HMC #15 - Kareem Abdul Jabbar

[Shocklate]

Welcome to the challenges.

Are you going to create a base mesh over the biped and then ZBrush, or what is your plan of attack? Looking forward to see this, when I was young I would collect his cards. I didn't really know who he was, but I liked that he wore googles.

[tonytrout]

The lanky frame, goggles and early 80s basketball uniforms.


Bear with me while I learn to embed images in my posts.



Good choice.

Some other kind folks have just helped me out with embedding images too so ...To embed the full images rather than the thumbnails go to your images in imageshack, rightclick on the thumbnail and view images, when that opens right click on the full size image, grab copy image location. Open your post , click the little insert pic icon and paste in the url. It gives direct access to the pic rather than going through the imageshack placeholder.

[EoinCannon]

Thanks Shocklate and Tony

So far I've just got a snapshot of the biped, converted to poly
and welded a bunch of points. The torso and shorts I've started
building a crude mesh around. I'm not quite experienced enough
in organic modeling to have a clear workflow in my head other than
to start very low poly, build up gross masses in zbrush and then work
in the detail in levels. I can see most of being done in zbrush.

I also love the goggles :)

[EoinCannon]

I've pretty much done a basic basemesh.
I've left the hands separate for now as well as the head.
The head is taking shape in Zbrush at the moment, I havent got
the proportions down yet, not a strong point of mine :/

I'm struggling a little bit for reference. The guy had such a long
career, he looks different in every shot. I'm trying to go for the
mid 80s later part of his career.
Will post a reference sheet tonight some time.

Basemesh and 1 zbrush subdiv

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/3906/kareemhead1oz2.jpg (http://img440.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kareemhead1oz2.jpg)

[EoinCannon]

References and some more work on the head
Proportions are starting to come in a bit
I may retopologise a little bit and extend
the neck in max before I go any further.

I'm just feeling my way through this thing :)

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/2870/texturesheet1ah5.jpg (http://img59.imageshack.us/my.php?image=texturesheet1ah5.jpg)

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/5559/kareemhead2rc0.jpg (http://img145.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kareemhead2rc0.jpg)

http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/3095/kareemhead3uu5.jpg (http://img295.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kareemhead3uu5.jpg)

[Shocklate]

Starting to look good, the top of his head looks a bit skinny though.

[WyattHarris]

The unblockable skyhook. My Dad was a Celtics fan during the big rivalry so I know this shot quite well. Yeah the top of the head is too pointy. I think his cheeks need to come out a little bit too. Looking good though, I am seeing the resemblance now.

[Boone]

Was this guy who starred in AirPlane! and Game of Death(Bruce Lee movie)?

Anyway, good start and may you fly high man.:)

[EoinCannon]

Thanks Boone, yes he was in those movies.
He was (and still is probably) into martial arts, meditation
and eastern philosophies. That's part of the reason he played
till he was 42.

Thanks for the pointers folks

Small update

http://img113.imageshack.us/img113/9153/kareemhead4kv1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[EoinCannon]

Update time

Still not very happy with the likeness
The side view is more accurate than the front.
I'm eyeballing it from many different references and I seem to be going back and forth a bit.

Any suggestions would be appreciated

http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/1726/kareem5ys5.jpg (http://img410.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kareem5ys5.jpg)

[WyattHarris]

I may be off, double check this. His eyes don't appear to be centered. There is too much space between his nose and mouth. His jaw is too long. With that one, it may be the way his lips are set. In the pics his bottom lip seems to turn down more. Right now it seems like he's trying to make a scary (Undertaker) face.

[EoinCannon]

Thanks Wyatt

Yeah his head is defintely too narrow
His eyes are too close together
I might have to set up some image planes and try and get
the proportions as close as I can

[tonytrout]

Apart from his eyeballs being too close, I think the other proportions are pretty good. He doesnt have a 1/3 ,1/3, 1/3 proportion to his face - the nose section is shorter and his mouth sits halfway between his nose and chin, so I think you are pretty close. Adjust his eyeballs and move on is my advice, you can always go back and tweak later.

[EoinCannon]

I've got the head looking a bit better, I'll post an update when it's progressed a little more
For a change of pace I decided to do the shoes

Haven't finished the modeling here yet, some tweaks needed to the shape
and laces, stitching etc. to add.

These are the signature Kareem Adidas shoes (apparently)

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/9989/shoe1zv1.jpg (http://img76.imageshack.us/my.php?image=shoe1zv1.jpg)

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/9989/shoe1zv.jpg (http://img76.imageshack.us/my.php?image=shoe1zv1.jpg)

[Readme2]

Did you model the shoe from a referance with a leg inside it? it doesn't look like it. When there's a leg inside the shoe the sole is much flatter in the end. Somone gave an example somehere in the forum that I liked: he compared modelling the empty shoe to modelling an empty jeans and not understanding why it looks so wide. The shoe, just like clothes, deforms when there's somthing in it.Happy modelling! :) Nice WIP so far.

[EoinCannon]

Good point ReadMe

The only good close reference I managed to find of the shoe
was empty in a museum somewhere, so yeah that definitely
comes across in the model. I think I'll get the leg into place first
and then change the shape of the shoe to have a more "lived in"
look.

[EoinCannon]

OK I've done a quick sculpt on his body, singlet and shorts.
Everything still at the rough stage.
I've never really tried to do this type of realism in an organic model before
but it's fun learning the anatomy and also learning how to sculpt cloth.

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/5200/assembly1qa6.jpg (http://img46.imageshack.us/my.php?image=assembly1qa6.jpg)

[Deepam]

You are going with good speed :thumbsup:

Working on muscles after posing is not a easy task I hv a bad experience with that, will suggest you to match your model with the photo ref u r using as much as you can with proper angle set.

[TyShelton]

Hey great start man! His has some really interesting facial features. Nice first pass on the body and the shoes are awesome! Likeness is getting there, I might give his cheek bone area a little more meat. He has a lot of fleshyness to his face.

Keep up the great work!

[rekapidesign]

awesome man the shoe is so good and the head is awesome
step going forward

[RobertoOrtiz]

Heads up!


HCR Sports Icon; The datelins is in ONE WEEK!(Julyt 31st 2008) (http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=208&t=655442)
-R
PS BTW You have enough to do a bust

[EoinCannon]

I have found myself unable to continue with the challenge due to personal reasons.
I'm sorry I couldn't produce a finished product but I enjoyed the process anyway and I fully intend on entering (and finishing) in the future.

Thanks for the support to everyone who posted and good luck to those still going.
Some of the models are incredible.

Eoin Cannon

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