I suck at figure modeling

Daaark

I've been getting started with figure modeling slowly over the last month. I keep putting it off and working on environments instead. Here is what I did tonight. My second attempt to work off this reference I got in that other thread I started.

I'm so used to box modeling low poly environments. This is very different to me. I'd really like to get a nice low poly (~1000-1500) male and female base model finished up soon for use in some personal projects.



I think I did a good job on the leg. I didn't segment the knee properly (yet), but I left it opened to get that done later. I made the whole legs and torso of this figure last week, but I started with a cube, and he ended up too boxy.

So I started with a cylinder on the torso, but I think I screwed it up beyond repair. Trying to follow the flow of the muscles from front to back always throws me off, and makes what I have feel like an unmanageable mess. I really messed it trying to round out an 8 sided hole to extrude an arm out of. But I think I messed that up completely by not having a proper shoulder.

It drives me nuts seeing all the great low poly figures posted here, and I can't even pump out one!

Any tips?

Any comments about how I handled the torso wrong?

Any good video tutorials? I've watched this one. Maybe I need to watch it again.

tanka

While I'm not the greatest modeller on this site, I think you should try boxing out your model before trying to add the detail you're adding. Looking at what you've got there, you'll probably end up overwhelmed by the geometry when you get a bit further through the model.

I think you just need to work on your topology, It's very rigid at the moment. The best way to do that is practice, check out modelling tutorials, and practice more.. Diverting edge loops will become second nature, and you'll be making clean meshes in no time.

Xaltar

Off to a good start. I would suggest you make a mirrored instance to help you visualise the model. I disagree with Tanka, its always good practice to try and get your loops to flow with the forms and I don't think you have too much geo modeled atm, just try not to get carried away. For early attempts at character modeling I would suggest you try keep it under 3k tris.

The rigidity on the other hand is true, you have a lot of loops that are more or less straight lines. Just try to make the loops follow the shape of the model better. Tutorials will help give a better understanding of this as tanka said. Practice is king, never be ashamed to scrap what you have and start over. You will almost always do better when you restart.

For now though there isn't much to crit, keep going and get as much reff as you can, other models posted here (there are LOADS of great ones) as well as photo reff.

Good luck.

Jeremy Lindstrom

Joan of arc is your friend;
http://www.3dtotal.com/ffa/tutorials/max/joanofarc/joanmenu.asp

Daaark

Off to a good start. I would suggest you make a mirrored instance to help you visualise the model.

I was going to wait until I had the whole side done, and then just quickly add the mirror.

For now though there isn't much to crit, keep going and get as much reff as you can, other models posted here (there are LOADS of great ones) as well as photo reff.

I actually have a folder full of pictures I saved from here as reference, I just haven't consulted them in awhile. What I do notice is that you guys always raise the pecs and the shoulders.

The rigidity on the other hand is true, you have a lot of loops that are more or less straight lines. Just try to make the loops follow the shape of the model better.

Are you referreing to the old model, or the new one with just the leg? I thought I solved the rigidity in the new leg. Is it because the loops go right across? I didn't think it made a difference, as it seems to follow the form of the drawing exactly.

I have a lot of habbits to break. For the past few years I've been modeling very rigid environments, to exact specifications. This is very different.

Dekard, thanks. I remember reading this years ago. I can see how the edge loops there are rounding out to follow the muscles. This is very helpful.

Daaark

Okay, another few hours of messing around with the foot. I tried many ways to extrude it out and not make a mess of my legs, and I ended up just making it out of a separate box and attaching it.



I think I might need another loop along the top to stop the sides from caving in.

Other than that, I like it in the 3D view, but think it looks horrible in the front ortho.

Japhir

did that take you a few hours?
at least it's good to know your persistent .

i always edge-extrude my foot out of the leg.

steady

OOPS hehhe

Daaark

Japhir wrote: »

did that take you a few hours?

Yeah, I tried a few approaches, and I was lazily multitasking.

I did start the edge extrude fro the leg, but I added a new vertical loop to my leg by accident, and just scrapped the whole thing. :poly142:

Steady, that link is in my first post.

woogity

yo dark hope this character isnt being too painful for you. some things to keep in mind, everyone has their own style. that said, for me building models for something like a skin from several separate meshes is insane. also if you do the whole thing as one mesh your instanced mirrored copy will give you a better grasp of your gurth and depth of the character. its not looking bad so far,, one more crit is that if you model with your edgeloops running along the contours of your body/ musclegroups, you can then extrude the faces of the muscle groups to form your musculature, this makes it much easier to create realistic gravity, and also will give you nice quads for sculpting on. the same can be done for knuckles, cheeks, eyebrows and noses. keep on it its getting better!


-Woog

GeneralAtrox

Join the club I have the same problems. getting proportion and zero triangles in a body is tough work and takes dedication and care... seriously, stick with it for a couple of hours and you should get the model just right...

I haven't done it myself, i keep trying to rush things, i need to take things slowly... but thats not how i work, and i end up messing it all up...

I suggest some tutorials of Organic Modellng maybe? I'm not sure what you really want but its the least i could suggest...

Nizza_waaarg

At least for me, i find it easier to block things out with cylinders and go from there, unless i've done an ortho drawing which is halfway reasonable then i'll patch model.
Leg looks pretty good so far, torso looks a little confusing around the shoulder is all.

Poop's got a good video tut on the subject (http://www.poopinmymouth.com/tutorial/tutorial.htm) <- delilah vids, helped me initially, i find it's a good way to block in the form.

And i've kinda got the opposite problem to you, i keep putting off enviro art and work on characters instead :P
Hope this one turns out alright

Daaark

A bit of progress. I threw down a half cylinder and shaped it to the torso. I'll try and get the pecs right next, I guess.

almighty_gir

wtf is with the "no triangles" fad?

as long as your mesh ends up looking like what it's meant to look like, triangles won't hurt! when it's put into your game of choice the whole thing will be triangles anyway. so if you're trying to learn how to make certain shapes, using triangles will help you in some areas. the important things to learn is WHERE it's ok to use them.

Jeremy Lindstrom

almighty_gir wrote: »

wtf is with the "no triangles" fad?

The only thing I can think of is for taking into zbrush/mudbox tri's don't subdivide as well and can cause pinching or smoothing errors on those faces. Only reason I can think of.

tda

almighty_gir wrote: »

wtf is with the "no triangles" fad?

as long as your mesh ends up looking like what it's meant to look like, triangles won't hurt! when it's put into your game of choice the whole thing will be triangles anyway. so if you're trying to learn how to make certain shapes, using triangles will help you in some areas. the important things to learn is WHERE it's ok to use them.

I think when people talk no tris they're referring to the fact they pinch up when smoothed (turbosmooth, zbrush or mudbox), and you can't sculpt them well when that happens. If you plan to make a model to sculpt 100% quads is your goal, or as few tris as you can anyway.

almighty_gir

it's all well and good having your end aim be sculpting, but if you can't grasp how to make a figure look good outside of a sculpting app, you'll have a fucking hard time in one.

Daaark

Okay, I'm just going to consider this latest attempt an epic failure. I'm going to try a simpler figure to start with less surface details. For my current project, I only wanted characters that looked like the ones at Meez.com that I could put clothes and hair on anyways for my little project.

Rens just posted a female archer model that had a lot of straight lines going across the surface of the model, and no one said a word. So what is he doing right that I was doing wrong?

Anyways, I will keep posting images for feedback.

Japhir

she's using it as a base mesh in stead of as a low poly. base meshes (for sculpting in zbrus/mudbox) are better when they have lots of simple straight lines/square polygons etc. because triangles etc. cause pinching. (lol, i'm the 3rd person in this thread to say so ).

Psyk0

I wouldnt touch a sculpting package before completing a few "regular" characters. Poly distribution is still important when rebuilding the low poly mesh so take the time to learn it well. Get A LOT of references, learn proportions, anatomy, gesture etc.

For a regular game character check out this tutorial:
http://www.bakaneko.com/howto/computer/3d/character/page01.html

Also i recommend studying wires of experts like Bobo:
http://www.bobotheseal.com/

When you've progressed, begin working with high poly...and i dont mean sculpting, of course you can sculpt, in fact it will help you improve BUT acquire the skill in a traditional package first. Just my 2 cents

butt_sahib

Psyk0 wrote: »

I wouldnt touch a sculpting package before completing a few "regular" characters. Poly distribution is still important when rebuilding the low poly mesh so take the time to learn it well. Get A LOT of references, learn proportions, anatomy, gesture etc.

For a regular game character check out this tutorial:
http://www.bakaneko.com/howto/computer/3d/character/page01.html

Also i recommend studying wires of experts like Bobo:
http://www.bobotheseal.com/

When you've progressed, begin working with high poly...and i dont mean sculpting, of course you can sculpt, in fact it will help you improve BUT acquire the skill in a traditional package first. Just my 2 cents

My opinion exactly. No idea how much this post can be emphasized.
Plus, to be honest, pulling verts is so much fun

Good luck!

Daaark

I've been away for way too long. Working off a different reference here. I should probably try less complex figures until I get good at making everything meet up. Or maybe block out the whole figure first, and then add loops to try to conform to the shape of the body.

Japhir

looks good! now fix the hip-, knee- and elbow geometry. read this to know what i'm talking about.

Daaark

Japhir wrote: »

looks good! now fix the hip-, knee- and elbow geometry. read this to know what i'm talking about.

I'm well aware of that. I just haven't gotten to it yet.

I have to fix the crotch too. It's a big hole right now.

The muscles in the upper torso are giving me trouble. Not sure how to proceed. I hesitate a lot because I'm afraid to mess the whole thing up. I've been looking at other models though.