1/27/14 UV'ing and lots of WIP

Hello everyone!

This week was a lot of UV'ing, and reUV'ing. The kaiten, while blocky has turned out to be a challenge to UV in a single mesh, but its turning out great!

As for the rest of the concept work all of it it is currently WIP and I don't feel comfortable with showing it just yet! But! I couldn't simply let a week go by without showing at least one 3D modeling image and at least one sketch!

This first image isn't much of a change due to the fact its being UV'd and I know how exciting checkerboard is!

And of course the next character redesign in the set, Elsa.  With this take of her I wanted to bring out more of her pirate back story along with displaying some of the materials that would come from that part of the world!  So her corset is now partially structured around Insectisaur scales.  I figured the support structure of the corset would be constructed out of the strongest material in her part of the world, which would be the scales from an Insectisaur.  I changed her feet supports to be more boot like.  Before I felt they really didn't look like anything besides being confusing, so I figured it was time to base them off of something more realistic, a pair of leather boots.

Expect at least a finalized Vex concept next week!  It's going to be a fun week of painting!

Until next time!

- Jordan

1/20/14 Model tightening and another character rework

Hello everyone!

Another weekly update, this time a bit shorter!  I've been rather sick this week so I've mainly focused on procedural work with my topography!  So I'll be brief in explanation! 

First up, I decided to model the leg separately due to being able to duplicate rather than worry myself with modeling three legs together and UV'ing together! That didn't sound like fun!  Currently it hasn't been sewn onto the body! (UV'ing reasons of course!)

A look at the underside!  It was quite the puzzle trying to get all of the joints in the right places!  But I was able to get all of my topography arranged in Tris and Quads in a very UV'able way.

Simply a general look to make sure that I've stayed on model.  So far the only noticeable alterations have been positive ones, meaning closer study of insects and life models.  Basically getting back to the source rather than the imagination.

The next set of images are simply renders of the previous images

This final image is a rethinking of a previous design.  I'm going back one by one and methodically designing each based on their role in their over arching story.  This idea actually came after the great success I had with Pacifica!  I've been designing Grant to be a hero character when in reality I should have been designing him as a -fallen- hero character meaning more sympathetic and tattered, less stoic, dashing smile type!

Well it looks like this week is going to be UV'ing and Painting!  And I'm praying I get over what sickness I have!

Until next time!

-Jordan

1/13/14 More Creature Work and a New Design Rule

Hello Everyone!

More updates on the 3D modeling and some new character designs.

The first image is the finished b/w concept from the linework from the previous post.
The colors I'm going with won't differ too much from these shades of gray due to the metal qualities of the Kaiten's armor.

The second is the current WIP model of the kaiten over laying the original proxy.
The method I'm using is from a single cube and extruding, and modeling on half.  I'm rather happy with the results!  Getting back into the the modeling frame of mind has been an interesting experience, as I forgot how much it differs from designing in a 2D space.  Regardless, its been a blast so far!  I cannot wait to start texturing it.

The next image is the WIP kaiten model rendered by itself.
Now note, I do plan to keep this model's geometry more on the simple side and do most of the detail work in texturing.  My reasoning is I'd like to take this model and see how it would work in a game engine, so I'd rather keep it on the simple side.

The final image is the direction Ill be taking my word for the time being.  What I'm getting at is, designing for fun and story telling rather than production.  My previous rule I had set up for myself is "How easy would it be to animate this character in flash or by hand?".  My new rule is "How does this character fit into the world they comes from?", and exploring everything that that means to the character and their costume.

This character is Vex, my mantis bounty hunter.  His costume consists of his first kill;  a Kaiten Soldier ant, and he proudly displays it.  Other components are things like:  Kaiten Larva used as ammunition, ant and beetle leg carapace used as armor and so on.  It's been fun coming up with reasons for each piece of gear and making educated additions based on the characteristics of the character.  More to come!

Until Next time!

- Jordan

1/6/2014 Creature Modeling and Texturing

Hello everyone!

Its time for the first post college update!

After having done so many humanoid characters I felt it was time to branch out and tackle creature design.  I decided to take a step further and jump back into my love of 3D modeling and texturing.

Those of you who have kept up with my previous blog will remember a race of insect called the Kaiten I had been messing around.  For those who don't they were essentially a race of giant mechanical insects who are one of the main antagonists of the world Grant the gang exist in.

These bugs feature an ability where they can shift into a more weaponized mode that was once used for more peaceful intentions! This Kaiten in particular is a sort of base model that Kaiten come in, nothing too fancy it walks and shifts into a cannon mode.

The first is the pen drawing I'm currently working from that will by next week become a silhouette painting

The second is a proxy model I threw together to start from.

Enjoy!
~ Jordan