Nina // Where the Heart Turns to Steel
Nina // Where the Heart Turns to Steel
Real-time character — Think Tank Training Centre Mentorship Project
I’m proud to share my final project completed during the Mentorship Term at Think Tank Training Centre.
Full post on ARTSTATION
Based on the concept “Nina” by the talented Jude Smith , this character was a thrilling challenge to bring into a more realistic, grounded style while preserving the essence of the original design. The concept, originally stylized pushed me to rethink many elements—especially the mechanical components of the arms and legs—to make them functional in a real-time setting. Every joint, panel, and cable was designed with movement in mind.
All hard surface parts were created using Boolean workflows in ZBrush, followed by retopology in Maya. I spend some time giving to joint function and articulation, which greatly supported the rigging process. The jacket was simulated in Marvelous Designer, and textures were created from scratch in Substance 3D Painter. I used a base mesh from MetaHuman to take advantage of its topology and rig features, and XYZ maps for the facial details to enhance realism.
Here are some of the technical specs:
Total Tris: 250,015
Hair: 37,788 tris
Gun: 53,511 tris
This piece would not have been possible without mentorship of Felipe Chaves , who guided me throughout every phase of production—even beyond the official term. His mentorship gave me the knowledge and structure to grow into a more complete character artist.
And thank you Peter Raoul Evans for being around our global mentor sessions you made it fun to work on this project and gave me the best advices and tips when I was stuck.
