[WIP] Barry Wheeler - Alan Wake fan art
greentooth
I played for the first time Alan Wake last year and liked it very much. I decided to create fan art of my favorite character from this game - Barry Wheeler, the best friend of the main character.
My plan is huge! I want to create a full character, with a gun, revolver, and environment. I am going to render all that in Unreal Engine 5.
I think I will have a lot of fun doing this project but also a lot of challenges. I've already started to explore how I will make skin and skin shader, and what I will do with hair.
Let's have fun!
Replies
I've already found some references.
For face orientation, I will use Kevin James. I am not going to create a likeness, but it is better to have some live references)
For weapons - Remington Seven CDL and Colt Python.
I still think about the environment - it will be some forest, street, or indoor place.
Of course, there will be more references for weapons. It's just the main ref - to put the main pictures for orientation.
I started to sculpt the face and want to share some progress! Then I need to sculpt the basic shape of the hair.
For base mesh, I use Georgian Avasilcutei (Nimlot) face from this pack https://nimlot26.gumroad.com/l/yXNFU?layout=profile. There are eyes included so it's easier to understand the shapes and proportions of my sculpt. And I am watching not the first time and not the last one of my favorites tuts about creating faces - also by Nimlot - https://nimlot26.gumroad.com/l/faceguide?layout=profile
I worked with the head sculpt for a few days. Today I baked basic maps and started to work with head textures in Substance Painter.
Here you can see the final result of my high poly pass. Not sure if I will work with it later, I will see how it will look in Unreal Engine. For material settings and texture adjustments, I choose this amazing tutorial by NICK RUTLINH https://www.artstation.com/marketplace/p/jr1Vr/unreal-master-material-for-skin?utm_source=artstation&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=homepage&utm_term=marketplace
This is rendered from Marmoset 4. The first color pass. Then I am going to import all that I have in Unreal and start to create material and textures for that shader.
Very excited to see more!
When I first read your post, it sounded rather ambitious; but then I saw your portfolio and thought, well, you do all the things you're talking about doing, and you do them very well. So this'll go somewhere interesting. This face is already looking great.
Alan Wake is a favorite of mine! About due for a replay, I think.
@Joopson Thank you!
Well, something I've never done before - like creating detailed skin material or working with xgen. I just try to make something interesting and also new for me)
I fix some texture issues of the head and import them in UE to see what it looks like. As I can see - it's really cool! It's important that I didn't create mask textures for the head, there is no roughness or ambient occlusion in the shader.
Also, I rendered new versions in marmoset to you can see the difference and also see how it looks like in UE ( now without any masks for the head).
Marmoset:
UE 5:
I am continuing to fix face textures and also mesh. As I see, there are a few things that I want to add and fix.
Also, I started to create the headlamp for the character!
Continue working with the headlamp!
Now I am texturing it, I am going to add a logo, some damage, and stickers on it.
The head has temporary eyebrows and eyelashes so it looks kinda weird :)
Long time no see!
I finished working with a headlamp, and now it’s time to work more with a head. I want to add some more fixes to the high poly and textures, fix eyes area, create masks for Unreal shader and create hair, eyebrows and eyelashes.
And I am going to start create my scene in Unreal. So much to do!
I started to integrate my meshes and textures into UE 5.
For the head, I am using now 2 materials, and also I want to test another one and decide which is most useful for me.
The first shader is by NICK RUTLINH, link here https://www.artstation.com/marketplace/p/jr1Vr/unreal-master-material-for-skin?utm_source=artstation&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=homepage&utm_term=marketplace
The second one is by Sungwoo Lee https://80.lv/articles/efficient-character-rendering-in-ue4/ . Also using eyes shaders from this project but also will test eyes from Digital Humans by Unreal.
And the third one that I am just added and not stated to test yet - Skin Material for UE4 by Saurabh Jethani https://sauraiden.gumroad.com/l/XYtzt
Here are some renders from UE, they are still wip:
Also, I am working with hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows. Currently not happy with the results :) In the Marmoset scene, I am still using the amazing Nimlot's eyes shader. I fixed the textures of the head while creating masks for UE shaders. here are renders from Marmoset
I feel that I need some rest from this face, so I am going to start creating the first weapon - Remington Model 700. I've already created a reference board :
Working with boots
Boots updates - finished the high poly
Logo, skin damage, etc I am going to add in Substance painter.
Continue working with boots, some texture progress!
Done boots!!
The first renders are from the UE5, then there are some screenshots from Marmoset 4
Used to edit some textures on the boots, but now I like them more. Render was done in UE5, now I am going to test textures in the engine.
So, this is the final result, now it is time to make clothes, legs, and hands!
I like where this is going, the boots are looking fine too :)
Now high poly is ready!
Time for some retopo, UVs, bake....
My plan is to finish the character before July and then have some rest .
Some render spoilers
I decided to render it and post separately of the project, bc like
Of course, I see where I can improve it and make it better, but like I said - in this project, I need to spend less time on separate parts if I can.
More renders you can find here https://www.artstation.com/artwork/Ny2ZNN
Also I want to add light animation in UE for the flashlight.
The next step is to work with character - I need to retopo it, add lights on the clothes like Barry had in the game. A lot of work to do, and a lot of fun actually!
Made quick retopo with zremesh and topogun, UVs, bake, and now on the texturing stage
Hands I took from scans to save some time on them, for legs there will be also socks
I am waiting for when I will come back to this project!