[WIP] Dwarf Noble

Layn

current progress:


Hi!
I just started working on a 3D model of what should become a Dwarf. As the title says i'll probably try to give him a look of a noble, however i want to at least initially keep the base body mesh separate from everything else i'll model for him, so i can turn off and on or replace anything on the model as i'd like.

My Poly count aim is... well uhm, whatever worked last time for the game project i helped on :P It shouldn't be too much, but definitely not low poly either.

I don't have much experience (one sorta decent human character so far), but i've started modeling in Maya and will move to ZBrush once all the rough stuff is done and i'll sculpt it to look more like what i imagined as well as work out the details.

So far i've only done the Bust, and i imagine i won't have time to continue working on it for the next few days, so in the meantime i'd love if somebody could look over it and give me advice on what i could do better/fix, specially in regard to edgeflow. I'm also never really sure how to do the ears nicely.
thanks!




here's a link to the model:
http://p3d.in/KI0JM

Layn

So apparently i did find time to work a bit more on it, here is my current progress:





and the link to the model:
http://www.p3d.in/ens5Z


I really don't like how his legs are so close together. i'm not sure where i'll add the edge loops to separate them, but i'll look into it later

Layn

I had a bit more time to work on it


The hands and feet aren't looking too good. i'll move around some verts a bit more and see if i can get it to look natural.
I'd love some feedback

and here the link to the model viewer:
http://p3d.in/zkSSB

InvertedVantage

Looking pretty cool so far! I feel like the head is too far forward on the neck;



Notice how part of the skull "hangs off" the back. In yours it looks like it slopes from the neck forward to the top of the head.

PaulP

He's completly missing the 'top' of his head (have a look at the previous reference, the eyes should be closer to the center of the head), also he needs a neck. Do some anatomy studies of the face and it will help you work out where everything is positioned.

Consider focusing on the anatomy first, then have a play around in ZBrush at a low sub div level. Then if you want you can bring it back into Maya? and work on the topology.

Olli.

guys keep in mind this is a dwarf.. not a human..

The flat forehead sort of gives this guy a dumb neanderthal feel.. Dunno what you're going for but its certainly special

Jack Ryan

Flat forehead is all well and good but dwarves still have foreheads. This model's scalp begins where the brow ends

Layn

the flat forehead is intended. It works in my drawings, so i hope to get it to work in 3D. I might play around with it a bit (after all th head became a lot broader than it was supposed to, it might have broken my design).

I fixed the sloping from head to neck by making the skull longer. Incidentally it rounded out the back of his head which was way too flat for my taste.

Layn

I tried making his forehead a bit more visible but in the end i preferred the way it was before.... maybe raising the whole of the back of his head would work. His scalp is actually supposed to start as far back as the ears are.
I left it for now and worked on hair instead. thankfully the top of his head will be uncovered anyway, so i'll be free to work on that later.



model: http://p3d.in/OOthD

i kept the hair on th back of his head as a separate mesh from the beard as i like the idea of keeping him fully customizable (maybe i'll finally try making a character creator), but i don't like how his beard flows into his hair. I think i should fix that.
I'd also like for his hair to look a bit more scruffy. I imagine i could achieve that by edge extruding ridges where i'd paint the hair ends, but i don't know if it's the ideal solution. Also i don't exactly see how to do that best on his beard.
I'd probably use a similar solution for wooly parts of his clothes.

talking about clothes, i'd like to start with them. In my old drawing i'm basing this off, he's got a sleeveless long coat and a cloak (?) and something below it. i'm not sure what to make of what he has below. I was thinking of giving him an ornate armor, but mostly just because i want to model armor :P. However he's supposed to be a noble, maybe a rich looking tunic would be best. Or maybe both?

I'm worried i'll end up with too many polys the way i'm doing it, with every piece separately, hiding all the geometry that is below it. Also i'll need a pretty big texture to fit everything inside it. I'd probably do separate files for each piece of clothing, but the online model viewer i'm using seems to only allow one texture file and i'd really like to have an online viewer

Layn

http://p3d.in/lNDZy

A few little tweaks, but mainly i just made the boots. added a bit of coloring for now to differentiate different parts easier.

Layn

link to newest version:
http://p3d.in/0Bdl2

Making the clothing is turning out to be frustrating.
Maybe it would be just best to remodel the body model to include clothing. Although i'm really liking the idea of leaving him completely customizable.
alternatively i might model the clothing on his skin, and then extract the skin as one of the "clothing" models and let people have that as the "wearing nothing" mode.
the sholder plates might also be way too big if i want to put a coat OVER the armor.
AS for the armor i can't find references i like. The few i do like aren't detailed enough... oh well, maybe i'll just do the massive kind of armor and be done with it.

Layn

finally got to work on it again:

model viewer (without coat): http://p3d.in/HFMr1

i'm not really sure what exactly to do with the leg plates... i just feel like there should be something.
I'm also not sure how much sense it makes to be wearing a coat like that, but i kinda like it.
I really need to finally work on those fingers! yeesh

I really need some feedback, specially as i'm not really sure i'm doing everything technically correct.

Layn

Anyone? Any critique?
I think i'm at a point where i just want to start detailing in ZBrush and finish it.