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W.I.P - female fantasy warrior

1
Hey people!

Thought this was a good opportunity for posting a W.I.P since I got a task at school in making either a vehicle, environment or a character in 3d. And I decided that I'd make a character. It'll be my third character ever, though this will be my first with a normal map.

So, I've made a highpoly character already - first highpoly char ever

And I've just started to build my lowpoly based on this one, which is supposed to be finished by the end of this week, (Sunday evening wink.gif Her head will also receive some fancy hairstyle along with eyebrows and lashes.

Crits are very much welcome, but since I'm closing in on the deadline for the project I might not be able to do any enormous changes in the highpoly mesh.

Here's the highpoly - some shots of the lowpoly will turn up soon enough smile.gif

zhjOcgWyP.jpg

SqQiWdtJb.jpg

CFEaUWCgT.jpg

Also, I didn't put much detail on the armor/blade as mesh since I thought it'd be faster if I did them just as heightmaps and added them to the normalmap.

On another note, only the head has been taken into a sculpting software.

Edit: The limits on the "lowpoly" are 6k tris char and a 1k tris prop. 2048 maps on the char and 1024 on the prop.

Replies

  • Joseph Silverman
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    Joseph Silverman polycounter lvl 17
    I really like the highpoly here, although the ears seem a bit wonky. Also, i'm not quite sure the way the legs go into the torso is quite right -- this may actually be a good place for Cholden's bodybuilder reference -- anyone hauling around armor and an oversized fantasy sword is going to bulk up just a little.

    Looking forward to updates. smile.gif
  • Johan Carlsson
    [ QUOTE ]
    I really like the highpoly here, although the ears seem a bit wonky. Also, i'm not quite sure the way the legs go into the torso is quite right -- this may actually be a good place for Cholden's bodybuilder reference -- anyone hauling around armor and an oversized fantasy sword is going to bulk up just a little.

    Looking forward to updates. smile.gif

    [/ QUOTE ]

    Interesting smile.gif Could you explain the ears and leg/torso bit a little further, please?
  • chip
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    chip polycounter lvl 18
    face looks somewhat masculine, especially in profile, due to the square jawline, severe brow ridge, subdued cheekbones, and long aquiline nose. The severity of the triangular ears also contributes, maybe some more graceful curves there? Skull tapers too much toward the crown. Hard to tell with the armor but the hips seem very narrow, like the pelvic "wings" are compressed laterally. Breasts seem to be placed rather low, particularly given the corset-like armor, which would probably offer more support & uplift.

    All just picky stuff, really, it looks very good for a first hi-poly sculpt.
  • Joseph Silverman
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    Joseph Silverman polycounter lvl 17
    The ear looks like a human ear with the tip stretched out -- none of the internal structure of it is changed, so the tip just looks tacked on. I expect something more like this when i see the outline:

    t9ywzd.jpg

    And maybe it's the armor throwing my eye, but the curve of her thigh seems to terminate really abruptly when it reaches her hips/torso. On the left is what it looks like to me, and on the right is what i'd suggest.

    2z56c6u.jpg
  • Johan Carlsson
    Chip, thanks smile.gif Think I got a pretty clear picture of what you meant. Gonna see what I can do in mudbox.

    SupRore, Got your point, thanks man smile.gif Gonna check it out.
  • merlyn
    Love the armour, I think that the cheek looks a little odd from the side view.
  • Johan Carlsson
    [ QUOTE ]
    face looks somewhat masculine, especially in profile, due to the square jawline, severe brow ridge, subdued cheekbones, and long aquiline nose. The severity of the triangular ears also contributes, maybe some more graceful curves there? Skull tapers too much toward the crown. Hard to tell with the armor but the hips seem very narrow, like the pelvic "wings" are compressed laterally. Breasts seem to be placed rather low, particularly given the corset-like armor, which would probably offer more support & uplift.

    All just picky stuff, really, it looks very good for a first hi-poly sculpt.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    Only the head is being sculpted though. Not that it blocks out the possibility that I might tweak something more in Mudbox, but as of now, only the head has been sculpted. smile.gif
  • Johan Carlsson
    Here are some of the changes on the highpoly. Been a quite busy day with other stuff today so haven't gotten that much done. But I did some changes to the head, torso and the armor plates that are mounted on the leatherpiece.

    And I'm currently trying to get her hair sketched up since I don't want her to be bald :P And some eyebrows, lashes and makeup.

    VgjaZIYGZ.jpg

    UxfgfXuOh.jpg
  • chip
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    chip polycounter lvl 18
    Wow, great changes to the face, she looks very classic and quite feminine now. Regarding hair, with all the elaboration of the armor, the austerity of her baldness is kind of appealing. Maybe a minimalist "do"?

    Her torso is still not quite right imo, so I did a paintover to show some possible adjustments:
    hipspoverdu1.jpg

    In your original (L), the recurve of the waist (A) starts too low and leaves little room for the broader pelvis of the female (outline at bottom). The thighs have to widen dramatically fast.

    In the rework, I just cut a portion of the lower trunk and moved it up with a slight stretch. Now the A point starts just below the ribcage and widens to allow for the broader pelvic girdle, giving more classic female proportions and a more graceful curve to the widest breadth of the thighs.
  • Johan Carlsson
    Thanks a bunch for the paintovers Chip, really helpful smile.gif
    Here's an update on the highpoly:

    xKaerSImX.jpg

    About her hair, hehe, I'm not too fond of her being bald so I'm gonna give her some sort of short to medium long spiky hair. If I manage to make a decent sketch of it I'll post it before making it as lowpoly smile.gif
  • sherrell
    dude awesome work i like the armor detailing and ya i think it would look better with hair but still great model
  • Ruz
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    Ruz polycount lvl 666
    actually the original proportions looked more accurate to me. 1st pic top right seems preety spot on. I did n't like the original nose, but thats fixed now. looks good
  • Johan Carlsson
    sherrell: Thanks man smile.gif And yea, bald isn't an option :P

    Ruz: Hehe, but I do like her curved like this a bit more smile.gif
  • Johan Carlsson
    I'm feeling a bit puzzled at the moment. I'm supposed to be finishing the lowpoly this weekend. But I'm not sure how to set up the topology for it, even though I've started. How much can I split around trying to achieve the silhouette I want? Considering the spiky nature of her armor. And how much will splitting around mess with the baking of the normal map later on?
  • Xaltar
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    Xaltar polycounter lvl 17
    Just try and get your lowpoly to match the overall shape of the highpoly as close as possible, the silhouette should be close but so should your major forms. I find it easier to make my lowpoly a little higher poly to bake the normals (add extra loops and such) then optimise them out with the edge delete function after the normals are baked. So long as you do a good job on your cage you should be good to go. Don't rush the cage, take your time and do it right.
  • Johan Carlsson
    Xaltar: Thanks mate smile.gif Gonna try that out on a piece of my lowpoly, just to try it out and see what works best
  • Johan Carlsson
    Here's an update with the lowpoly, silhouette and wire. Currently baking the normal maps for it so they'll be posten soon aswell smile.gif

    RTNtOPYiP.jpg

    RrjHzxZnC.jpg

    oGxYjKeAK.jpg

    irrKEKITu.jpg

    I'm going to add some alpha planes to her hair, giving it a little more volume. And as for the ponytail itself, I'm gonna try and make it out of alpha planes. smile.gif
  • Johan Carlsson
    Another update, lowpoly with normal map on. Occlusion baking is coming up next. Currently on 5496 triangles.

    aSYTPgMWf.jpg

    HWpcoQZPE.jpg

    UbaRpYrHd.jpg
  • chip
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    chip polycounter lvl 18
    Good looking normal version, the detail transfers well to the low-poly. Is she rigged yet? Wondering what kind of deformation issues might have arisen due to all that armor.
  • Johan Carlsson
    Thanks chip smile.gif and no, she isn't rigged yet. But she will be. A simple rig though, since we're only supposed to have our creations posed.
    And yea, the armor is probably going to give me some hard times.
  • Johan Carlsson
    Another update.
    Figured out most of the colors I'm gonna be using for the textures now. Been putting out some chunks of plain colors and the results of my occlusion bake in the diffuse map slot. The normal map with some height maps and a very basic specular map. It's mostly the occlusion map with a bit more contrast and some whiter areas where I wanted to try and make some things a bit shiny. There's gonna be lots and lots more work to do, but the basic chunks are getting there smile.gif Oh, and there's gonna be some scratching and overlaying textures on pretty much everything, just lots of more work.

    wvnKwxSku.jpg

    JIZpIwGwg.jpg

    PrzCSFxUV.jpg
  • IxenonI
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    IxenonI interpolator
    Cool stuff.Colors look fine. Keep going!
  • Zephir62
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    Zephir62 polycounter lvl 12
    I'd make the skin whiter to make it all stand out and contrast more.

    http://www.kievinfo.com/images/wine/HoM3_1.jpg

    observe the dude on the far left.
  • Johan Carlsson
    Thanks IxenonI, I'll keep spitting out some updates this whole week. smile.gif

    Zephir62, I'll give it a shot tomorrow and see if she looks good in it smile.gif
  • chip
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    chip polycounter lvl 18
    Not sure if the colors shown are close to those you'll be using, but it all seems very monochromatic and cold. The ruby's a good warm accent, I suggest some more, like perhaps some gold tints in the lighter armor inlays, maybe bring the grays more into the blue or bluish-green range, and more ivory in her skin tones. Not a lot of saturation, though.

    This model's turning out very well, btw, more impressive with each prog post.
  • Johan Carlsson
    Good point Chip smile.gif I'll see if I can put some warmer patterns in on the leather, since there's quite alot of it and I don't want it all to be that plain and boring. There's going to be a little more red around the rubies aswell and perhaps someplace more. Need to take another day at just trying some of it out.

    Don't want her to be too "warm" looking though, but I'm sure a balance can be found smile.gif
  • chip
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    chip polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]
    Don't want her to be too "warm" looking

    [/ QUOTE ]Right, just accents, for contrast, can make the "cool"ness even more apparent, imo.
  • Johan Carlsson
    Another update.
    Got started on her face, but I'll be working a lot more on it, but I still think it gives off a bit of a better look now.

    I've added some more markings on her armor and leather. And also made the inside of the "plated" leather going down her hip and rear dark red. Some blueish markings going down alongside her legs. They're a bit hard to see, but the light needs to be in the right place for them to shine, he he. Will probably give more of an effect in the pose.

    ukplzCgmn.jpg

    Oh, and please keep critting. Since I'm still not done texturing.
  • flaagan
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    flaagan polycounter lvl 18
    Black and red.... always a good combo!

    .... almost as good as black and green laugh.gif
  • Mtg_kirin
    O man this is awesome very drow or dark elf feeling
  • chip
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    chip polycounter lvl 18
    Quite a challenge, a mostly gray palette, it's looking good, though the skin seems to beg for more contrast against the armor, maybe lighter, maybe a slightly different hue, dunno.

    Best thing about this model is that she looks like she could handle wearing that armor -- a shapely, athletic, but robust figure, with enough implied muscle mass to be convincing, and likely more than a little scary if she's swinging a blade in your direction laugh.gif
  • Johan Carlsson
    Flaagan, hehe, green is good. wink.gif

    mtg_kirin, thanks mate! I was trying to shoot at the dark elf look. Even though the ears are a little off, hehe. I like how Lineage has made their dark elves smile.gif

    chip, thanks smile.gif I will get working on the skin ^^ Maybe it'll look better once I put some variations into it aswell. Maybe I can make it a little lighter.. Need to try it out smile.gif Thought that I was gonna start and try to mix some textures in today.

    Oh, and about the swordswinging, do you guys think she'd look good with two smaller swords or a single bigger one? Her armor is quite bulky, but not "that" bulky, so I haven't really decided yet smile.gif
  • TorQue[MoD]
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    TorQue[MoD] polycounter lvl 19
    This is absolutely gorgeous for a 3rd model ever! Heck, its great when compared to some people's 100th models. What school are you attending?

    Also, love the color scheme and the fact that you simply gave her a ponytail because her head really does have a beautiful shape to it. Any other hairstyle would have taken away from that. The only critique I can offer is that her hips are so wide that it makes her ass look really big though that's really up to personal preference since some people like a bigger butt on their women. I personally think a tighter one looks nicer.
  • Johan Carlsson
    Thanks TorQue!
    I'm in my first year at Playground Squad - www.playgroundsquad.com smile.gif

    And about her ass ^^ The thickness of the leather + plate going down her hips are probably adding a bit to the width of her silhouette. So it might even out a little once she poses in something else than the t-pose smile.gif But we'll see what happends.
  • chip
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    chip polycounter lvl 18
    I daresay her butt is
    just
    about
    right! blush.gif
    Underneath all that armor is a figure I'm sure Frazetta could appreciate. Okay, I'm a DOM, what can I say.

    One sword would complement the armor better, imo, but not some big honking FF cleaver, something more befitting her elvish grace, sabre-length, maybe a curve to the blade. Mi dos centavos.
  • Johan Carlsson
    Aight smile.gif I'll try and do some concepts for a new blade the coming week. Might be easier to design it once the char stands ready so I'll postpone making it until the char is more finished.

    Oh, and a thought struck me last night, wouldn't it be nice if she had some sort of ribbons going down from her ponytail aswell? Something more to catch the wind. Since I still have about 500 tris left on the character and the alphaplanes planned for the hair won't take any more than 100, tops.
  • soulstice
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    soulstice polycounter lvl 9
    Great model dude, love the armor details. Keep it up!
  • Johan Carlsson
    Thanks soulstice :] Here's some more :P

    Another update

    Overloaded the armor with specular. Made her armor a bit more worn.
    Not sure about the specularity on the metal edges, but at least it's looking sharper than before.

    Going to get started on the hair asap tomorrow, and rigging. Would have loved to make a pedestal for her aswell but it will have to wait a little longer =/

    kRzajlMhL.jpg

    uzuTRtGav.jpg

    Black socks > hair. ;P
  • Thegodzero
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    Thegodzero polycounter lvl 18
    She needs some color on her, i did a pint over of her face to show what i mean.

    paintwar.jpg

    yours is on the left.
  • chip
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    chip polycounter lvl 18
    Lookin' good. A little skin hue as Thegodzero suggested wouldn't be amiss, and the hairline could use a bit of attention, looks pretty cut-out compared to the rest of the paint job.
  • Johan Carlsson
    Aye, got right on to it. Added a very low purple/pink ambient to her skin, aswell as added a little more color to her face. But I don't really want to put too much color onto her face. Cause I kinda like the pale gray tone. But added a bit

    And will be working on the hair tomorrow smile.gif Fixing the normalmap at the hairline and adding more straws as heightmaps aswell as adding alphaplanes. Lots to do. smile.gif
  • chip
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    chip polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]
    ...will be working on the hair tomorrow smile.gif

    [/ QUOTE ]What, you sleep?!? Nahhhh, just DO it!

    j/k of course. It's a great model, lots of fine attention to both technicals and aesthetics. Forgive our nitpicking? wink.gif
  • Johan Carlsson
    Hahaha!

    It's like 4.30 in the morning here and I just had my 50 min walk back home from school wink.gif If they would just invent those "all-you-need" pills soon <.<

    I'm really glad that I have recieved the crits that I have, because without 'em, I wouldn't have come to this result. So lots of thanks to you chip and all the others who've critted this character :] Though chip should have some extra cred for still hanging around in this thread ^^
    But it isn't over just yet. There will be a school presentation of the work now on monday and then I'll just keep working a little. Thought it would be nice if this turned out to be a piece worth of putting in a future portfolio
  • TorQue[MoD]
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    TorQue[MoD] polycounter lvl 19
    I actually like the monotone skin, but the one thing I was going to suggest is some texture to her skin like pores, lines, wrinkles etc.

    Otherwise looking very nice.
  • Johan Carlsson
    Good point TorQue. I'll see if I can add some more subtle textures to her skin. Now, it's back to school time :P
  • Mtg_kirin
    [ QUOTE ]
    I actually like the monotone skin, but the one thing I was going to suggest is some texture to her skin like pores, lines, wrinkles etc.

    Otherwise looking very nice.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    Accually pores and lines/wrinkles aren't found on elf type creatures often. So I would have to disagree, but guess its personal taste
  • chip
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    chip polycounter lvl 18
    The main value in adding some subtle variations to the skin tones (regardless of species, btw)is not to give her a specific coloration, but rather to add depth to the texturing that a flat hue just can't accomplish. Look at the closeups and notice how much richer the armor looks compared to her skin, because it has "character" in its texturing. Even without wrinkles, visible pores, or other overt features, some hue variations can lend a sense of translucency that can make the model look much more like a living being, even if its only barely noticeable.
  • Johan Carlsson
    I'll get working on her skin as soon as I have some sort of hair on her head. But right now the hair is giving me hell. The ponytail just kept getting crap, tried some different approaches and failed to achieve a satisfying result. So, plan B will be a braid. Hopefully this won't fail :P

    Here's and update on her head though. Only the changes I did last night after the first skin hue crit so still some more to do. But let me know if I'm heading the right direction. smile.gif

    NLiEFMtAO.jpg

    Got a crit from a friend that I just had to fix. Here's another update, fixed the bling bling in her eye. ;P

    dDPWduFbG.jpg
  • Thegodzero
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    Thegodzero polycounter lvl 18
    What color is her blood? The way our skin looks is defined by the blood flowing in us.

    Adding things like some redness(or what ever color the blood is) on the nose, cheeks, and ears will give her that more life like look your after.

    b1ll does a good job of this.
    http://www.benregimbal.com/Pre_goth.jpg
    http://www.benregimbal.com/ff_kid_step.jpg
  • Martin Henriksson
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    Martin Henriksson polycounter lvl 9
    Dont really agree with you, he isnt after realism he is making an elf! Take a look at the elf girls from Lineage. Probably more what Johan is after. A classical fantasy elf is usually lacking any kind of "imperfections" like wrinkles and such. Personally i think his current texture looks alot better then your paintover, some very subtle changes in skintone to make the texture less boring. The girl in your paintover almost looks like she "fell down the stairs" tongue.gif Its not perfect currently and maybe it could use some more of those subtle hue changes but not alot.
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