Phew! Finally got an hour to get something down. I was going to do a demon cuz they're always fun, but then I realized that the winners of the past have always been kind of on the dark side and wouldn't it be challenging to make a wholesome Normy Norm type who also looked like he could kick ass to tempt the judges? And to make things just a lil' trickier I opted for the steed route. I realize this concept doesn't say "kick ass" just yet, but I want to show the gist of where I'm going. I will be making that stag as beefed out as I can (part deer, part clydesdale, part belgian blue cow, and a lil wart hog) plus probably give him some righteous armour.
Still have no idea about the rider... Can't wait for the weekend!!! Everybody's stuff is looking awesome!
A moose is like a tank
anyways, I think you might want to make the steed less like a moose with some warthog fangs and really mix up some more things in him. I'm not sure if it will work in your favor if the judges see a guy riding a moose. That familiarity might work against you.
Maybe add another set of legs, or make one set of legs with paws, etc?
I'm going to suggest you give it a big lions mane too, kind of like this character:
Might establish that alpha quality a bit more.
Also, envision the rider wearing layers of animal furs, maybe some covering his face and carries a big long spear or ranged weapon. A sling with polycount spheres would be adequate.
Hey everybody,
Thanks for the input. Every one of those crits was useful. I did some more work on the steed, but I'm beginning to seriously lose conviction that this is the best way to go. I feel like the big horned steed is going to be obscuring too much of the rider and ultimately neither will be showcased properly. Guh. Should probably explore other options and soon! For the record though, I like the bottom right one. Sorry, I didn't number them, next time.
*Phew* Man, I was really losing momentum there. Fortunately this latest sketch, while not terrific has given me a direction I feel can hold my attention for the long haul. Basically, Scottish rugby player slash samurai slash Mad Maxish punk badass. I was kinda thinking up a story while I worked on it.
This guy is like a warlord king descended from a fanatical clan of rugby players who have honed brute force and chi into devastating magic they channel through their bodies and weapons. His weapon will be made from the bones of his mightiest ancestors, as strong and dense as steel and imbued with their terrible destructive power.
And uh, his steed, his steed is descended from a race of fanatical polo players...yeah, that's the ticket.
I want to mix lots of sports equipment, fur and Japanese styling together and see what comes out. Should be fun, but I gotta catch up here! Everybody's rockin' it so hard!
*Sigh* Still pretty slow going, but I'm feeling happy with where the concept is going. I haven't worked out what is going on with his back yet. I'd really like to put some taller elements poking off of it to give some more majesty to his silhouette without being too impractical looking. Some kind of war banner thing, or a big shield he carries there.
I started on the 3D while I was thinking. Seems like a lot of people start in Zbrush and THEN build their low res after. Is that a better way to go? Pros? Cons? I've never done a normal mapped character before and I would really like to learn as much as I can through this process.
Zbrushin! Haven't done much with shoes and shorts and the rest is still in the early stages, but it's coming along. Gotta figure out subtools now. This is harder than I thought!
I named him Chieftain McGoon btw.
nice work so far, the sculpt looks fairly soft at the moment are you going to try and keep some of that angular comic book feel of the concept? also his elbows dont look like they would reach his belly button so his bicep/upperarm is probably too small or short
the 3d version needs a bit more work.. it's not quite as the concept yet.. lacks some gesture and better defined shapes
about your question..
quoting Rick Stirling:
"Q. Should I build the lowpoly or highpoly first?
A. It's up to you.
* Some people build a lowpoly model, then up-res it and sculpt it.
* Some people build and sculpt a high resolution model and then build a new low poly model around that.
* Some people build a low res model, upscale that, sculpt and detail it, then step down a few levels of detail and usd use that as their low poly (or as a base for building a better lowpoly)."
Replies
Still have no idea about the rider... Can't wait for the weekend!!! Everybody's stuff is looking awesome!
anyways, I think you might want to make the steed less like a moose with some warthog fangs and really mix up some more things in him. I'm not sure if it will work in your favor if the judges see a guy riding a moose. That familiarity might work against you.
Maybe add another set of legs, or make one set of legs with paws, etc?
Might establish that alpha quality a bit more.
Also, envision the rider wearing layers of animal furs, maybe some covering his face and carries a big long spear or ranged weapon. A sling with polycount spheres would be adequate.
Thanks for the input. Every one of those crits was useful. I did some more work on the steed, but I'm beginning to seriously lose conviction that this is the best way to go. I feel like the big horned steed is going to be obscuring too much of the rider and ultimately neither will be showcased properly. Guh. Should probably explore other options and soon! For the record though, I like the bottom right one. Sorry, I didn't number them, next time.
This guy is like a warlord king descended from a fanatical clan of rugby players who have honed brute force and chi into devastating magic they channel through their bodies and weapons. His weapon will be made from the bones of his mightiest ancestors, as strong and dense as steel and imbued with their terrible destructive power.
And uh, his steed, his steed is descended from a race of fanatical polo players...yeah, that's the ticket.
I want to mix lots of sports equipment, fur and Japanese styling together and see what comes out. Should be fun, but I gotta catch up here! Everybody's rockin' it so hard!
I started on the 3D while I was thinking. Seems like a lot of people start in Zbrush and THEN build their low res after. Is that a better way to go? Pros? Cons? I've never done a normal mapped character before and I would really like to learn as much as I can through this process.
I named him Chieftain McGoon btw.
about your question..
quoting Rick Stirling:
"Q. Should I build the lowpoly or highpoly first?
A. It's up to you.
* Some people build a lowpoly model, then up-res it and sculpt it.
* Some people build and sculpt a high resolution model and then build a new low poly model around that.
* Some people build a low res model, upscale that, sculpt and detail it, then step down a few levels of detail and usd use that as their low poly (or as a base for building a better lowpoly)."
in this threat:
http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?t=48305
it's really the result that counts