Ryan Gilbert - FMP Review and Critique.

TheRealRyan_ · May 2017

HI! I'm Ryan, this is my Polycount thread where i'm doing to be posting images of MA FMP. In this project i'll be making 3~ characters over the next couple months. please feel free to leave comments and feedback.

TheRealRyan_ · May 2017

Post: #1
The last few days i have been working on a base body for the first character of the project, started out just trying to make the parts and add some minor detail, but i remeshed after some issues and restarted the other night to lower the poly count (from a dynameshed model and Zremeshed) to keep working on the basic shapes (scrapped the minor details I added) still working on it and it needs some work. thoughts?

TheRealRyan_ · Jun 2017

Pandan · Jun 2017

its a great start, i'm not an anatomy expert but I'd say the area where his thighs meet his waist seems off. very deep indent of skin where the hip bone would be.

TheRealRyan_ · Jun 2017

Up date from the last week or so.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/yw/f38nb2osdhx8.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/1f/nplvbzo5bt5g.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/7p/vfm8o13wqgbk.png

TheRealRyan_ · Jun 2017

Did some Detailing. may not be noticeable in this shot.

TheRealRyan_ · Jun 2017

ReTopping the Top and finished the head earlier this week. Thoughts on Topology? I wanted to minimise edge loops and maximise the geometry around curved edges and some areas to better represent the high poly model folds and edges.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/17/ekf24oe3512m.png

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/pf/kj0e0nn6u39k.png

Elithenia · Jun 2017

hm any reason why the topo density isn't even over the face?

TheRealRyan_ · Jun 2017

@Elithenia i'll add some edge loops around the cheeks. it does look too low to me.

TheRealRyan_ · Jun 2017

/just dropping an update on the work i have done the last few days. I worked on hair following the advice of @Elithenia and @almighty_gir who turned me on to a sweet tutorial by Adam Skutt. Made the textures using Xgen and Photoshop and carded it in Maya. The face texture is made in Zbrush poly paint and some projection mapping to get a base colour. Still needs some work to get some extra details in but here is a render of it in Toolbag 2 (still working on the shaders for the skin and hair and need to make detail normal map. My thoughts are the eye shader needs some work, im trying to incorporate some parallax mapping into the retina, its working but is effecting the whites of the eye in a weird way.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/sl/mb6zbf3hqfwr.png

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/6g/97chdn5nlhxd.png

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pmiller001 · Jun 2017

mad mikkelsen! Love this guy.
this model is wicked cool! nice work.
Whats that Adam Skutt tutorial you were talkin about? is it this one
https://gumroad.com/l/pDpQi ?

TheRealRyan_ · Jun 2017

@pmiller001
yeah that's the one. the model is meant to bear resemblance, its for a uni project so there are likeness ethics to work around. I did start the sculpt as him and i'll finish that after the project, get the likeness better.

TheRealRyan_ · Jun 2017

Texturing the character Jacket. nearly done. The materials are meant to be warn out layers of leathers and hard plastic shoulder plates. I need to work in some wearing and stains and i am going to tone down the leather creates and cracks int he black sleeve coverings. i'll do that tomorrow.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/4j/5kga069hxid6.png

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/9m/ttdji673de2x.bmp

Elithenia · Jun 2017

Is that just the base layer of hair? Or are you done?

What is that in his nose?
I feel you could have another look at the colour palette used around his eyes. There is not enough colour variance at the moment, and it makes it look very plastic-y.
I do like the grey textures for the hair cards you've got going

TheRealRyan_ · Jul 2017

@Elithenia Its meant to be a bit of blood coming out of the nose, the character is meant to be sick/dying becasue lor, but i have scrapped that for the actual project and will just add it in as a alternate texture. I fixed the eyes a bit I found a proper tutorial on setting up eyes in Toolbag, before they where just white washing and i didn't know why :P. The hair i think is almost there but i'm not sure how to make it better, the texture is pretty dense around the roots and i was adding cards with a few threads around the root like the Skutt tutorial demonstrated. I have further detailed the face to make the normal maps look better. I have also played around with the hands a bit to make them look more natural, so i added some curve to the digits and played with the thicknesses. Just fyi, the textures on the hands is a little off and they are making the seems really obvious, I need to fix them.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/tw/ythp81tb6scf.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/nu/oga5ox0b6rzx.jpg

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Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/jy/0503dzriykc2.jpg

Apocrs1980 · Jul 2017

Looking a lot better, skin is still a bit too shiny on your secular makes him the same as his clothing, also hair cards where they meet the skin are highly noticeable, consider applying a light base color under the hair and adding in some transition cards to help the area blend better.
The only other critique I would have is his pupils and retinas look a bit off, there is no identifiable color variation or transition, looks soulless and more like an android, unless that is what you're going for.

Here is a close up of his eye from Hannibal

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/de/n7llkyzuh3xd.png

Awesome Likeness BTW!

Durkel · Jul 2017

Looking good. Apart from the things that Apocrs1980 said, I would smoothen the skin on his face a little.
The normal map feels a bit rough somehow. Some subsurface scattering will do him some good.

Keep it up!

TheRealRyan_ · Jul 2017

I have made some changes to the model, here are a few shots of it atm.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/qz/11d269m68sp9.jpg

TheRealRyan_ · Jul 2017

Last images of the first character coming soon. Till then here is a shot of the first one. I am going for a Titanfall / Blacklight esc look. The armour breaks up a lot of the female forms, especially the chunky shoulder pads. Thoughts and CC?

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/5e/sibb02blw77s.png

Elithenia · Jul 2017

I would say you need to have another pass over the wrinkles on the lower legs. Do you have reference for this? I would also have another pass over the wrinkles in general, especially since you now have belts on top that pulls on the fabrics as well.
Also find references as to how the pants gets into the shoe.

There's also quite a disparity between how well the backpack thing is modelled and detailed as opposed to some of your belts and knee pad straps have been detailed.
Some of the pockets doesn't make sense if she's a soldier(?) - have a look at real life uniforms with cargo pants, and look where and how the pockets are. On my own uniform we didn't have pockets on the bum, but there's uniforms with, however they would usually be formed differently than the ones you have.

Another thing when it comes to an operative, or soldier, or anyone that is in a position where the clothing needs to be flexible and allowing for them to move around in, there are certain things for practical reasons that needs to be looked at. One of the main things though are that they have to allow for a wide range of movements, and I think that it might be a bit too tight on her bum. Unless it is stretch, I would assume that it would not be very comfortable moving around in.

On her right leg you have put a strap. While straps and belts can be impressive when they are in use, this one doesn't seem to have anything other than an aesthetic factor, plus it is covering a pocket -> rendering a function of the pants useless. Will you connect it to the exo-suit?
The straps on her left leg is also covering up a pocket, plus I'm not sure I understand how those belts work... Are there two belts on the front but only one in the back? or is there three belts holding the holster up?

There's two belts under the knee pads. The top one I can understand as it is holding the exo-suit, but I don't understand what the lower one is doing as it doesn't seem to be connected to anything?

I'm also kinda curious as to what the thingamabob is at her butt/belt/crack....

Apart from her pants, her hand, and especially the fingers, are still looking a bit too small and thin to go with the rest of the body.

I found some reference to look at with the pants:

Image: http://i01.i.aliimg.com/wsphoto/v0/1565862969/autumn-Army-special-operations-pants-washed-cotton-frock-retro-uniform-pants-men-casual-outdoor-military-army.jpg

TheRealRyan_ · Aug 2017

Bee not a bu she couple of weeks with deadlines approaching. Have not had time to post much. Since the last, I have reworked the clothing fold in marv and zbrush using @Elithenia references and feedback. But you can't really see much of the folds on the textures but I need the hon they look much better. I have also made the low poly And baked and textured in maya and substance and xnormal.

almighty_gir · Aug 2017

Your material work is a bit unbalanced here.

On an individual level, everything seems okay i guess... the cloth has a nice pattern, the plastic reads like plastic, etc. But the problem is that the viewer's eyes are being pulled all over the place by what essentially just boils down to "noise" when you look at this from any kind of distance. There are bright colours all over the place pulling the viewer around, the cammo pattern isn't helping in that regard either.

You're focused too much on the little details, and not looking at the big picture, the final composition.

Ryan Gilbert - FMP Review and Critique.

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