My StarWars Project

ClenchingSkunk

I am a college student and I am creating a Star Wars animation for my project, my main focus is on the animation but also want to improve my modelling skills.

I will be keeping a sort of blog on this thread and any feed back on any of the work would be greatly appreciated! I know its not at a pro standard and I just want to improve! and hopefully by June when it should be finished we will be able to see an improvement!

thanks a lot! and remember be honest!

ClenchingSkunk

ClenchingSkunk

the first character! the Padawan!

ClenchingSkunk

ClenchingSkunk

ClenchingSkunk

a little look at my RIG setup and the start of a run cycle!
i will try and get a GIF up

ClenchingSkunk

Here is the run cycle for the Padawan!! please tell me what you think

nick2730

very stiff, needs some motion in the back area

ClenchingSkunk

thanks for the criticism! yeah i agree, im gonna try and sort it out and will post a more polished version!

Paunescu.Daniel

just watch some videos on youtube of people running, you will find front and side views and look how the body moves. When watched from the front the legs tend to go one in front of each other. So do the hands, the hands go over the chest a little.

ClenchingSkunk

thanks for commenting! yeah i totally agree with that! i shall add this into the polished version! thanks for the criticism any help at all is greatly appreciated!

ClenchingSkunk

Hey! ive gone with the suggestions from you guys! struggled to get the back going, my rig doesn't seem to like it but still gave it some more movement also have got stuck in with the overlapping, thank you Paunescu.Daniel. don't know why never thought about it but you are right it improves it (also done a little on his ponytail, I didn't think there as enough movement from the side)

nick2730

better, but im looking at the hips and they are the same height on the y axis they never move up and down very far or really rotate

ClenchingSkunk

thanks for the advice again! and yeah I can see what you mean, did originally have more of a hip "wiggle" looked a bit feminine :P will give it another blast. thanks again man really appreciate it

Bawwwcas

Hey man it's looking great, if possible I'd like to see some slight head bobbing just to push the character a bit more. If he's supposed to be strong maybe a small head bob, and if he's supposed to be wimpy maybe a little more head bob?

Basically just grab the head part of the rig and rotate it on upwards on the heel to floor contact point, and then rotate it downwards on the key where the foot flattens on the ground. :]

ClenchingSkunk

Thnak you Bawwwcas! and yes I can see what you mean, this may also add to the back movement looking better am i right in thinking if hes supposed to be weak he has more of a head bob and if hes stronger its less? why is this? mainly self taught through practising so any insight is massively appreciated thanks again!

ClenchingSkunk

hey guys! tweek a little with the run, added a head bob and got a tiny bit more movement in the hips! thanks a lot for the pointers to all of you, look at my first try , and then this one and I can definitely see the improvements! thanks again

ClenchingSkunk

hey guys! started some work on the next character, here is a look at the head. The eyelids look a bit strange in the front view, but that is the actual eye balls that I normally take out before sculpting and then add as a sub tool, just forgot! please help me improve the character in any way! thanks!

ClenchingSkunk

ClenchingSkunk

Here is a sculpt of the Jedi Master Character! please post what you think and how to improve it!

Augh

Try and apply the same approach to the topology and loops around the eye sockets and mouth to the forehead, cranium, cheekbones. You have a lot of edges just running up from the nose straight over the top of the head. If you try and resolve these in a more natural manner (check wires here on the forum and you'll quickly see the trends), it'll break up the grid effect you have down the sides of the skull. Should allow for much better definition of the temples, cheeks, jaw, all over really.

You used the same basic approach in the Padawan, so could be good to nip that habit in the bud early on.

Keep going man.

ClenchingSkunk

thanks for commenting Augh, yeah I can see exactly what you mean, and I have noticed this when looking at others work and is something I will definitely correct! thanks for the help man!

ClenchingSkunk

Hey guys! here is the full sculpt of the Jedi master and a textured head model! please tell me what you think

ClenchingSkunk

ClenchingSkunk

Hey guys! ive made progress with the Jedi Master and would love feedback! cheers

PyrZern

Oh, usually you put in "Tris" and not "Faces". A face could be a Tri, or a Quad, or any N-Gon. A Tri is a Tri, and is universal.

toolpaddz

Honestly? If you are taking this serious, go back to the very beginning and learn some anatomy before you start doing lowpoly versions of your characters.

ClenchingSkunk

thanks PyrZern! ill post in tris from now on

hi toolpaddz, yes i am taking this seriously that is why i am seeking critique on this and other websites, and i apreciate the honesty! i have started to learn anatomy but as i am sure ive stated that i am focusing on animation (which isn't an excuse). but i dont spend alot of time learning things that would improve my modelling because i spend more time learning animation principals and new techniques and practising really.

thanks for the comments and i am working to a deadline so im sorry if i dont post an improved model, i may do so but i really need to crack on. Cheers

toolpaddz

If you are focussing on animation then why don't you take some pre-made chars and rig and animate them? This has two important advantages: you learn to animate characters with proper proportions (which can be entirely different, trust me) and nobody's gonna run off before even seeing your animations because the characters will scare them off.

ClenchingSkunk

yes I agree, but this is a college project and am required to model it all myself, and when practising I do use some pre made meshes and do see the benefits of the proportion and topology being spot on

ClenchingSkunk

Hey guys! here is a small warm up/ practise animation ive made for the Jedi master character!

ps. toolpaddz, i did have a little tweek with the proportions but as i said im working to a deadline so there is very little difference

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzWhbUefRv4"]Injured Jedi Animation - YouTube[/ame]

any feedback is appreciated

ClenchingSkunk

Hey guys! ive been working on a environment in the last few weeks, tell me what you think! im not a environment artist (clearly) and I don't plan to be but im still happy with the result!

It is a jedi ruin, the environment will be used for a scene were the master helps the padawan forge his light saber! cheers tell me what you think!!

ClenchingSkunk

Hey guys! his a better look at the environment as well as a little promo for my project, cheers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dmq0tFUvWtc&feature=youtu.be

Christian Nordgren

I dig the ambition! Keep up!

You should look up how to implement ambient occlusion on everything you have made, it will make everything feel more natural and fitting in the environment.

But for your portfolio as an animator, you should continue to use pre-made meshes and riggs and work with that

ClenchingSkunk

cheers man!

and I have looked into amb occlusion a bit and my bro and my mate suggested it, I really need to look more into rendering, lighting ect a bit more! and yeah im doing a small animation project in the next few weeks where I will be using pre made meshes.

cheers for the feedback man! really appreciate it!