Rhino

[Soccerman18]

I kinda realized that I've been doing this stuff for several years and I have yet to get a model in game. I've done textures, models, even a few had both, but none had made it past that. So my plan was to make a model, texture it, learn to animate it, and get it into UT2k4 (I don't want to deal with normal maps yet). Big project (at least for me) but I want to get something completed.

The idea I had was a big armored heavyset Rhino (original huh?). I figured it'd fit in well with the game, the armor bits could be separate objects so I wouldn't have to worry about deformation as much, and hopefully would be an interesting model.

But I'm having a real hard time with the concept, and not having drawn anything for over a year is not making things look any prettier. I can see it in my head, but I can't get anything down that I'm happy with.

I'm really embarassed to show this, but here's what I've got going so far for the concept. I did everything separate and kinda pieced it together to show here.
http://soccerman18.homestead.com/files/conceptF.jpghttp://soccerman18.homestead.com/files/conceptS.jpg
The arms are actually showing the back of the arm, and there's no hands, and not much of a head, and the side view of the thigh is copied from the front.

I tried starting the model to try scaling things and changing it up a bit.
http://soccerman18.homestead.com/files/legwipr.jpg

I kinda like how the lower leg is turning out, but I'm not too excited about the rest, and the whole thing lacks the beefyness I was trying to get.

Any suggestions on how to make it better?

[Goober]

Alot of the beefiness seems to come from the big guy wearing the suit. Maybe try to exaggerate the angles more, your model legs sort of go "straight up" while your sketch they taper in and out alot more to conform to the muscle shapes underneath. Also your sketch seems to have more angles and curves in general that are somewhat more lacking in the model WIP. I'm sure someone else around here can give you much better tips, these are just my initial impressions looking at the forms you've got.

[Soccerman18]

I originally had the model a little more tapered in like the concept, but everything looked a little to slim and form fitting, walking around with chicken legs. So I tried taking out some of those curves to make things a little more blunt but it's still not looking right.

[Sectaurs]

The legs are still very cylindrical... blur your eyes and they look like gray tubes, despite the little details you put into them... nothing really changes the silhouette. Give the knee some bend in it, give him a nice stance showing his weight, rather than ram-rod straight.

[zenarion]

Those legs look awesome!

[Soccerman18]

Sectaurs: Not sure how much a little bend in the knee is going to help at this point. It's more like you said, the shapes aren't too interesting, especially the profile. I tried making the background white and the model black and that just emphasized what you said even more, the profile was hideous.

zenarion: Thanks, there are parts that I think turned out pretty well, but I think they still need a lot of work.

I tried doing another concept sketch, turned out a little better this time, although I still think it needs some work. And I put a spring in his skip just for you Sectaurs.
http://soccerman18.homestead.com/files/RBodynew.jpg

[Soccerman18]

Did another quick sketch.
http://soccerman18.homestead.com/files/bodyfull.jpg

[Rhinokey]

i'd never wear that.. it needs more flare!

[Josh_Singh]

I think he needs to be more squat and thik. The arms need to be beefier, and beefout the trapizieus muscle in the back. here's a QUICK paintover I did:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v139/nurbs_801/soccermanbodyfull_paintover.jpg

[cholden]

[ QUOTE ]
i'd never wear that.. it needs more Ric Flair!

[/ QUOTE ]

*Fixed

btw, go with ghost's paintover.

[Soccerman18]

wow ghost, that's an awsome sketch there. Been trying out some ideas the past few days. I really like the upper body you did so I tried sketching over that, here's what I've come up with.

http://soccerman18.homestead.com/files/rhinolargebody.jpg

[Josh_Singh]

Looking better, just remember A rhino's head and neck are huge, make enough room in the shoulders. He will look more powerfull. I would scale that neck hole a bit on the x axis, stretch it out horizontally. Also smaller legs and a bigger belly would give you a more powerfull feeling. Stout is the word.

[Soccerman18]

hmmm, yea the head area needs to be a little wider. Had it larger in a sketch I did before this one, not sure why it shrunk. From the pics I've been seeing it looks like the head is more tall that wide (and really long), although all the pics I have the head is somewhat tilted down so it's hard to get a good comparison.

Not sure about the legs though. The shorter legs do make the upper body look that much bigger, but every time I try to picture it in my head it keeps getting exaggerated to where he's running around on toothpicks which looks really wimpy and ridiculous. Definitly going to have a good sized keg on this guy, does look a little slim in the sketch.

[Soccerman18]

http://soccerman18.homestead.com/files/fatbody.jpg

Made the shoulders a little wider, made the head area wider, shortened the legs, and made the belly a little jollier.

[Josh_Singh]

cool go with it!