Week Summary - BA3b Week 4

Low-Poly Model

I spent this week working mainly on the topology flow and refining the shape of the character, in line with some suggestions a tutor made to do with the line of the figure and some other adjustments. I've been considering a few options as to how to approach the face; I could simply paint it onto the texture, or I could model the features into the mesh itself. I may try both approaches to see which one gives the best result. I've added some block colour to sections of the mesh below to make the silhouette more indicative of the final model, which will have much of the definition of shape provided by the texures.

I've been further delayed from where I would like to be due to working on my application to the Sumo Digital internship, updating my CV and portfolio and writing my cover letter, but I'm confident I can catch up.

Wax model

I spent this week's session refining the ribcage and leg shape, and shaping the hands and fingers. 

Nick Carver portfolio review and lecture

We had more portfolio reviews this week, this time by concept artist Nick Carver. The main critique for my work, as well as some things previously mentioned last week, was to try to push my silhouettes more before moving onto iterating. This may not be something I particularly have time for with this project, but I'll definitely be taking it into consideration with regards to future and personal work. Nick also mentioned a free online rigging software which I may try out, though I'm more interested in working through the Maya rigging pipeline at least once.

Week Summary - BA3b Week 3

Low-Poly Model

Started on the actual model this week, I'm really trying to focus on good topology and making the model as clean for animation as possible, as well as making sure that the design is translated well into 3D and still reads the way I want it to. Below are two renders with the default lighting followed by two with the flat lighting the final model will be rendered in.

Using flat lighting for the final model means that I can be a little looser with where my UV seams are placed, but I'm still going to be making them as clean as possible. The other thing I need to be aware of with this approach is getting a really strong, readable silhouette on the model from all angles, as there won't be any shadows to clear up any muddy sections. I've been regularly switching to flat lighting as I work to check I'm getting this right.

I've been working very closely from the design for this process, in order to keep my proportions exactly as planned, though I may further exaggerate certain elements 

I've made the jacket a separate piece, with the arms built into it for simplicity's sake.

I'm not sure I'm quite happy with the way the buckles break the side silhouette, but this is a minor thing and I think the rest of the design is turning out really well.

I had intended to finish the modelling this week, but I'm a little behind on it due to other commitments and the process being more fiddly than expected. That said, I am very close to being finished aside from the face and some retopology and can probably safely bleed into the UV week without too much worry, as that process shouldn't take too long. I did leave buffer weeks in my planning precisely for this reason, and I'm not concerned that I'm risking failing to complete the project at this point.

Wax Model

This week was spent adding and shaping the torso mass for the ribcage. Mine turned out a little small, but not particularly outside of the range of standard variance, so I've left it as is.

It's looking a little lumpy at the moment as I haven't had time to smooth it off, but I plan to refine the shape more next week.

Sumo Portfolio Review

We received a visit this week from a member of Sumo Digital, and I received some critique on my portfolio which I will be paying particularly close attention to as I plan to apply for the studio's artist/animator internship.

The main critique was that I needed to focus on including more diversity of style, particularly in realism. I have a tendency to lean towards stylised work, and I agree that working on some realistic pieces will both broaden my skill set and strengthen my foundation skills in areas like lighting and rendering that I can then reapply to my stylised work.

I was also told that I should try to figure out what area I want to focus on - concept or character art. At this point, I would still be interested in either position, and I would like to keep my options open, but at the same time really building up my skills in one area rather than spreading them over both is probably a good idea from a professional perspective, as most jobs would only require one or the other skillset. This is something I really need to consider going forward, though at the moment I'm still unsure of which direction I'd like to go. 

Week Summary - BA3b Week 2

Low-Poly Model

I decided to use the idea of the mooinjer-vegger (little people), a type of fairy or fae from my home island's local legends, as a starting point. They're described as humanoid, a couple of feet high, wearing red caps and green jackets, and I think it will be a fun myth to work with. In particular the aspects of their being mischievous and being left offerings by people are things I'd love to try to incorporate into the design. Things like small coins or shells like the kind often left for them would make really nice small details, I think, and could also be made modular, using the same textures for each to help keep the size of the model down.

I knew that I wanted to go with a fairly childlike silhouette for this one, and to keep the feet and hands small relative to the figure. As I went on, I found I really liked the bottom-heavy look for the character, and tried to use a lot of upward curves in the design as I feel like they denote lightheartedness and mischief. For the clothing, I took inspiration from a lot of classical and contemporary depictions of fae and leprechauns, which are somewhat adjacent to this legend. In particular, I really wanted to push the proportions into something cartoonish here, and while I think they could probably go a little further, I also didn't want to push them too far.

I used Manx knotwork for the embroidery detail around the cuffs, and will probably use more knots on the buttons. I've left off some of the more detailed parts for now in favour of having the foundation, but will likely edit the design a little as I go along. 


The Manx tartan was something I had wanted to integrate into the design (blue material), but I felt that the colour was too much in addition to the two other bright colours present in the design. A tutor suggested using a small piece - like a handkerchief, etc. - poking out of the pocket to give the character some personality, without compromising the design. The same tutor also suggested trying to push the design a little more with regards to proportion, and while this is something I will be trying I will probably look at this in the 3D stage.

Wax Model

Spent this week adding a few last muscles (iliotibial band and sartorius), finishing rounding out the shape of the leg and sculpting the feet a little more. The legs still need some more work, but they're getting to close to being completely finished now, and I think they're looking good.

Week Summary - BA3b Week 1

Low-Poly Character

I've chosen to do a 3D low-poly project this term, as I want to have something game-ready for my portfolio that shows the full concept to model character pipeline. I've been looking at some models in the style for references - Danette Beatty's models in particular have been very useful for planning. She does some really interesting things with floating geometry and flipped normals that I would love to try out. So far, I've been experimenting with Maya's deformation tools, instead of taking a manual approach as I normally would, and I think this project is going to really help with my modelling skills, seeing as the end result will have to be very clean. 

Main influences:

Danette Beatty
Paul Lamy de Chapelle
Charlie Renwick

I spent this week doing some practise tests with maya for modelling, UV and rigging times. I ran a streamlined version of the process in a couple of days, so I think for a more complex model my current timeline is sufficient, and it showed me which areas I need to do more research on - things like weight painting for rigging and proper character topology. The below model isn't particularly polished in any respect, but it was a useful exercise to produce it. For example, I found that UV unwrapping each half of the model and overlaying the UVs on the map saved a lot of texture space, and that I really need to carefully consider my topology for animation to avoid breakages like the one below.

I did also attempt to produce a turntable export of the model, and while I got the turntable set up I couldn't quite figure out how to export it from maya, so this is something I need to look into a little more.

Wax Model

As I was slightly ahead, I spent this week smoothing out leg shape and adding the model's base. One leg ended up being longer than the other so I ended up having to compensate by adjusting the foot heights, but for the most part I think this is really coming together.