Skylebones - Void Pirate - WIP Contest Entry

I've decided to make an entry for the Space Battle Character Contest by Mixamo ( Thread here ). I've never done a female character before, and figure this is a great opportunity to try my hand at it and learn something. I'll post my progress/workflow along the way.

Here she sits currently. I spent the weekend blocking out her basic form in zbrush using dynamesh.



For those who are curious, here is the base mesh I created in Softimage on Friday and brought over to zbrush. It's quick and ugly, and I'm almost embarrassed to post it. but it worked well as a starting point for my zbrush model and it shows how this started.



Next up, do some concept paintings over my model and bring my zbrush model into 3D coat to create a retopo'd low poly mesh to block out the clothing/armor/artificial limb bits.

Thanks for checking it! I'll have some more progress soon and any feedback would be awesome.

 

Great looking start Skylebones.

Might be your first female sculpt but not your first time in zBrush.

Just a question, you have some triangles in the base mesh you imported into zBrush any reason you didn't make the entire mesh quads? Do you remove the pucker problem with trim dynamic brush, or something along those lines?

Can't wait to see more. P.S. Amazing work on your site. Honored to have someone like yourself entering!

 

Hey thanks!

I didn't worry about cleaning up the base mesh before bringing it into zbrush because of the new dynamesh tool that came out in the latest version. It rebuilds your mesh on the fly and instantly turns the geometry into even spaced quads. It's really an awesome feature for quickly sculpting an object with no worry about topology. But it does have a limited poly count, so you can't get the super detail in there like the regular zbrush mode.

 

Yikes, I'll have to look into Dynamesh. I've been using z4 for a while now.

Thanks, looking forward to updates

 

I was about to post what stramit just mentioned: I really like the fact the she is more realistically propotioned. Totally tired of the overly skinny perfect looking female models you see in every game.

 

Agreed on the proportions. I think the clavicles and neck could use a tiny bit more love, mainly talking about the visual of the Sternocleidomastoid. I think there is something very sexy about it when you can see it connecting to the clavicles. Just a thought.

You make me want to kick off my own WIP thread and enter!

 

Thanks for the comments guys! I was aiming to make something stylized, but without the ridiculous proportions.

TheLlama - Thanks for the feedback, I'll rework that area. You should enter, you've got some awesome character models on your blog and the more the merrier.

 

Cheers to that bro, I'm in. I'll get something fired up tonight!

 

Awesome! Glad to hear that.

Here is my first pass at a concept.I want to do a couple more concepts, then I'll pick one and refine the detail from there. Still have plenty of time to get the design right.

 

Joined up

I'll be watching your thread. This is exciting I haven't done a character model in ages! I need to get my skills back.

Cheers,
-Llama

 

Great start!

Joining in too!

 

The base sculpt is great and the concept looks solid - got a bit of a gunslinger feel with the slanted belt.

Not too sure about the forearm/gloves, I think they could use more contrast to break the detail apart (like the black around the thighs)

 

Thanks for the feedback, I'm almost done with my concept. I reworked the bracers based on your suggestion. I'll have that soon.

In the mean time, I took my mesh out of zbrush and created a new base mesh using the auto-retopo tools in 3d coat.



I'll use this to block out the clothes and armor bits over my high poly model.

 

Great retopo, I would be interested to learn more about this auto retopo in 3d coat.

I got to say for retopo I'm very pleased with modo601's new tools. Are you manly a 3d coat guy? I would be interested to know what programs you use in your pipelines.

Cheers!

 

Lol I never knew that about 3D Coat. My mate uses it all the time too and often makes sexualized female character models. The crazy rules of religion finding their way into a 3D app, who would have thought it.

 

@Beyond? What on earth does religion have to do with this?

 

He referred to my post I deleted ( I thought it was not so good to hijack this thread with that)

I wrote that:

 

Hmm how did that happen the post has dissapeared. The guy explained that the 3D coat makers request their product is not used for such things as sexual female characters and such like as they are religous and would be against their beliefs.

I just found it funny as I have a friend who is a concept artist who uses 3D Coat all the time for such things. Again I have no idea where the post above me has gone.

Edit - Ah there it is ^^^^

 

Wow... I'll avoid any comments but thanks for sharing. News to me.

 

Great start Skyle, basemesh looks good. The concept says pirate, but I think maybe you could visualize the cyborg a bit more. Maybe you will in the detail, but I guess maybe some more robot'ish part might help. Just a thought looking forward to more updates.

 

Thanks for the comment 3dviewpoint! I really wanted to keep the cyborg bits to a minimum, mostly to the robotic limb. But maybe I'll try and concept out some more stuff. And glad you entered!

Here is my latest concept that I made over the weekend. I think I may try modeling some of this stuff out and refine my concept as I go along.

 

Hurry up and model it so I can see the finished thing!

 

I love the cyborg arm mate, super sweet concept and I think it will look great with the model too. Looking forward to seeing that pirate gal in real polys! I wish I could draw like that, I have to visualize most thing in my mind and then model it heh. Keep up the good work!

 

Really like the new design over. Really like the hat and arm design. Nice addition of the skulls and the little peek of the cleavage

She's got to be a little sexy she's a space pirate!

 

Looks great skylebones i've always loved your work, Good luck!

 

Just had a look at your webpage .. Wow! love the ghostrider. Im looking forward to see how this model you are building is gonna turn out.

 

Thanks guys!
Been too long since I've posted an update. Starting to block out the high-poly work. Then I'll take it to zbrush and finish it all up!

 

Very nice Bones!

 

Looking good

 

Thanks guys!

I'm in a scramble to get it done. Buying a house and that is taking a lot of my free time.

Started the zbrush work a couple hours ago. Need to have the high poly done by Wednesday to leave room for the lowpoly, bake, and texture painting.

 

Looking awesome!
Hat reminds me of M. Bison a little bit

 

Looks great! I didn't notice the metal shin guards before - they're awesome

 

Here is the low poly. I'm scrambling to get the UV's done so I have time to bake/texture. It's standing around 10,000 poly's. I need to get this UV mapped, then I'll clean up where I can.

 

Looking Brilliant! So close to the finish!

 

Looks really great so far. I'm looking forward to sseing the textures

 

looks awesome, great looking lowpoly work there. Get going on that UV-layout, want to see some textures on this great piece of work Keep on trucking

 

gonna be awesome !

 

Thanks guys! I just finished UV mapping. Time for some baking and textures.

 

Great news, the Contest has been extended based on contestants requesting more time. We've agreed to end the contest by one week.

The new END DATE is MAY 4th @ 11:59PM PST

If you have already submitted feel free to refine the entry and resubmit! Otherwise, we'll see you at the end of the contest!

 

Here is my finished entry.







Surprised I got it done. During the contest I bought a house and fly out of state for a week. Lot of fun and feel good about it.

 

Looks great Skylebones, love the textrue work, especially the wrist and shin guards - they have a very Imperial feel to them. Good luck

 

Love the cool colour tone. Well done and good luck

 

congrats on finishing with a great piece! Best of luck in the comp!

 

Looks awesome man. I really like the way she came out! Congrats on the house and finished model .

-Dane

 

Great result! Clothing is awesome!

 

nice job pal!!! really love how it turned out!