Turnaround and modelling

I created my turnaround for the pan head character, with a version with and without the jacket so it's easier to model certain areas of him. The t-shirt, trousers and boots will be part of his geometry where as the jacket will be a separate piece.

Start of the modelling in 3ds max

Pan-head character concept

I sketched up and coloured the concept for the little pan-head guy. I am not the best for concept work but I tried my best knowing, how much more I do of it now will help me enormously in the later stages.

I am fairly happy with him, however I think I accidentally made him look a bit older than I imagined, but it still works. The next stage would be to create a good turn around of him. Maybe draw him first in his jeans and t shirt and then jacket over the top.

Mood-boards for Reference and Ideas

So I have an idea for a new project. I say new idea but I actually sketched this vague thumbnail years ago and rediscovered it and seemed perfect as I was looking for a character piece to work on.

The character is a young kid in his garden 'playing soldier'. He is wearing a military jacket of his dad's/grandad's that is too big for him. He is also wearing a pan on his head. Other details include baggy trousers or cargo pants, a loose belt, walkie talkie and remote control tank or Humvee.

I have little experience with concepts and sketching characters let alone 3d modelling them. So I attained lots of reference images to use and take inspiration from. I compiled these in a mood-board and made notes on features I liked and would maybe put towards my character and composition of the final image.

 Next I created another mood board of textures, model ideas, details etc.

And to make this project even more challenging for me, I am going to attempt to create it all in 3dsmax instead of my normal package Maya. Models, shaders, everything!

I still plan to use photoshop for lots of texture work and mudbox for maybe some light sculpting, but I don't think I will use it heavily due to the simplistic style of the character and his props.

Starting speed modelling

During my downtime between my previous project and my next project I have decided to see what I can really do under pressure, so have started speed modelling. Basically seeing how much you can get done in a set time or as little time as possible. The chainsaw below was aimed for 1 hour. But I went over by about 10 minutes because there was some final things I needed to do.

I need to think of ideas for future speed modellings and also time frames for them. Some I could do for 3 hours and some I could see how far I get in an half hour.

Tunisian Courtyard Finished

I finished my courtyard scene. There are things I would still change on it and have still to improve on in my own skills. I plan to move onto a new project soon when I've finalised my ideas.

Step texturing

Still a work in progress but I have been working on the steps the past day. They are going okay, but I think I will add some other tiles to vary it up more and add some damage and wear and tear.

Work in progress

I also have to work on the lighting a bit more, it is over exposing some areas of the scene and causing it to look washed out. Especially around the cactus plant.

The scene so far

Tunisian Courtyard update

After settling in now in Edinburgh I am making the effort to finish my Tunisia project. I went back onto the scene and realised I had lots more to model so the doors below are just another model that needed to be made to make the scene a lot more realistic.

 I also was apprehensive about the vegetation in the scene. Some of the plants will be simple alpha mapped textures and some will be physical models like the large cactus plant. The leaf below is for that plant.

Welcome to bonny Scotland

I have now officially moved into my new flat in Edinburgh, Scotland. All my stuff has arrived so I am settling in well. At the moment I am looking for 3D jobs primarily in Edinburgh but also in Glasgow which is about an hour to an a hour and a half train away.
Small post today but I shall try keep this more updated in the next couple of weeks.