View Full Version : Scared Silly Entry by Brian Schlosser
Jeez, I almost hesitate to post my idea so soon, as I have a tendency to change my mind alot. But, as the rules state, that is OK. Anyway, my first idea involves a Halloween costume party attended by monsters. My scene will have the Frankenstein monster in a ballerina costume, wolfman in a bunny costume, and Dracula dressed as a cowboy. Dracula has just taken his turn bobbing for apples and the apple has become stuck on his fangs. The wolfman is beside himself laughing, and Frankie is just trying to look adorable.
I have recently created a male base mesh (09/14/2007), which I will post pics of below. I would like to use this for the creatures, but I might start a fresh one for the contest so I can show the work involved.
Male Mesh 091407.jpg
Harmonic
09-29-07, 06:27 PM
Holy cow, all the good ideas around here are making me nervous. :o :lol: Great idea slosh. :tu:
Thanks, Harmonic. I just hope what's in my mind can come out on the screen. ;)
OK, I started with the easiest part...the apple for the dunking. Here is the finished apple, and I have recorded a zscript for its making. If time permits, I will annotate the zscript, winner or not. The script runs about 7 minutes. A little long for an apple, but I haven't made a zbrush apple in about 5 years.
Apple.jpg
Edit: On a roll, I recorded a zscript for creating a jack-o-lantern. There are many ways to do this, but here was mine.
Pumpkin.jpg
China Dave
09-29-07, 10:47 PM
Excellent idea, Slosh. I was about to post a similar idea, with some large troll or cyclops dressed up in a lawyer costume. (Seriously, what could be scarier?) I'm looking forward to seeing your final sculpt.
dustbin1_uk
09-30-07, 02:03 AM
Very good idea! Frankenstein in a ballerina outfit! hahahaha:D !
Carsten Lind
09-30-07, 06:32 AM
LOL I almost wet myself laughing when reading your idea!
Moochie
09-30-07, 10:12 AM
Cool idea .. very ambitious. Best of luck!
Cool idea, Brian! I´m eager to see how that turns out =)
Slosh,
Great idea!! Nice typed depication of what your going to try with your theme. Sounds hilarious, I know you'll do a good job. For me when visualizing the concept.. posing of the said "monsters" in costumes is what made me chuckle. I can see O'l Frankie shoulders tilted and hands clasped together with his legs bowed inward and left foot pranced on the ball of the foot looking like "adorable". However you decide to do it, i'm sure it'll be good. Can't wait.. keep up the good work :tu: :tu:. I'll try to drop in on your guys on skype when I can here soon, been busy I've not even had a chance to try the update yet eep :confused:
Dang, Angel! That is exactly the pose I had in mind for Frankie! I'm not kidding. I will have him admiring himself in a mirror, probably. Oblivious to the happenings in the room. My biggest problem is composition, I think. I can't figure out how much of the room to show, etc. I have some ideas, but nothing concrete yet. I think Drac stomping off with the apple in his mouth, p'od is good. And of course, Wolfie will be howling with laughter (pun intended). Maybe as a fourth, the mummy dressed as a pirate, shrinking in fear as the perturbed Count is leaving the room.
Slosh,
;) Guess we just think alike. I can see what you mean .. composition is everything. I think you determined where you want the center of attention to be focused which of course is the humorous antics of the "monsters" that said once posed and placed will give you a better outlook as to the background scenery. Remember a quick down and dirty sketch of your placement of the final arrangement can help clear up a lot of the "unknowns".
chemkid
09-30-07, 11:31 PM
Slosh - cool idea to record your modelling with zsripts. i`m thinking about putting everything into zscrips myself... never recorded any before, though. but i can`t think of a better idea for pixologics request for a "making of"!
have fun,
chem!
What sucks is that I forgot to save the jack-o-lantern tool when I made it. So, I ran the script and it didn't work correctly! So, I have to do the thing over again. Oh well, wasn't that difficult anyway.
dustbin1_uk
10-01-07, 08:08 AM
LOL Slosh! That's harsh! :lol:
Recording movies might be a good backup plan in case the ZScripts don't work out.
This will also help any prospective ZBrush users who might be following the contest see what's up, since they can't run scripts anyway.
ravioli_rancher
10-02-07, 11:09 AM
Slosh,
Thank you for the scripts.
And your concept sound incredible. One of the most ambitious in the contest. Thanks for all the help and effort you're putting into this. :cool:
threetails
10-02-07, 01:29 PM
i like the idea of the costums for these classic characters, it makes the gathering instantly ocward. nice idea.
Blaine91555
10-02-07, 08:51 PM
Simple but hillarious:tu:
Bummer about the Pumpkin :cry:
Well, I was really, really hoping everyone else's entries and ideas would suck, but sadly (for me) there is a flood of great ideas coming in. I'm going to have to step up my game in a big way. Well, time to grab a glass of wine and get to it.
I've decided to start the monster models from scratch. If Pixologic is requiring step-by-steps for the winners, I think I might be better of starting anew. I don't have any stage pictures of the mesh I created previously, so it won't help me or anyone else. This is going to be tough. Also, I am freaking out because I can't seem to find a good way to compose the final image. I've sketched a bit, but I'm just not happy with anything.
I spent some time making a zif hand. I think, since my monsters will be in costume, that I might get away with creating a handless/headless body, then making each monster's head seperately. The hands can go into sleeves. Here is an attempt at a zif hand. The 1st pic is the zsphere model, the 2nd is the adaptive skin. The third is the adaptive modified to slim the palm, then the 4th is the retopologized version. Further sculpting can now be done, such as knuckles, nails, creases, etc.
I can post some details on how this was done, if anyone wants. But I think the zsphere model is pretty easy to see the setup. The rest is just retopology.
If anyone is interested in having the retoped model, I am willing to share. Just ask, and ye shall receive.
Hands.jpg
dj_AgentX
10-03-07, 10:15 PM
Hey, I'm interested in knowing how this was done.
chemkid
10-03-07, 11:35 PM
yeah! retopology is the key to lots of stuff in zbrush.
i never did hands before... so i`ll have to try myself for the first time... but one thing`s for sure: i`ll use retopo!! great tool!!
chem!
dustbin1_uk
10-04-07, 01:08 AM
Good job!
Keep going buddy!
EDIT:
I AM VERY INTERESTED IN KNOWING HOW YOU DID THIS!!! :D
AleksanderA
10-04-07, 01:56 AM
How did you avoid the holes in mesh, wich often happen while retoplogizing
thin objects like fingers?
moonlitmaverick
10-04-07, 03:31 AM
Hi Slosh, I have been trying to work with Zspheres to make hands with five fingers but haven't had much success with it. In fact ,there is a lot of discussion within ZBC over Zspheres and making hands using them. I haven't been able to pull out five fingers( Zspheres ) out of one Zsphere ( palm ). the ZSphere which is a cube needs to have more quads on its side in order to add fingers to it without the mesh becoming jumbled up. There is a plugin designed specifically to adjust the polygon distribution on a ZSphere such that it allows branching into more Zspheres. How you have done this amazes me, unless you used some kind of plugin. I would be grateful if you could elaborate on your technique or post a zscript for a better understanding of the same. thanks and waiting.
Hi to everyone who responded to the hand business. To be honest, I've tried and tried to do hands in the past, with the same frustrating results as the rest of you. This was originally intended to be a unified skin that I was going to then retopologize. But the resulting number of polys and their distribution was daunting to me in the retopo (it's hard to get between the fingers, etc.) So, just for the heck of it, I hit "adaptive skin" and made a few adjustments in the membrane and I-res settings, plus turned on MC (minimal skin to child). The result was a surprise and a happy accident.
Anyway, I will recreate this entire process with zscript recording. If it works out properly, I will post the script later today.
I've done this only a couple of times before, also happy accidents, on full body models (my Cruella (http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/showthread.php?t=47704) Deville, for one), but couldn't remember how. Anyway, I'll give it a try. No plug-ins were used (although I know which one maverick is referring to). As for the fingertip holes in retopo, you will see in the script that I used the existing mesh in retopo and simply deleted and moved only a few key points. So the finger mesh was already present. Also, setting the "Max Strip Length" to 16 helps fill in the gaps.
Slosh,
Thanks for the honesty in your last post :lol: . I was beginning to think everyone but me could get ZSphere hands to magically turn out :confused: ! Your approach makes loads of sense to me. Formally, I'd just make a hand in Lightwave and just bring it into ZB so I would have enough polys for the knuckles and nails not to mention the skin between the thumb and the palm. Bottom line, your tips, scripts and tutes are a real boon to the community :D .
BodyMesh.jpg
OK, I decided that, since my original mesh was created 3 weeks ago, and I didn't document steps, that I would make a new mesh. This one is not highly detailed because the body will be covered in clothing in each case. When I do Frankie, I will of course add more details because he will be scantily clad.
I modeled it with the mouth open because all the monsters will have their mouths open. Each one will get much further head modeling as needed for each monster. So, this is quite, quite basic right now. I've saved the zsphere model and the original adaptive skin, to be posted later.
Now on with the fun parts! I think I will start with Dracula, since he is the star of this show.
dustbin1_uk
10-05-07, 03:35 PM
any luck with the hands script? don't worry if you're busy with this project, we obviously don't wanna distract you from this.
I've messed around allot trying to get it to "accidentally work", not perfect results so far.
Anyways, when the deadline for the comp has passed perhaps we can slug out how to get it to make a nice meshed hand, eh? :D
Bas Mazur
10-05-07, 04:01 PM
The hand looks nice, but why making a hand with ZSpheres first and make a new retopology after it. Looking at the easy shape of a hand, there is a faster way to make a hand by blockmodeling with ZB or another program using the extrude tool. Making a new retopology is not something new in 3d world, but working backwards seems to bring a lot of 'open mouthts' these days. If you know how a hand looks like, you could make a base-mesh easy and bring it to ZB, or make it in ZB if there were better sculptingtools.
That's very true. But, you've got to remember ZB3 might be the only 3D program that some people own, and while box modeling with ZB3 is not hard, new users tend to start out with ZSpheres. And, a few weirdos, like myself, find it interesting to make the hands from ZSpheres just because you can :D .
The hand looks nice, but why making a hand with ZSpheres first and make a new retopology after it. Looking at the easy shape of a hand, there is a faster way to make a hand by blockmodeling with ZB or another program using the extrude tool. Making a new retopology is not something new in 3d world, but working backwards seems to bring a lot of 'open mouthts' these days. If you know how a hand looks like, you could make a base-mesh easy and bring it to ZB, or make it in ZB if there were better sculptingtools.
Nate Owens
10-05-07, 04:29 PM
while box modeling with ZB3 is not hard
I'm a new Zbrush user... I like to box model in other software, but didn't know you could do it in Z...
So, how do you?? (is the process outlined in the wiki, or other documentation?)
Thanks
Bas Mazur
10-05-07, 05:51 PM
@Nate & Hyper, I am just a stupid Mac-user and I am still waiting how to use ZB3. This because we are F@** and demanded to use a F** windows-computer to use ZB. But in ZB2 I moved the polygons in the directions I wanted and made an edgeloop. Do it by hiding the other polygons and use the move-tool to move the polygons into the direction you want. Press the edgeloop tool and you extrude a plane. Just a lot of work to extrude something... Just use ZB to make the details and learn how to use other programs to make the base-mesh. Wait for the moment ZB will be an adult program with adult programmers who can bla, bla, bla also for other systems.
Take care, this thread will be closed and i will be kicked (like the first moment of ZB3) from the forum. Grrrrrr.
Good points all around, guys. I made the hand and retopo'd it, but in my full figure, I did not bother with the retopo. As Baz said, it's not really necessary to do that. I think the hand I ended up with will suit this project just fine. As for making it in another app and bringing it into zbrush, I am trying to do the entire project in ZBrush. Thought it might increase my chances for a win if I can demonstrate as many ZBrush functions as possible. Maybe not, but it can't hurt, right?
Dustbin...I forgot about the hand script. I will work on it soon, I promise. I won't wait until after the contest...it's not too difficult and I should be able to do it in an hour or two (with notations in the script).
Nate Owens
10-05-07, 06:31 PM
....use other programs to make the base-mesh.....That is what I usually do. Didn't know about the method you mention.
dustbin1_uk
10-06-07, 01:02 AM
Might I sagest we open this discussion on hands up to the main ZBrush forum and then keep this thread focused on Brian's work? I think he would prefer that?:D
Thanks for looking out for me, dustbin...I don't mind the discussion in this thread, though. However, when I record the script, I will post it in the general forum, because I think future searchers might find it easier that way. Thanks for the suggestion.
Anyway, I am having some troubles working out this concept and designing the costumes. I've had some new thoughts and would appreciate some feedback:
1. Wolfman's costume might be a cheerleader instead of a bunny. Thought it might be funnier to have him in pigtails, and the sweater will keep me from having to do so much fur.
2. Also thought of another image concept: A kid (or two) is standing outside of Dr. Jekyll's house, preparing to throw eggs and toilet paper (always a Halloween prankster somewhere, isn't there?). A shadow falls across them and they realize that Mr. Hyde is looming behind them, arms crossed and looking angry.
3. A little girl has somehow managed to trap the werewolf and is playing dress-up with him. She has him dressed in a fairy princess costume and is standing behind him, putting bows in his hair.
Jason Belec
10-06-07, 08:10 AM
I love the idea! ;) Edit: Ideas! ;)
OK, I still am not sure if I will go with my original idea, or one of the other two. But I did start the wolfman today. Here is the main sculpt, more details to follow, but my arm is tired from mousing...
This was made from the same zsphere rig as my previous full model (not the one in the first image), except that I added some spheres in the arms and took out the nose, moving the chin upward for a snout. Anyway, this wolf might look good in the little girl tea-party/dress-up image. I might go for that one, I think. The rules didn't say it has to occur at Halloween, just that a monster should be in a funny situation.
Please give me some feedback...should I change my entry to the tea party? I think 3 monsters and costumes might be too ambitious for me, especially since I have trouble recreating things once I've done them...most of the time I am operating on pure luck. :confused: Also, any suggestions on this wolf would be appreciated. Thanks!!!
Wolfie.jpg
Disco Stu
10-06-07, 01:20 PM
the wolf seems pretty ok but i cant really see it in this perspective. i also think u should give him some big lumps of muscles. theres a reason why the clothes burst apart in the transformation. waiting for more!
The tea party table....also, I think I will actually go with the following as my final idea:
The little girl is having a tea party with a little friend and a teddy bear and a doll. The window is behind the little friend, and we see the full moon emerge from the clouds. The friend has transformed into a young werewolf, and our hostess is shocked to see this, while the little wolf has no idea that he has changed and happily sips his tea.
Table1.jpg
OK, here is the test coloring and modeling for the child. I hope this picture does not violate some sort of child nudity laws. I don't think so, personally, but if it does violate, someone please let me know so I can change it. Haven't decided yet on the eyes. Might do a Pixar type eye, or maybe a doll type eye.
Girl-Test.jpg
I hope you don't mind me suggesting that you back track, but i really liked your idea of the little girl trapping the wolf man, i think it could be a real winner, you could even splice the ideas together, have the little girl forcing the wolf man to participate in her tea party still with the fairy costume on though. I just really like the image of a big snarling nasty wolf at the mercy of a cute little girl, that idea seemed really easy to understand straight away so it would make the image much more powerful.
Jason Belec
10-07-07, 10:56 AM
Yeah the Wolfman/Little Girl idea has possibilities, and they are all scary/funny! ;)
OK, I guess the little girl dresses up werewolf is the concensus for my choice...friends at home want that one, too.
Anyway, here is a test render I did in Poser of a little girl I created (her name is Polly, as in Low Polly) :D
This is not going to be the little girl I use in the image. I've decided on a more cartoony look...but I wanted to see if I could get a zbrush created, textured character from ZB to Poser, and I did it! Not going to rig the characters in Poser, though. Much easier in ZBrush to pose with Transpose. I may or may not do the final render in Poser...there are alot more lighting and reflection possibilities though...anyway here is the test render with subsurface scattering.
Polly in Poser.jpg
I created this Pixar-style cartoon eye in ZBrush, but rendered it in Poser. After creating the eye, I took it to UVMapper and assigned materials and created the UV's. I exported the UV map into a 1024 X 1024 image and imported that into ZBrush. I used crop & fill with a flat material to fill the screen with the map. Then I used 2.5D tools to create the iris color and the pupil over the map's wireframes, then exported to create my color map for use in Poser.
Now that I think about it, I could have used a material other than Flat to create the iris and give it some depth and shine. Next time....
Step-by-step for this will either be in my winning entry (hey, I can be foolishly optimistic!!), or I will write up a tutorial at some later point. Hope you like it! Unfortunately, the cornea effects are not possible in ZBrush at this time, without using layers for transparency.
Cartoon Eye.jpg
Potocello
10-08-07, 02:41 PM
awesome eye! i love the idea so far; this could be a winner! ;)
Marsyas
10-08-07, 11:26 PM
Sounds fun! Very clean eye. :tu:
animastur
10-09-07, 10:52 AM
I like very much your eye. I hope will be time for practice this tecnique...
:idea: :tu:
threetails
10-09-07, 01:05 PM
really movin, nice to see your progress, the eye is great, i always have trouble with them.
Update on the little girl's face. Modeled, textured and rendered in ZBrush 3.1
Girl-Face.jpg
OK, she's bald right now, but I haven't quite figure out how I want to do her hair. She is in pajamas because werewolves come out at night, right? If you want to imagine the entire story, the werewolf probably tried to climb into her window to eat her, and she turned the tables on him.
C & C wanted and needed. Thanks! By the way, the Character Strip feature of the ZApplink is awesome!!!
CharacterStrip.jpg
elarcano
10-10-07, 08:45 PM
Hahaha creepy cute lil' girl.
I can already imagine all the story... Very cool model :tu:
Keep them coming Slim ;)
PS.
I insist... Creeeeepy lil' girl :D
Marsyas
10-10-07, 11:18 PM
Hehe, perhaps dimples or braces? Braces might not be worth the effort though.
I like the dimples idea, especially since there is a place in the mesh at the cheeks where I am getting a pinching that won't smooth out. Thanks for the suggestion.
Fidel - I hope she is not so creepy...I was going for adorable! Maybe once she has the hair and the proper facial expression. This is just the base, and her teeth quite frighten me, as well.
dustbin1_uk
10-11-07, 08:51 AM
Yeah I had the same issue on my "Scared Sam" model for my concept. To solve it I had to use the flatten tool with the Zintensity turned way down and gently work the creases out.
sirquadalot
10-11-07, 09:28 AM
I really like the idea of having the little girl forcing the werewolve to be in her tea party! Hitch said it all on pg 3 and I agree with him. I can see the werewolf sitting at a childrens table almost about to crush the tiny chair he is in, and being surrounded by stuffed animal party goers, while the little girl standing behind him is putting ribbons in his hair while he howls in agony!
Just a couple of side notes. Try to stay in Zbrush man, the SSS really is not needed, and the fresnel like cornea effect could be done easily with the Highlighter II tool. I also really like your progress on the little girl. Something is not right with her eyes though...I'll have to think some more about that. In the mean time if you could post any sketches of your scene, maybe I could help you with your composition. -Brian
nightwoodwolf
10-11-07, 10:16 AM
i like the lil girl she is funny n looking good, i like her pajamas as well, keep it up :tu:
Thanks for all the input, folks. Nightwoodwolf - I decided a few days ago that I WILL stay in ZBrush for the entire project. Various reasons, the biggest being that polycounts can be too high for other apps, and creating a texture from polypaint is extra steps that I don't need for this project.
I think the problem with the eyes might be that there are no lashes yet. They are too wide at this time...but she is a bit crazed, really, so it should make sense in the long run. I may add eyelids as a subtool with the lashes. Most likely, I wll. Okay, I just decided as I type this that I will do that. It should help. Also, the teeth are going to be redone...I just don't like them as they are.
I think the tea party setting might not be the best idea here, but the rest will remain. She will be torturing him with her "beautification" of him. I don't have any sketches because my sketching skills really stink. I did a few prelims, but they are not worthy of sharing. :) Maybe I can do a previz in poser or something using mannequins. We'll see. I do know already that I will render it looking up from a low camera angle.
Well, several more hours of work and the little girl is finished...for now. Still have 3 weeks to go, so she could change. But here she is in a test pose. It's a lot harder than I thought, at first. The hands are the hardest to pose well, but in any medium, the hands seem to give people alot of trouble.
CharacterStrip-2.jpg
She is so cute... very good ;)
I hope I don't make everyone sick of this little girl before judging begins...but I gave her some plastic surgery. I just didn't like the way she looked...too creepy.
So, here is version 1 (left) and version 2 (right). Which is better?
Two-Girls.jpg
dustbin1_uk
10-13-07, 12:37 AM
the one on the right if your wanting a more real person, though if your going for the creepy doll look the one on the left.Personnaly I choose the one on the right.:tu:
Marsyas
10-13-07, 01:27 AM
The one on the right definitely looks sweeter, though less cartoony. I like the bigger features in proportion to the head in the second one, especially the eyes.
John Strieder
10-13-07, 04:30 AM
I prefer the right one ;)
-WOODY-
10-13-07, 07:42 AM
I like both versions myself, but it all depends on one's own personal taste in what look you are going for. It might be better to go with the left version if the toon look is what you're going for.
The one on the right is probably more proportionately accurate, but then if you want more of a natural look, then it might be more confusing to people to interpret what you are going for: toony or realistic?, semi-realistic or semi-toony?
Typical toon features are: larger eyes, smaller mouth, puffy cheeks, shorter arms and legs, plump midsection, puffy hands, etc.
I think the "creepyness" in here expression is more due to having expressionless eyes. A lot of emotion or demeanor is expressed through the eyes a lot more than what people would think. Having a wide smile with no "feeling" being transmitted through the eyes can be confusing to people in trying to figure out her demeanor.
Google "smiling, laughing, children" to look at various photos of children and notice the eyes then you'll see what I mean.
OK, more work on Chrissy (the name I gave her). I really, really like this face. I hope you all do, too. I'm going to re-make her hair. I don't like the pigtails. I'm thinking maybe a bowl cut of sorts (like Dorothy Hamill, maybe). And it will be either blond or ginger.
Girl Best.jpg
Oh, one more thing. I finally did a concept sketch (I know, I'm working backward). I thought that if I modelled first, then the composition would come to me, and it did. This is a tracing of my original sketch. The little girl standing behind him didn't look right because I drew her too large. So, I just traced the wolf part. Pardon my sketching skills...it's been a very long time.
Wolf-Sketch.jpg
LittleDedder
10-14-07, 11:06 PM
Looks like your moveing right along. Keep up the great work!:)
dustbin1_uk
10-15-07, 01:04 AM
I found myself going round and round in circles on my entry in parts too. I suddenly found I had spent hours just trying to get the perfect 'look' to something.
The best advice I could give is move on to something else and come back to the girl. you'll find that you have no trouble getting her to where you want her with a fresh start after working on something else. Hopefully.
But don't worry, she looks amazing in all her forms so far. ;):tu:
sirquadalot
10-15-07, 04:59 AM
Your newest rendition of Chrissy is looking really good! dustbin1_01 has a good point...if you get stuck or are really slowed down try working on something else for your scene. It helps!
Slosh,
Way to go, loving the additions and the way your going on your project. I personally liked both versions of your lil Chrissy, to me it all depended on what setting you putting them in and what reaction you trying to get for your images "mood". The new Chrissy looks great as well!!!!
All the entrys are looking great, however, keep at it yours is right up there and really looking forward to the completion!! :tu: :tu:
elarcano
10-15-07, 05:54 PM
Hey Slim,
The girl's face is really "nice" looking now. When I said she was a creepy cute lil' girl it was because the expresionless stare -not in a bad way- ;)
I'd stick with the second version. She does look sweeter now.
Love the last face :tu:
Pardon my sketching skills...it's been a very long time
It hasn't been long enough becuase you still have the skills my man ;)
The werewolf really looks like he's in "pain"... maybe you can accentuate a bit more his expression.
Lookingh good Slim... keep them coming :tu:
I almost forgot that we are supposed to share our steps, so here are the elements I have done so far...with as many stages as I could show for each part.
Bear-Steps.jpg
Chair-Steps.jpg
Stool-Steps.jpg
Table-Steps.jpg
Girl-Steps.jpg
elarcano
10-17-07, 04:26 AM
Wow Brian! No wonder you've been so quiet lately... lots and lots of props! Everthing's looking really good man! :tu:
Can't wait to see the werewolf :tu:
dustbin1_uk
10-17-07, 05:12 AM
It's all looking good! there's me thinking you were stuck on the little girl, who looks amazing now by the way. :D:tu:
DMerchen
10-17-07, 07:29 AM
Brian, those are looking nice. You have such a great style!!!
Slosh,
Thanks for sharing, more I see the more I like it as well as motivating it is for me to find time to get back at this again!! I have a feeling this is piece and project is really going to make you shine!! :tu: :tu:
What a nice bunch of comments to come home to. Thank you all very much. I actually am quite proud of this myself as I think it's some of my favorite work to date. Almost don't care about the Cyntiq or the tablets.......ALMOST!!!
dustbin1_uk
10-17-07, 03:31 PM
Well you can give it to me if you win then. ;)
nightwoodwolf
10-17-07, 06:48 PM
you are doing great Slosh :tu:
Here is another WIP step...I've posed the wolfman (mostly. There will be some minor nuance tweaks as the character develops). Obviously needed: texturing, eyes, expressions, asymmetry, ropes for his ankles, etc. I did a test render with the girl standing behind him, but some things need to be saved for the end ;) . I'm worried that posting too much, too soon will cause the voters to be bored with the image before end of contest.
Sitting-Wolf.jpg
Harmonic
10-21-07, 09:54 PM
Right now he looks a bit like Tigger! :lol:
"I'm worried that posting too much, too soon will cause the voters to be bored with the image before end of contest."
I wouldn't worry about that, I would personally be interested to get an idea of what the final will look like.
"I'm worried that posting too much, too soon will cause the voters to be bored with the image before end of contest."
def dont do that man, its always best to keep showing your progress for the entertainment value of your viewers as much as anything, its kind of suspenful, have a look at stumpfs thead, you have all these cool looking elements, but still no one really knows how all these pieces are gonna fit together in the end, you've wrote in words whats going to happen, and there is a rough sketch, but we still won't fully get the composition untill we see the finished piece,
keep it up and keep posting
dustbin1_uk
10-22-07, 12:57 AM
KEEP POSTING!!!!!!!!!!! WIP's WIP's WIP's ..... and more WIP's! We love em, we crave em! We demand sustenance!!!!!........ ahem!
Seriously this is one of my favorite entries so far and I love seeing the progress your making (which is better than me by the way).
Keep it up! :D:tu:
Slosh,
:D Being the artists that we are... well that is exactly why we come here for... the ART!! ehehe
So no need to worry my friend, keep em coming as has been stated the more the better. Never know the more you do the more it might be ingrained in our brain and like the mindless zombies that usually get featured on Zbrushcentral we might all vote for the image that is stuck in our heads.. yours!! ;)
Coming along nicely...tedy bear is awsome and great start on the wolf. Looking forward for your final image.
Just wanted to throw in a word to let everyone know that I am still working on this...not withholding progress from anyone. I've just been doing some physical work for the last week and a half, and I'm too tired after work to do anything. I will get back onto it after tomorrow and should post some results this weekend. I'm going to start over on the wolf. My friends have pointed out that, other than the face, he is too human. More wolf-like legs and a longer, thicker neck should help quite a bit (and yes, Harmonic, he does look like Tigger :lol: )
Anyway, more later. Great work by all the other entrants so far. This is going to be an interesting contest.
nightwoodwolf
10-26-07, 05:25 AM
i was going to drop a line wondering about your updates, finsh your concept its one of my favorites here and there is not alot of time left, good luck. :tu:
threetails
10-26-07, 09:21 AM
everytime i check in on your thread the work just gets better and better, I've learned alot, watching you build each of the componants. cant wait to see it all together.
Well, here is an update. I'm not really happy with it. Luckily, we still have a week to finish. This could end up totally different by then, but I wanted to share what I've been up to.
The facial hair on Wolfie is Photoshop, the render was done in Poser.
Poser-Render.jpg
Just thought I'd throw in a ZBrush render, too. I think I might like this one better, composition-wise. What do you think?
ZBrush-Render.jpg
Plakkie
10-27-07, 12:54 AM
Hahaha! Very nice! He looks at us quite ashamed, but also like he's enjoying himself. :lol:
The pink room does the scene good for me. :tu: :tu:
This is a great thread. I love how you've showen us all the details of how you've gone about making the scene.
Great expression on the Werewolf. Like someone else said, he looks like he's thinking " How the hell did I get into this situation" But at the same time he's thinking "but I like it!".
Pete B
John Strieder
10-27-07, 03:38 AM
The ZBrush-Render is much better! :) The Poser-Render looking a little bit cheap cause of this yellowish-speculars. Plus the wrong spherical-Mapping on the Chair :p
LittleDedder
10-27-07, 03:41 AM
HA HA HA. I have been in this situation:lol:
At first glance, I agree on the composition. The ZBrush render is more visually pleasing. But looking deeper, I don't think it serves the story as well.
- The tea party set becomes just a background element, no longer a forboding sign of things to come. I think it's the same distance away, but there used to be some interplay between the shadows which tied them to the characters. And probably because we lack this, the shadows on the wall serve to seperate the tea party set further from them, linking instead with the background. And maybe having the tea party set more to the right before clued me in on the temporal relationship of "that's coming next." (it's how we read comic books, at least in English speaking countries)
- The girls eyes no longer look affectionately on her work. Less loving, more deranged. I think you were right with her before.
- You've cropped out just enough of the slipper so it's no longer clear that his not having toes was a deliberate and well thought out decision.
- And finally, I think he needs a lot more hair (in either version). Particularly covering his body, and especially his legs -- they look shaved. He needs to be very masculine to contrast what she's done to him. 'cause right now, it's a little ambiguous as to whether she's prettying up a werewolf or werewolfing up a ballerina.
On the whole, I do love where this is going. Just don't let your focus get lost in the details!
I love that advice, Aaron...the best and most useful critique I think I've ever received before. Thank you so much.
The toe cropping happened because my "set" did not extend all the way in ZBrush (you know how it hates to let you get good perspective and want to automatically resize things for you). I like rendering in Poser, so I may just fix up the problems I had in there (like John Streider suggested) and complete a set for the scene. I may try rendering in Bryce as well, just to see if I get a different atmosphere. Maybe...
And ya know, I wasn't actually thinking about the "impending tea-party" anymore. The table and chair were just background filler, but after reading your words, I am more aware of that and must put it in as a third character, of sorts.
Thanks again, and thank-you, too, for all the other comments John S., Dedder, Fizzy, Plakkie. It helps to get feedback and I appreciate all of it.
sasquatchpoacher
10-27-07, 12:12 PM
lol! coming along nicely slosh.
Slosh,
Looking good, and I tend to agree with things said previously about your last render. Its coming along very nicely. I think maybe you could play around with puttin the table in the foreground of your last render toward the left hand corner and brought up to him with the tea set on it making it more part of the scene. As well as putting the bear maybe in a chair adjacent him to "participate" in the party. Also maybe even bring the girl a tad more to the right overlooking his right shoulder. At any rate i'm tight on time at the moment, will be back for more later!! Keep up the solid work!! :tu: :tu:
dustbin1_uk
10-27-07, 04:10 PM
yeah! this looks awesome! others have already given their advice and I hate looking like I'm copying, so I'll just say: Well done on an epic task! this one is up there in the winning class! good job and will check in 1st nov to see the final render!
nightwoodwolf
10-28-07, 03:45 AM
very good Slosh :tu:
Yari Jindou
10-28-07, 09:33 PM
this is awesome slosh! very original idea
threetails
10-28-07, 10:47 PM
that is looking so good, really cool, i like the first render as far as the compositon goes. i think its the postioin fo the child and the look on her face that sells it for me. nice work.
Here is the latest update:
I made some changes to the Werewolf...body hair, new materials for outfit, etc. After the final render, I will probably use the smudge tool to fluff the hairs. I did a test run of it earlier today and it looked good.
The little girl is now wearing green and has blue eyes. I thought there was entirely too much pink in the picture before.
I used the same composition as the Poser render I did before and replicated it in ZBrush. The image you see is a composite in PS of the different elements to get placement. The final render will be one piece, so no jaggies around the figures.
I am working on adding more room elements for visual interest, keeping in mind the advice I've seen you give others about keeping it simple so as not to distract. Shadows are giving me a huge pain, but I'll keep trying.
Composed.jpg
Slosh,
Does me good to see the new lil update, its great to see you doing well with this and pursueing this endeavor to the fullest. The hair changes are definitely better, though with some of the spots on the arms and legs makes me think she shaved him some ehehe. Maybe add some hair on the ground and a shaver might be funny. Also can't wait to see you add a another wall, ceiling, floor and what not to round out the overall room appearance. You should be very estatic with how its going and I'm cheering you all the way to the finish line with this one, keep at it!! :tu: :tu:
Yari Jindou
10-29-07, 09:44 PM
wow this is funnier than the spamalot movie! Great ideas like this do not come along often! i have learned so much keep on making these works of art!
Yari, so nice to hear from you...miss ya girl!
Angel, the spots on the arms and legs will be "fluffed up" like I mentioned in the last post. They will be after the final render as post work. To do it now would make adding background elements difficult, if not impossible. But the shaving idea is kinda funny!!!
Slosh,
Hey bud, ahh I guess I didn't quite catch your meaning then, just appears some parts are hairless on arms and legs is all. My bad, I'm sure you'll continue to impress ;) . Haven't seen yah or anyone on skype lately maybe i'll catch folks one day soon ehehe. Though with all you gotta do I best wait until after the contest.
OK, just thought I'd give everyone an idea of what I'm talking about with the fur. The brown spots are a base for use with the Fiber Brush. I used a texture in ZBrush's texture list to make the fur colors. When I do the final, I will use an actual wolf's fur as the texture. Anyway, with a combination of Fiber Brush, intensity brush, hilighter, smudge, blur, contrast brush (ok, almost all of the 2d brushes), I came up with this five minute fur. Obviously, I will spend much more time on the final to make the fur seamlessly blend with the picture.
I kinda regret picking a werewolf...what a challenge! The best one I've seen for this contest, though, is the one with the flying monkeys (can't remember who did it). And the fur is very difficult with a mouse! (Hint, hint, hint)
Fur-Test.jpg
Slosh,
Nice example, yeah I definitely see what you mean and was sure you where going to do more with it, especially what you learned from doing the Cruella DeVille sculpt and the fiber uses you did on it. I was just talking about the bare spots on the areas of the knees and bicep/tricep area and how that kinda got me thinking of the shaving idea part, I know its a work in progress so maybe those areas just not had any attention yet is all. Definitely appreciate the thought process on how you came up with the example fur.. have yet to mess with fur so I can see it as challengeing to say the least. More info shared is always a good thing!! :D
troy1617
10-29-07, 11:24 PM
it is Kosova hes had some excellent sculpts lately heres his entry very creative http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/showthread.php?t=52081&page=2&pp=15
any ways brian i like how you showed your steps in the process of creating your accessories.
hey its troy... hrmm 3 of the o'l skype gang is here hehe. Only 1 is on skype eep hehe. Yes Kosovas sculpts are nice!
Actually, Angel...Yari stopped into the thread recently, too! And I've had Fidel reply as well. We just need a couple more of us and the gang's all here. Hahaha
Marsyas
10-29-07, 11:34 PM
Ha! Been a while since I checked in. That werewolf's expression is great. Gave me a good laugh. :tu:
Wow. You're using the 2.5D tools to very good effect! If you could record a video when you hit that stage in your final composition, I think the whole community would benefit from a reminder of what's possible there. ;)
(obviously, finishing on time is a higher priority. don't let us distract you either!)
Slosh,
Hey hehe, your right I guess I didn't notice eep. Well as one of the o'l gang I can surely say your doing the o'l Zbrush skype gang proud!!!! Maybe eventually we'll get everyone online sometime.
nightwoodwolf
10-30-07, 03:10 AM
very good Slosh .. i like the werewolf's hair .. good luck :tu:
sirquadalot
10-30-07, 07:10 AM
Hey Slosh, I love the curling rollers in his hair and the expression on the wolf man's face! Have you tried to paint a fiber material on the dropped model? I have found the fibers render better when painted over depth as opposed to geometry.
threetails
10-30-07, 09:19 AM
Slosh, looking great, i think fur is the hardest thing to do, its why so many of my creatures are all fleshy, but its working well so far. good luck to you.
Sirquadalot, I'm not sure exactly what you mean...are you talking about the fiber material, or the fiber brush? The example I've shown is with the fiber brush on the flattened image (no 3d info). Basically, after exporting the rendered image, I reloaded it with Document:Import and the image filled the layer with flat material. Then painted the fibers on with the fiber brush and a texture selected (gives the variation in colors). Used other 2.5d tools to smooth out the rough spots.
I did try using the fiber material at one point, but there is little control over the direction of the fibers that way. If you've ever seen my Cruella DeVille picture, her fur coat is with fiber material, but since the fibers all hung down by gravity, it was not difficult to get them to look right. This, on the other hand, has many directional variations due to the pose, so I chose the fiber brush.
I would really like to know more about what you are talking of. Maybe it will be helpful to me (although time is ticking away!)
Ctrl-Z: so glad to get another feedback from you. I will attempt to record a video after the competition is over, whether I win or not. I think people could use the info. I did record a zscript a few years ago showing my use of the fiber brush. I've attached a thumbnail of a kitten I did with it back then.
boozy floozie
11-01-07, 06:30 PM
Good luck fella - great results and wonderful twist on the concept.
This is a last minute teaser...I am working on finishing up the elements that frame the final image...P.O.V is from outside the house, looking in through a window. There will be a large branch crossing below the window and an owl, possibly some windchimes with a lunar theme to them. Just trying to work out the lighting kinks on that part, but didn't want to leave y'all hanging. Almost at the end, aren't we?
!New-Halloween.jpg
Seavannah
11-02-07, 12:13 AM
ha ha that's a good one. red ridding hood finally got one up on the wolf love it.
Slosh,
I know I'm not the only one waiting for the final on this one!! Keep it up, long live the skype gang! :cool:
dustbin1_uk
11-02-07, 06:59 AM
This is looking better and better every time! I am so impressed with how this is looking! Can't wait to see the final render!
Well, I hope this cuts the mustard. It was a definite learning experience, among other emotions.
Everything was done in ZBrush. Modelling, rendering, postwork. The only think I did in Photoshop was to add the text and my signature, and resize to fit ZBrushCentral. The actual full resolution final is 1280 X 1024 and has been sent to Pixologic. Good luck to everyone!
Halloween-Final-ZB-Entry.jpg
sasquatchpoacher
11-02-07, 08:35 AM
Wow! Nice job! Window really pulls it all together.
Ha ha, turned out great. It's been great fun watchng these pieces come together.
Good Luck, I reckon you're in with a good chance.
pete B
Jason Belec
11-02-07, 09:10 AM
Yup, that would turn my hair grey as well! ;) Oh, wait it already is....
dustbin1_uk
11-02-07, 09:10 AM
Nice one slosh! this is amazing work! I am proud to say I have watched this come together since the beggining of the contest and you've done a fantastic job. Well done! :D:tu:
LittleDedder
11-02-07, 09:59 AM
really nice work
Marsyas
11-02-07, 10:37 AM
Looks great, Slosh! The coloring and rendering came out really nice.
marcus_civis
11-02-07, 10:53 AM
What fun! Great work and good luck!
Blaine91555
11-02-07, 11:02 AM
:lol: Nice work. Good luck with the competition.
Slosh,
This came together very very nicely. Your hard work paid off!! Sometimes its hard to understand just how much a image takes to complete and energy needed for the task isn't usually noticeable to the viewers. I was fortunate to get some of the inside scoop of what you did for this piece, tons of which never showed up in the original. This project was a great experience i'm sure and you made the most of it, it shows in your work!:tu::tu:
You nailed it, Angel. This was soooo much work, as any of the contestants will probably agree. I posted it at 11:30ish my time and proceded to fall asleep and take a long 6 hour nap. I was exhausted at the end. Thanks so much for all your feedback and your "second set of eyes." Your help was invaluable.
I really appreciate all the support and encouraging words that the members of the community have given. It's very affirming to hear positive comments and you've made my month a very happy one, artistically. Cheers to all.
spaceboy412
11-17-07, 12:47 AM
hey why not try using zbrush next time :lol:
dustbin1_uk
11-18-07, 01:22 AM
Hey Brian! Now the forums are unlocked again I just wanted to offer my congratulations on this. I'm not sure if everyone grasps just how much work went into this, especially as Brian was learning the whole time this was going on. You all may not realize this but as the contest was going on Brian was also running back and forth to other new peoples threads and offering advice and motivation the whole way. Simply put he spent a mammoth amount of time on the whole competition and when I look at all the fiddly little details that went into his image I am simply inspired by the effort.
Even after the forums were locked he was PM'ing and offering encouragement. Thanks for that man.
Well done Slosh. As far as I am concerned you deserved a prize simply for the effort you put in the whole competition, not to mention a terrific image which is hilarious too boot.
Definitely well said Dustbin1_UK, couldn't agree more nor couldn't say it any better. Glad others feel the same way cause as I mentioned to slosh before seems like ultra realism, wrinkles, or zombies pretty much the big zbc preference.
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