HCM # 21: QotRM - Rocket Trooper

#1 

Hi, I notice that not too many people have done an actual 'Rocketeer' style figure. I had an idea for a Rocket Trooper, kind of based on The Rocketeer, but a militarized version. What would have happened when the nice people from the army air corp copied Cliff Secord's rocket pack.

I was originally inspired by Chris Moeller's "Rocketman: King of the Rocketmen" where there is a scene near the end of a cadre of rocket troopers blasting off together to change the world. Then I remembered there was a similar scene in 'The Rocketeer' film with an animation of a bunch of Nazi rocket commandos. 

So that is where I'm coming from on this one. I'm asking people to be detailed, but nice in the crits as this is the first realistic organic figure I've ever done.

Here is the reference:

[img]http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s204/tea_monster/rockettrooperref.jpg[/img]

The graphic novel panel is from Chris Moeller's "Rocketman: King of the Rocketmen". The action figure is really spectacular. It was kit-bashed from action figure spare parts by a guy going by the name of 'Glorbes'. Details are [here.](http://www.toymania.com/custom/Galleries/Glorbes/glorbes1.htm) The jacket is a repro of the one that Ben Forester's character Charlie Prince wore in '3:10 to Yuma' (2007). It was very similar to the Rocketeer's jacket with the shell front, but it was way cooler!

Also, though I've not directly used any of his images as reference, I've got to put a big thank you out to the late Dave Stevens, the artist on the original 'Rocketeer' comic strip. He was an amazing artist and gave me loads of inspiration for art and style.
#2

OK, I’ve started work. I’ve created a base human character in Blender and I’m going to start modelling the different bits and peices over the top in a tailor’s dummy fashion. I’ve started with the jacket. I was dreading how to make it work, but its so far gone OK from what I can see.

After the base mesh is done, its off to ZB!

Again, crits more than welcome.

#3

Hey, continuing to block in the basic forms. Just blocking in, no real detail yet. I’ve yet to do the hands and head.

#4

I’ve started refining the shapes of the body a bit before I haul it off to ZB. I’ve got some more shape to the chest and shoulders. Realistically, there should be a lot more softening of the body-form as its a leather jacket, but I decided to go for a more heroic look.

#5

Hey,

Looking really good thus far… looking forward to seeing the ZB work :cool:
:beer:

#6

Thanks for the encouragement Steven. :cool:

I’ve done a bit more work on him today and got a lot of the base mesh done. I’ll probably spend a few days perfecting and tweaking to get things looking better, but I’m happy I got a lot done today.

I even got a block-in of the Jetpack done!

Still to be done are a lot of details on the helmet and the jetpack. I want to double-check the hands as well. After that there are a lot of small stuff on the clothing like buckles, belts and stuff. I also need to design his ‘death-ray’ rifle. Thats all to come!

Crits more than welcome.

Currently he’s sitting at about 3.4K pollys. He’s not been triangulated yet.

#7

I did a lot of tweaking on the mesh and unified the gloves and the jacket into one unit and the boots and the trousers into one unit. There is a lot of overlapping from the wire render, but I can’t see it in the normal display. I’ve ‘fixed’ the hands, the waist and the boots.

Again, any crits are welcome.

#8

nice entry , waiting to see the ZB version …

#9

Thank you. I’m raring to go and get some sculpting done.

I’m doing some refining of the mesh. I’ve applied a subsurf modifier (smooth) and I’m cutting in details of the coat and cloth items before taking it over.

I’ve adjusted some of the forms as they looked kind of weird with the smoothing on.

Let me know what you all think.

#10

The 3D is looking good so far. The fingers on the glove look a little thick but that could be right for a glove. Looks like its ready for ZB to me.

#11

Yeah, the gloves do need a bit of work. I’ve adjusted them before and they probably still need some TLC. I’m kind of new to the sculpting thing on clothes so I’m trying to hit a middle point on what to model and what to sculpt. I’m just cutting in some extra base detail on the boots and gloves and then its off to Z-Brush.

I’ve done a design for his ‘blaster/death ray’ weapon. I don’t know if I’ll get time to finish it, but here’s the concept sketch.

#12

I know I said I’d get it into Z-Brush already, but I was looking at the refs and at the model, and decided to do another detail sweep on the clothing before sculpting.

So NOW its off to Z-Brush.

I’ve also got to do a lot more base construction and detailing on the jetpack. Then I’d like to, if I have time, do the death ray.

#13

He’s looking pretty cool! The extra base details definitely added to the mesh, can’t wait for the ZBrush.

#14

Dont forget to post your final entry on this thread:

Queen Of The Rocketmen: Post your Final Entry

#15

Thanks, will do.

I got the weapon done, I’m not going to say I’m ‘done’ but I am as the deadline is tomorrow!

#16

Hey, I finally got the Z-Brush sculpt going!

I rigged the character in Blender, posed him and then got him over to ZB. It took an inordinate amount of arsing around to get the OBJ exported which was a complete pain.

There had to be a bit of surgery in ZB to cover some weight painting problems that would have taken too long to fix in Blender. Much faster to get the move brush and fix it directly.

I ran out of time for the comp, but I’ll probably do a turntable and might try getting him textured in the next week or so.

Here are the results.

Beauty Shots (high res links are in the completed entries thread)

Orthos



#17

New wires and hes all UV Mapped. Just got to do the weapon and I’ll send him off to Roberto.

Before He goes, I’ll do a ZB sculpt of the static pose here, that way he’ll be much more animateable. The one in the comp was sculpted off the posed model, which is just going to look strange when animated, if you just chucked that normal map on him.


#18

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