Style Matrix - week 2

This week started off with more troubles than successes as I followed a tutorial that formed the human form out of a series of spheres. It took me a while to look into how to make the new spheres ( newly created sub tools) all part of the same sub tool in order to build clay upon them and extract the form that way. My first issue was figuring out how to make them attached and the second was that no amount of smoothing or clay build up hid the seams where the spheres met. To this day I don’t know how to do it. In the tutorial it seemed to just work but I don’t know if it’s because it’s an older version of the programme or if there is a mode that needs to be pressed some adaptive skin or something I don’t know either way. It was fast becoming a monumental waste of time.

I decided to switch methods and start using dynamesh instead of spheres. Dynamesh was more effective as its one continuous sphere and can be subdivide when polys become too stretched. It essentially re-topologies but on a smaller scale. From this the basic mesh can be made and later subdivided when it comes to adding the deeper details, creases, folds in clothing, small notches in facial features extra. Anyway by Thursday I had a full figure with trouser most of the clothing features having a good amount of detail worked into them. I had heavily focused on the trousers the most as I felt this was the selling point of the character and what made the character uniquely mine.

Speaking with Lecturer Custo about the look of the model he felt the aesthetic of the trousers resembled more like melted candle wax and almost gloopy visually rather than the strong yet softly folded but sagging clothing I was aiming for. Before he had given me feedback I was relatively happy with the look of my character but after looking back at my mood boards and at new reference images I do agree the folds in the material were too forced and looked too thick to mimic the material I wanted. Initially I was disappointed that I couldn’t move on to re-topologising but then I realised that the issue had to be addressed before continuing. So I spent most of my Friday remaking the trouser legs to look softer and more gentle rather than exaggerated and harsh. I think I have achieved that goal in the side by side comparison. I found the flatten tool brush very useful to create the natural folds in cloth flattening then creasing along the edge rather than building up creases with the standard brush. The standard volume building brush is really effective for bunched up fabric thought as I found on the bottom of the trousers where I needed to simulate the trouser leg narrowing and being bunched into the tops of the boots, which in my case are pull up loose leather boots.

Before

Paint over alteration

After

I am getting a bit worried about the lack of time left. Only one week and I still don’t have my lower poly model of my aviator character. Starting to panic as essentially I need to re-topologise the whole model, fit the straps, bake the maps and texture the character as well as write a written piece to accompany the model all before next Friday. I’m sure if I put as much time into it as possible it is achievable. I’m sure when I look back and write my review I will have a different outlook on my decision to branch into learning Zbrush but for no I support the choice I made. Even though it was incredibly difficult to get started I adore the programme itself. Its such an organic way of modelling which I find much easier than box modelling or plane extrusion modelling in 3DS max. After my degree I realise Im most likely going to end up in prop/ environment 3D modelling rather than anything 2D. The dream is to be able to model characters so I’m glad I learnt a bit of Zbrush so I can improve as well as applying my skills to my FMP.