George Seaman - first posted project / WIP

[Gseaman3D]

Hello everyone, been snooping around zbc for a while, finally have something I wouldnt mind showing off to the 3d community. It's still a work in progress, and im still just learning Zbrush, started using the program this past January (2010), and already I am going to need some questions answered when the time comes haha :P But till then please feel free to critique away

my concept

(p.s.I have no idea what I was thinking when I sketched in the dog. I dont think I was even trying at that point)

[demonfetus]

Congrats on breaking the ice. I too will be making my own sketchbook thread soon. Anyhow, the concept is interesting but it is very sketchy and its hard to critique since you can pretty much go wild filling in the details. If you already did a lot of research on the look you want maybe on future posts elaborate on that. Looking forward to some more progress pics.

Good Luck

[Gseaman3D]

and the model





as on right now my sculpting isnt my strongpoint just yet. I spend most of my time playing around in max,doing an assortment of theorycrafting. The chainmail sleeves and scale pattern were my latest achievements. The chainmail sleeves are rigged and posable actually, the scale pattern, was actually easier to do than I thought, so its prolly nothing special

(yes I know the elbow sticks out its still a prototype XD)

my biggest goal was to recreate chainmail that doesnt stretch or compress when it bends, instead folds in as it should (I played with chainmail during high school a bit, its a fun hobby of mine) I dont know how to rig it to a plane / cloth modifier tho, but thanks to Max Kor i know I need Maya to do that :/
this high poly rig technically should work just as well with a series of low poly, textured cylinders. unfortunately I got side tracked and never finished that project. when I do a low res it'll give me a reason to pick up where I left off there

G

[Gseaman3D]

Congrats on breaking the ice. I too will be making my own sketchbook thread soon. Anyhow, the concept is interesting but it is very sketchy and its hard to critique since you can pretty much go wild filling in the details. If you already did a lot of research on the look you want maybe on future posts elaborate on that. Looking forward to some more progress pics.

Good Luck

I had the other stuff done its just I didnt figure out how to upload multiple files until this morning. most of my concepts are mostly fast gesture drawings like that so crtiques on them arent expected. thanks tho!

[Gseaman3D]

hmm I thought my reply to you went through, demon. Anyhow thanks for the attempt to critique, and I wanted to post my 3d models up with the concept at the same time, but I didnt know how to do multiple images, until I realized you had to close the upload box before being able to open it again >< But yes my concept drawings are mostly loose gesture drawings now so critiques on them aren't expected, I try to keep up on my traditional / 2d but I hadn't produced anything noteworthy since my second year in college, around the same time I started learning how to use 3d max, ironically enough.

thx again
G

[demonfetus]

No problem. Looking at the model with the chain-mail and everything, it comes together nicely. It's a good thing you are doing theorycrafting on rigging and animation as you go too. To me everything looks great so far. I am curious to see how you did the chainmail and the coat. I seem to have a problem producing patterns and scales

[Gseaman3D]

you're not the only one who's curious about the scale pattern Unfortunately im still working on the method, im running into a lot of errors that causes max to crash. i worked around a few of them but I wanted to make a tutorial about that after I have it working properly. no sense in leading people down a broken path, eh? Not to keep any secrets from anyone but Skin Wrap modifier and the snap toggle, and a lot of patience are major players haha.

also I cracked the trick to dynamic chainmail in max earlier this morning/late last night, just a matter of creating it on a mass scale without max crashing every step

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1420906131494&comments&ref=notif&notif_t=video_comment#!/video/video.php?v=1420906131494&ref=mf

I uploaded a video of my test on my facebook page, where if people really really wanted to they could see all the other crap I've been up to since I started 3d modelling

and if the link doesnt work for any reason I apologize in advance

[Gseaman3D]

So I spent a lot of my free time figuring out how best to apply patterened armor. What worked nicely for the scale pattern unfortunately does not work as well for chainmail, nor does it work nicely on complicated shapes, i.e anything that isnt a perfect cylinder. Needless to say, I came up with a solution, which drew more problems, mostly relating to how to handle such a task without making my computer cry. Again, a solution was obtained however it leaves seams in the chain pattern which displeases me greatly. but overall, I guess I can't complain too much.

Another major change added to the character is his revised arms. initially I did want full chain sleeves, but A) the aforementioned problem caused me to reconsider, and B) friends say it doesn't make for a very exciting silhouette, which I had to agree.


Any crits or comments are more than welcome, but I hope you like it, i'm very anxious to start on his weaponry and accessories

[Gseaman3D]

one more thing I forgot to include, a closeup on his handwraps and bracer seams. I once read up on a tutorial on doing wraps, the guy demonstrated on a model of Thor, if people are familiar with that tutorial, but I didnt find it to my liking for some reasons at the time. if anyone knows another tutorial / method on sculpting handwraps, I'd greatly appreciate the input,

[Morgaine]

Hi, Gseaman
I like and it and it's an amazing work, awesome...chapeau.

How to do, if I haven't max or maya?

[Gseaman3D]

@Morgaine - how to do, these patterns if you haven't max or maya?
Make a single scale / ring in zbrsh, append, move into position. copy, rinse repeat :\ annd glad you like it btw!

and the hat is (assuming that's what you're referring to) is called an arming cap

[Gseaman3D]

so when I realized how bad my first attempt at handwraps were, it was very upsetting for me to look at and I revised them. im gonna revise the bracers as well, so currently they are deleted, and im gonna redo the sleeve as a separate mesh as well. Unfortunately the past couple of days I didnt get nearly as much done as I wanted, but I did finish the handwraps on his left hand (doing them asymmetrically, too much difference to just be symmetrized / moved around)



the edges still looks more like a little schoolgirl's dress as opposed to frayed burlap, but eh :(

[rbarton]

It's looking pretty good, they look more like wrapps for cuts rather than for fighting. Not sure if thats what you want. The wraps I did are more of a boxing were the wrappings go between the fingers and arond the knuckles. I would find as much reference as you can fore the type of wraps you want. Once you have the all the reference you need block out the basic path with the ClayTubes brush using the lazy mouse for steady strokes. Then I would go back and use the hpolish or mpolish brush to clean up the wraps. Once you have the wraps cleaned I would go in and add the tearing and ripping effects. Look for some images of torn ankle or hand wraps so you can get an idea of how the materials wares out and rips aparts. You can't beat good reference. Keep up the good work.

[Gseaman3D]

Normally I make all my base meshes in Max, more control of keeping the topology clean, making the english mastiff strictly in Zbrush for a change

I feel guilty kinda for posting such little a small addition as this, but I just wanted to knock the base mesh out of the way as I dont have enough references to want to start sculpting the dog yet, nor do I have an idea of how I want it posed


@Rbarton: Thanks for that I am in the process of making his other handwrap more towards your critique. My reference was using a sports wrap that has just a single loop to attach to the thumb, and I just wrapped it around my hand to see the pattern. I dont play sports so it didnt really cross my mind to see just how it should be applied. the purpose of his handwraps is just to add support to his wrists. I'm not good at hands so I actually liked how his came out, and didnt want to completely cover the fingers / knuckles :p I could settle for "bandaged wound" for that one but for his other hand i'm wrapping it a little more supportive from what I've seen online. Thanks again :)

[Gseaman3D]

Still a WIP, blocking out the basic form and muscles. the dog isn't going to have much accessories, the spiked collar and possibly some kind of harness with a pouch attached to the chest, like a medicine bag or something. idk im still just focusing on the dog for right now. nails will be added separately.

playing with the color scheme and modifying matcaps, not a final render