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[RIOT CREATIVE CONTEST 2017] Character Art - Cosmic Bard

polycounter lvl 6
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Bodhwell polycounter lvl 6


FINAL:


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I was researching Bard lore for a narrative piece on the character, and I found an interesting commentary from the developers. Bard was conceptualized as a powerful spirit capable of shapeshifting, and we were going to see that in game initially. Much like Gandalf of the Tolkein mythos, Bard takes on a humble appearance in mortal realms (the devs called it “beard form”) -- but he is much more in reality.

What would this multi-dimensional being look like if he revealed a form that is more true of himself?

I just couldn’t get the idea out of my head -- I had to see where it could go.

Rather than a set of notes, I had some images in my mind and some inspiration to draw from. 



And I've done a super quick sculpt to get the ideas out into 3D space. I want his "face" to be framed by a series of golden hoops/crowns that mirror his vanilla form's shapes. I'm looking to Celestine Soraka's crystal horn as a potential inspiration for his back horn, but I'm not sold on that yet. The "face" itself is going to be nestled in a hood of stars, much like the Cosmic Reaver skins, centering on that charactaristic Bard constellation we saw in his reveal. He will have flowing robes over a body that seems to be made from light and space itself (much like Dawnbringer Riven's ult form and Aurelion Sol).



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  • Bodhwell
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    Bodhwell polycounter lvl 6

    Refining the shapes a bit more. I'll do a few different variations of the "collar" and mask. I want it to feel regal and cosmic without getting too noisy or screwing up Bard's silhouette.
  • BoBo_the_seal
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    BoBo_the_seal polycounter lvl 18
    great skin idea! That theme fits him perfect!
  • Bodhwell
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    Bodhwell polycounter lvl 6
    Alright, I threw down a quick polypaint to get the initial ideas for the materials out there and expressed my thoughts on the skin in some visual notes.



    Today I've gone from rough shapes and concepts to deep thinking about why this skin fits Bard.

    This skin is about enhancing the Bard fantasy.

    When playing Bard, you feel a strong sense of:
    • Movement. Moving on Bard feels good, and I want to highlight that feeling by utilizing the newer cloth/tail physics systems (creating a lingering sense of motion).
    • Light. Whether you're collecting chimes, using your abilities, or even dying, there is a constant presence of light around Bard. A cosmic skin's stellar shaders (say that 5 times fast) would bring more to that feeling.
    • Personality. I've segmented the crown, mantle, and mask so that they can move as independent pieces and exaggerate animations and expression.
    What you read about in the lore but don't see in his vanilla skin (because he has that Gandalf thing going on) is a celestial, cosmic feel. He's a multi-dimensional being who can traverse space and time to affect the very fate of reality. Of all of the champions, Aurelion Sol comes closest in terms of scale and purpose (and I'd imagine he and Bard would be friends), but there are other more mundane entities who have gotten the cosmic treatment.





  • PeterGandia
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    PeterGandia polycounter lvl 4
  • Bodhwell
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    Bodhwell polycounter lvl 6
    @BoBo_the_seal & @PeterGandia - thanks, guys! ^^

    Here's a quick doodle I did of the cosmic meep idea while I was on the phone. :)

    EDIT - And the weapon, too!


  • jonjon
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    jonjon polycounter lvl 6
    Wow, this is looking ace! And that polypaint looks beautiful, can't wait to see the final thing! All those material effects you've got planned as well sound super exciting :smile:
  • Iced_Latte
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    Iced_Latte triangle
    Great work so far! I'm stoked to see how you carry out the effects and colors :smiley:
  • Kazefield
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    Kazefield polycounter lvl 3
    Looking great !
  • Neer
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    Neer polycounter lvl 4
    wow this is looking sweet!
  • Jager
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    Jager polycounter lvl 9
    Yoooo!! this skin is incredible! Looks amazing!
  • Thnk
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    Thnk polycounter lvl 5
    This is so sick! Lovin that flow you got going on throughout everything
  • yararstss
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    yararstss polycounter lvl 6
    Greaaat work! Loved the design
  • monicanaomy
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    monicanaomy vertex
    wow! Its looking so good so far! amazing! 
  • Bodhwell
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    Bodhwell polycounter lvl 6
    Alright! Between life and the holidays, it's harder to find time to post, but here's an update. :) Topo and UVs! My priorities during this stage have been, respectively: 1) silhouette, 2) good bakes, 3) deformation. Working with those organic shapes near the joints proved to be an interesting challenge. Once I have the bakes, I'll probably adjust the mesh a bit to enhance the silhouette.



    With the UVs, I'm debating whether the shells need a bit more padding. Knowing it'll all end up on one 2048x2048 sheet makes me want to use every pixel I can. :tongue:



    At the bottom there you can see some parts of the weapon, as well. There'll be a star contained within those rings, a gift from Aurelion Sol.

    @jonjon - Thanks! I hope the polypaint gives me a good vertex color bake to start with. :) 
    @Iced_Latte - Yeah, it'll be fun to try to mimic the materials in Marmoset!
    @Kazefield @Neer @Jager @Thnk @yararstss @monicanaomy - Thanks everyone!! I'm super excited to get to the best part: the painting.
  • Bodhwell
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    Bodhwell polycounter lvl 6
    Alright, did the hand paint recently and thought I'd post the update. :) I started with three bakes from the zbrush sculpt: ambient occlusion, polypaint, and one of the color channels from a normal map. Everything else is hand painted. The weapon, face, and body will have post VFX applied to them to bring that cosmic feel to the skin.

    Next up, I'll do a simple rig with some poses and make the final presentation! We're getting down to it -- good luck everyone!





    P.s. Click/tap on the images to see them at a better scale :)
  • Bodhwell
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    Bodhwell polycounter lvl 6
    Well, that's that! It's been a fun and challenging project, and all of you have been a huge inspiration. I'm grateful to Riot for putting this contest on. Good luck in the next round, everyone! :D

    In a few days, I'll upload some post mortem process work that I didn't have the time to share during the competition.


  • Bodhwell
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    Bodhwell polycounter lvl 6
    Popped it up onto Artstation! ^_^
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