HackMDCharacter and Environment Art (J5Z1020)
Christina So
ID: 21412858
Games Art BA(HONS) L5
tags: Character & Environment
ZBrush
ZBrush is a software that is used to sculpt 3D models. Unlike Maya, ZBrush works better with a graphics tablet with the artist building up their character, not modelling them with polygons. Its compareable to using clay to sculpt in reality.
Shortcuts and Tips:
- 2.5D mode cannot be worked in; press Ctrl + N to move to 3D mode to begin sculpting. (You can also click the "edit" button to work in 3D).
- "Make Polymesh 3D" to begin working on a new shape.
- Press B to get out the brush menu.
- Go to Geometry > Divide to increase the polycount and quality. This is not the final mesh, you would need to re-topologise the sculpture when you're finished. You can also press Ctrl + D to divide.
- You can increase the DynaMesh to increase resolution. (Geometry > DynaMesh). DynaMesh can also fix the topology of the model when you drag out areas that could make the topology stretched. You need to drag empty space (Ctrl) to re-apply the topology.
- The "Subtool" section allows you to add new polygons and merge them together. Make sure to use the "merge down" option and you have the top object selected when you do it.
- Use the "space" bar to change brush size and other options.
Maya Blockouts
People may use blockouts in Maya to quickly get down the correct layout of the concept art in 3D. Artists may also use blockouts to help them with their concept artwork, and switching from 2D to 3D and back can help keep the concept art accurate to the final 3D model of the environment. The most difficult part of doing blockouts is likely getting the initial perspective correct (especially on another artist's work).
How to make blockout/greybox in Maya:
- Create a new project.
- Create a new camera.
- Click Environment under the camera settings and insert an image plane to use as reference.
- Line up the image to the modelling grid, make sure the perspective is as accurate as possible.
- Lock the camera in place before you begin.
- Change view using Panels > Persp to go into Perspective mode.
- Use cubes and other polygons to create your Greybox.
- Make sure the polygons line up as accurately as possible in relation to both the concept art and the actual space you are creating from it.
Concept Art by Robby Johnson: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/q9A86a
You can see that the grey grid lines up with the perspective of the floor. If the perspective is correct, you can then start to blockout the environment.
The left side shows the blockout in the perspective of the concept art and the right side shows the environment in a different perspective. You can see that the environment is spaced out as accurately as I could make it; it resembles a makeshift shopping centre and could work as a game map if it was refined more. By making this, I can use this and pose the camera in any position to help me draw more concepts of the same area in 2D.
ZBrush
Alpha and Masking:
- Use Alphas to automatically apply textures on the model. You need DragRect active in order to drag the texture across the surface.
- Use "mask" by holding Ctrl. It is a brush where you select parts of the model you don't want to change while you model.
- Ctrl + Alt can remove the mask. This is also a brush.
- POLYGROUPS: mask an area first and Ctrl + W to make the area's wireframe different from the unmasked area.
Select Tool:
- Hold Ctrl + Shift to go to the select tool.
- Alt will invert the selection.
- Space will pan the selection space.
Nose Sculpt:
Started from the nasal bone; used the move tool to drag the nose down and start shaping.
Robot Man/Base Sculpt:
You have to create a base sculpture to use as a guide for the fully detailed sculpt. This is usually done by creating a sphere tool and altering it for every part of the character's body (this includes every digit of the fingers). Afterwards, you would merge all the tools together to create one big tool to sculpt on.
Making this base is a vital step for 3D sculpting, in my opinion. The problem with default base bodies is that they oftne do not match the more stylised look my character designs tend to go for.
PureRef:
After learning the basics of ZBRush and a refresher of Maya, I used PureRef to collage some pieces of environment and character art styles. Most of these pieces of art come from the media's official sources. the most notable titles here for me are The Legend of Hei for the film's environment art coupled along with artist kitsuneiro's environment concepts on Twitter. They both focus on exploring the achitecture of East Asian culture. I wanted to focus my project on Chinese culture since I don't often see it featured in mainstream games or shows.
For character design, I do not have a particulare style in mind, however I really enjoy the design of Neil Bowman from the show "All Saints Street", since he can turn into an animal during some parts of the show. While it is used as comic relief in the show, I wanted to adopt the idea of my character being able to use the form to fight.
Story & Concept:
I wanted to create a concept for a 3rd person action RPG that incorporated Chinese mythology into the story and game mechanics. The main character would be a god born from Qi, also known as 'power from heaven'. This follows the beliefs of Taoism, where a human can become a god if they have enough Qi.
In this story, the main character is named "Minsheng", which means 'voice of the people'. His goal is to protect humanity from evil forces and his power will increase based on the amount of believers you have acquired. He can also use his beast form to engage in battle. The ending will feature Minsheng either as a hero of humanity or he fails to protect the people from the war brewed by the evil entities that control the underworld.
I enjoy the concept of a lone warrior fighting for their morals and I wanted to show it in this concept. He will be forced to overcome gruelling tests of strength and courage to ascend to heaven. This is where he will realise he doesn't wish to be up in the sky but to be with the people and helping them fight.
Silhouettes:
I began by thinking about the type of character I wanted to create: a regal but righteous warrior that is capable of defeating an army. In the silhouettes, you can spot similar motifs of ribbons and bo staffs, both of which are present in Chinese deities.
After quickly sketching some silhouettes, I asked my peers to pick one to base my character off.
Human Form:
The silhouette with the bo staff on the right was chosen (bottom row). I based Minsheng's hair off the clouds you can find in Chinese tapestry and silk patterns. I plan to make his beast a Qilin: a mythical beast that is always seen during the birth or death of a sage(Sages are 'wise rulers' in Chinese mythology and can be seen as heroes). I planned to make the main character a fusion of both; the birth of a sage comes a Qilin.
The use of the cloud design was half due to aesthetic reasons and half for the game mechanics: the player will be able to fly in Minsheng's Qilin form, therefore it would be nice to see a sky motif. Heroes are also often associated with flying cross the sky towards danger.
There were three hair styles in mind–all featuring wavy hair–to try and replicate the waves of the clouds. The second hair style was voted as most popular since the half-down hair resembles a large cloud while the half-up section looks like a smaller cloud. The hairstyle is also topped with a hairpin (also known as a 'Ji(筓)' or 'fazan (髮簪)'. The hairpin is usually worn by women back in the Han Dynasty, but can be worn by men too. It is used as a pledge for marriage if gifted to a man. There is no particular reason why my character wears this pin, but I felt it was interesting information regarding their accessory.
Their clothes are based off shaolin monk attire. I felt it was the most fitting for this character since he is a newly born god and has not yet established himself into the world. Shaolin monks devote themselves to learning, creating and perfecting the art os Shaolin Kung Fu; giving him clothes befitting royalty would not match his warrior spirit.
The left side of the clothes are over the right side in this instance; right over left is reserved for the dead.
Beast Form:
Qilin are Chinese mythical creatures that are often seen during the birth or death of a sage (as stated previously) and they are almost always described to have a mix of dragon and deer features with horns adorning their head. Mostly, they are depicted as having dragon heads with a deer body. Sometimes they also have a deer head and even a wold head could be sometimes seen. Since the examples I've seen always favour a warm palette, I decided to reverse it and make my character have a cool colour palette.
Below, my design depicts a Qilin with a wolf head, dear antlers, a dragon tail attached to a deer body, and finally a set of bird wings pirched on his back. It is a concept sketch for now and I may refine it later. The mane of fur, along with the fur on his ankles, is meant to replicate Minsheng's human hair.
Environment Thumbnails:
I started my environment art by drawing a set of eight thumbnails. To achieve the perspective in some thumbnails, I used the 'drawing guide' in the Procreate drawing app to show perspective guidelines while I sketched the thumbnails. I like both the thumbnails on the 3rd row and plan to expand on them more.
Environment Sketchs:
This first sketch was referencing the thumbnail on the 3rd row on the left. I tried to envision a modern world where my story takes place with a hint of Chinese mythology, however I did not like the higher camera angle and I wanted to explore more of the lower half od the cityscape.
The second sketch was more of a traditional "ancient China" setting and it showed a village surrounded by very tall buddhist temples and imperial palaces. While I liked the style of the architecture, I think I prefer the modern style. As a result, I've decided to combine the architecture styles together in the third sketch.
This sketch is inspired by the right thumbnail on the 3rd row. I tried to incorporate the aesthetic of the imperial palaces with modern architecture and wanted to explore a cramped apartment complex that is near a shopping street. What I lacked from the last two sketches was a hint of mythology, therefore I added a Chinese dragon in the sky, filling the empty space in the sky.
Reference Sheets:
For Minsheng's beast form, I thought it would be interesting to give him bird legs for his front limbs for claw slashing attacks instead of just hoof stomping the entire time. It also fits since it ties into his wings and his resemblance to the sky.
I gave his spines bright warm colours to acknowledge the traditional red & gold palette of the Chinese Long/dragon. The red & gold are also in his eyes to balance out the overpowering white-blue of his entire coat of fur.
He also sleeps like a canine, despite his deer-like body.
I tried going for red clothing at first, for the classic "main character" look, however it didn't match with my theme being "clouds". Therefore, I went with a colour that people would associate with the clouds and the sky: blue.
The colour blue can also represent freedom and tranquility–qualities people could also associate with birds. The accent colour yellow was there to collow the colour of the Chinese talisman: religious calligraphy which is believed to possess powers that can expel evil and misfortune.
The beads on his body are based off the beads that you can see buddhist monks wearing. They are mainly used to concentrate during meditation and to count the chants during prayer. For my character, it most likely serves no real purpose other than as an accessory.
I didn't have time to design a weapon, but I would like to do that next time.
Environment Concept Art:
I began with the third sketch from the thumbnails. Once I was happy with the perspective and composition, I created a new layer below the sketch and airbrushed the top with a soft blue. The sketch layer was set on the mode "colour burn", so it will appear darker when it sits on top of the blue colour.
You can find the time-lapse via this link.
The three (3) final pieces all feature different colour palettes and moods. The blue is the original, the grey is for a more sinister vibe while the purple is more "night-life" feeling.
In this piece below, I experimented with changing the colour of the signs to match the hues of the pink-ish purple environment. I quite like the look of the warm-toned piece.
I added rain to finish the piece–Minsheng is holding an umbrella in the illustration, therefore I felt like it would be fitting to add a light shower to compliment the lonely night.
Final Piece:
My favourite is the piece with the pink hue. It fits my art style and helps Minsheng stand out because his design generally consists of cooler colours.
One criticism I have for the environment is the lack of colour in the buildings. While it could fit the mood and lighting, I could have splashed some colour on some of the roofs, especially knowing how colourful traditional Chinese architecture is.
3D Character Sculpt:
- Face:
I started off by defining the facial features of my character. This includes the horns, eyebrows and eyelashes (all of which were sculpted with separate sub tools).
The hardest feature to sculpt were the ears, due to the fact you can't see it on an ordinary human. The second hardest feature to sculpt correctly was the side profile. I struggled to make the jaw seem as neutral as possible, since my character doesn't have anything too defining about their jaw like an overbite, for instance.
- Hair:
I quite enjoyed sculpting the hair since it's a large characteristic that helps identify my character. Minsheng's hair goes from natural stranded hair into stylised cloud-like hair. It was very hard to capture the exact look I wanted to go for in the hair, since my sculpting skills are very limited, but I feel this is the best outcome that could occured.
Next time, I need to remember to make the hair less detailed, or I would have a tough time sculpting all the stray strands of hair like I did for this model.
- Clothes:
The clothing was, by far, the simplest to model because I didn't have to worry about anatomical accuracy that the face, body and hair needed to follow. Any weird grooves in the sculpting can be explained as the clothing being creased.
One complaint I have with my sculpture is that I did not enjoy modelling the beaded jewellery; there was no other option to sculpt them other than duplicating each bead one-by-one (as far as I know).
Retopology:
I used ZRemesher to do the retopology on my model. I wanted to learn how to do it manually, however I'm unsure if ZBrush has this feature. This method is auto-retopology, where the mesh is generated by the software.
You can use the ZRemesher Guide brush to guide the software in generating the retopology. Since my character is for a game, this means they may get featuring in cutscenes where they may use their facial muscles and would need to crease their eyes and mouth. I guided the mesh around the target area so that the quads will form a round mesh around the area, making it more possible to animate the 3D model.
The same loops are also drawn around limb joints such as the elbows, wrists, knees, etcetera.
Final Model:
The final model is up on SketchFab and can be found via this link.
I'm disappointed that I couldn't texture it due to an expired Substance Painter license nor could I rig it in time because I struggled a lot with sculpting the character. It's my fault I did not spend more time sculpting, but I view this as a great learning experience for future 3D projects and assignments. I will know what to do next, what to expect next, and what troubleshooting issues I would need to solve in time for the next semester.
I hope you enjoyed my work, thank you!
