MAKING MENTAT'S MONSTROUS EYES....a tutorial (Step 1: Making eyes !!EDITED!!)

[Mentat7]

Let me start by saying this is not the definitive way to make eyes. There are many ways in which eyes can be made. I do find this process however gives me much finer control over the creation of eye maps. A forum member asked that I share my technique for finishing off eyes in a piece. I figured the best approach would be to start at well....the beginning. So here is the first step in that process. The creation of the actual eye. This is dedicated to Krippler.

My method for creating eyes isn't much different than the standard way of drawing a sphere, color it in with symmetry turned on blah,blah,blah. However there are 3 significant differences in the way I approach this technique.

1) I draw the eyemap on the Sphere3D. I create a basic map that can then be edited and fine tuned.

2) I convert the colors to texture (TOOLS>MODIFIERS>TEXTURE...COL>TXF). I then fill a layer with the texture and use various tools and brushes to edit it. I make extensive use of the fibre brush to make "noise" in the eye. I use the shading enhancer, dragdot, various alpha brushes and many other tools to introduce various detail into the map. After I finish the map I use the MRGBZ grabber (with autocrop turned OFF) and grab the texture. I wrap a new sphere with it to see how it looks and repeat the process if it needs additional tweaking.

3) I use the toyplastic material with reflection set to -25 and reflection graph set very steep on the right. I set the material to Gelshading 1.

These three things are probably what make my eyes "unique" to my style. Another thing that I do and I recommend this to everyone is get pictures out of magazines. Preferably glamour and beauty mags. They will always have closeup pictures of beautful women with beautiful eyes. These pictures can be invaluable in helping you paint a realistic texture. Study the coloring, texture, and form of the eyes. Great stuff there!

I have included two scripts that will produce the two eyes below. I suggest you turn SHOW ACTIONS on in the script menu and set the delay speed up really high if you have problems following along. Unfortunately I am not a script guru otherwise I would have attempted to annotate the scripts for you. The next step in the process will cover placement of the eyes and the prep/post work I do during that process. The third and final installment in this series will cover lighting and its affects on the other two preceding steps and how I accomodate the image to make it all work.

This file Eye Script.zip will create the eye in figure 1

This file Monster Eye Script.zip will create the eye in figure 2




Here are two more scripts to observe and help you in your practice.

This file Blue Eye.zip will create the eye in figure 3.

This file Green Monstrous Eye.zip will create the eye in figure 4.

[Ron Harris]

once again you kicked major bootyage with this tut...I just learned some things after running the script....ie fill color on an object....geeeez...its always the little things we over look...thnx big guy the scripts work great

[wenna]

Thanks Mentat! I think your eyes are the most real, even the monster ones, just what you would expect a monster eye to look like! Lots of and more! Can't wait for the next step!

[Nemo]

Ya thanks alot for the nice tut and the examplescripts - these eyes look really good

[banez]

thank man
you don't need to be a Guru to add Note try this. http://www.pixolator.com/zbc-bin/ult...c&f=1&t=005972
practice on a small zscript.
you can read the code EZ here is a sample
[IPress,TOOL:Sphere3D]
all that tells you is you selected the (sphere3D) in the (Tool) pallete.

IPress = you pressed it.
were did you press it from (Tool) pallete
and what did you press (Sphere3D)

[Stargo]

Thanks Mentat, your scripts are great

stargo

[MrBraun]

Very very good way to make eyes Mentat!!

[[EA]Krippler]

thats great mentat7, i really appreciate you going through all this trouble. i know ill learn tonnes from this. thanx again.

[Stonecutter]

You know I'll be checking this out, Lonnie!
Thanks for the time and trouble...

[Grub]

Thank you Mentat, your eye method is super.

[insanesooner]

Thanks Lonnie, this will be very helpful.

[Slosh]

Lonnie, just finished watching the first eye script, and I have to tell you, I was mesmerized. The end result is superb, and I think I will stop using the eye textures that I've been borrowing and start making my own. This is the most helpful script I have seen in a long time. Thank-you X 1000!

[DeeVee]

I do not do much modeling but I will run them with the idea that I can learn something to add to my technique. Thanks for sharing.
Joe

[Neoz]

Just ran 3 of the scripts... Kickass Lonnie. Your eyes are so real looking...

Now if I could just get mine to look 1/2 that good.

[Mentat7]

Thanks Neoz but hopefully that is what these scripts will help you to accomplish....build a better eye. Just remember the sky's the limit when tweaking those glittering jewels!