Image Planes

I've done image planes in Maya before so its not new to me. However I had to refresh my memory on this for another class. All the other models I made in this project have been modeled without image planes. Although I did this model for another class I think it was good for refreshing my memory and helping me with this one. 



My Model Progress with Image Planes:

Its a fetus. (Long story...) Its good having a break from modeling stuff for this project and modeling for something completely different.

Modeling in Maya (props, Kettle)

I modeled this with the same technique as the mug before. This way easier and quicker too.

BPR Transparency Experiment

Hard Surface Modeling (props, Mug)

Tutorial: 
I want to improve my modeling skills in Maya. I can model in Maya but I want to learn more short cuts etc to make modeling more efficient better executed. I started off learning how to model a mug (I know, really easy but I learnt a lot in this tutorial that I had forgotten)


My Mug: 
I learnt how to use the extrude tool more successfully (I've only used it while on face mode and not object mode.) 

This tutorial was really helpful in helping me model round hollow objects. Looking back on my jar I modeled a couple of weeks ago, I've seen how I could have done it better.

Hard Surface Modeling (Props, book)

Presentation

Animal Anatomy

I'm basing the majority of my anatomy on gorillas because they can walk on their back legs and all fours. I am adjusting it accordingly though because my creature walks mainly on his back legs but occasionally on all fours. 
His legs are very loosely based on otters legs, his thick neck on either a deers' or gorillas neck and the head is based off a rabbit (over a frog because I couldn't find any diagrams of a frogs head muscles)

Hard surface modeling in Maya

Interim Presentation Draft Notes

Title Page:

• Character Design and 3D Modeling
• Sculpting Project
• 3D modeling in Maya and Zbrush and Image Compositing in Photoshop

What I want to achieve:

• To design a character, 3D model it and create a professional still of it
• Desired end result: Professionally rendered portrait of my character

What I want to learn:

• Time management 
• A better knowledge of Zbrush (sculpting techniques, fibermesh, BPR Transparency, lighting and rendering)
• A better knowledge of Maya (modeling techniques) 
• Knowledge of image compositing in Photoshop 

Inspiration Examples:

• Movies (Spiderwick Chronicles etc)
• Frogs
• Creature design

What I've done so far:

• Design character (character sheets)
• Started modeling in Maya and Zbrush
• Learning fibermesh

What I've learnt so far:

• Project time management 
• Swift character design
• Adapting anatomy to suit my character design
• Fibermesh in Zbrush

Whats next?

• Finish modeling character
• Watch tutorials on fibermesh and then use fibermesh on my character
• Watch tutorials on transparency in Zbrush and use BPR on my character
• Texture character
• Light character
• Render character
• Composite portrait in Photoshop

Draft Skeleton and Muscular Diagrams

I looked at muscle diagrams of gorillas, deer and rabbits. For the skeleton references I used Otters, gorillas and rabbits.
These are drafts and I will create final renders with more attention to detail.

Skeleton and Muscular Animal Research

My character is mostly based off a frog but in terms of movement and body structure frog legs won't work for my design. Frogs stand on four legs but they move completely differently to dogs etc. Because my character stands on his back legs (like a human) but occasionally walks on all fours (like a gorilla) I looked into different animal skeleton/muscular structures to redesign his back legs.

This what I will base my characters body on (when it walks on all fours). However I will make adjustments to suit him also walking on his backlegs (his usual way or walking).

An otter is a really good example of how I want my characters legs to be. I will have to make adjustments (such as the spacing between the hip and knee to be longer) but the way the otter sits on his back legs is an ideal form.

Fibermesh Experiments

FiberMesh Tutorial: 
I found this amazing tutorial on Fibermesh. I've watched lots of tutorials in the past on it and I've never grasped it and felt as comfortable with it as I have while following this tutorial. It covers everything I want to learn in a really simple, easy to understand way. I will experiment more with FiberMesh in the future but this is a really helpful start.




My FiberMesh Experiments:
The dog model isn't mine -its a standard model in Zbrush before you think I'm amazing as quick sculpting...

Timeline

Week 1:

• Write brief 
• Research
• Design character 

Week 2: 

• Modify character after feedback (legs, how does he walk)
• Research walk cycle, animals to base his walk/legs from
• Draw skeleton and muscle diagram of character
• Draw finals of my character
• Character sheets
• Figure out what textures go where on my character/props
• Block in character in Zbrush
• Start sculpting character

Week 3:

• More muscle and anatomy studies (of other animals and my character) on paper
• Draw character standing vs sitting
• Muscle studies in Zbrush 
• Experiment textures and colours 
• Sculpting character in loose T pose (research Z pose)
• Start modeling props in Maya
• Create formative assessment PDF 

Week 4:

• Sculpting character
• Formative assessment 
• Import Maya models to Zbrush and sculpt
• Create transparent window in cabinet (Transparency in Zbrush, BPR Transparency)
• Research hair tutorials

Study Week 1:

• Finish character
• Finish props/Finish window 
• Start hair on character 

Study Week 2:

• Cont. hair

Week 5:

• Finish hair
• Start texturing character/props

Week 6:

• Texturing
• Tutorials on lighting

Week 7: 

• Lighting character
• Research Rendering

Week 8:

• Finish lighting
• Start rendering character (How many stills do I want to render?)

Week 9: 

• Rendering character
• Research Image compositing

Week 10:

• Finish rendering 
• Start image compositing 
• Create backgrounds in Photoshop

Week 11:

• Finalizing Image(s)
• Planning presentation speech 
• PDF presentation/ report of research
• Small project documenting technical research applied to a context

Week 12:

• Practice presentation 
• Present
• Hand in 

Final Character Design

Silhouettes

Book Research: Frogs

Marent. T, (2008) Frog: The Amphibian World Revealed, London, England, DK Publishing.

Book Research: Plants and Flowers

Heywood. V.H, (1978) Flowering Plants of the World, Oxford, England, Oxford University Press.