Just started working on this while two guys were installing the new heating device at my flat. Showing them wings3D ins and outs was big fun [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]



Roughly based on this sketch :



I'm giving him a more neutral/spirited away face expression to convey a fish look... Because fishes don't really have facial expressions, do they?

But he'll have big muscles anyway [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] Crits welcome as usual...

www.pioroberson.com

hehe first [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

I like him. Cool style like always but I like the eyes on the scetch more. He looks a bit innocent and stupid with the round eyes, now I like that, but I think the more slicker eyes would make the char visually more interesting [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Looking cool and clay like Pior, will he end up as a normal mapped low polygon character or is this just some high poly fun?

Looks cute. I think to make it look more neutral, you should make the ends of his mouth curve up less.

Here's a pic of a random fish head to help out a tad.

That is fantastic. Wings 3d huh?...I should check that out.
I prefer the model to the sketch.

The sketch reminds me of those alien guys from The Fifth Element.

Oh Pior, you silly silly frenchman. I like it, it is much rounder than your normal models. Yet it still has that Pior pizzazz I know and love. Good work mate! Show us the rest.

I'm with Scoob, I prefer the model's face to the sketch also. It just has a more friendly, likeable character - yay!

Cool stuff pior! can't wait to see the body modelled

CGphil, yeah he sure looks kindof stupid now... but thats part of the character. I thought he was a bit too mean on the sketch, and redid some rough studies to find a more bland/cherful/easygoing look that is in my opinion more fishy like. Just a matter of taste I guess [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Illusions, it's going to be ingame someday for sure. The goal was actually to try out doom3 built-in normalmapping tools that seem faster and more reliable that both orb's and max's. Oh and the clay look comes from the dead easy material editor in silo 1.3. This app is powerful for sure [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Thanks for the pic Neo, I definitely need to grab more refs like that. As for the mouth, it really depends on the fishtype : some have a kind of 'upperlip', a bit like this or this. Plus giving this part a dark and shiny look can increase the overall aqua look. But hey I'll also try what you suggest [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Scooby, I used wings3D for the lowpoly subD cage only, smoothing and detailling has been done in Z2. Anyways if you push wings far enough you can get kickass results straight out of the app too. Its free, powerful and superfast to the use.

Hollow, now that I think of it it's true! Mangalords, right? I guess it comes from the little tentacles that look a bit like the Mangalords floppy ears. But in the end it's going to be fish tails/fins on the model [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Poop, been trying to avoid too much 'plastic' stylisation on this one, hard edges and all, for a more natural fleshy look. And it's fun! Can't wait to model the rest, yeah. Next step, body roughing!

Haha thanks Moppius! You'll get weekly msn updates with this one [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I'm with you ether! Can't wait either!

It's going to be great fun [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] Dunno if I'll have much time to spend on him in the next few days but now that the head is started I guess there is no choice left... GOT TO MODEL!

Laterz

www.pioroberson.com

your stuff is such an inspiration, pior. I love your style.

Yah prior, you can definitly tell it has your style to it. And, if the rest of the model is like the head/face, you should have no problem achieving that lack of hardedges and more of a round look you're going for. Love the sketch too - is it yours? (I'm assuming it is).

Show us more!

AHAH, FRENCH ROCK'S

HAR HAR HAR

Damn pior thats koo but I thought I was going to see Aquaboy of the teen titans. Damn talk about a suprise. heh.

I agree with hallowmind
http://ruthlessreviews.com/pics/5thelement1.gif

Yum highpoly love [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]



closer

Sweeeeeet ass pior. Very sleak and smooth.
Can't wait to see this guppy done;)

jezus, your skills with Zbrush are phenomonal, looking fantastic. Coyld you show us the low poly cage you Zbrushed on perhaps ? OR maybe reveal a bit of your workflow in ZBrush and such for the people like me that just cant seem to get the hang of it [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] Please ?

Amazing model, I really like how smooth it is. Can we see some wires of the head please?
P.S: T'es vraiment trop fort [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Exellent work Pior, I really dig the design [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] Top notch work !

i'm glad to see more work was done on aquaboy, it's looking nice.

model looking good so far. great sketch

Dur, that's actually what I really enjoy with highpoly... You can put all these little bevels and groves that catch light nicely around the corners of sleek surfaces. I like that [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Jama and Ramu, a little workflow collage for you here :



1. Once the idea is laid down on paper the model is quickly roughed in Wings3D (which is my weapon of choice when it comes to quick polygon modelling. You just have the tools you need, and the whole app is geared towards fast workflow).

At this stage I mainly care about building a clean yet simple quadratic base mesh with only the main facial features suggested. (you can actually push the mesh density higher if you have precise ideas at this early stage. It's just that what you gain in precision an control, you loose it in terms of potential and freedom).

2. The mesh is carried on to Z2 using the .OBJ format which offers nice export/import features and has great cross-application compatibility. I had to divide the mesh 5 times here to get enough density for detail modelling, but with a finer base mesh it could have been fine with 2 or 3 levels I guess... I try to add details along the main edgeloops because if you don't, you go 'against' the model and you'd need even more subD levels.

You can notice that if switched back to subD level 0 the model slightly differs from the original. The eyeline is smoother, the mouth is more horizontal... That the great thing with the intuitive ZBrush workflow, you fix things as they come along and you don't even notice it while doing it [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

3. The detailled mesh wireframe does not have the classic precise 'highpoly' look that comes when working on pure subD modelling. The details sortof shift along the isolines... See the eyesocket part for example.

4. All the 'hardware' modelling (tech parts, tubes, aso) is done with the usual subdivision method, just one level of division here. At this stage I prefer Max over Wings for it's solid tools such as dynamic symetry, grouping, hiding and all. The Zbrushed meshes are displayed as bounding boxes since they are simply too heavy for my computer to handle. Instead I display the level0 mesh wich provides good enough guidelines for modelling and proportions. I switch the head models visibility when rendering the scene.

I also enjoy using the 'turbosmooth' modifier in Max for it shows great optimisations over the standard meshsmooth. Realtime display of smoothed models is around 5 times faster... It saved my life for this model since my 1GHz cpu couldn't handle it otherwise.

Voila! Sorry for the long talk [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Gunt, Ruz, thanks, and KP, where is that avatar from? I like his looks :P

prior:
it is from the second of two very well done flash animations by adam phillips. they are both worth watching, imo.
the first called "Bitey of Brackenwood" can be found, here. the second called "Prowlies at the River", here.

Very cool stuff so far [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]