Brad Kachel - Character Art Reel

[vfx]

Great job Brad! You have some lovely models there and very nicely textured too ;)
Really like your alien head :P


Can I ask a few questions:

1. How did you go about making the skin shader for the fat geezer? Same goes for his chin texture - was that all just hand painted, I ask cos creating a shaved beard isn't easy.

2. What software did you use? If maya, could you take a moment and explain how you did the low poly wireframes - did u use normal maps in the bump slot to keep high levels of detail whilst maintaining a low poly output?

3. Whilst we're on turntable talk.. what was your lighting setup? Simple 3 point lighting?

P.S. Your download link isn't working here.

[Kuroart]

Great stuff, sir. Not much else to say really. I especially like the design of the last. Definitely hope to see that textured. I'm not much of a character artist, but seeing reels like this inspires me to want to get more into it .

[acidboy]

Here's a bunch of stills for people with limited bandwidth.

http://bradkachel.wordpress.com/files/2009/08/bradk_reelframe01.jpg

http://bradkachel.wordpress.com/files/2009/08/bradk_reelframe02.jpg

http://bradkachel.wordpress.com/files/2009/08/bradk_reelframe03.jpg

http://bradkachel.wordpress.com/files/2009/08/bradk_reelframe04.jpg

http://bradkachel.wordpress.com/files/2009/08/bradk_reelframe05.jpg

http://bradkachel.wordpress.com/files/2009/08/bradk_reelframe06.jpg


Appreciate the kind comments guys.

To answer ya questions vfx:

1. How did you go about making the skin shader for the fat geezer? Same goes for his chin texture - was that all just hand painted, I ask cos creating a shaved beard isn't easy.

I kept the shaders/materials super simple, as I was too rushed to mess with SSS etc. The guy just has a default vray material with diffuse, spec and gloss textures. The stubble/shaved beard look was just via texture (mix of photos for a based, then hand painted on top). Also modeled in the fine beard details but masking off all the other areas of the texture, and using it as a displacement/push in Zbrush. Easy way to get small details matching the texture, then manual sculpt tweaks on top.

2. What software did you use? If maya, could you take a moment and explain how you did the low poly wireframes - did u use normal maps in the bump slot to keep high levels of detail whilst maintaining a low poly output?

It's all Hires Meshes actually. The wireframe is just to show the base mesh. As the final mesh is a a few levels of subdiv above that, and too dense to show. (I maybe should have explaned that in a caption). The base meshes were done in Softimage, and sculpted with Zbrush and Mudbox. Textured with ZB and Photoshop. I do have game meshes of a few of the characters, though this reel was more intended for film/cinematic studios.

3. Whilst we're on turntable talk.. what was your lighting setup? Simple 3 point lighting?

Yeah the lighting was a basic 3 point setup. Rendered with Vray in max, without any tricky GI or anything. Nice an simple.

Cheers for the heads up on the download link issue.

[vsions]

Good stuff bro. Your joker likeness is really on point. Good idea putting up still of the reel. I didnt even think to do that :(

[acidboy]

cheers vsions, checked out ya reel.
Really dig your wow inspired character, I remember following his progress on zbrushcentral.

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