God damn your stuff is awesome. Just the incredible amount of detail you put into everything. Your work is a great inspiration to me. Cant wait to see more.
Wooow thanks alot for encouraging words - warms my to hear that my hard work pays off : )
Here's an update on my character that I finally (!) started texturing. So far it's just a diffuse and normal map, hence the metal material looking non-metalish ; )
The character is Loooooovely. Up the Poly's in the cape and re-simulate it (the silhouette could be better) and up the specular in your characters face (most in the eyes) and the armour to add some contrast and make it ping . Oh and add a few mor curves to the abdomen and the thighs. Finally, change the googles, so that they will actually fit onto the eyes. You can do SOOO much with this in Photoshop doing Post it's unbelievable. Really good work
Cheers Cyber, I changed a few small things of them that you pointed out. I won't be changing the lowpoly on the cape though, I'm already on my way on creating another character. Next time I make a cloak I'll remember to add more geometry - so thanks for the input.
EDIT: changed the final image to my latest : ) (cba to make a new post xD)
Seraphinn: Nowadays I usually ask my friends if they can provide me with some rough character sketches which I then take my own spin to and try out different stuff : ) The sketch for the latest character can be found here.
Ssquir33: I'm glad I could assist you : )
GameDevGoro: Cheers thanks man : ) I'll grind till I dieeeee xD btw, you...ahem...know what I want to see from you. Artwise. Ahemmmmm : ))))
Here's a little 25ish min doodle. Had to entertain myself while making food.
More random images, yay! ;D First off is a superfast shitty lineart drawing without using any real perspective lines at all - i like my stuff wonky hahahah ok xD And the second image is just a fast color session n stuff above the lineart.
Hellooo whoever is reading this! : ) ahem...just wanted to say hi. Anyway, here's a turd that I polished into something that I hope represents a character. I really hated the initial sketch for this one. But I kept on drawing and drawing until this result.
Cheers, I just finished the backview for the sketches I did last week. Didn't take that long, an hour or two. Yeah I'm superslow when it comes to 2D but I can onlt become faster
I saw this in the WAYWO thread but decided to post my feedback here where it's less likely to be buried under other posts.
Robot gauntlets are always awesome, but I have some issues with the design of them, mainly in functionality.
First of all there's the weight problem. This is generally glossed over in a lot of similar designs or really anything that has the do with mech, but it always bothers me. There is no way that kid could support the weight of those massive metal chunks with those skinny twig arms of his. Heck, technically not even Mr. Captain Beefcake McSpacemarine with arms wider than his head could, but it's more believable. We're able to suspend our disbelief very far as long as there is an element in place that can offer some sort of explanation. It doesn't have to be 100% realistic with physics equations to back it up and stuff, all it has to be is convincing. What I think would help is to give the arms some mechanical supports to carry them for him. Specifically I'm thinking of something in the style of those exoskeleton suits the military have been cooking up lately:
Get them connected to some backpack energy cell thing strapped to his back, and have the backpack connected to some mechanical legs that will carry the weight. Realistically they wouldn't be able to carry those huge arms either but as long as they are in place it will look a hundred times more convincing. That's the rule of thumb, be convincing not realistic. Most of the times realistic is actually rather boring.
Now that being said there are some flaws in what is already there. I don't see any kind of wrist joint on the robot arms so they would only be able to rotate on the elbow axis, which is extremely limiting. Speaking of the elbow joints, I am a little confused as to now the arms are supposed to be controlled because they are attached above the elbow on the kid which means that he would be unable to bend his arms. Is the idea that his arms just kinda hang limp while the robot arms move around by themselves, or are the robot arms actually supposed to mimic his movements?
The robot hand has four fingers, but the kid is not a Disney character so I assume he has five. In addition to that the finger joints don't seem like they could bend because all the shapes are tightly locked together without any gaps or openings allowing them to move around. The thumb works a lot better in this aspect but it suffers from not having any indication of mechanisms that would move it, like servos or hydraulics.
And one last thing the pants don't interact with the discs on his lower legs. They kinda just pass through them which makes me suspect you added them in as an afterthought. You seem to have some gravity folds going on down there so I think it would work if you just move the topology up a bit.
Wow! I really appreciate you took the time to write that much feedback for me
Let me start by posting this image that I've basically used as influence for this character. She's 'Strength' from the serie Black Rock Shooter (my chars name is 'Force' mwahahah)
I think that image pretty much says it all. But I'll bear in mind everything you've said about 'convincing realism' designs for when I make a more realistic kind of character. I could ofc make a sort of backpack-mechanic thing that helps him lift the huge arms, but I belive that would take away the simplicity of the design. And about the fold on his lower legs, you got me. I should really re-sculpt them xD
Oooooh I see. Yeah that makes it a bit different. Although I notice that her arms are amputeed. It doesn't necessarily cause it to make more sense but it communicates the implementation a lot better and makes it clear that it's hooked straight into her nerves or something similar. She doesn't have any articulation in the wrists either though... Intersting.
Well I still have a lot of the same issues with the design, although I have to admit it works a better in the source material. I'd say the stylishness and whimsical nature of it broadens the suspension of disbelief. By adding realistic texture work and extra mechanical details like the cables you brought it a few steps closer to reality which causes people to become more critical of it.
Context is important. It's why a lot of realistic renderitions of cartoon and anime characters look off, or why some cosplay tends to just look plain goofy. If you stylize something enough you can get away with almost everything. There is a fine balance with no exact science to it, you just kinda gotta feel it and ask for a lot of second opinions.
Awesome stuff, I really like your style! Your characters end up with some interesting silhouettes--Do you design the initial sketches with that in mind?
Taralqua: Cheers, thanks for liking my stuff : ) About the sketching part, yes I do think about the silhouette when drawing character designs. Most of the time at least xD
Here's the lowpoly of the latest skulpt that I posted. Ended up on 6.8k
Replies
updating with a pose.
the full image ;O
Your Linework is brilliant, now add some colour!!
Check this book out if you havent already, it may come in handy
Here's an update on my character that I finally (!) started texturing. So far it's just a diffuse and normal map, hence the metal material looking non-metalish ; )
You will be GWAND MASTAH EOQ in no time bro.Keep it up!
EDIT: changed the final image to my latest : ) (cba to make a new post xD)
Here's my new character that I started yesterday.
eye candy!! nomnomnom
also, what sort of triangle count do u stick to? if any?
Your work is truly inspiring and makes me want to model a lot more
dope.
Keep it real, man and keep it rocking for the love of all things!
Ssquir33: I'm glad I could assist you : )
GameDevGoro: Cheers thanks man : ) I'll grind till I dieeeee xD btw, you...ahem...know what I want to see from you. Artwise. Ahemmmmm : ))))
Here's a little 25ish min doodle. Had to entertain myself while making food.
I know you all are interested so head over to http://www.facebook.com/coilworks or http://www.indiedb.com/games/ovelia-the-wake and read up on all the lore and pictures that we have posted so far : )
AND! We have also released out Main theme for the game HERE ;D
Anyway, here's another sketch of a character.
Robot gauntlets are always awesome, but I have some issues with the design of them, mainly in functionality.
First of all there's the weight problem. This is generally glossed over in a lot of similar designs or really anything that has the do with mech, but it always bothers me. There is no way that kid could support the weight of those massive metal chunks with those skinny twig arms of his. Heck, technically not even Mr. Captain Beefcake McSpacemarine with arms wider than his head could, but it's more believable. We're able to suspend our disbelief very far as long as there is an element in place that can offer some sort of explanation. It doesn't have to be 100% realistic with physics equations to back it up and stuff, all it has to be is convincing. What I think would help is to give the arms some mechanical supports to carry them for him. Specifically I'm thinking of something in the style of those exoskeleton suits the military have been cooking up lately:
Get them connected to some backpack energy cell thing strapped to his back, and have the backpack connected to some mechanical legs that will carry the weight. Realistically they wouldn't be able to carry those huge arms either but as long as they are in place it will look a hundred times more convincing. That's the rule of thumb, be convincing not realistic. Most of the times realistic is actually rather boring.
Now that being said there are some flaws in what is already there. I don't see any kind of wrist joint on the robot arms so they would only be able to rotate on the elbow axis, which is extremely limiting. Speaking of the elbow joints, I am a little confused as to now the arms are supposed to be controlled because they are attached above the elbow on the kid which means that he would be unable to bend his arms. Is the idea that his arms just kinda hang limp while the robot arms move around by themselves, or are the robot arms actually supposed to mimic his movements?
The robot hand has four fingers, but the kid is not a Disney character so I assume he has five. In addition to that the finger joints don't seem like they could bend because all the shapes are tightly locked together without any gaps or openings allowing them to move around. The thumb works a lot better in this aspect but it suffers from not having any indication of mechanisms that would move it, like servos or hydraulics.
And one last thing the pants don't interact with the discs on his lower legs. They kinda just pass through them which makes me suspect you added them in as an afterthought. You seem to have some gravity folds going on down there so I think it would work if you just move the topology up a bit.
Let me start by posting this image that I've basically used as influence for this character. She's 'Strength' from the serie Black Rock Shooter (my chars name is 'Force' mwahahah)
I think that image pretty much says it all. But I'll bear in mind everything you've said about 'convincing realism' designs for when I make a more realistic kind of character. I could ofc make a sort of backpack-mechanic thing that helps him lift the huge arms, but I belive that would take away the simplicity of the design. And about the fold on his lower legs, you got me. I should really re-sculpt them xD
Well I still have a lot of the same issues with the design, although I have to admit it works a better in the source material. I'd say the stylishness and whimsical nature of it broadens the suspension of disbelief. By adding realistic texture work and extra mechanical details like the cables you brought it a few steps closer to reality which causes people to become more critical of it.
Context is important. It's why a lot of realistic renderitions of cartoon and anime characters look off, or why some cosplay tends to just look plain goofy. If you stylize something enough you can get away with almost everything. There is a fine balance with no exact science to it, you just kinda gotta feel it and ask for a lot of second opinions.
Here's the lowpoly of the latest skulpt that I posted. Ended up on 6.8k