[DS2] Axe, Valerien

Valerien · Mar 2012

Last update :

Hi everyone,

I'm entering here mostly for learning purpose, to get connected with the community a bit etc. As an animation and music student, I don't have that much time for it so the thread may not be updated like on a daily basis.

The chosen theme is Maker. Feel free to criticize !

Preliminary drawings :

And the actual concept, which is going to be changed on the go as the proportions don't really fit the template :

Shiv · Mar 2012

As you are tweaking the shape of the weapon i think you should beef up the connection between the main blade and the shaft!
Other than that i like it

BoBo_the_seal · Mar 2012

I love the top idea. Just make the blades a little larger.

- BoBo

Valerien · Mar 2012

Thanks for the feedback guys. Two friends gave me some feedback, and well as one of them said, it wouldn't really look good in Death's hands.

I'm not really happy with it right now, mostly compared to the original game's assets quality, but well, I lack the time to go back to the beginning of the process, and overall skills to make something suitable for this contest :

PredatorGSR · Mar 2012

It seems like your detail is too fine and realistic, it is also all over everything. The darksiders style is to have big distinctive details. If you take a look at the provided examples, there is barely any fine detail, just a few big cuts and chips that are carefully thought out, and the rest of the blade is relatively clean. Try to break up that clean curve of the blade with a notch or two.

Valerien · Mar 2012

Here's an update. It doesn't really look good, but i'll try to refine it through texturing.

Valerien · Mar 2012

As my sculpting and design skills are far too low for this contest, I decided to go for a personnal portfolio piece, thus leaving a bit the original darksiders style for a more errr... wowesque one maybe ?

So it's pretty unfinished, in fact I've got to create brushes right now in order to add details fast, but may some of you guys have feedback on it ?

I'll add normal map details with ndo, because obviously I don't have enough zbrush skills right now.

It still lacks color variation, details, the cloth doesn't work well... so if you have any ideas, insights or examples to help on that, I'd be glad to read it. Thank you for your time.

Habboi · Mar 2012

I'm sure if you really spend some time in Zbrush you'd create something cool. I hardly used Zbrush myself but spent a few days just improving my sculpts.

It's too late now but personally I think the weapon is too small. This is meant to be a weapon for the heavy class set and I don't get that "UMPH" feeling when I look at it. Anyway as for advice that helps you, I think the orange wrap is too in your face and I would go for a purple / blue colour. Maybe even red.

Another thing that bugs me is the holes on the blade. I can understand scratches but what made those holes?

Other than that I think the overall design makes it difficult for you to make it stand out. If you can what about scaling the skull and remaking the bit that connects the handle to the blade and making it HUGE.

Well those are my thoughts, I hope you can pull through.

Valerien · Mar 2012

Thank you Habboi, in fact I caught your advices too late, but for the holes, well I just started with a rocky blade in mind. I cannot scale the meshes because I made the tex directly in 512², and then it lacks definition... cannot rebake there.
And about the sculpt : probably, but I'd still need some more training on that.

Here's an update. A friend just told me the scratches didn't work : too regular etc., so I'm gonna try to fix it.

Astral_Drive · Mar 2012

Really like the Maker-style simplicity. I think you did a great job on this

Valerien · Mar 2012

And the final piece of err...

Thank you all for your comments.

[DS2] Axe, Valerien

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