[WIP] Goblin Fighter

SqueakyFloorboard

Hello! I am working on a character that is intended to be a portfolio piece once finished and I thought I would make a thread about it to get some feedback. Once finished it will be a game ready character.

This is the original concept by Bjorn Hurri - https://www.artstation.com/bjornhurri

My reference sheet

This is my current progress, I've started to detail the metal pieces, starting with the helmet. The cloth has been simulated in marvelous designer and I retopologised it in maya. The body is also retopologised.

Torch

Hey man, great start! Some recommendations - I'd probably have the character look straight forward rather than model it in pose just for ease of rigging. If you're not planning to rig it, fair enough. Topology wise could use some work on deformation loops etc. Overall sculpt/high poly bits are cool, keep going!

SqueakyFloorboard

Hey, thanks! 
Ok, thanks for the advice. In the past though I have been told to sculpt characters with a slight neutral pose rather than just completely T or M pose. Is this not the case in a studio? Or have I gone a bit too far?

I am definitely planning on rigging it, at least to the best of my ability, and doing some sort of idle animation to make the final presentation more interesting. Where would you say I need to improve on the deformation loops? Just work on them in general? I have been considering changing the loops around the top of the legs and hips where they attach together.

Thanks for the feedback and the encouragement!

Nuclear Angel

You have gone a bit to far in the pose, the arms and shoulders should be rather relaxed, but the spine should be neutral in a normal stance. As it will be hard to make him feel upright and natural with the back in that position. 

SqueakyFloorboard

Ok, I understand. So if a character has bad posture and always walks with a hunched back for example, the model would still be in a normal pose, then the animators pose it into whatever that characters neutral pose would be?

Nuclear Angel

Nah that is a different scenario. If you want a character that has no defects, then sculpt the character in a normal posture. But if the character has a major hunchback or some other deformities then go for that in the model it self. 
This goblin though just looks like in the concept as he is in the middle of a movement or pose, not that it is his natural stance. 

SqueakyFloorboard

The more I looked at the shoulders on the previous sculpt the more I realized they looked wrong so I took some time to work on the anatomy a bit. I'm infinitely happier with it now but I think parts still need some work. I haven't got around to changing the pose yet, when I do I think I'll also translate the arms in towards the body a little, they look like they are too far away from the body.

I also found an example of some nice topology on artstation that I used to modify the low poly.

SqueakyFloorboard

Nuclear Angel said:

Nah that is a different scenario. If you want a character that has no defects, then sculpt the character in a normal posture. But if the character has a major hunchback or some other deformities then go for that in the model it self. 
This goblin though just looks like in the concept as he is in the middle of a movement or pose, not that it is his natural stance. 

Ok cool, thanks, that's what I assumed. I interpreted the reference as the goblin having bad posture with a hunch and that bend in the lower back, but I guess that wouldn't be his pose 100% of the time.

SqueakyFloorboard

More anatomical changes this evening, I realized the abs were a bit too stylized so I worked on the core a bit. Definitely needs more work, I'll find some more reference for the transition between the abs and the external obliques. I may make those changes after relaxing the pose, since after I move stuff around with the transpose line I'll need to clean up the muscle definition in places anyway.

SqueakyFloorboard

Update on the Goblin.
I've done a damage pass on the helmet and the bits dangling from it, I'm thinking I need to push it further though as from a distance you can't quite tell on some parts. The helmet wasn't quite matching the reference so I made it more domed and taller in the center.
I've also reposed him to a more upright, neutral stance.
The cloth sims needed some cleaning up and I tried to exaggerate some of the folds, I'll probably do another pass on those.
I also added some more details to the leather chest piece, the metal rings now go through it and I have added some edge detail.

SqueakyFloorboard

Here's another update on the goblin, mostly I've just added buckles. I also added some damage to the back of the helmet which I forgot to do on my previous pass.

SqueakyFloorboard

Update on my Goblin sculpt, I've been on holiday the past couple weeks but obviously I've not gone anywhere so I've spent it putting in some proper time on this guy. I'm getting close to finishing the high poly I think, mostly just damage on the rest of the metal parts now and I'll probably do another pass or two on the rest of the tertiary forms.

SqueakyFloorboard

I've started work on the high poly of the hammer which I thought it was high time I started on.