work! Surely he deserves an envrinonment, would like to see him in one. Don't know what you're planning with this one, sorry if I misread something. Ahh, it'll be for the best if I shut up and just watch you finish it.
*watching*

[retardedmonkey]

Beautiful work!

The back looks great too, really like those stripes back there.

[collings]

thanks guys , ok i'm done ! Here are my finals pics for the challenge , hope you'll like it :)

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/WinningPose.jpg

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/BeautyShot.jpg

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/ConstructionShot.jpg

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/TextureSheet.jpg

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/ConceptSheet.jpg

[SpiritDreamer]

Hi ..Nicolas..:)

Just stopping in to say ..Still really enjoying your thread and character designs, and i'm also learning alot from it, and them..THANKS for sharing..and keep up the great work..:thumbsup:
TAKE CARE
Glenn

[alenah]

.. just couldn´t help myself - WOW!!
a.

[Intervain]

turned out fantastic and yay 2 tris below 7k hehe :) Nice one Nick!:buttrock:

[AUMAKUA]

Congrats Nick, that's an amazing work you did on Abe! neat and clean ;)

[collings]

thanks a lot guys , now let's wait the result :), there are some really great entries in the challenge so it's gonna be tough !

[collings]

I keep going to pratice my drawings , lot of fun so far !
All my drawings are still from reference.
i took some time this afternoon to scan some of my sketchbook pages :).

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/sketchbook11.jpg
http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/sketchbook12.jpg
http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/sketchbook13.jpg

[plunq]

Hey Collings, great job on Abe man! Only small nitpik, shouldn't his toes be webbed as well?

Nice drawings from your sketchbook, you can really see an improvement with the more drawings you do.

Moving to Montreal eh? Have fun, we almost moved there earlier this year but decided to try the Seattle instead. Enjoy the poutine!

[namnocilis]

This is an Amazing Thread.. all your 3D and 2D works are awesome! every work of yours makes me feel wow! your works are very inspiring to me.. the works you have done inspired from Miles Teeves concepts are Mindblowing.. perfect! i can go on and on telling how much i like your works..:drool: i am so happy seeing your works

[collings]

Hi guys just wanted to let you know i had posted a new image over there :) http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=132&t=685085


I went to my very first life drawing session last week. Was really great, hard but still cool lol.

i ll have to buy a scanner ( because i couldn't bring the scanner from Belgium, was to ;y parents lol) Anyways i'll post all those drawings asap .

[anandpg]

Your new model rocks!!:thumbsup: Can't wait to see the drawings!

[Kanga]

Yeah nicoloas, well done man. Creepy but good:D.
Hear ya on the life drawing thing. Best excersize ever.

Cheerio Chris

[SpiritDreamer]

HEY Nicolas...REALLY LIKE THAT ORC MAORI..GREAT JOB..:applause: :thumbsup:

TAKE CARE
Glenn

[collings]

thanks a lot guys :)

[collings]

i just received some pics of my Abe 3dprint made by OffloadStudio :bounce:

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/Abe_3dprint.jpg

[NR43]

WOW!! Didn't know that 3D printing was possible in color?
Do you think this is very expensive?
Never seen a 3D print in real myself so perhaps you know this... what is it like? Does it feel like plastic? Is it heavy?

:bowdown:

[razz]

Woww! Couldn't think of how to start the reply instead of wow, haha.
I don't think the print comes in color. It was painted later, no? Or whatever they do to add color. Nevertheless, looking great. It's really neat these days that not only 2d images can printed off.

[killermachine]

WOW!!the model came out really sweet...now only if he was smilin :)

[AUMAKUA]

Excellent work Nicolas and great 3d print! can't wait to print some color stuff too ;)

[collings]

Thank you guys , glad you like it :)

to answer at some of the questions; It's actually a printer which can also print the actual texture of the model,
so no manual painting job on the figurine. And that cost about 800$ but i had a great discount throught the feature artist programme that Offload studio
has set up. The prize vary a lot according to model and the final output size.

NR43: i don't have received the 3dprint yet, will be for next week. :bounce:

[vincent1]

Hi Collings,

Fantastic work. What is the size (height) of your 3d printed model and what material was used? Detail retention looks quite good.

Did you just send them the ztool file or you had to do processing into a STL file on your own?

Please post some closeups when you receive the actual model.

I would like to do some printing in the near future too, once I complete my ZB training.
Thx for sharing.

[collings]

vincent1: thanks man, the size of the statue is 10 inch tall. i just sent them the ztl file.

Little pic just for fun to show you how much happy i am :D
http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v368/110/11/584551893/n584551893_1556611_7554.jpg


And now some drawings from my first ever nude life drawings classes :arteest:


http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/lifedrawings/LifeDrawings_01.jpg
http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/lifedrawings/LifeDrawings_02.jpg
http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/lifedrawings/LifeDrawings_03.jpg
http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/lifedrawings/LifeDrawings_04.jpg
http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/lifedrawings/LifeDrawings_05.jpg

[collings]

following pictureshttp://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/lifedrawings/LifeDrawings_06.jpg
http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/lifedrawings/LifeDrawings_07.jpg
http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/lifedrawings/LifeDrawings_08.jpg

[collings]

just wanted to add that i'm obviously consious that there are a lot of mistakes in those drawings so here is a little sum up of what i learnt from that 3 first experience. :p ; For quick poses draw light and try to catch the dynamism of the pose don't fall into details and shading and for long poses draw light first then draw the shadow shape to bring the shape , don't do lines to define forms ! I'll try to apply that in my next sessions but the ligthing have to be good and quite hard otherwise it's really difficult to see shadow shapes :( .

[AztcFireFlower]

Hi collings,

I commend you for diving into life drawing. A discipline that will never detract from any creative application you ever do. Good start!
It helps to attack the form in phases, which is how you're being taught. There are many different approaches, but most have the same goal.
Dynamism is Gesture which is the base of the life & gracefulness of any pose you describe. Look for and then draw the longest line that you can see in the pose: Perhaps, the shoulder to the ankle creates a large C curve, or the back of the head forms a giant curve with the arch of the back in a side view, look for those, then build from that line.

True, don't let all those shapes distract you. Even the shapes of the legs, calves, rib cage, etc., can be simplified even more. Draw the biggest, simplest shape needed to describe that part.

Depending on time, for short poses don't stress out and try to draw the whole form. Get down what you can, as far as an analysis lets you.

Shadow shapes can help you describe a form, and hi contrast light is so beautiful to work from (my favorite). The shadows help to space and place the parts. Squinting helps to see those as 2D graphic forms.

Go for it!

[anandpg]

Hey Nicholas!! Great to see you with your model!:thumbsup: 800 US$ or Canadian $? Great life drawings too!

[NR43]

:drool: Better get me a napkin before I drool on your "statue" :)
It looks amazing!
edit: are you gonna put it on a socle?
A bell jar would be even better because it would keep it dustfree

Great to hear you are following life drawing class!

[collings]

AztcFireFlower: thanks a lot for your comment, i'll try to follow your advice. actually the first class i followed was an open- free class so no teacher. then i took a 2 days training with a teacher which was quite helpfull. but now i'll keep going to the open-free classes offer in Ubi Studio. It's 2 wednesday by month, maybe it's not enouft lol. Anyways i have the Glen Villpu's dvds which is quite helpfull :)

anandpg: 800$ Can. thanks for stopping by buddy life drwaings is fun indeed :)

NR43: yeah i'm considering to put it in a kind of "bell jar" . and no there is no socle but that's not really a problem it's quite stable like it is.

[SpiritDreamer]

HEY ..Nicolas....FANTASTIC job on that character that your holding:applause: I'm curious as to how the color is put into/onto it...does their computer read it as color, and then bake the color onto/into the sculpture as it's being created, or is it hand painted on top of a colorless form after it's created....Any plans on marketing it, or is it a one time thing for your personal consumption/pleasure...just curiosity on my part.
I'm new to 3D, and the field of 3D, and am just trying to get my head around how it all funtions and operates.
Nice to see those life drawings and great to read that your taking those classes..will really benifit your output I think...You can always do studies of yourself using a mirror inbetween your classes, to keep your eye sharp and focused in respect to working from life..just a thought.
Anyway, looking forward to seeing lots more of your work.
KEEP INSPIRED AND INSPIRING..AND THANKS FOR SHARING.
TAKE CARE
Glenn

[collings]

thanks a lot :) about the 3d print yes the printer device can actually recognized the texture map and transfert the color onto the 3d print model.

Here are a few more life drawings from the last free atelier ( no teacher involved :/ ) we were only 6 for more than 1500 employee :( i know there were a hockey game that evening but still lol :hmm:

This time i tried to use a charcoal pencil ( a lot less precise than a basic sharp pencil ^^ )

http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/lifedrawings/LifeDrawings_12.jpg
http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/lifedrawings/LifeDrawings_11.jpg
http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/lifedrawings/LifeDrawings_10.jpg
http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/lifedrawings/LifeDrawings_09.jpg

[Intervain]

good stuff Nick :) - the thing's way too late for me and I need a teacher so I resigned :blush:
anywho - good stuff, and looking forward to more 2d from ya sir!:arteest:

[Rebeccak]

Hey collings, it's great to see you drawing. :) I hope you don't mind, but I've highlighted your work on the new Anatomy Forum blog (http://artisticanatomyforum.blogspot.com/) as well as used your image to advertise the blog here (http://gorillaartfare.com/2009/01/4422/). All with crediting you of course. :)

Happy 2009!

-R

[collings]

Intervain: by the way, I'm going to migrate to vista 64bit with 8 gigs. lot of fun in perspective :)

Rebeccak; cool idea :) thanks for choosing one of my images.

[Intervain]

funny the word vista just keeps putting me off though I had to reinstall everything on my comp lately and fragment the discs so I could have done the same... I just hate vista - nothing but bad experiences so far :) Looking forward to hearing how you're doing with it:) and then maybe I'll switch :)

[collings]

yeah well actually i have no idea which one is the more stable. I just trust a friend of mine whom advice me to install Vista64 instead of XP64. Maybe he's doing to me a bad joke ahah ^^ anyways I guess i have no choice but to try it. I'll let you know how it turns out.

[Intervain]

well I think in all he's right, since vista will become the standard and there'll probably be no support for 64XP compatible stuff [drivers and such]... one of the reasons I didn't install that either hehe... I'm waiting for vista to be stable enough [perhaps it already is - you'll be my tester then ;)]. At work we have 64XP and it's damn fast and nice experience. I hope vista 64 is good, then I can finally make use of my RAM :D Good luck!

[collings]

Forgot to post here my last 3d print :)

http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/modeling/Orc_Print01.jpg



and here is a new head i did during this week-end, maybe i'm going to make a full body ^^.

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/creaturedesign_v1.jpg

[Intervain]

:buttrock: good stuff... I like the cat features on the new sketch - not sure about the fishy ancestry ;) well the print's rocking as you know :D

[anandpg]

WOW!!.. :eek:

[collings]

thanks magda, i actually want him to be a kind of hybrid creature living on earth and in water. The color scheme will be inspired by the Blue Spotted Sting Ray. grey/brown with hint of yellow/red + some white and flashy blue spots :D . Will see how eventually it looks , first i'm gonna make a full test on the head .

thank you anand :twisted:

[Rebeccak]

Damn, the print looks great! A new age of sculpture, for sure. It's so exciting to see real objects come out of the great digital imagery being created. Congrats!

[NR43]

Yeah I agree, this 3D printing technology is going to change the world!
All we have to do now is get rid of them stubborn oldfashioned artyfarty people that think these sculpts are made by a computer :)

Awesome stuff!

[Intervain]

Yeah I agree, this 3D printing technology is going to change the world!
All we have to do now is get rid of them stubborn oldfashioned artyfarty people that think these sculpts are made by a computer :)

Awesome stuff!

hahahah well that won't be easy - there are young arty farty guys out there too... I remember visiting a sculpting ['real' sculpting that is] forum where the members were discussing some newly released collectibles and among those were the Kolby Jukes, computer generated, Batman figures... well they were very aloof and dismissive about them to put it mildly [I'd say they sounded retarded and ignorant and other things besides but I'll shut it here ;)]. :rolleyes: Well thankfully DC Comics as well as Gentle Giants Studio and McFarlane Toys are among those who use Zbrush to their advantage. Hopefully others will realize the power of the tools and that those are only tools and still require skills.

[SpiritDreamer]

AWSOME print Nocolas....:bounce: :applause: :thumbsup: :arteest:

Regarding traditional and digital...In the end, it is the GENERAL PUBLIC who has the LAST SAY...If the work looks good to them, they don't care one way or the other how it was done,..They just know that it looks good, and they buy it.:D .Kind of makes the argument that traditional is better than digital and visa versa..irelevent...GOOD IS GOOD :D
TAKE CARE
Glenn

[collings]

thank you Glenn really appreciated man ;)

i'm currently working on the body of my last head design, here is how it looks so far, still need to figure out some proportions etc. Feel free to comments about gesture, proportion anatamy or whatever you want to ^^.

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/creaturedesign_v5.jpg

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/creaturedesign_v6.jpg

[bhaskar]

Hi Collings,
Certain features looks very familiar with ABE creature with a mouse teeth and mouth. ;)
But very nice sculpt.

[samarcbz]

Hey Nik,,
Cool stuff here!!
Love the last character..

[AmrutRaju]

Awesome creature model man...... :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[Intervain]

Hi Collings,
Certain features looks very familiar with ABE creature with a mouse teeth and mouth. ;)
But very nice sculpt.

yeah I was actually immediately reminded of Abe when I saw his legs... The head with the dangly bits makes him look like a jester, which is quite funny and cool... I'd try to explore that... unless you don't want funny in which case I'll shut up ;). I just feel the head and lower body don't quite go together ATM. there's something very feline about the head and it's not in the least reflected in the body. There seems to be a discrepency in design between the body and the head I feel. I think it's the legs mostly that spoil the effect IMHO - that's just personal opinions :D

[collings]

thanks guys i'll try to push those areas :) .

[vikramvr]

Collings absolutely brilliant sketchbook. Love the details on the last model. Nice creature.

[collings]

thanks vikramvr :)

ok here is how it looks so far, it's starting to get shaped :)

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/creaturedesign_v8.jpg

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/creaturedesign_v9.jpg

Just as a note; everything has been done in zbrush so far from zsphere. The head and the body are obviously separated right now. I'm not going to go too far in the detailing 'cause the topology is not well organized enought. the model will have to be retopologize to bring all together and finalize the model.

[collings]

Here is how it looks atm :)

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/creaturedesign_v11.jpg

[Mu]

ack.

May I just post an unsubtle, not too helpful and altogether enthusiastic WOW, here?

WOW

thank you.

The pose, the face, the whole believable design - I can almost see it moving!
Wonderful.

[collings]

Thank you Mu :)
here are some life drawing from last week, those are 3, 5 and 10 minutes poses. It still sucks but from now on i'll go once a week so i might improve a little over the next few months ^^ well let's hope.

http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/lifedrawings/LifeDrawings_13.jpg

http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/lifedrawings/LifeDrawings_14.jpg

http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/lifedrawings/LifeDrawings_15.jpg

http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/lifedrawings/LifeDrawings_16.jpg

[collings]

:) Here are some new ones from tonight session :arteest: 1', 2', 5' and 10'.

http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/lifedrawings/LifeDrawings_17.jpg

http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/lifedrawings/LifeDrawings_18.jpg

http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/lifedrawings/LifeDrawings_19.jpg

http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/lifedrawings/LifeDrawings_20.jpg

[vikramvr]

Hey Nick, nice life drawings. For 3 and 5 minute lines, these are absolutely impressive, but it would be better if you define the shapes a bit more. I am a learner myself, at this point I try to define the torso and hands and also other parts of the body with boxes or spheres, after drawing the gesture. This helps an amateur like me to get an understanding of 3d space that the body occupies. This is true, even for foreshortening, a lesson , I learnt from Vilppu Dvd's. They absolutely changed the way I look at life drawings. I highly recommend them to everyone. Please have a look at it, if you haven't. I have a few anatomy sketches in my SB as well, all inspired by Vilppu's methods.Your sketches are brilliant, these Dvd's might just add to your skills.

[collings]

Hi man, i actually have almost all the villpu's dvd. i discovered his website last years actually and his techniques are priceless indeed :) Thanks for your comment i know what you mean'. I try my best. Before i drew from reference pictures just like in some of the villpu's dvd. The result was quite ok but drawing from pictures or from a life model are two things completly different. That's only my 4th session of lifedrawings, so i guess i just need time and practice. Anyways it's really fun and relaxing after a working day ^^.

[Intervain]

yeah Villpu's great... Nice drawings there and definitely can see improvement... I should do those but they're too late and I have other stuff at that time... damn... oh well, I still should do some life drawing on a bus or something... lazy... Keep it up Nick!

[collings]

New session tonight, it was a bit harder, very frustating and overall wasn't really inspired by the poses. Anyways, i think it's in those moment that we can learn a few things ^^. I definitely have to focus only on the inner/outer silouhette of the model but each time inconsiously i try to draw the muscle shapes and other unimportant details, sigh.

http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/lifedrawings/LifeDrawings_21.jpg

http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/lifedrawings/LifeDrawings_22.jpg

http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/lifedrawings/LifeDrawings_23.jpg

[NR43]

Nice life sketches.

Switch media often.
I find that when I have the tendency to get stuck with details, it helps to drop the page, take a new one and take some conté, chalk, charcoal, etc...
These media allow us to think more in different terms towards form (less line dependant)

Have you seen Vilppu's Gesture DVD lately?
It's a real eye-opener and it helped me a lot to loosen up
So slide it in that dvd player once more :D
You don't even have to watch it completely... just the last part, where he is analyzing his subjects while seeing him sketch is enough to trigger his method again inside your head if you've seen it before (I assume you have)

[collings]

Thanks for your comment dude, you're right about the chalk medidum and i should definietly watch villpu'gesture dvdv again, i 'll do it just before the next session so it will be in my mind during the atelier :)

[Intervain]

any practice is always good even if you have a good day... sometimes things just don't work - keep going Nick!

[collings]

Update wednesday lifedrawings session :arteest:i was feeling quite ok tonight.
30s, 1' and 5' minutes Poses.

http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/lifedrawings/LifeDrawings_24.jpg

http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/lifedrawings/LifeDrawings_25.jpg

http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/lifedrawings/LifeDrawings_26.jpg

http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/lifedrawings/LifeDrawings_27.jpg

[Mu]

Oh, these look very fluent compared to the previous ones. It's good to see someone loosen up when doing gestures. In the end it will be about building on that looseness (and keeping it alive) while re-introducing control into the whole thing.

[AmrutRaju]

Nice life drawings... :thumbsup:

[collings]

thanks guys :)

i spent the whole week-end trying to figure out how a linear workflow was working basically it involves gamma settings , mr photometric exposer , mrsky and some other stuffs. was quick painfull :banghead: but eventually i'm quite happy with the result i have been able to get. :)

here is what i have so far

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/Hybrid_wip04.jpg

[razz]

Well worth the pain I'd say! Looking goooood. The sculpt is solid! I Like the design also. What are your plans with this one?

[collings]

thanks man.

Wanted to test my lighting a bit more so i used an old torso study with exactly the same setup. ( 1 minute render time just like the last one)

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/sketchbook06Render.jpg

[kary]

That is lovely lighting, very real feel to both samples. Nice to see all the sketches as well :)

[Intervain]

really like the second render [the DOF on the first one's way too distracting], nice touch with the armature :) what's the setup? 2 lights with FG or more?

[collings]

http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/attachment.php?attachmentid=133490

Thank you kary

Magda, about the lighting i used the excate same setup for those 3 renders, i set my workspace in Linear workflow then place a daylightsystem including the Mr Sun and Sky. Then i the environement settings i add a mr photographic expose controler. It's basic workflow really efficient which give nice shadows. I also add an area light in the back but it don't affect really much the scene.

[Mu]

You know, every time I see inspiring results like yours I feel I should pick up 3D again, but then I remember the hard work I would have to put into modelling alone (and the weirdness that overcame me when I tried to understand UV unwrapping) and I despair again...

maximum respect, dude!

[SpiritDreamer]

Hi..Nicolas..:)

AWSOME creature...I don't know anything about the programs and lighting technique that you used,other than a little bit about Z Brush, but I like the results you've gotten..especally the lighted interior of the mouth..GREAT :thumbsup:
That female study with the armatures sticking out...BEAUTIFUL...:)
ALWAYS looking forward to seeing more of your works...ALWAYS INSPIRED, and INSPIRING..:thumbsup:
TAKE CARE
Glenn

[collings]

thanks a lot guys :)

Here is a new concept i finished this week-end. Hope you like it. Same technique as for the Orc Maori concept. Sculpting in Zbrush then i comped a few render passes in Photoshop.

http://nicolascollings.com/WIP/Warrior.jpg

[mister3d]

Nice character. Great skin details. The nose area looks a bit pale to me, I would do it the same way the other skin parts, they look more realistic.

[anandpg]

Hey Nicholas! Wow!.. Lots of amazing stuff happening here! Keep 'em coming! :thumbsup:

[collings]

Thank you guys :)

Here is another illu i did today from my last creature design the hybrid critter.

http://nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/modeling/PS_Hybrid.jpg

[anandpg]

WOW!!:eek: That turned out awesome!

[collings]

glad you like it anand :), how things are going on at Dreamworks India?

edit: Thanks magda. ^^

[Intervain]

I like the colours you've chosen for this little guy :)

[vikramvr]

the last one is really cool. Two things i feel is that the background can have more variation in terms of dark and light. The other thing is the character can do with some contact shadows. It looks like it's standing in mid air.

[collings]

ok update i changed a few things so, added a shadow pass and tweak the background; i also added a contact shadows.

http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/attachment.php?attachmentid=134850

[Heozart]

Wow, that is great! I also really like the warrior concept on the last page.

[AmrutRaju]

Awesome creature man.... :thumbsup:

[virtualcreator]

its looking beautifulll

[collings]

thanks guys :)
Here is another one i did tonight with a different pose and color scheme I also closed the mouth in that shot http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/images/smilies/smile.gif The skin patterns and colors have been inspired by a Jordu schell's sculpt.
http://www.nicolascollings.com/Portfolio/modeling/PS_Hybrid_V02.jpg

[collings]

I'm currently working on a new creature. still playing around with the design and poses for the final frame. i'm planning to add some small sharp growing horns from the ribs and elbows. he's also going to have his back and arms partially cover of fur.

Hope you like it so far :)

http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/attachment.php?attachmentid=137022

[SpiritDreamer]

HEY Nicolas..:)

Always a pleasure seeing what your developing...GREAT CREATURES.:thumbsup:
Really like that last one...nice posture, proportions and pose to go with it. GREAT face...:)
Take care
Glenn

[Intervain]

yeah I like the attitude of this guy - well or rather not really ;) - wouldn't want to meet him :surprised :thumbsup:

[anandpg]

Oh, yeah! he does have an attitude!:D Awesome job so far, Nicholas!:thumbsup:

[collings]

thank you guys, if the image procured already some feeling to the viewers , i'm really happy :) It's going to evolve quite a bit, can't wait to see this one finish myself ^^

[greenpizza]

Hey Mr, Amazing concept,,I like your creatures and work so far, love the color scheme concept for the post #212, and the attitude of the last character in that pose is totally Great! waiting to see the progress of it, keep it rockin. :cool:

[collings]

thank you stridiggio :)

Today i deciced to pratice during lunch time my digital painting skill . So basically i will follow some of the open figure workshop.

What i want to focus on first is how to paint with values only. so basically i desature the image ref then blur it to get rid of the details. I started with the workshop on the hands.

First one so 1h during lunch :) i found it really hard to have the volumes correctly painted. Anyways it's a first try ^^ .
http://nicolascollings.com/temp/01.jpg

[collings]

another one done during lunch time. 50 min

http://nicolascollings.com/temp/02.jpg

[SpiritDreamer]

Hi..:) Nicolas

Nice value studies:thumbsup: ...Maybe use a big soft blender brush in some of the broader areas to get a better tansition between values, and to create a softer edge where needed, to contast with the crisper edges like in the fabric ect.....The bigger softer blending brush will eliminate the choppynees of the strokes, kind of like the way a soft fan brush does when painting with real oils..smooths things out, without destroying the underlying value gradations that have been established ..just a passing thought that might be useful to you while doing these value studies.
Anyway.ENJOYING THESE STUDIES...LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING MORE..:)
TAKE CARE
Glenn

[collings]

thanks for the comment man :) is such a brush exist in Photoshop ... I actually thought the blending brush was only available in painter. Would be nice, right now i just try to get a smooth result by painting value with low settings in the opacity and flow option.

[SpiritDreamer]

HEY Nicolas :)
I've never used photo shop..., only corel painter.
I've seen some really smooth blends done using photo shop though.
You might want to check out the tutorials of ..Linda Bergkvist/ENAYLA...You should be able to just type her name in and find her,..she's a CG member...She gets really nice smooth blends... does beautiful work using photo shop..
TAKE CARE
Glenn

[collings]

ok yes i'm quite familiar with their works and saw some of their tutorial. I think basically they use basic brush with low opacity/flow settings.

These two first paintings are actually quite rough but if i spend more time on it refining the shapes etc i could get a smooth like surface :) I'm going to make some other quick lunch painting and then when i' m confident i'll spend more time on a concept illu :) .

[collings]

50 min practice painting.

http://nicolascollings.com/temp/04.jpg

[plunq]

Hey Collings, nice update! There was a definite jump between this new painting and the last two, keep it up! I'm really digging your new character too, any updates for us?

[collings]

Thanks plunq. Here is another one , a bit harder because the ref wasn't quite well contrasted.

Still 1 hour painting

http://nicolascollings.com/temp/05.jpg

[anandpg]

Wow! Nice hand studies, Nicholas!:thumbsup: On the last one, it seems that you could taper the hand down a tiny bit as it goes towards the wrist. (That was my first impression, so I thought of writing it down.. somehow, as I look at it more, it gets progressively less obvious! probably an example of how fast the eye adapts to what is seen!!:p )
give us more!:bounce:

[collings]

:) yeah maybe you're right about the wrist! i'm really gonna try to do one painting each day during lunch time so should be enought to feed you :arteest:

[collings]

1 hour lunch break ( this one has been done before the last two i posted)

http://nicolascollings.com/temp/03.jpg

[Intervain]

well I do admire you're sticking to it :) I had that same resolution some time ago and after a few days failed ;) heheh - my usual lunch habits took off! I especially like the little cupid :)

[collings]

ahah it's only been a week but if i'm sticking to it as i did to the gym well i guess it won't last long :cry: .

[collings]

I spent more time on this one around 3-4 hours,
After Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (1780-1867) "Vicomtesse Othenin d'Haussonville "
http://nicolascollings.com/temp/06.jpg

[anandpg]

Niiiice!! :drool:

[menthol]

Whoo, great like every monsters and aliens you created :D

[collings]

thanks guys, it feels good to make 2d works :) i had forgotten how much it is fun :bounce:

[collings]

Just wanted to try out some photoshop techniques.

http://nicolascollings.com/temp/Vampire.jpg

[collings]

currently working on my last creature , here are some progress shot from this week-end. i did a retopo to be able to push a bit further the skin folds etc.
keep in mind that he will be partially cover of fur.

http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/attachment.php?attachmentid=140368

http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/attachment.php?attachmentid=140369

[razz]

Sweet! The coolest clavicle I've seen :D I do like the design of this creature. Looks so skinny and small but in the same way mean and dangerous. Nice practise in 2d also. Doing great, man!

[NR43]

Ha! twas nice to see some of your work on creature spot :)

I see you are getting back in 2D as well
I can only encourage that!

[Heozart]

Nice 2d studies.

That woman is really scary. :eek: Now I won't be able to sleep, lol.

[collings]

thanks guys !

Here is the final model, now i'm gonna move into photoshop to work on the look dev, fun part as well http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/images/smilies/smile.gif

http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/attachment.php?attachmentid=141288

[SpiritDreamer]

HEY Nicolas...AWSOME...:thumbsup:

[Sandpiper]

cool character nick. I love the design and the textural work on the skin and horns. Great work as always. Hope you're enjoying the look development!

[collings]

been some times :) I'm still working from time to time on my last creature testing skin texture fur etc Anyways here are some sketches i did watching the show "Dexter" . i might eventually turn them out into zbrush sculpt anytime soon.

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/1647/sketch03i.jpg

[Gord-MacDonald]

Cool Bad-ass creatures! :thumbsup: