HCR #25: THE OCEANS - Foodchain

[MightyReg]

Interesting concept, that makes a lot of models to do, hope you'll find time to do them all.
Not sure if Giant Squids eat sharks, but it could be believable I think.
Looking forward to the updates.

[Pixanaut]

Not sure if Giant Squids eat sharks, but it could be believable I think.


They do. Even the smaller ones do. There was a public aquarium who recently put an small octopus in a tank with a number of small sharks, and each morning they were finding another one of their sharks dead in the water. So the staff set up a video camera... it looked similar to this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waNegccHty4

Since sharks have to keep moving to breathe, it basically drowns them.

[aovesen]

Been working on the smallest link in the chain, the Tuna. Made a basemesh in max and exported to Zbrush, added the eyes and the fins. And started detailing. Here is what I got so far:

Basemesh
http://akira.ruc.dk/~aovesen/images/tuna_Basemesh.jpg

Zbrush progress
http://akira.ruc.dk/~aovesen/images/tuna_wip1.jpg

Detailing
http://akira.ruc.dk/~aovesen/images/tuna_wip2.jpg

Loads of models still to make :)

[aovesen]

I imported the Tuna in max and used bends to pose the fish and placed them in the scene. Looks like this with my underwater setup:

http://akira.ruc.dk/~aovesen/images/concept_tuna.jpg

[TiMrozek]

Nice start. Out of curiosity, how'd you set up your concept image? Looks kinda like a z-depth pass of simple models but wasn't sure if maybe you just did it in 2d.

[aovesen]

Actually its a rather random effect lol, I just wanted to visualize the project for people to get a perception of what I was aiming for. So I made some very simple fast boxmodelled siluet shapes and placed them in the scene according to how I imagined it. I added a skylight in max and changed the skylight to a blueish color, didnt change anything else on the light, added standard materials with a little grey-color adjustment and the result was the concept render at the top of my post :)

[MightyReg]

Great start with the tuna, can't wait to see the others!

[aovesen]

Been working on the white shark, basemesh in max and then off to Zbrush. Decimated and brought back into max and posed in the scene.

Basemesh (max)
http://akira.ruc.dk/~aovesen/images/shark_basemesh.jpg

Siluette and general shape in Zbrush
http://akira.ruc.dk/~aovesen/images/shark_wip1.jpg

Added the eyes and some of the teeth
http://akira.ruc.dk/~aovesen/images/shark_wip2.jpg

mouth finished
http://akira.ruc.dk/~aovesen/images/shark_wip3.jpg

And here in the updated Scene now with a shark. Seal next I think :)
http://akira.ruc.dk/~aovesen/images/concept_tuna+shark.jpg

[Luke046]

Looks good. I like that you work a bit backwards with the underwater scene, saves alot of time and get you a good ovierview of size, the need of amount of details etc. Keep it up!

[aovesen]

Working on the seal, here is what I got so far.

Basemesh
http://akira.ruc.dk/~aovesen/images/basemesh_seal.jpg

Wip1
http://akira.ruc.dk/~aovesen/images/Wip_seal1.jpg

Wip2
http://akira.ruc.dk/~aovesen/images/Wip_seal2.jpg

[aovesen]

So I added the Seal, posed it and placed in the scene

http://akira.ruc.dk/~aovesen/images/concept_tuna+shark+seal.jpg

[Jussslic]

This is starting to look really good. I like the composition you've got going on a lot, it really has an expansive "the ocean is really big" type feel to it, and the seal looks really nice posed.

[aovesen]

I had a bit of fun, trying out some polypainting. I know its not part of the modelling challenge, but I thought I would post it anyways. Will not be included in the final composition. Gotta start working on that Giant Squid soon. Should be fun

http://akira.ruc.dk/~aovesen/images/shark_polypainted.jpg

[chichiri]

Nice sculpt, you're really a speed sculptor. Nice textures on the shark too. Are you going to make a beauty render just for fun?

[aovesen]

Yeah I think I might try that if I find the time for it. Gonna keep the entry for the challenge untextured tho :) I like polypainting alot so I usually mess around with it for my models. I still have to get started on that Squid...

[Jussslic]

Wow, really nice work on the shark texture!

[aovesen]

chichiri: thanks :)
Jussslic: thanks, I had a good time playing around with it.

I have a update on the Squid basemesh, here it is :


http://akira.ruc.dk/~aovesen/images/basemesh_squid.jpg

[aovesen]

I did some posing work on the Squid so it fits in the scene. I'd like some crits on the composition, if it works or not.

http://akira.ruc.dk/~aovesen/images/concept_tuna+shark+seal+squid.jpg

And here is the Squid ready for detailing in Zbrush.
http://akira.ruc.dk/~aovesen/images/squid_posedZbrush.jpg

[TheRazorsEdge]

Looks like this is going to be a very dramatic piece. Very nice work so far!

In the overall composition the upper tentacles seem to flare a bit too far up for my taste, as in blindly raised and without aim. Lowering them a tad might add some more dramatic effect as well.

Cheers!

[aovesen]

I see your point and I will try to give those upper tentacles a bit more purpose :) I'll post a recomposition soon.

[aovesen]

Here we go, that Squid looks alot more aggressive now :) I think its alot better thanks TheRazorsEdge. What you think? If this works out I will give myself the green light to start detailing the squid.

http://akira.ruc.dk/~aovesen/images/concept_all_posed.jpg

[TheRazorsEdge]

Yes, much better!

Have you tried placing the shark a little further back to see if that might create a more interesting look, as in the squid is about to intercept the shark sooner than the latter will the seal? It might be worth a try to see if it raises the tension a tad.

Keep 'em updates coming! :)

Cheers!

[aovesen]

I tried what you suggested again and it looks good I think :)

http://akira.ruc.dk/~aovesen/images/concept_all_posed2.jpg

[TheRazorsEdge]

Agreed! I'd probably go even further and try seeing what it looks like if I pulled the seal a head-length forward to make it seem more like the fish are just dispersing. Otherwise the seal might seem a little slow and the overall spacing seem somewhat too even. I'd probably be tweaking with minute position changes for quite a while. lol

Cheers!

[aovesen]

Tried something else composition wise. What you think?

http://akira.ruc.dk/~aovesen/images/test.jpg

[RageOfAges]

Really nice composition. I love how easy it is to read the scene. Keep it coming!

-rage

[aovesen]

Tweaked a few things, and added a normal map to the squid.

http://akira.ruc.dk/~aovesen/images/wip_compo2.jpg

[Luke046]

what a progress! looking good

[chichiri]

Really nice, you've managed to make all those models in so few time.

[aovesen]

I decided since I have a bit more time to try making some cleaner fish following the shark. Here is the basemesh, I'll start some Zbrushing on it soon.

http://akira.ruc.dk/~aovesen/images/basemeshcleaner.jpg

[aovesen]

I took a all day Zbrushing and worked on the cleanerfish mesh. Move brush to get the basemesh into shape. Did the top of the head with standard and dam. brush. Sculpted the fins with the dam.stand brush and put in some finer skin details with some alphas. Did some polypaiting as well, not really super, but it works out okay, atleast better than the standard grey basic material :)

http://akira.ruc.dk/~aovesen/images/polycleaner

[aovesen]

I tested the normal + diff in 3d max and I think the model is ready to be added to the final scene.

http://akira.ruc.dk/~aovesen/images/2cleaner

[aovesen]

I added 2 cleanerfish to the scene, one still following the shark and 1 taking off. I guess I wont have time for more modelling, but only tweaks until the dateline.

http://akira.ruc.dk/~aovesen/images/compocleaner.bmp

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