Uplift Universe - Image Entry: Mark Johnson

[dustbin1uk]

Ho boy, what have I gone and done now.

Not really expecting to win as I am new to most things CGI, but I plan to learn!

Wish me luck! :D

Mark

[DyingArt]

If you come up with a great idea you have as much chance as the next guy and I'm sure you will learn something.
Good luck :thumbsup:

[dustbin1uk]

Thanks! You are of course correct.

So ideas:

1) Old Friends:

Retirement home friends are playing a friendly game of poker. They are both old, both with night gowns on, the human with slippers and stripped pyjamas. The alien with fluid sacks a blanket around his shoulder. What each of them don't realise is that both are cheating each other out of credits. The human has cards hanging out of his sleeves. The alien has limbs under the table with another set of cards and possibly a tentacle reaching over the edge of the table to steal credit chips.

2) ................ urm............ ????? You know, I like idea 1 so much I might stick with that.

[johnstrieder]

Good Idea, let's start with the work! :)

[nightwoodwolf]

hey Mark glad to see you around :thumbsup: ... you dont know maybe you could win .. just do your best ... i might join soon :)

[dustbin1uk]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/20/14831/14831_1207414092_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/20/14831/14831_1207414092_large.jpg)

So I made a concept "Blueprint" for me to work from. It allows me to see what needs working on.

The composition can be tweaked a bit when the models are made. But you get the idea.

Now! On with the modelling!!! Woo Hoo! :)

[nightwoodwolf]

very cool concept Mark .. really looking forward the modeling part :thumbsup:

[johnstrieder]

Come on, turn ZBrush on!!! :scream:

[Colocat]

Very interesting idea. I`d like to see more.

[dustbin1uk]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/20/14831/14831_1207499054_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/20/14831/14831_1207499054_large.jpg)

I made a number of ZSphere base meshes, for the various models.

I also started sculpting the Humans head.

[johnstrieder]

Good start! I have always been too lazy for using ZSpheres ;)

[nightwoodwolf]

nice start with ZSpheres my friend, looking forward for some updates

[zlux]

Funny concept
Good Luck

[dustbin1uk]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/20/14831/14831_1208126116_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/20/14831/14831_1208126116_large.jpg)

Not had allot of time recently, but managed to re-topologise the human's head and start texturing.
I'm going to stop on the head here and start on the body for a bit, and some eyes of course.
Then I'll move on to the alien for a while.

[dustbin1uk]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/20/14831/14831_1208200314_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/20/14831/14831_1208200314_large.jpg)

Someone asked me in another forum about the porcess of the head. So here it is.

[dustbin1uk]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/20/14831/14831_1208200439_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/20/14831/14831_1208200439_large.jpg)

Here is the aliens body and head base that I will sculpt from.

[dustbin1uk]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/20/14831/14831_1208200494_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/20/14831/14831_1208200494_large.jpg)

Here is the human's wheel chair

[dustbin1uk]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/20/14831/14831_1208616914_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/20/14831/14831_1208616914_large.jpg)

Ok, so being new to 3D this was a bit of a challenge, but I finally managed to get all the textures together for the human head to use in Blender 3D.
It will be allot easier next time, now I know what I am doing. :)

[dustbin1uk]

http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/20/14831/14831_1208616994_medium.jpg (http://assets.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/20/14831/14831_1208616994_large.jpg)

And here is the head in Blender 3D with some random bump added, some SSS and some eyes.

Now on with the rest of the image.

[nightwoodwolf]

nice wip Mark .. just watch for the muscle flow on the face and maybe too much inflated areas .. keep it coming my friend

[johnstrieder]

Agree ... (and) make some more and finer Wrinkles and some hard Edges ;)
The Texture of the Man looks really good - very similar like the one for my Alienlover, haha!
So you should improve your Skinmaterial and add a Bump- and a Specmap. :buttrock:

[dustbin1uk]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I'm lucky have you two commenting and helping me!

I was struggling for a while trying to get the displacement to work and now I am fast running out of time.

This is all one big experiment for me as I have limited experience in texturing and rendering.

Js3d:
The skin does need work, bump and spec map are good ideas. He does need more wrinkles too. He looks far too young!

Nightwoodwolf:
Correct on the muscles, and lines of the face. I need to rework this a bit. I need to make him look older too, he is looking late middle aged at the moment and he is supposed to be an old man.

It's starting to look like I may not get this finished for the contest deadline, but I will still continue regardless as this is such a fun picture to make.
I don't want to rush this one, as I would rather get it right than rush it and make a poor image.

[johnstrieder]

It's starting to look like I may not get this finished for the contest deadline, but I will still continue [...] I don't want to rush this one, as I would rather get it right than rush it and make a poor image.

Same here ;) But i still hope to get mine finished ...

[Fetus23]

I know what you mean about the disceplacment issue. I was trying to get that pipeline setup for my entry, no luck so far, at least nothing I'm pleased with, so I'm sticking with a fairly highpoly version of my model and a normal map for the fine details. I don't think I'll loose much on the silhouette so it should work out ok. Maybe you can try a similar workflow here if the displacement is taking too much time. I agree with the other comments about the face, its a bit inflated atm, you could try and define the muscles and wrinkles some more, the eyelids seem a bit thin atm aswell. Keep it up man, its looking good seeing how your just starting out with things :).

-love

[dustbin1uk]

Ok, I can confirm that I am not going to finish in time for the deadline.

You might think it sucks, but I am going to continue with the picture anyhow. I have learnt quite a bit since starting and am determined to make this a good picture.

This is going to be a much better image now I don't feel so pressured. The goal of me entering was to learn and that is still going to happen I can tell you! :)

The head I made I see has a number of problems, and does not fit my idea of the human too well, so I see it as a tester for a better head I am now making. The progress on this head is much faster and the results I am much happier with. For a start he actually looks old, rather than middle aged! I'll post an image of him soon.

I hope we can still post here when the deadline is over, even if we can't post update pictures directly, so people can see how I am doing and I can still get advice.

[fishadder]

Good Lord!

Your modelling has come on loads!
Like the concept and the head process shot is very cool!

What is this Retopology thing?

Keep it up man!
fishadder

[dustbin1uk]

Thanks Fishadder!

Re-topology: The art of making a mesh more efficient without loosing detail.

ZBrush is perfect for it.

I just sent you some tutorials on it.

[plasteredcat]

Hey Mark: Very nice idea, two old space buddies doing something as mundane as playing (and cheating) poker! ;)
Your work with z-spheres is sweet, I always mess mines big time and still have to come to a traditional 3d package to sort it out. On the texture, ditto on what's been said . I'd suggest maybe to texture it when it's a low poly level with a proper face texture and work the details from there instead of the other way round. You can tweak it later on. Use selections to sharpen details, and pinch those later so it looks less smoth around the edges... not sure if I'm explaining it right anyway.
Such a pity you won't be able to finish in time, I would have loved to see this finished!
Cheers!

[dustbin1uk]

Thank's for the advice harachte. I see where your comming from. Some very good ideas!

I will finish this, just not in time for judging. :)

I may start a new thread in the main forum to do it though.

[HornlessUnicorn]

Hi Mark!

That's a very original idea. A human and an alien in a hospital playing cards :)

I hope you can finish it!!

Cheers,

Dimitrij.

[OZ]

HE H HEEE!!! Cool idea! the modeling fit perfectly the idea...c'mon!! time is slipping away!!!

[dustbin1uk]

Sorry guys, I'm out, but I am going to finish past the deadline as this image is allot of fun to make.

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