Jabberwocky Tower [UT4]
polycounter lvl 11
*Illustration is not mine, but from Graeme Base*
Hello Polycount!
I wanted to show some progress on an environment I am putting together for UT4. The nature of the project, is a small environment with a star asset where its all modeled and sculpted by hand (the tower)
I din't want to post right away as I rarely finish anything. But I got a really good feeling that I will finalize this so I can add to my portfolio.
The scene will be using PRB. But I will also be very experimental with colours and the maps and try to replicate an illustrated effect. We'll see how that works.
The concept is not mine, but by a Melbourne Artist. The original illustration can be found in the book The Jabberwocky. Illustrated by Graeme Base. I want to replicate in 3d as close as posible to the illustration.
Workflow is, base models in 3dmax, import and sculpt in zbrush, export high and decimated low poly, make uvs, make bakes in xnormal, paint in Substance Painter, compose in UT3
If you have any questions, or constructive crit, let me know! I would love for this to be a strong piece.
Currently, most of the sculpting of the tower is done. I still need to do the side guys, doors, the tree and the rocks. I can't wait to have this guy finally sculpted to start texturing.
The first shot is an art test to see how it looks within marmoset, also found in this video.
[ame="
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck8N2CMHz60"]video[/ame]
Replies
Agree with Nuclear Angel. It's looking nice, but there's currently nowhere for the eye to rest. Treat it like a painting. Some areas need detail for your eye to be drawn. Some areas need less so that they eye can rest.
I supose that my biggest flaw while doing art is that I get lost in doing the detail.
Also, please take note that the illustration is not mine! That alone would make me happy! Reason why I am doing the whole thing by hand, its because the tower will have a water color effect with different colors changing across the tower just like the illustration. Will be very interesting on how I will do this.
I will be able to push the rocks down and flat them at a later stage.
I just need to scupt some minor parts in the tower department.
Cant wait to start texturing this guy.
Very soon I'll be able to compose a scenario.
video
First finalizing the mesh completely (tower)
And then when Tower is finalized. Doing the terrain Separate.
I have not played that much with UT4 yet, and I rather focus on one task first and then the other.
Just did the topogunning of lower tower extension.
The stones have very uniform-looking bevels, which makes the AO look a bit like rings around each stone.
Is the main stone wall using a tiled texture, or is it uniquely unwrapped? A tiled texture would give you better resolution, and be easier to change.
The stones of the cupola wall have different depth than the stones of the main wall, which looks a little odd.
The wireframe shows a lot of unused loops, is this intentional for some reason? Maybe needed for displacement?
I wonder if you could add some cracks to the big semi-blank areas of the crenelation stonework?
Looking great so far!
Thats what I was curious about as well. It looks like you uniquely sculpted the entire thing. Pretty much what Eric said, you could be getting better resolution, and focusing on the quality of a tiled texture, vs an entire unique map.
I see where you are trying to go with the colors from the concept...but its not quite working out here. In some of your shots, it looks like its reflecting that color, so it almost comes off like an oily surface. Overall though, you have a bunch of color modulation with no obvious rhyme or reason. It just looks noisy. Looking at the concept, I see a similar situation, but its less of a problem, as the colors tend to run down the side of the walls, almost looking like water wear or something. Try to localize some of this variation instead of just mixing it all together everywhere.
Your sculpting is working out okay, but, like Eric said, you almost have rings around your stones. Its a very clean line. Is there AO in those cracks or something? It makes everything look over simplified. breaking up those edges along the stone pieces with maybe some smaller stone pieces or something will give a little bit more variety and feel more natural/worn. I think your ground/stair section is working much better.
The entire tower is hand sculpted, its the overall look that I was aiming for, for the brick to have its own silhouette and for each brick to have its own personality. I think when I reached to the main tower I used a couple of techniques to make it a whole lot faster due to some critique from the steps stonework. People complained that the bricks had too much depth. Suppose too much critique sometimes its not good huh?
I am still intending to finish it, unfortunately I think that I only have time left for this piece to finish it instead of fix it any more. I would like to sculpt and texture the doors and windows and install the tree. Place some banners and call it done.
Nothing beats a fresh piece to work. This one is long overdue. I am unsure when I am going to finish as I keep getting freelancing work. Thanks for the heads up!
PS, GED, I agreed, I'll fix the post, its a bit full on.
Textured the roof tiles.
Finaly managed to get some time off to keep working on this guy, did the sculpt for one of the doors
Also this is looking really great! I love the concept and the technique you're going with to give it the watercolor effect. The floor door sculpt is lovely!
For the border I used a similar method, but I used the stone mesh instead with reprojection brush for the metal bits. I was going to do the retopology by hand but it would have taken too long.
It's a touch high (2.4k) but id like it to keep it that way as Id like for the silhouette to remain for the dents and the engravings.
In an ideal scenario I would have done flat plane for a LOD1 to use way less geometry. Live and learn
I just checked your work. Amazing! I would be over the moon to reach to your level! You have some great stuff
Wanted to provide an update that I decided to bring the whole project in Unreal 4. I have finalized the two doors from the front (distant from the one I made for the top)
I am well aware that my biggest hurdle as an artist is ever finishing anything. However, I would still like to stand that I am hopeful to use this time in Xmas to finally finish this properly. I will make a post to show some chosen "beauty" shots to stick to. Do some grey-boxing for the flag, tree, and rocks. I would love to wrap this up so I can work on a new project and hopefully a lot smaller.
Got a WIP for the tree, also I never updated the update for the Doors for the Staircase bottom and the Top. The tree is a real pain because of it (kinda?) Hugs the tower, the floor is inclined, it interacts with some rocks and the flag too. But I think that by using these references it will come along well. I need to simplify it a lot more and refine the branches.
Would be good to research on doing some bushes and leaves for Unreal next up.
I'm also not sold on the landscape. Maybe it's how pale and bright it is in the distance. Not sure if it's because of fog or diffuse color, but it looks very hazy, and I'd expect the sky to be nearly white, were it that hazy; regardless, it looks almost unlit, and I don't think it's looking as aesthetically pleasing as it should, with how good the assets look individually.
Here are a few pictures I found of landscapes that I think could be helpful and fit the tone you're going for. Personally, if you want fog/haze, I'd make sure to make it groundfog, with the tops of mountains peaking out from it, or skip fog almost entirely. It could also be good to add some areas of broad shadow, where clouds are passing over the landscape, and some darker colors in general (like pines, or darker grass)
The lighting definitely isn't helping either.
Anyway, just some thoughts! Looking forward to more updates.