Do Mermaids Have Bellybuttons??

Jeremy Tabor

I vote yes!







This is something I've been noodling with few a few hours the past few days during some Google Hangouts. I love those! I wish I would have started participating in them earlier.

Anyway, just basically you're stock mermaid at this point. It may not read very well at the moment, but her tail is comprised of 6 tentacles, which in one of the final comps I plan to show off. I'm also not sold on the dorsal fin yet. I think I would like to go with something more like is found on a Leafy Sea Dragon.

Everything is obviously just kind of pieced together right now, too. So once I figure out everything design-wise I'll go through the process of stitching everything together.

I don't think I'm gonna go game res with this one, but more along the lines of pre-rendered spec. A recent gig I had was working with higher res stuff, and I would like to get something in my portfolio to reflect that experience.

I still want to add a bunch of ornamental jewelry type stuff and things of that nature, but I'm open to any thoughts at this point in terms of what I have or where it should go.

Thanks for looking!

PyrZern

Just throwing this here Mermaid Ref, kinda sorta.
http://genzoman.deviantart.com/art/Atlantis-183437968

Depends on which direction you're taking her to, I guess.
I have seen mermaids with lower buttocks and her fish part starts right below that. All in all, yes to bellybutton.

Steve Schulze

THe Spiderwick art book had some really nice mermaid designs
I think the shrimpy one is particularly interesting. Developing more fish like features into the human part of the body could make for a more oriignal character than the standard mermaid. If you're giving her tentacles, perhaps look at some squid, octopus, cuttlefish etc for markings and features and carry them through to your model.

TehSplatt

Belly buttons only exist if you were connected to an umbilical chord at one point or another haha so depends how a mermaid is born.

cptSwing

Maybe they have gills for bellybuttons? o_O

Jeremy Tabor

PyrZern & Jackablade , Right on! Thanks guys. Those are some interesting reference. I hadn't seen them before. Certainly gives me plenty to think about

I will be experimenting with some aquatic features on her upper half. Thanks for the advice. Also, currently I've been looking at the patterning for porpoises. I like the scarring potential of it, but I agree, I think something with a bit more visual interest such as a crustacean could be compelling too. I will try some stuff out!

TehSplatt, haha, yea. Lets pretend this one was born in utero.


Here is some work on the hand. I wanted to make it look alien or mutated/devolved. I slapped some webbing in there to set if it worked - Undecided in that regard.





WIll be back tomorrow with more! Thanks!

Jeremy Tabor

cptSwing, Haha! That brings up an interesting point. I haven't even really considered the placement of the gills yet. hmmmmmmm

Aga22

mermaids do have bellybuttons, since they have breasts, they are mammals.

Hoodz

What about a platypus? thats still a mammal but without a bellybutton and without breasts :P

Aga22

he doesnt have thumbs so he can't tie a knot on the bellybutton :P

Jeremy Tabor

Minor update before I get into the retopo process:





Reworked the ears after some back and forth about them in one of the Google Hangouts. I think they flow better now, and after the retop I'll have a bit more density to experiment further. Thanks to Bart, for the help!

Also, some more webbing along with some gills were added up top, and the fin touched up down below.

Thanks!

Jeremy Tabor

Heyyoooooo!

I'm back! and freshly unemployed thanks to the financial mess that Rhythm is in! So what better time to update this thread!

I wanna throw up some renders that I uploaded to my site a while back, and I'm not sure why I never put them here, but I've completed the retopo process and all that, and have done a little bit more sculpting. I really gotta rework some anatomy weirdness in the head and neck, and arms feel a little long/ unrefined, so I will address those, but any other comments are appreciated as well.

I've also begun some texture passes in Mari, but that stuff isn't quite ready to show yet, and isn't reflected in these renders. From there, once some of those textural details are hashed out, I'll hop back into zbrush for a sculpting pass to reflect those details.





I've been blessed with some freelance contracts to bridge the gap between my next in-house gig, but I would really like to make a bit more progress on this lady if I can before GDC. So hopefully, I'll be back soon.

Stay safe, and take care!

Blaisoid

nice! i like the african features of her head and face.

there's something strange about wrinkles around the nose though. not sure if you're going for the neutral expression but at some angles she looks like she's making a face.