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Elfquest Sculpting Odyssee

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#121

This wasn’t easy… I made many failed attempts trying to make a peacock feather. I could have done it with a texture, but I wanted to have a fully 3D one. At the end the only thing that was left to me was to make al the little feather pens myself. I made a basic one from a Sphereinder3D, exported it to Lightwave and did the cloning there (was quicker). After that I spend much time tweaking, moving and nudging the little pens into the right shape, and creating extra pens. I couldn’t make them too small, 'cause of the AA.
When the shape was right I used Strict’s peacock texture (thanks so much! :+1: ) and converted it to polypaint like he advised.

[attach=72037]clothing4.jpg[/attach]

I like the result, I think it’s the best I can do right now. What do you guys (and girls) think? Does it feel in place?

Attachments

clothing4.jpg

#122

I think is cool Plakkie! :smiley: :cool:

#123

Well, if Piz says it’s cool, I will get on with it. (grazie Piz! :smiley: )
I couldn’t resist another future glimps, so here goes, wíth a thumbnail test:

[totaalflimp_tumb.jpg]totaalflimp_mail.jpg

So… what’s next? I will revise the vest tomorrow, and after that I’ll have to look at boots. A respectable Elf can’t do without some supple leather boots! I need to do some more assesories: sword and scabbard (I’ll probably use Lightwave again for this), and the golden arm-ring (with two small red feathers if I understand the drawings). I musn’t forget the hair ribbon too. (sign of the tribe leader)

Then comes a much dreaded thing: joining neck and head. Made some tries that succeded, but at the cost of destroying the mouth geometry for some reason. I have to decide if I have the courage to do the mouth all over again.

When that’s done it will be revision time. Coming back to the face, adding good eyes will be a new thing for me, doing eyebrows and eyelashes, looking at the face again to see if I can improve the resemblance some more, and the hair… the hair!! :o

I don’t dare to look further then that yet. My respect for those hardworking artists that can nock up such a model in a few days grows with the hour.

#124

Made a second vest:

[Secondvest.jpg](javascript:zb_insimg(‘72114’,‘Secondvest.jpg’,1,0))

The form is closer to the drawings I feel. I don’t know about the fur yet. I think I can improve it somehow. A bit of clumping wouldn’t go amiss, but how… I’ll do some more experimenting.

As you can see I also tried to fill in the eyes. Proved very hard, and right now it looks a bit rediculous. I really don’t know what is the best technique. I used a huge photograph of an eye, tweaked the colors, and painted it in with dragdot and the image as texture. Anyone know a good material as base for the eyeball? As the eyes are so important I think it will be some time before I’ll get them right.
Well, 's been a productive weekend. Hope I can make some more sculpting time soon!

#125

Plakkie its looking very cute :smiley:

#126

This is really coming along Plakkie, the vest is looking better. Better than the results i was getting, I was having the same hang ups about Clumping aswell and I was getting reasonable results using the pinch tool to bring areas together. But havn’t had the time to refine it, but maybe you could try it out and see where you get.

I certainly think this tecknique is good area to play with, I also tried it out on hair styles as well, again bring up larger strands into spikes and use the nudge and move tools to style.

Maybe a seperate thread should be made where people can post their experiments using the method.

As for the character, he’s looking Dandy. Like the trousers and Loin cloth.

:+1: :+1: :+1: :+1: :wink:

#127

Thanks Wicked! Although cute isn’t what I’m going for. (I hate cute elfs :evil: :smiley: )
I would be so happy if in the end I could make this guy sensual, cool and volatile… That’s where the artistry comes in I guess.

Thanks Panstar! I will try pinch. :+1: Also I have the idea that using snakebrush in a lower subdivision with larger masked spots first would make for more clumping, but I have to try that.
I would applaud a thread about doing hairstyles and fur in real geometry! I was thinking about just that thing the last few days. At the moment I don’t have much time to make such a thread, and I want to finish this sculpt first. After that I probably would start one, just to learn. But Panstar, if you are eager to start one sooner, then go for it! :sunglasses:

#128

Wow Buddy! I leave my seat for a few moments and you came up with another future vision! :+1:

I really like how you did the peacock feather :+1:
Nice to see things are fitting man

Reagarding the eye material here’s a pretty nice one that Elixir generously donated to the community

Keep the updates coming buddy :+1:

#129

looking good.
may i suggest 1 little thing?..necklace a bit shiny for the bling bling effect.
use a glossy matcap and put a yellow texture in that is heavy on red noise.
elixer made some nice eyes indeed…but you might want to make a slight adjustmend to them by enlarging the pupils to give him the child/elf like look.
i’ll have to look up how i enlarge the texture inside a matcap…or just make a bigger texture and put that in hahaha…shortcuts…hmmm

#130

Glad you like it Fidel! (a.k.a. Buddy :laughing: ) And thanks for the link; that looks really promising!

Strict, I totally agree about da bling. :smiley: I have so little experience with altering matcap materials that I just left it at this quick throw on matcap. I’ll try out what you describe to get a deeper color.
And if you can find a way to alter the pupil size of the Matcap texture I would be most grateful! Indeed these guys need much larger pupils. Another problem is that his eyes 'aint round! At the time I made them I made ovals to fit the wholes. Maybe I should do them again and go for normal and round and see if they fit the geometry…
Thanks again for thinking with me! :+1: :+1:

#131

Couldn’t resist trying it quickly before work! :wink:

[eye2.jpg](javascript:zb_insimg(‘72182’,‘eye2.jpg’,1,0))

It looks like round eyeballs give a more natural effect. They are huge. That’s nocturnal creatures for you!
There is still an uncomfortable difference between his right eye (which looks OK) and his left. They aren’t symmetrical. Have to see if I can alter that (no subdiv history on this head.
But, Elixir’s eye material is a big improvement, I’ll have to thank him on the specific thread! :+1: I used his first eye mat now, it comes with a loose texture that I will alter to look more like Cutter’s eyes. (darker blue, larger pupil)
It strikes me how my models face needs more work! It doesn’t really look like him. I don’t mind though, working on the face after all that time seems fun again. :laughing:

Finally off to work!
Plakkie

#132

He looks not so bad Plakkie! :smiley:
In my opinion you should do only one thing: try to add an expression… I think in this way you may add a little bit of vitality on this Guy. :wink:
Anyway for me is good! :+1: :sunglasses:
Bravo!

#133

Thanks Piz. :slight_smile: I will give him an expression evetually during the revision of all the parts. I must learn patience. :lol:

#134

plak…check out the matcap repository for some bling :wink:
also i looked up what to do the change the size of the eyes…it’s the sperical slider under material/modifiers…however…when it’s set to 0…which is max fold over…than thats it…you’ll have to adjust the texture…you can make it smaller ->the bigger number you go up…less fold over…so there is a bit of play.

ps sorry for the wrong advice…the red noise is dead set ugly…so to make it up, i made some gold for the repository
enjoy,
strict

#135

I shizzle your dope bling Strict! :sunglasses:

It’s a bit too shiny for my taste with Cutter’s jewelry, so I’m sticking with a darker version of my old material (made by Mahlicus the Black :+1: ). Hope you don’t mind. :wink:
I have enlarged the pupils and made another try at putting them in the right place on the eyes. Better again I think, he’s starting to look at me instead of looking stunned. :roll_eyes: Have to tone down the bloodshot corners. Looks like he’s had to much ‘dreamberries’. :laughing:

[eye3.jpg](javascript:zb_insimg(‘72240’,‘eye3.jpg’,1,0))

#136

i don’t mind at all…you do know that the shine can be reduced to…nothing hehehe

#137

I do I do! :lol:

#138

Hi Plakkie!
I don’t know if that can be useful for the problem of single spotlight on the eyes… but I thought of send to you this Mat.
For a double eyeballs united in a single mesh is working :smiley:

occhiforplakkie.jpg

#139

Why thanks Piz!! You guys are great. :+1: :smiley: Will try it out when I have some official free time again. You say it has to be applied over two eyes in one mesh?

#140

… Excuse me Plakkie, I tested it now and works also on multiple subtool! Yuppie! :smiley: