Creature Sketch

[stevecullum]

I'm a bit pants when it comes to designing characters and my anatomy knowledge sucks, but I do like to practice every now and again :) - so here is my voxel sketch for a creature.

[SplineGod]

Nice work on that Steve. Im really enjoying 3dcoats voxel tools as well. :)
Did you model from reference?

[stevecullum]

Thanks Larry.

I started off just letting the voxels flow a bit and seeing where things went. As the forms took a bit more shape I studied some anatomy books to see where the muscles should go.

[geothefaust]

Hey looking good! I am quite familiar with that shader, lol.

How long did it take you to sculpt it? Did you use the surface tools or straight voxels?

I'm finding the more anatomy you study, the more and more you can sculpt things from imagination. I'm so used to reference images for initial creations, and I suppose anatomy books are reference anyway, that I've relied much too heavily in the past on using reference images instead of my own imagination. That is to say, for sculpting, I have been drawing my own reference images for a while now.

[stevecullum]

How long did it take you to sculpt it? Did you use the surface tools or straight voxels?

Thanks Jarvis

I spent a few hours on it - probably a few more than someone who knows what there doing. :D But most of that was spent changing things that didn't look quite right - thats when I picked up the anatomy book! The initial head sculpt I did over an evening.

Need to practice some texturing now, just trying to find a good base for a alien creature dude :)

Used voxels and surface tools, but mainly voxels.

[Rove]

I'm a bit pants when it comes to designing characters and my anatomy knowledge sucks, but I do like to practice every now and again :) - so here is my voxel sketch for a creature.

I guess I'm about the same when it comes to designing and anatomy knowledge. Your creature looks very nice. I myself am starting to learn 3DC's voxels. I've tried some things using ZBrush when I had the chance but 3DC to me feels so much more comfortable in it's usage.

May I ask you where you started your model off with? Did you lay out it's overall form first and started detailing later? I have this technique of starting with the head and adding "clay" from there. On the attached image you can see what I mean. I start off with the head and add clay from there to build up the torso and so on.

I'm having a hard time creating the ears and mouth. I keep practicing though.

[stevecullum]

Nice start!

Yeah, I use pretty much the same technique as you, but I'm thinking of starting with a base mesh in the future as its faster for re-topology.

Felt the same about Zbrush too - could never really get a feel for it, but voxels in 3dc changed everything... :)

[geothefaust]

Hey Steve! Sorry for the late reply (just got the email notification actually, as a reminder, I was away in SF for GDC! WEee!), I didn't forget I swear. ;)


How is your sculpt coming along?


Rove, good work! Nice looking faces. I too have a hard time with mouths. What I usually do though, and this goes for anything, is use reference until you're comfortable doing it. It goes a long way in helping until it becomes second nature.

[stevecullum]

How is your sculpt coming along?

I've had to pause on the sculpting for now, while I build a town square for a commercial - traditional tools are still easier to use for geometric shapes IMO. I have seen some really good hard surface sculpts in 3DC though, so thats another area I need to explore....

[Rove]

What I usually do though, and this goes for anything, is use reference until you're comfortable doing it.

Ha yea, I started looking at reference material indeed. I haven't had time yet to setup images in Photoshop to be used as reference images in 3DC yet so for now I just grabbed a small mirror and am studying my own facial anatomy.
So yea, noses, lips and ears pretty problematic but I guess it's like learning to walk or drive. Once you know how to you'll never forget.

[SplineGod]

I would definately check out Leigh Bamforths free videos on sculpting in 3dcoat. :)
http://vimeo.com/user2003041/videos/page:2/sort:newest

[jasonwestmas]

I would definately check out Leigh Bamforths free videos on sculpting in 3dcoat. :)
http://vimeo.com/user2003041/videos/page:2/sort:newest

I guess he is doing an anatomy lesson? Some day it would be nice to be able to create and nice smooth mesh with points and curves and convert that to a Voxel Volume/head. Creating a voxel model with small brushes looks really painful to me.

[SplineGod]

You can do that. You can also import lwo files and convert them to voxels. You can also start with a much large voxel shape and sculpt it. Hes got a video on modeling the skull using voxels as well.

[stevecullum]

Creating a voxel model with small brushes looks really painful to me.

Did you try 3dc yet? Its also got a really nice deformable primitives mode in addition to curves, both of which you can use to block out your forms. Its the feel of 3dc more than anything for me though - it's just fun to play about with these soft malable surfaces :)

[SplineGod]

I agree. :)

[Rove]

totally agree as well! :thumbsup:

[geothefaust]

I guess he is doing an anatomy lesson? Some day it would be nice to be able to create and nice smooth mesh with points and curves and convert that to a Voxel Volume/head. Creating a voxel model with small brushes looks really painful to me.

As everyone else said, it's truly quite easy! In fact it's down right enjoyable. Voxels ease the pain that you find with poly sculpting, I promise you. :)


As Larry said, definitely check out Leigh's anatomy lessons. He's got lots of great knowledge to share in the anatomy department.


Anyway, give it a go! I'm sure you wont regret it. Voxel sculpting is pretty fun. :)

[jasonwestmas]

I've only been using 3dc for pixel painting. I'll look into it more deeply, thanks!

[stevecullum]

I've only been using 3dc for pixel painting. I'll look into it more deeply, thanks!

Have fun!

I'm using voxels as a virtual stress ball too :D