HARDCORE MODELING!: QOTRM: Jupiter Jonah

#1

This is my first HCM challenge , even though I’ve been a CG society member since 2005. I thought this challenge would be a nice introduction to the way competitions and the community work.

         So I figured since a number of people are working on the queen and the pirate queen I'd do a henchman or sidekick type of character. I figured that Jupiter Jonah could be sort of like a reporter or journalist, sort of the way Superman has Lois Lane reporting his heroic stories. I thought it might be an interesting dynamic. The original idea and writing for him came from my brother but, I made the concept art you see below. I'll post some of the reference I used for the concept art in a little bit. Enjoy and let me know what you think.


          [img]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_MGY6sJUujeU/Sm5_uVIlTMI/AAAAAAAACXU/uGIOmIOIKE4/s1600-h/Jonah-Title.jpg[/img]
          [img]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_MGY6sJUujeU/Sm5_uVIlTMI/AAAAAAAACXU/uGIOmIOIKE4/s1600-h/Jonah-Title.jpg[/img]
    
     
          [img]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_MGY6sJUujeU/Sm5_um3DAmI/AAAAAAAACXc/3e2GBjdtlAE/s1600-h/Jonah-animated.jpg[/img]
#2

Here’s some raygun, vehicle, and clothing reference. I found British Royal Air Force WW2 uniforms to be the closest to what I was thinking. I got a picture of Don Cheadle and Jubal Early from Firefly for loose facial reference. I’ll post the base mesh of Jonah in a second. Dunno if I’ll have time to create a vehicle for him for this challenge, but I figured it wouldn’t be a bad idea to share some really cool looking air vehicles.

 [img]http://i27.tinypic.com/2e1am4o.jpg[/img]

#3

I still need to refine some of the topology; getting rid of triangles and making the mesh more animation friendly. Just wanted to post some images before I start with textures. I also added a Benin sword and still intend on modeling his camera. Also I’ve been trying to keep the silhouette pretty graphic, as well as trying to create body proportions that compliment action, like larger hands for instance, referring to the Team Fortress 2 models for their visual clarity and readability. I will post a Zbrush sculpt in a little bit.

#4

To work out some details before I start to finish up the animatable Jonah I decided to do a posed sculpt of him in Zbrush. This is pretty much the way he is going to look for the final submission, except he’ll have a camera (which I have yet to model) and color/texture of course. Crits are welcome.

#5

Wow, this is great work! Can’t believe no one has replied yet. I love your style! Will be keeping my eye on this one

#6

wow !! pretty stylized start … liked those pinches for features…
eager to see more updates…
gud luck!

#7

It’s really good! I like that cartoony style it has, and very dramatic pose.

#8

This is really cool. You seem to have completed it already?

#9

Thanks for the kind words guys. And, yes Vikram, I have finished the posed sculpt, although I might add some more details here and there. Any suggestions are welcome. Right now I’m working on the animatable model. I’ll post updates at the end of the week.

#10

Good gravy did you do all of this in one day? That is impressive. I love the economy in your base mesh, you barely used any polys but the results in ZBrush speak for themselves. I’ll definitely learn something from your thread.

#11

Haha, thanks Wyatt, however I did not do all this in one day (I think that would be nigh impossible). I did it over the week and then posted everything on Saturday because that’s when I had time for that.
I actually interned at a video game studio last year so they pretty much drummed the fundamentals of economizing polys in a mesh, plus I really like the graphic shapes and angles you get with low poly models. Hopefully the final model will retain the graphic silhouette.

#12

Got to say this really rocks. You have the style down pat.

VERY professional use of polys and sculpt.

Are you still planning on posting an animated model? If so that would be great.

Its very simple, but it oozes style and its got all the detail in the right places.

#13

Thanks Owen, I did really try hard to give him a recognizable style, but not over the top, so I’m glad you picked up on that. I still plan to do an animatable version of him as soon as I’m done with Siggraph this week. Cheers.

#14

Dont forget to post your final entry on this thread:

Queen Of The Rocketmen: Post your Final Entry

#15

Here is Jonah with all his UVs mapped out:

Unfortunately, try as I might with the UVs to create decent normal maps using Zmapper. it kept giving me, odd, terrifying results as seen below. I followed the proper procedure of reseting xforms and checking for inverted faces, overlapping faces, etc. The distortion only happens around edges that had been chamfered (edges that are really close to gether for smoothing purposes). 


Even though I can't use GUv tiles because they are a mess to try and do diffuse maps for in other apps like Photoshop, I tried them out and  it gave me this perfect normal map.
[img]http://i31.tinypic.com/2cr1w1e.jpg[/img]

I really tried hard to finish a UV'd model that had normal maps, specular and diffuse maps, but to no avail. Maybe when we move on to FX wars I'll have sorted it out by then, if my model gets used that is. I'll post my final entry in a minute.
#16

Final post. Good luck and thanks for all the comments guys. Cheers!

NAME: Kenneth Shofela Coker

CONCEPT ART (and Artist Name): Jupiter Jonah (Kenneth Shofela Coker)

[b]DO YOU WISH TO HAVE YOUR MODEL RIGGED IN A RIGGING CHALLENGE? Yes [/b]

[b]DO YOU WISH YOU MODEL TO BE PART OF A FUTURE FXWARS CHALLENGE Yes
[/b]
[b]BEAUTY RENDER: [/b][[b]Click here for full resolution[/b]](http://i25.tinypic.com/29aqhki.jpg)


[b]ORTHO and WIRES :[/b]







WIP THREAD : Here

Turntable (posed): Here
Turntable (T-pose): Here

[b]DESCRIPTION : [/b]My brother, Shobo Coker came up with the idea for Jupiter Jonah, and along with the theme for the hardcore challenge in mind I set out to create a character that I've always wanted to see in the setting of a 1930s serial or at least that type of Rocketeer/ Buck Rogers adventure world. I thought that Jonah could not merely be a henchman, but acts as the Queen of the Rocketmens' right hand if you will. A sort of advisor and person she relies on to get things done. I spent two to three weeks on the model from concept to completion. Sadly I could not get normal maps and diffuse maps done because of last minute problems so hopefully if Jonah goes on to FX wars that'll come to fruition. It was a great first experience, and I hope you all enjoy taking a gander at Jupiter Jonah.
#17

Beautiful work, the concept is great and the modeling the same. The character has a lot of personality, you give him life.

Congratulations.

#18

Man I really dig your style. May have something to do with a certain 1-eyed Scotsman. :smiley: Seriously though, Jonah has a very fluid feel to him and looks natural, like he’s ready for his own animated series.

I noticed your normal map problem. If you are getting good results with the GUV tiles then give polypainting a try in ZBrush. I find it much easier to paint right on the model then going through photoshop although you can’t really beat PS’s full array of editing tools. Still, better than no option at all.

#19

Thanks a lot JMart, and your English seems just fine to me.

Hey Wyatt, thanks for stopping by my thread. Thanks for the kind words, and I’m glad you dig the style. I worked hard to try and make him stand out stylistically. Funny you mention an animated series, because I’m hoping FX wars will be a start to a web mini series I will start with Jonah. I’m not great at rigging so I’m hoping that someone will do a good rigging job on Jonah so I can animate him. As for poly painting, I will try it if there’s no other way, but I really wanted to give the model a painted maquette look (using Painter or Photoshop), so you’d actually be able to see paint strokes on him. I posted the problem on the ZB forums so hopefully I’ll get an answer soonish.

Oh and I’m glad you got to finish your Queen, she’s looking good.

#20

Love the style m8. Keep up the great work!