Sketchbook: Eva Sokolova

Esok · Sep 2017

Hi everyone,

My name is Eva and while I've been lurking on Polycount for a couple of weeks or so, I decided to start keeping a sketchbook to keep track of my progress. I focus on 2D character concepts and 3D modeling so expect a bit of both! Feedback and critiques are very welcome!

Esok · Sep 2017

Lately I've been working on improving the functionality in my character designs and think more about how parts would attach and be worn in layers. This is one of the costume variations for a female dwarf warrior living up in the cold northern mountains.

The next step is to settle on a color scheme and start blocking out the base mesh!

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/kb/mpkbjgx0ptyo.jpg

Esok · Nov 2019

It's been way too long, plus a proper wave-everything-bye-bye PC crash but I'm finally back on trying to make this viking dwarf happen. Most parts are still block-out level and there's an intimidatingly long way to go but it's moving forward! Critiques, thoughts and feedback welcome, character sculpting is really new for me.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/gm/o9rjzqvhhi5a.png

Esok · Nov 2019

Progress has been slow lately but I blocked in some accessories, added a mouthbag and started detailing out the gloves. Also I felt unhappy with the base folds in the gambeson arms and "chaps" so made my first foray into Marvelous Designer (which turned out to be way more intuitive to use than I expected!) It means re-doing all of the smaller folds and detailing but the base looks much nicer now so it'll be worth it. After this I should probably do more studies of cloth.

Image: https://scontent.farn1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-9/76640103_815439648884351_6511635643003568128_n.png?_nc_cat=105&_nc_oc=AQmx0kGBZeJxI5zfVrVBDB0Ut-iiZvbAww0dnv27GxWOiDiuzlWAZkHzuWf80-d7iz4&_nc_ht=scontent.farn1-1.fna&oh=81b47cc403c0289f150a83458bbbae7f&oe=5E8259F0

Image: https://scontent.farn1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-9/74460489_723465891493684_5585223914654531584_n.png?_nc_cat=106&_nc_oc=AQmWQsQr_NWfDUcErjNC464qcVOUrLAXWk-jv1aXwxDowJkDl-kqpT6DQpuTyL17f5w&_nc_ht=scontent.farn1-1.fna&oh=90dff7c811e8e3b38d978bb93bf6084b&oe=5E5009ED

Esok · Nov 2019

Trudging along, since the last time I've replaced some of the smaller cloth parts with MD simulations, specifically the wrapped cloth and the tied bands. I've also done minor adjustments to the face to even out some features and created a base for the shield as well as finicked it into place. Still need to figure out the shoulder piece (which I think will be a shoulder pad of wood or metal in the shape of an animal head rather than an actual head). Ditching the cape for now because together with the shield and shieldstraps it would make everything a little unwieldy.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/u3/h7g71kg8wgwn.png

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/ns/bmv3aj20agcg.png

Esok · Dec 2019

I needed a little palette cleanser from the character stuff so I picked up Marmoset to present some of my old work a little better and put together a scene out of previously made stylized assets for a 1920's isometric game.

Could fiddle with the color settings forever but you gotta move on. It would be fun to make more simple little dioramas like this!

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/k4/kidyfo7jdv1x.png

Esok · Dec 2019

Kept playing around in Marmoset and wanted to try out a small indoors scene.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/rv/scgz9qhavp65.png

rollin · Dec 2019

Hey, these mini dioramas are awesome!

Esok · Dec 2019

@rollin Thank you!! They're very fun to make.

allmighty_thunder · Dec 2019

Hey i am seeing your stuff on all my 3d art channels awesome

Esok · Dec 2019

@allmighty_thunder Hehe, good taste in 3D communities! I'm trying to be a bit more proactive about putting stuff out there.

Esok · Dec 2019

(Site bugged out, accidental double-post)

Esok · Dec 2019

Since the other project is pretty long I wanted to do get in something that I could finish fairly quickly. Currently going over the highpoly and trying to keep the level of detail appropriate.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/hd/13cg8sd6s5ew.png

Esok · Jan 2020

Long time no see! Since last time I've added, polished up and reworked a lot of details on this character. The proportions are just working better and it's starting to come together. The sword got an overhaul and I think it's much stronger now in shapes and theme. Still have a lot of the smaller details to figure out but it's definitely in a much better place now (and looking back the issues are pretty obvious)!

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/jb/yoj5eg8vzk6g.png

Esok · Jan 2020

A ton of adjustments and polish later I think I'm ready to call it on the highpoly and move on. It's fun to look back on the earlier iterations (oh god what was I thinking). Sure learned a lot while working on it!

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/8h/yujx4z6kpt7n.png

Esok · Mar 2020

Chugging through the UV-packing stage but I got to baking the prop and I'm 100% won over to baking in Marmoset. Being able to adjust cages per group on the fly is just amazingly convenient.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/k6/q3nljb1j8pw9.png

Esok · Mar 2020

Ding ding, baking's done! I had initially planned on using Mixamo to pose the character quickly but the results didn't quite pan out so I rigged and skinned the model by hand instead. I might still go back and forth on the pose for the final renders but for now I'm happy to get to texturing!

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/rb/xlgscahp3i3d.png

Esok · Mar 2020

It's done! Texturing done with Substance Painter and some photoshop and rendered in Marmoset! More shots and details on Artstation: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/zAyDOL

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/qc/mc56n66nnw3o.jpg

Esok · Apr 2020

Productivity has been up and down lately but I'm working on a new thing! Still really blocky but wrangling something more mechanical and dipping back into Marvelous Designer has been nice. C&C quite welcome!

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/40/rpbhndp9lr8i.png

Esok · Apr 2020

Been working on refining some hardsurface elements on the sculpt and trying to figure out what his undersuit should look like! Vest, belt and straps are placeholders.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/le/leo4avsy0woi.png

Quickly thrown into Zbrush to see how it looks:

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/0c/q0oz3mibitsl.png

Esok · Apr 2020

Cleaned up, reprojected and brought in all of the Marvelous sims into Zbrush. My laptop couldn't handle projecting at really high levels so I'll have to go back and sharpen up some folds manually. I also refined parts of the mask and after some fiddling with the shapes it's a hamster man now I guess? The flipflops are a conversation starter.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/n7/1tgg2vtiue8a.png

rollin · Apr 2020

Hey this is coming along nicely!
What I think distracts the most atm is that the folds of the pants around the crotch area look bit vacuum-ed. This gives the whole material a plastic-wrapping-ish feel

Esok · Apr 2020

Hey @rollin thanks for pointing it out! I'll see about softening it up a bit when I do a second pass on everything

Esok · May 2020

Still working on the catmask model but as a quick aside I put together another diorama in Marmoset out of assets from previous projects. It's Market Day!

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/ib/irj8e143nttd.png

Esok · May 2020

A little filler-project in-progress, hope it's not too cheesy!

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/8t/dox10f07uhms.png

Esok · May 2020

It's been a while since I've done any painting but I got a chance to do a character comission and flex those muscles a little.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/av/54j1d9ik5xrx.jpg

Esok · Jun 2020

Been quite busy lately but the cheeseboard has been coming along here and there! Retopo'd, baked and got the base colors in using gradient maps. Now holding out for some spare time to do the actual handpainting!

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/o5/sdnauzkrtyte.png

Esok · Jul 2020

On hiatus but I threw together some quick renders in Marmoset of this little well! Diffuse only, handpainted in 3DCoat and Photoshop.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/o9/xyakxiyq8o5x.png

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/oy/u1iof0ncb3ca.png

Esok · Jul 2020

Finally getting some time to get back into personal projects. I still have work to do on the diffuse map for my cheeseboard but it's slowly getting to a good place!

Color adjustment isn't my strong suit though and suggestions on that or on how to make simple backgrounds like this more interesting would be very appreciated!

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/ne/3zd0kxf29jyl.png

Esok · Jul 2020

A lot of texture touchups and work later, here's the finished render!
Bigger images on Artstation: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/aYo3lz

Eric Chadwick · Aug 2020

Wow! Looks awesome. Though I think the wood floor slats, and scrollwork frame, detract from the level of polish on everything in the middle. I feel like all that bkg was tacked on, and could easily be removed, improving the piece rather than detracting from it.