Elemental - joolz - earth

[joolz8000]

Here's a leg.

http://home.comcast.net/~spacemental/elem01.jpg

I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to finish this, but I'm giving it another run with the extension. Maybe. I decided to texture the leg as a test because I didn't want to bother modelling the whole thing if I wasn't sure that the crystals would look good. I think they're okay.

Here are the concepts:

http://home.comcast.net/~spacemental/crystl1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~spacemental/crystl2.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~spacemental/crystl3.jpg

[LtEthe]

That's actually pretty pimp if I do say so myself. Nice visualization.

[Sectaurs]

damn, those crystals look spot on. my hats off to you for that.

glad to see the unicorn-muncher is back in!

[joolz8000]

http://home.comcast.net/~spacemental/crystl4.jpg

I'm over poly-budget by about 100 now and I still have to make the unicorn. It'll probably come out of the arms. I'm not really liking how the legs meet the body- gotta work on that.

[Sectaurs]

oh god, the flamingoes! /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

i love this model.

[nealb4me]

I have to agree on the crystals, very sexy /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Steakhouse]

Keep rocking this J8k, I cant wait to see how you break the bubbly head mass down into that fabulous set of shapes you have going with the arms and legs.

He reminds me of the Frost Titan from Disney's Hercules. He would walk by snapping a leg off at the knee and flash freezing a new one as he moves the severed joint forward.

[joolz8000]

http://home.comcast.net/~spacemental/crystl5.jpg

7,497 tris. Got the mapping done. I'll do some texture work and then it's time to figure out this normal map business.

[LtEthe]

That's totally ace, love the goat in the mouth. Great stuff.

[Vailias]

pssst. its a unicorn.

Looking to be nice Joolz

[joolz8000]

Argh.
I've spent the better part of the day trying to get some kind of normal map generated, ALL IN VAIN. I tried ORB, I tried the ATI one... All I want is something that'll take a highpoly mesh and render the normals in tangent space... Why is this so hard? I'm getting nowhere. Who's had luck with this? I'm looking for Max advice, with free plugs, no ZBrush. Anyone? Seems that two week extension wasn't enough for me.

[Illusions]

Download the Max 7 Demo (available at Discreet's site. You can use the program FULLY for 30 days...), and use MoP's tutorial, or the one provided with Max 7 to render out your Normal maps...works like a charm. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[joolz8000]

sweeeet. will do, thanks!

[joolz8000]

I BRING YOU....THUMBNAILS!!!

http://home.comcast.net/~spacemental/crystl6_thmb.jpg (http://home.comcast.net/~spacemental/crystl6.jpg)

http://home.comcast.net/~spacemental/crystl7_thmb.jpg (http://home.comcast.net/~spacemental/crystl7.jpg)

http://home.comcast.net/~spacemental/crystl8_thmb.jpg (http://home.comcast.net/~spacemental/crystl8.jpg)

http://home.comcast.net/~spacemental/crystl9_thmb.jpg (http://home.comcast.net/~spacemental/crystl9.jpg)

http://home.comcast.net/~spacemental/crystl10_thmb.jpg (http://home.comcast.net/~spacemental/crystl10.jpg)

fun with mocap: (4.5mb)
http://home.comcast.net/~spacemental/swagger.avi

I think I'm pretty much done. 7,497 tris, a 1024 for the legs and a 2048 for the rest; diffuse with opacity, specular, and normal maps. If I get a chance I might make a pretty scene, like him sitting contentedly in a meadow.

[Steakhouse]

Wow that came out fantastic J8k. I hadn’t even thought of the possibility of a geode inside the mouth.

My only suggestion would be to further push the feeling of dirt or sod about the upper body. Right now it seems like a mass of poo. If you darkened the color and added a heavy pump map to indicate the crumbly texture of soil, maybe with some white bits for stones and the like.

Also if you have some polygons left maybe take add some flat roots sticking out of the dirt clod in places. You could use them create a mane down the back to give some interest to that portion of the character. You could also just dump them in the under arms to make him looks a little hairy there as well.

These are just a few ideas to help take this beastie to the nth degree. You've got a great piece here Joolz, congratulations are in order.

[Sectaurs]

holy christmas. you win!

[joolz8000]

Steakhouse
[ QUOTE ]
Right now it seems like a mass of poo.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's true. A greasy poo at that. I like your suggestions- I'll do some if I have the time.

Sectaurs-
Well, thanks, but- I think there's some pretty stiff competiton. Do we have ten yet?