Texturing

 I textured the hand and face in Z-Brush. Even though I was pushed for time with this project I still wanted to learn new processes. I used an amazing feature of Z-Brush called Spotlight. This allows you to place an image over the top of your geometry and then project the image onto it via poly painting. This is actually extremely efficient.

 I also quickly textured the hands in Z-Brush and backed this detail onto a texture sheet.

This combined with improved texturing techniques resulted in really quite successful textures. Whilst texturing I made shore to keep all the different details on different layers. This way for example after applying the mud to the albedo, I could then grab the layer with only the mud on it and create a height map (which would be fed into crazy bump) from it so that all the mud would actually protrude from the surface. This black and white information for just the mud could then be altered and added to the Roughness.

 I did begin to model some hair, which I was going to give a natural fall to via the cloth modifier. This looked like it could have been a successful process but I ran out of time.

 During this project I have learnt allot about the cloth modifier, I have also learnt a new process via Z-Brushes Spotlight system. I have improved my skill in general Z-Brush Sculpting and texturing and I am happy with the face I created.

The general finale mesh as it sits right now fully textured over all is still in my opinion really quite appalling. No matter how well I had textured the model it was never going to save the coat.

Design wise I actually do really like these two characters and their dichotomy.

Big, scary, invulnerable, powerful, imposing alien.

Venerable, relatable, little girl. 

If I was to do this project again, I would stick with my first designs. That way I would have had an extra week to truly create something amazing. Those characters showed off a greater ability to design and they were more interesting when you were only viewing one of them. They were also more dynamic. They were more interesting and had more points of interest.

If I had done what I wanted to with this project, I would have a portfolio quality piece right now. Also I would have a portfolio piece relating to character design and modelling and texturing, which I currently do not have a single example of. Also now if I want to create a piece that demonstrated this I will have to do it in my own time as we do not have another character project this year. 

The Impossible Coat

I started experimenting with the Cloth Modifier, and got really excited with the realism I could simply achieve using it.

I quickly modelled the bombs as they would sit under the coat, my intension was to then drape fabric over the model, which would conform to the model and bombs underneath, creating a realistic coat.

 After my initial excitement over the potential of the cloth modifier, I quickly realised how difficult this task was going to be.

The cloth would hang too stiffly, or to loosely, it would intersect, bunch up etc. Many many problems. I managed to solve a whole bunch of these, but then just found more.

In the end I had to simply call it quits and use my least unsuccessful attempt.

The finale coat was made by modelling the majority of the coat using symmetry, I unwrapped the coat at this point. Then I moved this about so that it was not intersecting with any other meshes. I turbo smoothed this and then, used the cloth modifier to drop this only slightly onto the model. I may have relaxed parts of the mesh at this point to remove bunching. I then exported this mesh as the high poly coat. Then with edges selected double clicked on every other edge in order to select an entire loop, then by holding Ctrl and back space I deleted these loops with their corresponding vertexes. I reduced this high poly coat down to as fewer tries as a felt I could without losing the silhouette. The resulting mesh was then exported as the low poly coat. Using these two meshes I then created a normal map, via backing in X-Normal.

 It was during this tri reduction process that I mad the worst mistake of this project. This process would have created N-Gons, I should have gone back into the Low poly geometry and altered the mesh to remove these at this point.  Stupidly I totally missed this step in my process, so this was not done. I then dived head long into texturing and didn’t realise that I had forgotten to do this until after finale hand in.

Modeling the Character

I started modelling with the boots, I started here simply because I wanted to get my teeth into something and I could easily get references quickly. 

I modelled the boot to a ridiculously high standard, even modelling the laces. But here using the magic of projection mapping I was able to cut several hundred tries out, with no loss of detail. The laces now reside on a single plain with a handful of connection going across it. Above you can see the original boot, the projection plain with the laces above it and then the finished boot.

I then modelled a very low tri body, this would be covered up, so it’s just their as a reference for constructing the coat, and to support rigging of the character. 

I then modelled the head separately 

The hands were modelled onto the body. I unwrapped everything as I modelled it. Everything up to this point has already been unwrapped. The hands were unwrapped with symmetry on so I only had to unwrap and texture one.  All the unwraps will be joined together later.

I then moved onto modelling the coat. A t first I was simply trying to model it traditionally. Started with a very simply box, and added swift loops. I also toyed with the idea of there being a bag, on her back under the coat, but this didn’t last very long.  Modelling the coat like this was extremely difficult, inefficient and probably would have yielded an extremely wooden result. I felt that the coat probably wouldn’t have hung properly. 

As you can see I have also put the character into a very simple pose. This was not a professional decision. I should have finished modelling and then rigged the character prior to posing. I did this because it was extremely quick and easy to simply move one arm up into the position I wanted and then just slightly adjust various points of the model to break the symmetry a bit. Yes this is an unprofessional way of doing this but I didn’t want my finished character standing in the T-pose  I wanted to put all my time into modelling and texturing. 

Feed Back 2

•  It’s not obvious that she’s carrying bombs; it could simply be read as a fisherman’s wife. In the games industry you do not have a lot of time to get across what you’re trying to say. If she is carrying bombs then stick a load of dynamite in her hand.

More Design

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Here I have given her a more obvious detonator and some unexploded ordnance to carry on her back.  Also as a stretch goal I thought it would be nice if she was carrying a third point of interest. But this time something sweet, nice, something to add some history, life and emotion to the character, for this I have added a necklace with a pendent.  

Second Character Design

I had already decided that I wanted the second character to be human, this was due to this being apparently our only character project of the year, so I should use this rare opportunity to better my human character modelling skills. At this point I have only ever sculpted one human, and this being an extremely difficult task I need all the time in this area as I can get. 

I also actually have an idea, plot, relationship between the characters that I am going to be designing to.

We aren’t meant to delving into this side of things, but I like giving my characters purpose, I struggle to see how you can design from a blank slate.  Especially when at this point I have already established another character, which this character has to live in the same world as. 

It’s still a simply setting though, no complex back story.

The woman (it’s going to be a female) has been in hiding from this alien (and or alien species), she is part of rebellion that is struggling to fight back. She is not military

This girl has given up all hope, so as a last resort attack she yields to the alien simply to get close to it. Her intension is then to blow herself up, killing herself and hopefully also the alien.

 Mood Board

I liked the idea of the girl wearing a traditional yellow rain coat. Its relatable and also nostalgic to children’s stories. One of the re accruing pieces of feedback we all received, was that we had all designed attractive, white, skinny 20 ish year old characters. So here I have looked at how I could place this idea in Africa.

Silhouettes

The best silhouettes here are the African ones. After looking into this further and discussing it with peers, I realised that if I am going to design what is basically a suicide bomber she will have to be white. This is due to the current world political climate. Obviously all nations, and all nationalities and ethnical groups have used such methods of attack, currently prejudice is aimed at those of colour. So if I was to create an African suicide bomber many would simply view it as a terrorist. I’m only saying this because I know people that would consider anyone who is not white or Asian, as a terrorist even when they are not carrying a bomb. So because of this existing ignorants , if I am designing a suicide bomber who is not meant to have any connection with today’s political climate she must be white and or Asian and western in her appearance.  I’ve included Asians here because I don’t think even the most ignorant of people would relate Asians to what’s happening currently between the west and the middle east (well mostly the middle east obviously it’s a worldwide, movement also taking part right across western countries themselves and including people of western heritage).

Quick Further Development

I spent to long working on the alien design and have no time left for design, especially when I take into account the quality of finish I want to achieve with this character. So I have had to compromise allot. I need a design that will be simple to texture to a high quality. So a design with only a handful of materials for me to nail.

Because of this I picked the large raincoat idea. The rain coat will cover her entire torso, thus I will not have to design, and then model and texture, a shirt, trousers and an explosive vest for example. 

I still toyed with other designs, but had to come back to the large yellow rain coat. I added wires to insinuate a large amount of hidden explosives, and a detonator. I do think this design was the best choice regardless of time constraints. Something about the bright yellow rain coat is really nostalgic of a better more peaceful time for this character, especially when paired with some playfully coloured boots.