Basic Head Based on Burne Hogarth's Drawings

[comic_craig]

Hello

I'm starting to model a basic head for all my head needs. I've decided to use Burne Hogarth's drawings as reference. I'm hoping to get critiques- at this point I haven't done much, but please comment. I'd like to hear what you think of the general proportions and topology flow.

Thank you
Craig

BasicTopology.jpg
MultiFace01.jpg
MultiFace02.jpg

[VeryGrimm]

That's so funny! I just received a copy of this book in the mail yesterday and was considering doing the same thing that you are! Keep it going! I'll live vicariously. :)

[Uber]

perhaps ears should be a bit closer to the face at your basemesh.

[comic_craig]

Thanks guys

VeryGrimm- I've been looking at Burne Hogarth's drawings for years- and I'm learning new things about them by doing this model. Actually- I have to admit- there are some things I like about his drawings, but other things not so much. Still- I think its an interesting exercise, and my hope is to create a generic head that I can use for a starting point for other models.

Uber- what part of the ear and how so? Actually- looking at the drawings- I think the top needs to go out from the head and the bottom come in.... does this match your thoughts?

[DECLOAK]

Hey Craig nice start on the base mesh. I also agree with you and Uber the ears do need to come out some at the top.

Eddie C

[comic_craig]

Here is an update. The basic concept here was to create a head as a starting point for future heads. Since this is a basic head- I don't know what more to do at this point- if you have an idea how to make it look better, please let me know.

Craig

HigherRez.jpg

[piz]

Comic_craig... I think that if this is your basic head you haven't to improve nothing... It's Beautiful Tooo...! Expecially for the "Pinch Treatment" you did...

I really love the aspect of the nose, the ears and also the jaw.

If you want post some pics of your modelling process... could be very appreciable. ;)


:tu: Bravo! :tu:

[JhoneilC]

Great job!

I remember Burne mentioning that he does not need a computer to draw the figure in different angles. I wonder what he will think of this:)

[comic_craig]

Thanks Piz- i appreciate the comments. I'll see what I can do about posting some modelling process images- but in case I don't, hear is a short run down:

Basically after I got the topology going- I up rezed one level. Looking at the drawings- I saw that I wanted define sharply certain planes of the face. At the dame time, it needed to be high poly enough to look smooth. To acomplish this I did two basic things-
1) I used the flatten brush where appropriate... this doesn't always work out so well (And I hate to admit it- but I like the Mudbox flatten brush more then the Z3 flatten brush..... if you have Mudbox, use the flatten brush and turn off update plane- you can practically slice a new plane into the model)
2) I brought the model into Maya and made a copy. On the copy- I cut away edge loops I didn't want (removing loops that I wanted to flatten) and then I used an XY snap script (found on High End 3D) to snap from the original to the flattened version (this was done to perserve the point count).

I actually didn't use the pinch brush too much- It didn't work so well on this kind of shape. Besides the above- I just pushed the verts around using basic techniques. I did use masks to bring out some of the more subtle details.

It was a fun project- and I learned more then I expected about Burne Hogarth's drawing technique.

Craig

[piz]

Craig thanks a lot for the explanation about your modeling process :D

This kind of modeling emphasize a lot the volumes and it's so dramatic... I really love it and also I will test the Mudbox Tool that you described...

Thanks again :D

[comic_craig]

Great job!

I remember Burne mentioning that he does not need a computer to draw the figure in different angles. I wonder what he will think of this:)Hmmmm- I'd probably rather never find out:)

Question: did you take a class with him? I've used his books for years to learn how to draw, but I heard he teaches too (I ask because you used the familiar instead of the Mr.) :)

[leighBamforth]

Nice clean sculpt!:tu:

Nicely proportioned, but the ears are too flat and high I think. Just my two pence!;) Great model all the same.

[comic_craig]

Okay- well I made some ear edits finally, and then I took the model for a spin. First- about the ear... I think the edits will not please everyone, but I decided to keep the flatness of the ear but not the corner. I under stand why some folks might not like the flatness.... but to me, its part of the design.

The new head is a sculpt using the original model. I wanted the new head to be the opposite of the first- to see if it could be pushed into something rounded and bumpy instead of smooth and sharo. my hope is to increase my speed by doing more heads like this- no prep time- just jump right in and begin to work. Probably not the most original idea- but its mostly to give me time for practice.

below is also a WIP of how the new head was made from the old. Let me know what you think..... actually, I think the part that doesn't work for me is the new ear- but I don't think of this as finished work. :)

http://www.geocities.com/comic_craig/Sketch01Oldman.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/comic_craig/WIPOldMan.jpg

[piz]

Very Cool work Again Comic_Craig... very ... he looks so alive... :tu:

Bravo! :D

[PedramK]

hey i really like your interpretation of the drawings, except the sternomastoids. ahaha and the fatty version is great though the ears could use more attention, keep it up dude:)

[comic_craig]

Thanks for the C&C.

piz- I think the life comes from eyes- I used an eye shader that I developed- and I think it tends to bring in life.... that plus a smirky expression on the fatter version. Thanks for the comments.

PedramK- I'm not too fond of the neck area either- but I guess I got lazy and wanted to move on. Any suggestions for improving the neck.... Personally I'm not 100% on it being so blocky and missing details.


Craig

[brettSinclair]

Wow. Such beautiful lines. The topology looks great to me. Nothing to crit on I'm afraid. The heads have great character too.

[gabi68]

Hi,

I am new and I still learn. I have a request (I hope don't offend you or anyone). Can you send me this file (wire mesh) with any extension can be used in a 3d program (.ma will be great). I try to understand how that lines flow.

Thank you in advance
Gabi B

[jaystein777]

Cool, I'm re-studying Burne's work right now. Beautiful sculpt!

[comic_craig]

Thank you Jaystien. I have learned much from studing the work of Burne Hogarth. In fact- I got both Dynamic Anatomy and Drawing the Human Head right in front of me now- where I usually keep them by my computer. I did a body to go along with this head- and some more works in another thread:

http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/showthread.php?t=64578&page=1&pp=15

I haven't posted for awhile- i should pretty soon.

Later
Craig