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The Monthly 'Noob' Character Challenge (01/14)

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  • Inhert
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    Inhert polycounter lvl 9
    I think I'm pretty much gave up on finishing this model :(. I've been frustrated with Zbrush materials on its inability to give me decent feedback on depth and form on my sculpts :poly127:. I've had to resort to sculpting some of the objects in Mudbox since I can see the model there better and give me better feedback on my sculpts. Basically I had to go back and forth between Zbrush and Mudbox to get things and it's become cumbersome. I tried to create a decent material in Zbrush where I can move lights around where I can get different looks with different lighting scenarios but it still did not give me the feedback that I wanted similar to Mudbox's materials.

    I've bascially wasted my time for days trying to mimic Mudbox's materials in Zbrush where I can have the ability to move lights around and it just ended up looking a matcap which I did not want. Ah well maybe I should just do most of my sculpts in Mudbox but then I miss the ability to create meshes easily within the application and the ability to iterate faster on models. Maybe I should just bite the bullet and suck it up and be a man about it :\. After all it's only materials right :poly142:? Here is my last update on my model:

    dMTO9Xv.jpg
  • PyrZern
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    PyrZern polycounter lvl 12
    Inhert, you definitely have to check BadKing's site man. He has loads of awesome matcap for free. I also love googling for zbrush matcap. Now I have a few that I absolutely love!!

    http://www.badking.com.au/site/product-category/materials/

    This also
    http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.php?171080-Professional-ZBrush-Display-MatCaps-for-download

    And this here :P lots of good stuff.
    http://luckilytip.blogspot.com/search/label/Matcap?&max-results=10

    Especially this one, just like Mudbox Material
    http://luckilytip.blogspot.com/2012/05/zbrush-custom-matcap-6.html#.Uub_kxDTlhE
  • Inhert
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    Inhert polycounter lvl 9
    PyrZern wrote: »
    Inhert, you definitely have to check BadKing's site man. He has loads of awesome matcap for free. I also love googling for zbrush matcap. Now I have a few that I absolutely love!!

    http://www.badking.com.au/site/product-category/materials/

    This also
    http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.php?171080-Professional-ZBrush-Display-MatCaps-for-download

    And this here :P lots of good stuff.
    http://luckilytip.blogspot.com/search/label/Matcap?&max-results=10

    Especially this one, just like Mudbox Material
    http://luckilytip.blogspot.com/2012/05/zbrush-custom-matcap-6.html#.Uub_kxDTlhE

    Hey there PyrZern thanks for the links. I pretty much have most of those matcaps in my Zbrush material library. I was looking more of a basic material where I can move the light around and not a matcap one where the lighting is already baked in.

    I think I am going to try and sculpt stuff in Mudbox for the next challenge all the way towards the end and see if it'll suit me. I think workflow wise I'll be slower since I have to generate meshes on another 3D app. I did actually start this month's challenge in Mudbox with a base mesh of course but then I proceeded to change to Zbrush since I was able to make changes faster there with proportions and making new meshes. Working in Mudbox just became slow since I had to do polygonal modeling to create the meshes which may or may not be efficient when you are trying to get things done.

    I don't know I'll give Mudbox another try. I think one well known Mudbox user by the name oglu pretty much sums up what Mudbox and Zbrush are used for mainly and I'll quote what he said on the CGTalk forums:

    "that depends a lot on your workflow and what are your needs...
    if you have to do a lot of design, hard surface and game stuff sculpting go with zbrush..
    if you have to work in a film pipeline and do mostly detail sculpting go with mudbox..."
  • tomwatson
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    Yo guys!

    Started this month's model ridiiiiiiiculously late, but after a spending a few days getting the basis of the sculpt down i'm feeling relatively confident that i'll be able to finish okay :poly122:

    Plan is that i'm going to smash out the retop - and possibly the majority of the unwrap - tomorrow, going back into ZBrush afterwards to refine/polish/detail any areas that need it on the sculpt (most of it).. going to be a busy, sleepless few days!!! :poly142:

    Anyway so here's my WIP, crit away! :D
    eE8IZJc.jpg

    @inhert this is looking nice, looking forward to seeing some textures on it! I'd recommend defining the hair at the back in larger clumps, like you have on the fringe, to give the form a bit more depth :)

    @darkmag07 the sword is looking cool, you've got the silhouette down, but if i were you i'd keep at it instead of starting again! Typically, when sculpting hard surface, I tend to find the basic form with the Trim Dynamic brush, then work into them with the HPolish brush on a low Z Intensity. Took me a while to get the hang of it but you'll get there! Dynamesh Polish can also be ace for quick results!

    @AllyAlbon the sword is looking awesome!

    @stevston89 this looks really clean man, good stuff! Love the wear and tear you've got going on on the edges of the tabard-thing on the waist; i'd like to see some more of that of the sash and boots :)
  • PyrZern
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    PyrZern polycounter lvl 12
    @Inhert Hmm, if you want the ability to move light source around, then it has to be Material, and not MatCap. I can't speak for Mudbox, since I tried it before but didn't like it much.

    @tomwatson Gorgeous hair !! Love the liberty you took with her chest xD I feel she's pretty beefed up in your take(waist, thighs, etc). She has 4 fingers, from what we can tell. And I think you went overboard with the skirt's wrinkles and folds. Compared to the rest, she has very thin wrists, though.
  • Inhert
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    Inhert polycounter lvl 9
    @ PyrZern: Yeah I meant the Standard Materials where you can move around the light source and not the Matcap Materials. May I ask what you didn't like about Mudbox?

    @ tomwatson: Yeah I'm with PyrZern on the hair it looks fantastic! The way you did the cloth on the pelvic region is looking good. Although I think you need some work on the forearms a bit. I don't know if you are following the concept or not on the forearms but she has beefier forearms and yours are smaller below the elbow and bicep areas.
  • TAN
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    TAN polycounter lvl 12
    Dimfist wrote: »
    @Terminator2:
    @TAN: Need to learn about the smoothing when sub dividing in zbrush. You can keep your hard angles with crease, or turn off smoothing for the first couple divides.

    I completely agree with you good sir. I really need to learn that. I get a lot of feedback from people here when I started to sculpt the head. Thanks for the advise :D


    But
    Dimfist wrote: »

    @TAN: The grip where the handle/pommel meets the blade is looking really fragile.


    That is intentional. I really believe that the artist made that on purpose. Here let me show you guys so we can argue on that:

    Bj792GM.jpg



    I have just copy/pasted the green lines on photoshop without touching anything. It is clear to me that the handle is thinner than the body itself, and I don't think that is because of the perspective.

    So what do you people think ?
  • PyrZern
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    PyrZern polycounter lvl 12
    I honestly didn't think much about the sword grip/handle. But as pointed out on 1st page by tristanCarter, the grip is indeed not as wide as the rest of the handle.
    sword_edit_zps7ae126e1.jpg

    Personally, I also think it's a bit of a perspective. She points the blade to her left away from her body, and so the end of the sword's handle is more behind her back than off to the side, thus closer to the camera. I dunno :)

    Inhert
    At first I liked Mudbox, because it felt similar to Maya in terms of basic navigating around. But when I tried to more complex stuff I got totally lost :P When I looked up online to learn more, ZBrush was much more all over the place and after watching a few vids and know the price difference between the two, I was like 'that's it, I'm gonna get good at ZBrush'. I don 't really move light source around though, so I don 't use materials... I pick good matcaps where I can see everything without too dark shadows. After sculpting for awhile, I'd switch matcap to force me to pay attention to details and not get tunnel vision.


    Quick Question; anyone know of a toon cel-shader matcap that's better than what I'm using ?
    WIPRaven38A.jpg
  • tomwatson
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    @inhert @PyrZern cheers guys! The forearms are a bit beefier now, also removed one of the fingers so there's only three! Haha yeah, I got a bit carried away while I was sculpting the cloth around the waist :P

    p1cCjbP.jpg

    @TAN Hmm yeah the grip does look slight thinner than the rest of the handle, maybe you could sculpt some cloth around the grip or something to make it appear a bit thicker in parts
  • Fenn
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    Fenn polycounter lvl 3
    tomwatson wrote: »
    @inhert @PyrZern cheers guys! The forearms are a bit beefier now, also removed one of the fingers so there's only three! Haha yeah, I got a bit carried away while I was sculpting the cloth around the waist :P

    p1cCjbP.jpg

    @TAN Hmm yeah the grip does look slight thinner than the rest of the handle, maybe you could sculpt some cloth around the grip or something to make it appear a bit thicker in parts

    Hi Tom,
    The forearms have a good thickness now, but if you look at the concept, or even your own arms, you will find that the muscles angle the opposite way. The top of the forearm should be closer to the elbow joint. Otherwise looking good.
  • TAN
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    TAN polycounter lvl 12
    Come on people don't give up ! We are nearly there !

    I finished detailing her ( for normal map baking). Any kind of feedback is gratefully appreciated but please note that at this moment I can not turn back. I'll start her polypaint tonight and I should be finished tomorrow. I simply have to.

    So here are tons of screens:


    6BEVOOE.jpg


    LIzsCqo.jpg


    kqDmyoO.jpg


    3VDKsPl.jpg


    a9ceAD9.jpg


    a9ceAD9.jpg


    lN355b7.jpg


    MOulRAz.jpg
  • Inhert
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    Inhert polycounter lvl 9
    @ TAN: The sword handle is too long. Shorten it just a bit. There's one part of the hair at the back where there is a sharp point and the rest is squared looking on the tip ends of the hair which I thought was off. Her feet are not firmly planted on the ground which looks like she could break her ankle inward. Her abdomen looks flat from the side view, silhouette wise her stomach looks like its flat and there should some curves to those lines at least. The hair could use some more loving but overall it looks pretty good.
  • Nika
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    Nika polycounter lvl 4
    @stevston89, Rafferty_Eggleston: Thanks very much for comments guys.

    here's my wireframe and bake. I don't think I'll have time to make the sword...
    tXGgXAY.jpg
    3RzVSsD.jpg
  • PyrZern
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    PyrZern polycounter lvl 12
    @tomwatson Not sure if her upper arms are a little short or not. I might slim down her torso a bit more. And sculpt in her ab muscle / rib cage details. If you have time, her hair could use a bit more refinement. Glad you join us !! She looks adorable.

    @TAN, I'd use Transpose Master and move/rotate her fingers into more relaxed pose. Same with her feet, rotate them so she's actually standing on her feet. From what I can see, sharper wrinkles/folds turn out better after baking. Use DAM_Standard with low Z Intensity will help.

    @Nika, I think the bake looks pretty good. Is that only Normal ? or Ambient as well ? Let's see some colors ^^
  • Ravenok
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    Ravenok polycounter lvl 7
    Damn too bad I just saw that. Could have been fun to join.

    Oh well, I'll join the next! Great work all, fun to watch.
  • stevston89
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    stevston89 interpolator
    Small Update. Didn't get to work too much the past couple of days. That said I am pretty much done with her. I still have to make the subdermis map and finish the hair textures. Gonna wrap those up tomorrow and move on to the sword low poly. Pretty tired right now so I am going to hold off on giving crits. Keep it up everyone almost there!

    54rxYqo.jpg
  • Bacn
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    Bacn polycounter lvl 13
    tomwatson: She looks like she has dwarfism. Head's also feels a tad too small, but you might be able to fix that by just pulling some hair back. Nice sculpt, otherwise!

    stevston89: Very nice texturing! Colors are wonderful! Don't care too much for the fluff on her ankles, though.



    This is probably where I'm going to call the model done. Deadline is too close to do much more. Thanks everyone for your help and hopefully next month's character will come out a lot better!

    grS4CyJ.jpg
  • Terminator2
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    thanks for the feedback!
    so, Im pretty much done with the HP, still a few things that Im going to work on (mainly hands and fur) but I feel like starting my LP (hopefully I'll be able to get it done in time). so any last crit before I do?

    ABk1ktz.png?1
  • PyrZern
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    PyrZern polycounter lvl 12
    @Terminator2, Not sure if her forearms seem a tad too long for her biceps.
    She looks great though !!


    Calling this done now. Learn a lot lot of new things, so thanks everyone :) I will do better next month.

    polycount_community_character_challenge_jan__14_by_pyrzern-d749a5z.png
  • darkmag07
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    darkmag07 polycounter lvl 12
    @Terminator2: Looking good to me!

    @PyrZern: I think you should do a little more for the texture on those armbands.


    [SKETCHFAB]05556e1e21d34eb4b9c9df05efb1a8c0[/SKETCHFAB]

    More or less finished up the texture map. Gotta work on a Specular though (thus the Shadeless setting). And then repeat everything for the sword. And make a simple rig so I can pose it.
  • Nika
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    Nika polycounter lvl 4
    @PyrZern: it's normals with ambient. The AO was rendered with sphere like here: http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=98113&page=6
  • stevston89
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    stevston89 interpolator
    Ok so finally done with her currently working on the sword. I added some hair stands and finished off the hair. I still have a few bit I might revist after I finish the sword. Also got the low-poly and bake done on the sword. Here are some screens.

    PkU9sYT.jpg

    FxpckQZ.jpg
  • Rafferty_Eggleston
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    Rafferty_Eggleston polycounter lvl 9
    Everyone's updates are looking really good so far! I'll come back for critiques later or tomorrow at work. I have to madly create the low poly, unwrap, and start texturing in order to finish on time! For now, calling this my final sculpt (may touch up some things if I have time). **Edit. I still have to add the shoe laces xO

    progress_08_by_rafferty_eggleston-d74b7wv.jpg
  • PyrZern
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    PyrZern polycounter lvl 12
    Looking great guys. You can do eeet :P
    Unfortunately I can't with mine <_<" Because the piece is already, in my mind, finished
    >_<
  • TAN
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    TAN polycounter lvl 12
    I am really happy to see people still going at it. Just like Jim Raynor said:

    " It isn't over until it really is you son of a b..h ! " BAM ! :D

    So I finished poly painting. I will begin making the low poly and baking within the hour. I will most probably be able to present a low poly in-game model with textures that night at most.

    Tomorrow will go with rigging the model and giving two simple animations as well as materila setup within Cryengine.

    Without further ado:

    RS1acOy.jpg


    envVjbs.jpg


    EMoHXUG.jpg


    65UoDgn.jpg


    ivGRymQ.jpg


    HMyWpYs.jpg


    LkAQJEE.jpg


    5WbnDf7.jpg


    y2M9gGB.jpg





    By the way I am also planing on writing a post-mortem, something about what I did wrong on the model for other people to read.
  • Spoon
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    Spoon polycounter lvl 11
    Hi guys!
    Been super busy, so rushed through retopo, uvs and baking-
    It really shows in the result, didnt get a good representation of the highpoly.
    But I simply refuse to miss a deadline! Even though I had to skip the weapon, this time around.
    So, this is the texture base so far.
    It is midnight, and I am still at the office, so I will go home now, and give feedback to you guys tomorrow! :)

    7_zpsc6341ee1.jpg
  • Domenico92
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    Hi, can i submit my project on 31 jan evening ?

    UPDATE: Thank you !!!
  • s6
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    s6 polycounter lvl 10
    I don't see why not :)
  • PyrZern
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    PyrZern polycounter lvl 12
    Feel free to stick to this as long as you want. I'm sure comments and feedback will keep coming. I have to start a thread for February now. It's gonna be hard to finish the Medieval dude in 30 days.


    @TAN, Can't wait to see the lowpoly.

    @Spoon, glad you're back :)
  • Nika
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    Nika polycounter lvl 4
    @TAN: It seems the eyes are too far apart.

    So I'm done...
    BBLCiuy.jpg
  • stevston89
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    stevston89 interpolator
    Nearly done now. Will try to have this all posed up by the end of the day tomorrow. Here is a small preview.

    5HZekKh.jpg
  • jacob thomas
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    jacob thomas polycounter lvl 9
    looking good @stevs, is the diff colour eyes on purpose or is that some shader funk?
  • stevston89
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    stevston89 interpolator
    @Jstyles - yeah it's just because of the lighting/ shader stuff. Will fix it in the final render.
  • kay-vonlanthen
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    kay-vonlanthen polycounter lvl 7
    I wish everyone good luck for ur turn ins. Following this thread since this month. Would love to participate :)
  • PyrZern
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    PyrZern polycounter lvl 12
    I wish everyone good luck for ur turn ins. Following this thread since this month. Would love to participate :)

    Join February then :)
    It's here. http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=130709
  • Spoon
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    Spoon polycounter lvl 11
    stevston89

    Good work! I think you really got everything together :)
    There is a stripe on her left arm's lateral side. Is that on purpose?

    Nika

    Great work! I think you could benefit from moving some verts on the thighs in their positive normal, as she looks a little anorectic from side view :)
    I tihnk you should pose her!

    PyrZern

    Haha thanks, it just bothers me I cant finish this in time

    TAN

    Aweomse, looking forward to the animations :)
  • Rafferty_Eggleston
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    Rafferty_Eggleston polycounter lvl 9
    Haha thanks, it just bothers me I cant finish this in time

    I don't think I'll finish on time either. :( My day job is taking away from my crunch time dammit! Haha. I'll get the most done as I can. I'm working on this basically on a graveyard shift, so I'll post how far I get 1/31 - 2/1 early, early morning. I'm having a hard time competing with everyone's progress!

    TAN -- the polypainting looks really good! Excited to see the low poly and textures!

    Spoon -- it is coming along really nicely! I would try to add more hue and saturation shifts in the texture though

    stevston89 -- I think you have one of the best material definition so far. Looks really nice, especially the leather!

    Good work Nika! It looks like you could use some more definition in the leather flaps and boots.
  • PyrZern
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    PyrZern polycounter lvl 12
    Spoon wrote: »

    Haha thanks, it just bothers me I cant finish this in time

    You and me both T_T
  • praetus
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    praetus interpolator
    So, I'm not going to finish this in time. I'll probably tool around on it a bit within the next month since I know I won't have the time to enter the next challenge. This is just the basic AO.Cavity bakes with no normals. Although I did use the bent normal green channel and the PrtP to fake some lighting into the bake as well. There are some errors and seam issues I need to fix but we'll just have to wait and see how much time I can realistically throw at this.

    FoxBaseMesh_010.jpg
    Tan - I think you've nailed out quite a bit in the short time you've been working on it. The biggest critique I have is that much of the mesh looks flat and pinched. I think you need to work on overall volume while in the low res blockouts. Give your edges some thickness.

    Rafferty - I think the creative freedoms you took with the hair are awesome. It's cool to see what some creative license can do.
  • Spoon
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    Spoon polycounter lvl 11
    Rafferty_Eggleston

    Thanks, and I agree! I just dont know where to put it :P
    Seems like most variation is in the lighting, and being both female and cartoony, I have trouble finding the correct variations to make.
    Do you have any suggestions?
  • FRiM
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    Hey guys! :)
    I see many works here have been completed and looking very cool!
    Texture for my model is finally finished and i can show it to you. Btw, texture was made by my girlfriend.

    girl_by_mr_frim-d74gxqu.jpg
  • TAN
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    TAN polycounter lvl 12
    @ Nika: Correcting. Thanks

    @ FRIM: Best girlfriend ever. I am jealous.

    Note: I am also sleepy...
  • PyrZern
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    PyrZern polycounter lvl 12
    @FRiM Nice result there ! I love the back of her hair. Beautiful colors.
  • jacob thomas
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    jacob thomas polycounter lvl 9
    Well, it's 11:39pm on the 31st here so I guess I better post what I got.
    I spent a few hours tonight rigging her but the skin was just too much fiddling around. Maybe I'll do it at a later date.

    Thanks for keeping me going for the last month everyone.
    Super extra kudos to everyone who managed to finish.
    This was ace fun!
    pbwe50z.jpg
  • Domenico92
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    This is my final image : )
    24450 triss
    Texture 2048x2048
    Render in marmoset
    hjv5.jpg
  • jfeez
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    jfeez polycounter lvl 8
    jstyles3d wrote: »
    pbwe50z.jpg
    Nailed it imo, there's some funky opacity going off around her feet tho, id check that out for final presentation
  • stevston89
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    stevston89 interpolator
    and DONE! Here is a beauty shot and a couple of breakdowns. Not really happy with the sword, but I didn't have the time to really sort it out. Hope you all like it. Great work everyone!

    noob_challenge_final_by_stevston89-d74ijtr.jpg

    final_breakdown_by_stevston89-d74ijnp.jpg

    final_wire_by_stevston89-d74ijg5.jpg
  • TAN
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    TAN polycounter lvl 12
    I can'T go on...

    Sorry people.. COuldn't finish.

    It is about 10 PM here and I could only baked the head. There " ENOURMOUS" flaws in my baking process. I am completely useless there. I am ashamed.

    All I can give you is these.

    Guess I will finish these tomorrow and then release them on a separate tread as well as here.

    I will start February Challenge Monday Night.

    Everyone; Great Work people. I am proud to be a productive and creative community such as this.


    Good night everybody... I am completely spent....


    Dr89dyJ.jpg


    3R5tDpP.jpg



    kXeSBUm.jpg



    gcz5coY.jpg
  • jacob thomas
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    jacob thomas polycounter lvl 9
    @Stevs, well done man. Mad props for getting her posed on time!
  • Keresh
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    stevston89 wrote: »
    and DONE! Here is a beauty shot and a couple of breakdowns. Not really happy with the sword, but I didn't have the time to really sort it out. Hope you all like it. Great work everyone!

    final_beauty_by_stevston89-d74ijtr.jpg

    Awesome, but why is the metal ball thingy missing from the main render? :P
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