I created these two busts after starting the new Ranma 1/2 show on Netflix. They’re modeled to resemble two shots from the original opening!
For this project, I used Maya for modeling and rendering, with toon shaders inside Maya to achieve the final look. I then used Substance Painter to create masks and textures for the final render, which I completed inside Maya with Viewport 2.0.
Scroll down to check out the full breakdown, where I’ve included a detailed description of my workflow and techniques. Hope you enjoy this!
On my Artstation you can find 2 Video as well, the first one is a Breakdown and the second one a WIP Video, where you can see how i started the whole project.
![Image: https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/082/533/686/4k/florian-neumann-ranma-kopie.jpg?1733240800](https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/082/533/686/4k/florian-neumann-ranma-kopie.jpg?1733240800)
![Image: https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/082/533/674/4k/florian-neumann-akane-kopie.jpg?1733240783](https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/082/533/674/4k/florian-neumann-akane-kopie.jpg?1733240783)
![Image: https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/082/533/590/4k/florian-neumann-01-wire.jpg?1733240635](https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/082/533/590/4k/florian-neumann-01-wire.jpg?1733240635)
I started by modeling Ranma in Maya. I didn’t use ZBrush because I wouldn’t need to bake normal maps anyway. After I was happy with the base shape of her, I began adding edge loops in areas where shadows would fall.
![Image: https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/082/533/593/4k/florian-neumann-02-forcing.jpg?1733240642](https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/082/533/593/4k/florian-neumann-02-forcing.jpg?1733240642)
Here, you can see all the different patches I created. This allows me to manipulate the normals on each patch, slightly altering their direction to create the stepped shadow effect commonly seen in anime.
![Image: https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/082/533/601/4k/florian-neumann-03-flat.jpg?1733240648](https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/082/533/601/4k/florian-neumann-03-flat.jpg?1733240648)
Here’s how Ranma looked after I finished adjusting the normals and applied the basic toon shader in Maya. The hair isn’t completed yet.
![Image: https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/082/533/608/4k/florian-neumann-04-hairmask.jpg?1733240659](https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/082/533/608/4k/florian-neumann-04-hairmask.jpg?1733240659)
I created basic UVs for the hair and painted two simple masks in Substance Painter. Each mask controls one highlight and determines where it can appear.
![Image: https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/082/533/613/4k/florian-neumann-05-textures.jpg?1733240669](https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/082/533/613/4k/florian-neumann-05-textures.jpg?1733240669)
Here, you can see the lighting setup in Maya with the masks applied. The back of the head isn’t lit, so the painted mask doesn’t activate. This setup also includes a linework pass from Substance Painter.
![Image: https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/082/533/620/4k/florian-neumann-06-outline.jpg?1733240677](https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/082/533/620/4k/florian-neumann-06-outline.jpg?1733240677)
At the end, I duplicated the mesh, inverted its normals, applied a black surface shader, and adjusted the distance from the original mesh slightly in some areas. This created the outline effect. Here is the final render straight out of Maya.
thanks!