[WIP] Super Mario Bros (done in realism)

blackwaffle

So i've lurked here for a while, like many others. Never posted because for the past few years I haven't had a lot of time towards 3D stuff, and looking was good enough for me. This has changed, so...now I'm posting. woooo

To wake my artistic muscles up, I've taken to doing a bunch of super mario characters in a semi-realistic manner, perhaps to buff up my lame portfolio. I'm hoping to get through mario, peach, luigi, toad, and bowser. Also, I'm making this up as I go and out of ideas my concept-artist girlfriend has come up with. So far I've redone mario almost completely because I've learned a lot of great techniques and i couldn't help myself, and hopefully by posting here I'll get great tips that I'd never come along on my own.

For mario, i was so tempted to make a small, fat italian guy, but then i thought...he's gotta be a pretty built dude to be jumping on crap all the time, and hauling around massive wrenches. He's got a bit of pudge, still. Couldn't resist.



Though, i don't like the pant folds so I'm re-doing em. I did it too sloppily and rushed it, and i dont like it. Highres shots:





And here's toad. I used the default Mudbox man-mesh because i was bored in class and wanted to work on something...oops. It's got weird topology on the face, neck, and hands are meh. OH WELL.






Does anybody have wicked sweet tips on how to sculpt nice hair?

blackwaffle

update...this is my first time painting in mudbox. Well...projecting in mudbox. Took the lowres model, imported it in, imported normal maps, then started painting diffuse.





Dunno how I'm gonna handle the hair. Probably gonna do it by hand in instead of photosourcing it, or maybe i'll just get rid of the hair in the normal map and xnormal what i come up in the diffuse. Any tips, laddies? Please?

3DVlad

The chest hair turned out real nice haha, although the symmetry on the stomach is a bit too noticeable.
I say keep the normal for the hair, and definitely photo source it otherwise you might loose the realistic style. Just maybe add some alpha planes on top to get some fuzziness in there so it doesn't look not too greasy and sculpy. But its turning out pretty awesome.

LMP

No 'stache?

blackwaffle

Oh...the stache is to come. I'm thinking mix of sam elliot and some good ole fashioned twirly ends. And i noticed that on the belly too. Yea, it'll always be hidden behind the overalls. Maybe i should even delete those faces since theyre invisible...nah. And good point on the hair. I don't think i can match the realistic style with stuff i do (yet...hoho.)



maybe? started screwing around with hair, no sideburn on the diffuse yet. Probably gonna redo the normal for that part, as it doesnt make sense.

SnaFuBAR

i better see a super badass wrench or something. this looks promising so far

blackwaffle

Oh you mean like this one here?



Actually, i dunno if i like the top part of it. It doesn't seem very...well, it doesn't feel like something that would be awesome to bash something in with. I'll gather more references.

blackwaffle

Little update--I'm moving into a new apartment so I haven't had much time to work. I cooked this up, because i needed a 'realism' equivalent to the fire flowers...and i thought mario was just too boring with no props or anything. Gonna give him a big stogie too. That always adds class.

Here's some highres shots, havent done lowres yet. Modelled half in maya at school, finished in 3DS at home. Renders from mudbox.

BadgerBaiter

I love the flame thrower!!

Samfisher84

hehe awsome, hope Nintendo go for this realism style someday, a more evil Mario

blackwaffle

Yeah, i bumped this, but i need comments. It's not completely finished, just gotta touch up some maps and do some hair planes, but hey, i wanna get feedback.




First time using marmo, sweet program. I've learned a metric crapton on this guy, from texturing to sculpting to my workflow. I used this model to also teach myself rigging in Maya, so that took a while...figured out why wrists are always pre-rotated the hard way

I've spent a looong time on this character, so it's also been rewarding to not lose focus like i do on projects when i get too busy with life. Only a little bit looonger on this guy, then to toad, which has been sitting around on my harddrive for too long.

Motherdear

Personally I think it's looking brilliant, there's a few details here and there that could need a bit of a slight rework. The creases on the front of the pants springs to mind.
However that is more of a nitpicky detail, what I would love to see is a cap of some kind like the original maria NEVER leaves without, and it would really bridge the gaps between two universes. At the same time the modern look and originality of your mario character is preserved.