Atlantis Guard WIP

ralusek

|||UPDATE 6|||---
Here is some lolz i'm playing around with, ideas for maybe a background, different color scheme? just wanted to put him in his natural environment, as i'm still just mainly looking at silhouette.

Sorry for delay. Here are some changes to head, will retopo now and polypaint and HD detail.



Tail changes incoming soon, i promise

|||UPDATE 5|||---
New head. Like/dislike vs. old would be appreciated. Used this matcap just to get the general idea of forms across, since head is only a main forms pass. Thinking about Baking this matcap as a slight overlay or something like that, we'll see. But I do like the kind of popping feeling it gives, and it looks potentially deep sea.


|||UPDATE 4|||---

Finished retopo and added some to texture concept. Think i'm going to scrap the tail texture completely and go for something different. Reposed tail and lengthened a bit, wondering if proportions look better now.

Also looking for commentary on color scheme, as I could go in an entirely different direction (and i think i might, just for the sake of brainstorming).

Final retopo came out at 5162 triangles, which is just above my 5k goal. There are definite loops I can take out, and will do then post wires.
|||UPDATE 3|||---
Starting retopo and texture ideas: (I know the topology is slightly unorthodox, but bear with me)
[removed youtube link, don't want to spam OP]
|||UPDATE 2|||---
Working on a weapon for him. Feedback would be awesome, I know this thing is pretty weird.


|||UPDATE 1|||---
Here is update, little more muscle refinement, newly positioned tail (which still will undergo a lot of reshaping) and hand sculpting. Hope you like
[removed pictures, moved down in thread]
---|||UPDATE|||

[images moved to current post to limit image spam]

To Do List: (Aside from detailing)
Make forearm clearly pop as "carapace"
Repose tail, lengthen tail, likely just reshape tail

In search of C&C as always.

ralusek

Hey so I sculpted hands out, no skin detailing though. Adjusted some muscles and defined a little more.

(pictures are posted in OP update, will put links here).
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/9395/mermand.jpg
http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/7714/merman2.jpg
http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/1194/merman3.jpg
and previous update:
http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/3668/mermanp.jpg
http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/7714/merman2.jpg
http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/1194/merman3.jpg

TO DO LIST:
Reshape tail.
Define face and head.
Skin detailing and polypaint.
EDIT: and core muscle definition

After that is retopo and texture

ralusek

Put up weapons, pictures in OP, here are links:
http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/1301/spear2.jpg
http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/3796/spear.jpg

All colors are just suggestive, as is a lot of that surface detail. Right now I'm retopologizing and will detail additionally in HD on new mesh.

Really looking for feedback on either, at this point please consider creature fairly complete aside from skin detail. Weapon still very much in the works.

TO DO LIST: Finish retopo on weapon, detail handle and finish surface details. Then refine colors beyond suggestive tones.

Joopson

The weapon is awesome, in my opinion, but I can't tell what is going on in the character. Its too non-descript, and it doesn't look like it can move or anything. It also has no detail in the face yet, so that could be why I feel that way.

Just work on the form, I guess. Look up some muscle reference for fish and humans, you know? that would help, I'm sure.

achillesian

really like the weapon, and i agree with joopson, more definition in the character, in basic forms, not details

Baj Singh

The weapon is nice, however your character's basic silhouette could do with some changes.

* As this guy is merman-esque, there should be a large emphasis on the tail area, make it larger and much more grand. In order to do this, you will need to increase your characters waist. Since it's anthropomorphic, then proportionally the width of the waist should be about the same as the width as the chest (ending at the point where the chest meets the deltoids.)

* Perhaps buff his forearms up a little more. They look a little slim compared to the upper arms.

ralusek

thanks for the input. from the sound of it most of you guys should like where the character is headed. nice updating incoming

Two Listen

The weapon is awesome, I don't really know its intended usage, but it has the kind of feel to it where if going up against it, that would make it all the more frightening.

The form of the creature as a whole could definately, as has been said, use more emphasis on he tail. It's what will propel his entirety through the depths, and will need to be a fair bit larger, and longer, in order to do so efficiently I would think. Plus, tails are always just fun to play with, yes?

Keep it up mate.

Nizza_waaarg

sick weapon ^^

could maybe throw somthing around/onto the handle, it's looking pretty repetative atm, somthing to break up the monotony of it could work well (some stuff wrapped around where you'd hold onto it, or somthing more creative :P).

ralusek

yup. i feel you, it's very boring at handle. I was actually just doing the retopo of it, and couldn't decide if i should just use normal map for the divets. It'd give a boring silhouette, but all those divets are just such a waste of geometry x_x. regardless, some leather wraps (or seaweed maybe) would at least make it a lot easier to just normal map, and it'd probably look better regardless.

and Twolisten, i missed your post for some reason. thanks for the comment . Ya I'm redoing the topology of his tail as a very basic cylinder so I can extend it and just add a few edge loops. I want to work on his tail with more even geometry, because right now the quads are just really pulled.

Anyway, I put new video in OP. Just started retopo and some texture ideas.

ralusek

finished retopology and adjusted tail proportions. all new info under UPDATE 4 in OP. looking for color scheme crits

Slash

I would suggest making the tail part twice as long as thrice as thick in parts.. I'd look more into the general form as well, right now (in my opinion) it suffers from too much blobbiness, too soft, not enough definition. Take a look at different fishies. They are covered in hard (looking) surfaces, sharp edges (gills, fins, scales etc) and often appear to be made out of metal. The tendrils on his arms remind me more of something out of the earth (like a worm or a mole) than something aquatic. Look up crustaceans, thats a world full of awesome reference for you.

ralusek

Added new head in UPDATE 5. Just modelled it and literally plopped it on top of old one, so I'm just looking for crits on the new idea, not so much the whole thing as one.

Alright, thanks for the input slash. Gotta consider that I want to keep this guy slightly inspired by a snake, which is where I'm making sure he stays very slim.

Hopefully the issues with the muscle definition are clearer now with new head and that different matcap (so you can see forms better). The other picture I showed was just using a very very basic matte.

As for his hands, I can't really understand what you're saying. They're (in my eyes) a mix of lobster claws and tentacles. They're tentacles shaped like lobster claws

raiskul

Im digging the newer design it looks more like a fighter the first version looked like, for lack of better terms, a atlantian civilian. Try making the body and tail a little wider and exaggerating a couple proportions like making the chest area much bigger and increasing the size of the forearms. also you should think about giving him side fins on the tail, or even underneath the tail.

**edit** a good way to keep him looking slim but with more mass would be to make him wider and longer also keep in mind that not all snakes are slim annacondas aren't known to be the smallest of snakes (especially after eating something).

Two Listen

Knowing it's similarity to a snake helps, but I think you could lengthen it a little bit more - and primarily, give it more girth. Not twice a s thick by any means, but thick enough to make sure it has power, power enough to control potentially all of its movement.

The proportions for the snakes in City of Heroes might help get a bit of a point across:

http://www.cityofheroes.com/game_info/images/snakes4.jpg

Obviously don't want to copy it, but the tail size is a good measure of what to run with at least in part. Except, of course, with a cool fin of some sort.

ralusek

cool, thanks guys. look like tail still isn't satisfying. we'll see what i can do

Two Listen

It's not that it isn't satisfying, so much, more just that from what I imagine, I imagine it needing a little more power and control. The way you imagine this guy moving around might be completely different from the way I envision this guy moving, and if it makes sense in your head - then by all means proceed as planned and show us how its meant to be.

With his tail right now, it looks like he'll have a lot of control, but also looks like he'll have to be flapping that tail around quite a bit in order to get where he wants to go simply because its lacking power. If that is how you imagine the creature, proceed! I imagine it though as moving...well, somewhat serpent like, quick when it needs to but flowing and controlled - a little slower (not speed wise, just movement of the body wise), and for that it would need a little more power, I think.

Jon Rush

I dig that weapon! Brutal looking :P

ralusek

ya i feel you twolisten, i will take care of it

thanks jon

here is quick update to head:

http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/1681/newhead2.jpg

Two Listen

There you go, that head is looking wicked. I wasn't sure what would come of it looking at its silhouette, but that's some cool design.

Few questions: Is it meant to be an entirely organic structure, or is it wearing a mask or helmet of some sort? Either way, I think it could work. I would like to see a little more distinction, though, that will probably come with further progress regardless.

One thing I would recommend is give him a bit of a more distinct neck from a muscle structure standpoint. ...what are they called...sternal neck muscles? Whatever. Those things that form the "V" going down to the collarbone. In addition, might want to define the collarbone a little bit more as well.

ralusek

sorry been away. have slight update to head, thinking about time to retopo again and get it on there for polypaint and HD sculpting. that means drop polies elsewhere to stay at 5k goal, shouldn't be a problem.
(the eye is sort of unclear, it's the oval near the front of the face, there has been some confusion)
http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/5876/newhead4.jpg
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/3382/newhead3.jpg