2016 Character Artist Improvement Thread, Lets Make it AWESOME!
polycounter lvl 6
Hey everyone, I've posted up here before asking for some tips on my portfolio and it was awesomely helpful. So I hope I can ask the same of you again and fill it up with awesome new pieces! I'll be posting in this thread over the course of the year and seeing how much I can improve. Please, any brutally honest critiques you can take the time to write down are hugely appreciated. I want to improve and even if you guys hate something and I have to start from scratch that's worth it. Thank you all for any time you can take to help 
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Lets go 2016!
Portfolio: http://nicholasbozarth.com/
Artstation: https://www.artstation.com/artist/botzenhardt
Artstation portfolio: https://botzenhardt.artstation.com/
Blogger: http://nickbozarth3d.blogspot.com/
.Lets go 2016!
Portfolio: http://nicholasbozarth.com/
Artstation: https://www.artstation.com/artist/botzenhardt
Artstation portfolio: https://botzenhardt.artstation.com/
Blogger: http://nickbozarth3d.blogspot.com/
Replies
There's only one thing you're missing on the majority of them, the wireframe, you have to remember that you're applying to work in games and its important to see the topology, in addition I recommend you to show a breakdown of your models, its amazing to see those and it says a lot about your skill set, here's an example of what do I mean:
Link to the artist Facebook profile:
https://www.facebook.com/Satoshi-Arakawa-Art-1610409235899006/timeline
I'm still working on populating the new site. I'll definitely start adding more technical breakdowns. I wanted to get some of the more detailed renders up there first since most of the characters that i have retoped are at 3k tris and dont make for great beauty shots. I'm working on revamping the final textures and getting things into a real renderer rather than just zbrush and photoshop. I picked up quixel suite and I'm planning on throwing all my new work into there for finishing.
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/3w6Rg
uploading some old pieces on sketchfab!
thanks for the comment, glad you liked the Wendigo I had a lot of fun making him. Which model in specific are you saying for the eyes? The bust or spider?
mk, thanks I'll look into fixing that. I think its probably the pose and hair thats throwing it off. I was using several references when I made the face and everything lined up well in zbrush, but if it looks off its worth tweaking a bit.
All of your models have the same material definition across all materials, it looks like you are using a single matcap to define your specular in you renders. Stop that and start learning how to make spec and gloss maps to define materials, your models will look infinitely better for it.
Many of your models are poorly lit, being very dark on dark backgrounds making it hard to see what is going on, I would learn some basic lighting schemes: 3 point lighting, split lighting, Rembrandt lighting, Butterfly lighting to help present your models better.
I went through a majority of your models sketchfab viewers and noticed some of the following things:
Please note that I ignored seams that may be caused by compression, since sometimes those are unavoidable even in professional environments.The Void Spider is probably your best textured model, and the Lion Warrior is probably your best constructed.
I feel like the Wendigo has a lot of the same shapes and anatomy as the Alien Grunt, the protruding hip bones and "rib-cage" looking chest is a common design trend among starting artists. Considering I feel that the Lion Warrior is the best model you're completely produced (High to low poly) I think that models based off of your own concepts suffer greatly from design flaws that affect you from the beginning and then the entire way though. I would instead find concepts done by other people that you like and try to re-create them in 3D.
Some of your models feel like they could use some more time in lower subdivision levels to push the form more instead of jumping into the details.
I think you have a lot of potential, if you slow down and spend more time on the models and textures you can come out with some very nice looking pieces. I will be starting the Character Art Challenge again for April-May, you are welcome to come and join!
Best of luck!
Spot on critique, some techniques take time to sink in. I do see that @TheWarlord18 has passion and hope he can learn from this experience.
Thank you for the awesome reply, this is what I seriously wanted. I completely agree that some of the models feel rushed, and unfortunately a lot of them were. I work several jobs and am trying to fit my 3D career in the middle where I can and unfortunately more often than not it shows. I'm more just mad at myself for not looking at them more closely. Those seaming issues shouldn't have been a thing at the very least.
The mirroring was kind of a hard one to avoid unfortunately since the tech reqs I was working with make it very hard to get any level of detail without mirroring. I really need to go back and post up the model tri count and texture sizes for those. Regardless I'll work to improve those, excuses just get in the way of seeing the real issues and this isnt about making excuses for old work, this is about getting past that noob stage and getting better.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Seriously, getting real critique means a ton and I appreciate the time you spent on that so much. I'll be working to improve those areas and not let mistakes like that continue. I've been working in 3D for a few years now but I still have a lot to learn. Most of what I know I've taught myself, which makes it hard at times to know when you're doing it wrong lol. I have a few new pieces that I'm going to be working on and I'm taking my time on these ones and going through the whole pipeline.
I WILL be better next post, I WILL grow from this, and I WILL keep going until I can get an industry job.
He's at 8400 tris and using 2048 maps currently. I'll post up a sketchfab once I get the textures polished.
Football player sculpt for a freelance project
You are starting to show some improvement, keep at it!
I've recently been spending more time working on my environment modeling. Most of what I've done previously has been filler items that arent worthy of much note in a portfolio aspect. I've currently making a whole new environment for a game i'm working on. Here are a few WIP shots of the Cathedral of Death!
I think you are weakest in is your human characters. I think you should focus on making realistic non stylized humans, as this will help you focus on anatomy and nailing likenesses.
Don't worry about detail just try to nail the likeness without going high in SubD this will force you to focus on form and shape and will help you to make stronger characters in the long run.
Practice sculpting these and then sculpt towards this then smooth out the planes and sculpt in the muscles, fat, skin ect ect.
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