I’ve begun to work on a character set for Character Design. There will be three characters, and they will interact in a variety of ways. I chose a very biological route when I was considering how these characters would be related, and connected to one another.
The three characters are a Herder, a Herd Animal, and a Parasite.
Below is the development of the herd animal, affectionately (and I think quite aptly) named, The Space-Pig.
In an effort to make a more intriguing and original creature I began with simple ink-blots. Here I can see the bony head of a creature with a very unusual jaw.
Next I draw a fast and cartoony sketch. This will act as a guide during the modelling process.
In order to progress quickly with the creature, I lay out Zspheres in Zbrush. This allows me to interactively work with the proportions in 3D and experiment with different forms.
The Adaptive Skin mesh is imported into Maya. This mesh isn’t ideal and will pose challenges later in the modelling process.
The finished mesh in Maya. I have added accoutrements such as the start of a saddle and a set of reigns with a bit.
The partly finished sculpt in Zbrush.
I have not proceeded to add intricate detail to this model as I am unsatisfied with the proportions, and I will likely remodel it.
The reason for this not meeting my expectations is due to me losing objectivity and not taking the time to stand back and assess the model against the concept, and against what I wanted it to become.
I may still use this as a variation on the Space-Pig concept, the reason for the reigns and saddle, as it would make a pleasing hero-shot with a Herder astride it.
Posted in Character Design