[WIP] Newcastle Slums (UE4)

Matt_Billeci

Latest Update: 
Texture and Material work








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I've started a personal project in my free time and I figured I upload my progress throughout its duration as a way to track my progress and get feedback throughout the iteration process. My goal of this project is to get a ton texture and material creation practice by creating everything in Substance Designer, ZBrush and UE4. Any C&C's throughout this process would be welcomed and appreciated! 

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First, I started off by gathering a ton of reference for the England slums. Initially, I knew I wanted to do something with old English architecture preferably in an area that had a lot of history in the textures so I could dive headfirst into a bunch of organic materials. After a ton of ref gathering, I stumbled on an area in Newcastle near Black Gate and Dog Leap Stairs, which is said to have been one of the poorest areas in Newcastle from early to mid 1900's. From here, I will be using this area as my key inspiration for the level. 




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I've began to populate the scene with blocked out modular kit pieces and adjusted the scale and layout of the blockout a few times until I came up with something I was happy with for now as I asset will likely get pushed and pulled during the course of this. After that I threw in some very basic lighting and fog within the scene and from here I've started to refine a few of the blockout kit meshes.



For now, I'll continue to refine and polish my blockout meshes and finalize a lot of my large and medium shapes and begin working on materials. I look forward to updating this as I progress and learning a ton from this project!

Lou_

Nice block out, from what I gather from the moodboard this feels like a really interesting project. (not an environment guy fyi) One think to think about is creating a bunch of consistence leading lines, this would help to push the players eye to your background focal point. Right now the composition doesn't really give me any real direction (to bring my eye back to the church). I think it would be be worth sorting these problems in the block out as it is easier to move objects about.

Matt_Billeci

@Lou_ You make a really good point, thanks Lou! I rolled with that, pulled some elements in while moving others higher or lower to get something more visually interesting that helps lead the player's eye to the church.




I've also began some substance designer work on one of the stone materials I will be using for the ground. I've still got some work left to do on it and to push this one further, I'll be looking to chip edges & corners, make some of the stone edges sharper while keeping some of the softness I currently have, push the grout and moss further while adding areas where the grout & moss are laying over the stones. 



Ref:

Lou_

Man that is such a big improvement looks really cool!!! Can't wait to see how it comes along 

Lou_

I don't know if you are aware of the photo Bandits Roost but it might be useful for you mood wise. It is a real photo from new york, 1888 

Matt_Billeci

quick update. I've been working on polishing some of the larger kit pieces and getting them into the scene along with some composition adjustments

Matt_Billeci

Beginning to resume this now that the holiday break is over. Here's some work I've been doing on a brick material with ref:

Matt_Billeci

Here's progress on a cobblestone material I've been jamming on

Matt_Billeci

an update from the slated stone tiles from earlier to add to the mix: