Races of Middle Earth-character-BlueCougar

#62

I think now you can call him “Steroid Steve”.

I can hear the sales pitch now:

" Try new RiverRoids! 100 percent natural! What? You say you have never done steroids? Well, you otter!"

In all seriousness, I have to concur with the others, in that he was more appealing when he was thin…you could say I liked it better the otter way…now he is looking out of place, with a mis-macth of anatomy that would technically not work…

[edit:…the other way you had the model was more appealing…he was more of an anti-hero…an underdog…every hero on screen does not have to pack thick-ass protein cable…some of the best saviors in literature are the ones you never would have expected…an underdog theme is prevalent in the subject of this contest too, just look at the Hobbits :)]

#63

Hi, I really like your character, if there was one thing I would change on the buff version it would be the abdominal muscles, they seem too high up to me, though he is an otter, so who knows lol, good work so far. :beer:

:thumbsup:

#64

This character is really cool :slight_smile:
But i’d have to agree with the others. . the version where he still looked like an otter was much better, simply because it was different to a lot of the other entries.

#65

It’s pretty good. But I just cannot place it in the World of Tolkian. I like the original way better as well.
The feet are well done, as is the whole model,but it just seems misplaced.I am proably the only one that thinks so,but then again that could also mean it’s totally original.Regardless it’s fine work.:thumbsup:

#66

bentllama-I’m here to pump, you, up! :bounce: Hehe, just wait and see what direction I went now. John Basedown would be ashamed of him, he’s even lost his six-pack! As far as the anti-hero that was my intention in the first place. That’s what cool about the Elves, they look like a bunch of pansies, but they’ll kick your @#% before you know what’s happening. That and I wanted a sort of a “Watership Down” aspect to the Shatksi.

BooRadLey, anthony_rjs, Johnlittle – Thanks for the feedback, you don’t know how good it is to get some reference responses on transition decisions. I’m glad its seen as " different to a lot of the other entries", I didn’t want to do the expected “D&D”/Tolkien view of fantasy characters. But with the “Watership Down” english country-side feel to it I think I can tie it back into Tolkien and some of the areas of Middle Earth he styled after his native England. Thanks again! :thumbsup:

Well one thing I got out of this is a new saying for my sig and the realization that if someone else had to clean up the mesh they would have been cussing me for some of my geometry! I definately want to hit the form for him but I also want the geometry in place to animate him as well without funky deforms. Tweaked the whole body as well as the face. I may loose the navel and refine the lower area somemore as well.

Hit ME!
:wip:
:smiley:

#67

Sorry to dis your latest work. But I really prefer the first version when he looked like a plain otter. The muscled one is a no-no the new fat one just looks like you dont know where you are going.

I’d say stick to the animal like one and give him some otter designed gear instead.

I really like that coloured ring around his eyes, makes him look old and wise.

#68

Mikael P. Thanks, I am just floating around now pushing the form around a bit and “trying to find the Otter within” so to speak. I’m glad you like the eyes, I went several different directions before I settled on that. Well, I’ve still got time and as its been said, the only thing sacred is the concept and I’ve only got a little bit over a week in it so far. I’ll get the scope sighted in before hunting season!:smiley: Thanks again for the feedback.

The nice thing about it is in the process I’m finding small aspects that I like, though a majority of it still isn’t up to the level I want. A painting with one small great aspect is still, overall, a mediocre painting!:arteest: :annoyed:

#69

Looking good man! Though, I know it’s a weapon… but he/she looks like he/she’s going to the prom…

doh!..

:stuck_out_tongue:

#70

Projectkmo– Thanks, considering it is a weapon I’d think twice asking him to “dance” after saying that…tho they are peaceful folk.:smiley:

Got the helmet done. Gonna start on the armor after I get something to EAT! As you can see I’m going with the feudal Japan influence. Textures are placeholders, still debating about the back of the helmet. The top of the helmet looks like a turtle shell so they can sneak up from under water and look, at the most part, like a turtle. The pic shows both positions of the helmet/skeir-kee toceths. The lower one is at ease and when swimming, the helmet will attach at the back to the breast plate of the armor and the rest will be tied with a sash, (given by their favorite female). If necessary the weapons can be put on while grabbing the helmet to put on at the same time. The sash is cut by the blades as the helmet is put on and the skeir-kee toceths are “un-holstered” ready for business. I’ll probably have his arms and legs wrapped with silk sashes as well, still debating.
:thumbsup:

#71

:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: clap! clap! clap! clap! clap! clap! clap! clap! clap! clap! clap! clap!

#72

OZ --Thanks man, I appreciate the support! Where are you in Italy? I spent 31/2 months in Cortona near Arezzo & Camucia back in '91 studying art with UGA Studies Abroad and loved it. Heck, I didn’t want to leave!

Refined the Helmet some more. Eliminated some polys and pulled back the rollbacks in the front as well as raising the rim near the eyes to allow for peripheral vision to reduce getting blindsided while fighting. The little practicalities huh?

The breast plate is currently a placeholder, working on several shapes. I’ll post some sketch work as well. Found some awesome websites on constructing Japanese armor and I’ll draw from those resources as I build it. I’m going to try to keep it flexible and light enough to allow the quick movements and graceful style in which I see them fighting.

Oh, if it hasn’t been noticed, I’m doing their warrior class, similiar to the samarai class of fuedal Japan. The Shatksi have a whole society with different roles and classes, and with the LOTR focus on battle I decided to go with this class.

#73

:bounce: :bounce: You’re doing a great work! I love the detail on his hands and feet. Keep it up!!!:thumbsup:

#74

Did some work in UV mapping to get the breast plate started to rough out. I’ll actually model the laces and texture those seperately along the seams. There will also be laced together plates on the shoulders and a series of them hanging from the breast plate. Next texure job will be on the top of the helmet.:smiley:

#75

Man, that looks great! I’m glad you went back to the less “super hero” body style. :smiley: I’m still plugging away at mine, slowly. Seems I never have enough time to get anything done on this, what with work and the wife and the kids. :scream: I figured doing something simple would be easier to finish, boy was I wrong.

Anyway, keep going. You are a very talented individual. :slight_smile:

#76

mrwilt–thanks man, I appreciate it. I’ve got the luxury of alot of time and the handicap of finite funds. Yep, time to find another contract/gig really soon!

Well, after jumping around hooping and hollerin’ when I finished this I wanted to post it. Well, its really to gloat at my success, I admit it I’m an immature arrogant bastard…hehe. The first time I really tried a difficult UV map I pulled it off! I created a UV map for the snakes that wrap around the gloves of the weapons.

“WHAT! NO! HOW DID YOU DO THAT?” you say!

Well, I finally found a cool short tut online using morphs to lay flat a mesh to get a good UV map so it may look like your tearing up your object but its only a morph/expression! Once you get your UV map, you delete the morph target, reweld the surface you cut and pasted to seperate it and Presto Change-o! You got a good UV map out of something that otherwise is a muck of lines to sort out and your model is no worse for wear. So now I can put a real looking snake skin on those puppies! Right now I’m trying to normalize the mesh with the red grid to reduce image deformation then I’ll start creating a snake skin.

#77

Found some awesome websites on constructing Japanese armor and I’ll draw from those resources as I build it.

you wouldn’t mind listing those resources, would you?
if now now, at least at the end of the challenge. please? :slight_smile:

:beer:

#78

No problemo Bent!

Japanese site on history and making a suit out of cardboard (for festivals and parades)

Direct link to the process of making armor out of cardboard

A guy stateside that studied with armorers for a number of years in Japan that’s involved with the SCA. Just click on the title.

Hope this helps you. I’m all about sharing info, that’s how we all get better! They each take some time to wade through to get the details and track with the Japanese names of everything. You gonna have Bullwinkle in armor? Hehe…:smiley:

#79

Hey blueCougar!..I’ve been following your thread since the begining… I should have commented earlier cuz this is great!! Great concept and the modeling is looking fabulous…Remmember Wind in the Willows??..remminds me of a character from that show, only he’s made for Middle Earth :)…
Can’t wait to see the finished peice!!

:beer:
fetus

#80

reminds me of the Redwall series by Brian Jacques more than anything :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

#81

THIS IS TOTALLY WICCKD!!!:beer: :beer: