[WIP] World of Warcraft - Ysera Dragon

Beccy_Collins · Aug 2019

Hi Polycount!

I'm planning on making a game ready Ysera Dragon from WoW (including Low Poly, Textures, Rigged+Skinned and maybe an Animation).
I am starting with the high poly in Zbrush, and am currently focusing on the head/neck so I can nail the style before doing her whole body. I will post my progress here

Feedback is always welcome!

Here's a WIP of her so far.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/r8/3e1jlihj2xbn.png

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/5p/o3tbdish12s3.png

Main Reference - https://www.wowhead.com/npc=27789/ysera#modelviewer:10+0

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/dl/yid3wjnde72d.png

Beccy_Collins · Aug 2019

As this is going to be a project part of a University assignment, ill have to wait until term starts to go full in.

But I haaaave made a few changes to it to give the face a stronger look. (Made the cheek bones and eye brows more prominent).

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/42/9mbigs2fn8cp.png

Looking forward to getting stuck into this soon

Beccy_Collins · Oct 2019

Able to start and make progress on this now

Made her crown with some booleans

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/qy/i1ai4tstldtg.gif

Then I made a blockout of her body

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/ho/p9mb7y611hze.png

and I have started to get more scales in. I began by using a scales brush but found just placing them gave me much nicer result.

WIP

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/5p/vanbw2fe9gbn.png

Crazy_pixel · Oct 2019

I like your progress,the head looks really nice.
Keep it up!

Beccy_Collins · Oct 2019

Thanks!

Slow updates as I am working on a few things at the moment :P

but here's an Update WIP!

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/5d/cylrw2goczvb.png

Beccy_Collins · Nov 2019

Added detail to the fin underneath

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/u7/uv2e0jjwtn5l.png

Beccy_Collins · Nov 2019

A little update

WIP

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/d5/r5467ji2sjxm.gif

Glynnybob · Nov 2019

That looks really good the only critique I have is the scales on the face, while the reference you have is a low res texture you can see the little bits of flow with the scales as well as the uniform sizes that isn't as strong with your sculpt. Overall though it's some great work.

Beccy_Collins · Feb 2020

Thanks for that feedback Glynnybob

If I get some time when the sculpt is pretty much done I might try playing around with the face scales a bit more.

Finally another update :P (Been working on some other stuff)

Here's how she looks now. (WIP)

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/ye/8zsal3ifsomf.png

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/bw/ff2lil2pb491.png

All I have left now really is the wooden vines around her legs. I did a video of me making the ones around her tail just to show my process

SeekeroflLight · Feb 2020

This is looking great! I'm going to follow this to see the low-poly and textured version of this. I wish I could give you some decent feedback other than it looks good, but I'm such a noob when it comes to Zbrush.

Beccy_Collins · Feb 2020

Thankyou!
I think I'm done with the sculpting now, here are some final render tests! (for the face I made a few change but they're pretty subtle)

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/ks/pb1ftej89bfv.png

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/k0/om2wd0cazk2p.png

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/p2/n6h605pqp5lp.png

Moving onto retop soon!

sorrowspt · Feb 2020

This is really amazing... You never updated for a few time, I though we lost you... but here you are... Loved the video of the vines, if you could share more time-lapses it would be awesome, love to see how it is done and the work involved

Beccy_Collins · Feb 2020

sorrowspt said:

This is really amazing... You never updated for a few time, I though we lost you... but here you are... Loved the video of the vines, if you could share more time-lapses it would be awesome, love to see how it is done and the work involved

Thanks so much! Haha yeah I put this project to the side for a while but back at it now!
Glad you liked the video, just thought it would be fun to show a bit of process with it. I just bought a video capturing/editing software recently so I'm sure ill make some more so I can mess about with it

I have started the Retop now. It looks a bit terrifying right now lol but here's a WIP.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/0c/2tmbyhmnr1ub.png

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/5t/jtu43ifliod4.png

Ysera's model in game is around 4.3k tris however I'm going for a more " revamped/updated " version so aiming for about 15k tris overall.

Beccy_Collins · Mar 2020

A little update with another video, this time to show some of my Retopping process

Here I am making the wing arms, back legs and some armour! Might make a few more videos to show the rest when I get round it it.

Here's a shot of the progress on the back leg and armour piece.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/yn/igpdrh93t5hv.png

Ashervisalis · Mar 2020

Neat!

Beccy_Collins · Mar 2020

Thanks!

Here's the second half of me retopping some parts. (I appreciate its probably boring to watch but just wanted to show my progress and how I did it

Retop compete

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/gd/3qdsqdws4i18.png

Next was to Unwrap. Currently going for a single 2k texture but might downres to 1k

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/by/ftmfhw09n0ra.png

First test Bake came out OK! a few bits clipping on the feet but not much to fix. (Threw the normal map on to show)

I used Substance Designer to bake and the maps I did were : Normal, Curvature, AO, Bent Normals and Opacity

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/iu/9ltpjpjexs48.png

Started texturing her in Photoshop (with help from my bakes) then took it into 3D coat. (first texture WIP)

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/cc/hy1qgf9lp7bl.png

Didn't like her eye details so changed it to match her original as it looks better + pushed vaules (WIP2)

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/s9/pz9w0o5n7zuf.png

Textured wireframe render

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/tr/ufdxirf19n8n.png

Heres how the Diffuse looks so far

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/bv/akj6x8cc6qyd.png

Now have her in UE4, made the wing translucent and her eye and front armour pieces are emissive.

I think the wood vines and the tail armour could be a touch lighter.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/wi/sool2izsxd89.png

Next I added some glowy effects!

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/yg/nrejp8r5g1cz.gif

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/gb/2z4tvg4bjyl3.gif

Here's how I made the material for it. ( I made the textures that pan in Photoshop quickly by painting with a few different types of brushes).

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/53/2i509uaky2w6.png

Stuck planes out of the armour and eyes and applied that material to them.

Will be rigging her soon!

SeekeroflLight · Mar 2020

This is coming out really awesome! I agree with lighten up the armor on the tail, it does seem to be darker than what is on the legs. I don't think the vines need to be lightened but some dull highlights to have some tonal shifts would look nice.

Beccy_Collins · Mar 2020

Thankyou

Yeah I gave that a go on the vines, its subtle but a bit nicer now I think!

I have now made a rig and skinned her

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/ls/zqn629ep3qqy.png

I made small ground for her to stand on and made a first test pose

UE4 screenshot

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/jw/xx6lgj4xge9j.png

Ashervisalis · Mar 2020

Killing it!

Beccy_Collins · Mar 2020

There's a few more bits I want to do/improve but I'm calling it done for now until after my deadlines at Uni to carry on.

Some final renders for now!

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021068/uploads/editor/ed/3lsnp05keejh.png

Here's lil showcase vid too with a basic idle animation i made :P

HarlequinWerewolf · Mar 2020

Hadn't checked in on this thread in a while but this is looking sick! I'm hoping to try out handpainting for my next project and seeing this is super inspiring! (Any tips are much appreciated)