The-Edge-Loop

Nerw hard surface model Wip

2012-01-15T10:24:00.000-08:00

I'm getting faster with the tools.
the dynamesh option truly does change how you work
this would take weeks and a huge amount of planning in 3ds max. Here?...it's been spare time hours...4 at the most.

I need to start Cylons and begin the Z-brush Monster manual for my buddy project ...BUT i have to get this model in.... it wont go away.
hands, legs and feet next....if i add the mecha head i feel I'll loose the punch.

Hard surface W.I.P. Assain droid ?

2011-12-13T12:44:00.000-08:00

W.I.P. CURRENT
All in Z-BRUSH ..DEATH TO BOX MODELING!! ...well kinda...it's good to know your basics folks :)

START
....i was going for that goofy Star wars "roger roger" style of robot. ..... a quickie if you will.
Well...it was supposed to bit more low key of a model..
But the wings killed that idea.
Still at this point im even consideriung making a shell for the torso and well as the head...for a few weeks i've been trying to get away from this idea that it's based off of Geigers Alien design....the droid used to have a tail.....

then legs hit me and i hated everything ....first chiken version made in z spheres and then dynmesh
almost gave up on this leg design but i pushed instead sometime you just have to know when to oush and when to start over this was a one to keep pushing as i realized ..."I never really did this kinda design in this medium before...it has to be pushed!"

Annnd here i am now...
the feet sheilds were giving me hell ...tons of holes would appear in the dynamesh on a regular basis...even AFTER i made it twice as thick.
Eventaully i just got rid of the top altegether with the hide non visible command in the geometry tab. ...BTW i F***ing hate the head now... ole boxy head @ yur service!

going to 3d print :)

2011-12-01T08:58:00.000-08:00

My first 3d print export is being sent off.
cant wait to see the results...i will share when the print comes in....but I'll be honest...I want a action figure sized version of this babe...but for that I'll need to add some more detail.
this is for 28MM miniature.....we're hoping to go to the D&D route with a set of miniatures for RPG. :)

New heads from z brush

2011-09-12T14:06:00.001-07:00

The XNA game is coming along slow but at a good steady pace.
Not sure if the comicon challenge will get done this year.

Before
Getting used to creating fatty tissue detail that hangs off the muscle.
I'm realizing that geometry must inherit some of the surface detail created by fatty tissue. It's not enough to have a decent topological model to pull off a decent likeness ..the topology has to match the likeness in areas like the brow nose and lips.

I'll post more of these in a few days with wireframe include...or at least the polysculpt

MY Top Ten Oldies But Goodies

2011-06-06T22:13:00.000-07:00

Got to work on this thanks to Lee Moyer a fantastic artist whom I've learned a lot from over the years.
The ships appeared in the last two issues of STARSTRUCK originally illustrated by the great Mike Kaluta.

The Ship was done all in Z Brush save for the fuselage that started in max with splines then quickly turned to editable polys and whisked to Z Brush
for Real Detail.
It was a great exercise in detail restraint at detail thresholds.

The Harpy was Cake compared to the set up for the Tiger fighter ship. However; It still it had it's challenges in that the details would fall out when being moved from Max to Z brush. In the end it was best to bring it in individual parts and the Z brush was happy.

Optimus: After the Optimus side job I gave up my fan boy membership of 20 sum years. He WAS A MESS this particular Optimus was from ILM.
Our job was to reduce redunadnt polygons and make sure each part was completely solid and air tight for solid surface modeling...most of it was not.
The detail was so great The Upper arm was over 5 thousand parts alone.
It took over two months @ 4 to 6 hours 3 days a week to get the arm to a solid surface point.

Thark.
This character is based off of John Carter of Mars series from the early 1920's a fan of Frazetta which means it's a fan of mine.
He was started in 3d max and then moved over to Z brush for details.
His Uvess were also done in 3d max Via the Pelt tool.
I've gotten better with accessories ...I need to revisit him at some point.

Wolverine:
I Always figured him to short surly and deadly. i started this version in 3d max as a whole base had i to do another I'd sculpt the head fully and get the scowl mask from an extruded mask. the Fingers need work too...in 3d max i should have made a library of hands BEFORE ...hand. no pun intended.

Black Manta:
This was a Comicon contest entry I did a year or so back. When i look back on it i should have stuck with my inclination and stayed closer to the design concept I made.

Soul Walker:
This was a Z sphere test at the time are detail was a hard refine to come by
Cant wait to be able to afford a full cintiq. not that my 550 Pl cant handle a Job but i fell the more space and dbl level of sensitivity would help.

Iron Maiden:
This is a Dominance War Character I came up with last year but sadly Real work got in the way so I didn't get to Fully realize her in the time Game artisans allows.
Base mesh was started in 3d max and then bought to z brush.
I still work on her and in fact began on the pet in the right corner. getting him AND her within the 10K poly limit would have been a hassle anyhow..now i can make him how it deserves to be made.

Star Fleet Marine:
His base began in 3d max with and edit poly build Uvees were also done in Max. the body is broken into several sub-levels to allow high detail and smooth transition to the areas that it's need and allowing hard edge areas to stay firm. The Dam-standard brush in Z Brush also helps with this.

The Cartoon Miner Guard:
This model was based off of concepts of Mike Phillips work for Relic hunters. A never released game.
The whole model was poly-built in 3D Max Z brush was used for diffuse textures not shown here..they were literally color blobs on Uvees.

Z sketch body

2011-05-18T22:43:00.000-07:00

.... the Z sketching never stops FINALLY GOT SOMETHING OF A BODY that worked for me.
In my spare time i went through countless versions that didn't work for me even tried a praying mantis style..... nothing worked i almost gave up on it.
Glad i didn't.
The office is busy as hell and i have a hand in almost every project in the house!
That don't leave much time for stuff like this.

Mid dragon head side

2011-04-19T22:42:00.000-07:00

another sculptris head for the mid dragon the process is almost frietenly fast to get a decent shape working...but for the first part the head looked more like a cute mini Boxer without the drooping tounge...so cute. well i least think so the wife?...not so much.

MY 1ST TIME WITH SCULPTRIS

2011-04-11T14:27:00.000-07:00

THIS IS A PRETTY NEAT TOOL.
i was planning on doing this in zbrush but the resukts were so fast....i stayed here.
i will do the z brush concepting technique...i think this here is a little too free form and it makes me fear going to far from my intended design all due to it's ease of use...thats not to say the experience cant Push it further considering theres redo undo so you cant go but so far without saying hey wait a second! I've gone too far."
....maybe i should just shut up and work it out it it pushes it for the better....so be it.
just want to stay away from time sinks.

Sculptris work-flow

putting this down for memory sake.

KEEP THE HIGH RES HEADS ON INDIVIDUAL SUBTOOLS sculpt to 60 to 75% NO MORE!!

position heads as needed in Z brush.

Create body in Z spheres and Z sketch combo.

Try to match placement of neck to heads and retopologize body in topogun

bring body BACK into Z brush

Bring new body and heads into 3d max and bridge heads necks to bodies

Bring back into Z brush

PROJECT HIGH-RES HEADS ONTO new BASE HEADS & BODY SUBTOOL.

BE SURE TO DO EACH HEAD PROJECTION ONE BY ONE.

Bullet head and all three together

2011-04-10T13:24:00.000-07:00

thanks for the kind replies
Here's Bullet head the not so bright one of the group.

i shall continue to post my updates and other musings....thinking of doing the brawl contest...that is if i can think of something new for a traditional Nintendo character that likes to flip a lot and likes the color yellow...... hint?

the dragon heads are getting to a point of just start...I think I'll take the Zspheres set up for the body and do the heads with a combination of Z sketch and some of the concept sketching tools they suggest. the complexity of the model screams for Topo gun so it should be a great 37 days ...so please egg me on...i tend to finish stuff that way.

Thanks

WC

!st heads

2011-04-07T15:37:00.001-07:00

Started the head sketches...i need to do a lot more but this is a good start the intial captures what i wanted as the llead the second more sleek the third yet to be drawn but it's going in the helmet style direction for now.

a little more solid

2011-04-06T23:47:00.001-07:00

more fleshing out of the next idea

2011-04-03T21:24:00.000-07:00

the first tho i love it seems more of a warrior to follow a god so im going with something a lil different....and no feet or legs on this one. so the heads and accessories MUST be on the money.

this will go through several iterations before a final...the heads alone will take more than just a days thought.

can you see it forming?

2011-03-29T23:14:00.000-07:00

I cant use the prior one i thought of...not godly enough but I'm getting closer....i have to let the character be the artifact....i think that's the key...some folks jumped right in with a preconceived idea that they "fit" into a particular god or scheme....I'm glad i went back to the drawing board. I'll start fine versions and testing of heads VERY soon...looks like I'll get to use z sketch on this one. :)
but more to do this ios not the last one tho i AM running out of time.

D War 5 has begun

2011-03-16T22:18:00.000-07:00

My 1st ideas...this will change in teh coming days...i wonder how much will stay.

new hair attempts

2011-03-14T19:59:00.000-07:00

So while we wait for Dominance War 5 to start...i might as well do something.
went into z brush and append a z-sphere to the body and began with a Z=sketch of what i wanted as hair..i tried a few times but relaxed and finally hit something.
ll try it a few more times but here is a decent start..the hair will need to be retopolgized in any event a pretty simple shape to retopo here but i might as well do it in topogun.

revisit and boots that work with the rest of the design.

2011-03-08T14:41:00.000-08:00

i went back to this model for a spell.
The boots were a HUGE stopping point for me; and since i had other matters to attend. i would eventually come back to it with something i liked...... eventually.
Today i spent a few getting something down i actually like.

Old 3d models

2011-02-02T22:37:00.000-08:00

I had made these models sometime ago... we created these guys for a title that was never fully fleshed out but had promise....almost two full years of development :(. Hey; it happens more than one would care to think. Still...you can take away the knowledge from it. :)

Hamzah was the Lead Character for Relic Hunters

Here is the light Guard Hamzah needs to avoid;
(Texture done by Helen Zang)

The main Boss; Big Baddie himself
(Texture done by Helen Zang)

Some battle for middle earth animations and models I did sometime ago.
The very talented Matt Bell did the final textures.

Whaldar the barbarian

The Thrall Master

So here are a few more animations i did a while back for Relic hunters.

marine z brush up date

2011-01-24T21:19:00.001-08:00

Weekend was eventful in that we had BOTH our 5 and 2 yr old nieces here for the weekend...needless to say ....Much respect to those who juggle family with personal & professional work & ...how do ya DO IT?!

Got a lil free time

2011-01-19T09:53:00.000-08:00

So we have a lil lull at the office at the moment.
Since Dominance War 5 is postponed till the 28th of Feb "Yay! it's back!!!"
great to know :)
so till then Gameartisans.org has a competition where your to make an original character for the star trek universe ...i choose a star fleet marine.
role playing games have mentioned them in the past but we never see them or hear much.
as nice as Roddenberry paints a picture of utopia...some times the big toe needs a steel plate over the top.
I figured you cant always go planet side in close fitting gear and sport shiny hand held phaser / telecommunication unit and be say a world killer.

for ruben

2010-12-22T12:56:00.000-08:00

VERY VERY busy
I'm working on a MMO, but hey who isn't these days?
don't have much free time at the moment.
doesn't mean i can't explore ideas....
wish i could say more about this here but....it's very early in development.

Optimus prime render

2010-10-13T21:55:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks!

Mike Reiss and I got to work on this fella in the early stages of production...it was our task to take the model and set it up for solid surfacing.
three months at four hours a night three to four times a week.

so we finally got some renders of the product version all put together and done.
the base and battle damage was later done in Zbrush by other sideshow collectibles artists.

a larger version

2010-09-06T21:10:00.001-07:00

can i get off my A$$ and get this in before the Deadline?
all depends on what waits for me when i get into the office later this morning.

Two more from the week

2010-08-07T14:24:00.000-07:00

Right now I'm at work looking into the Unity 3D game engine and the other part of the day doing Blend expression 3 that's now Blend 4...i cant keep up!!
...so I don't get a lot of "work time" at work to do the "Drawing thing" ...figures.

I've been in sort of a creative funk as of recent.
This Doesn't mean i wont go and try to shoot my way out of it....
With the inclusion of CPU drawing it feels like I've lost a little touch that i had ...or at least think i had when it was just pencil and a sketch book.

that said.. I see the benefits of drawing and creating with a canvas as broad as the CPU and in fact; there are parts of me that wont ever go back!
That said; I still need to find this elusive "touch" I've been missing. But maybe it's just a need for more practice?
I am after all in new territory.

I need to color this one since it has values that work for me....I'm thinking hazmat medic...Primary orange with some some red.
A flashing lime green beacon to show "work over here. "

......... I really need plenty of study on face techniqes...right now mine are far to garrish.

PRACTICE!!

andoird bounty hunter

2010-07-29T12:45:00.000-07:00

The last concept i shared (below) just lost something for me in the process.
I stopped mid way because I STILL was stuck on the motivation of the character and it supporting story .

So i started over and tried to keep some of the original influence there yet come up with something more personal.
I came up with this...still very loose but it's a start

Sniper hunter, former Marine.
K.I.A body donated at the request of the now deceased to Darpa group for testing

cortex system awake date
8\12\94
1st recorded combat action 9/26/01

revision added head and quick color

2010-07-19T23:34:00.001-07:00

I'm still here

2010-07-16T13:48:00.000-07:00

Lots going on but i cant share much.

that said....i can atleast show what bee keeping me up at nights...and it aint pretty... been on this for WEEKS in my spare and i cant bring myself to like a thing i do.
it's getting crippling...this has to stop.

STILL HERE!!

2010-06-12T23:05:00.000-07:00

I'm Still here!

just finishing off some some client stuff...and i and trying to "change " how i draw / use of techniques of photo-shop. two wips i did today...gotta add more color and flesh out the details on the trooper guy.

Not much i care to share but the learning cure is great.
my Wacom screen isnt as touch sensitive as the NEW hotness but i just have to train my self for the right feel...that said...when i DO get an newer Wacom model...my brush control will be TOPS!.

Cant wait to get to the point where I'm doing these design in Zbrush...i still find Z sketch to be a bit sloppy and loose. anyway...keep on keeping!

New brush test..yerah..been a min

2010-05-31T20:55:00.001-07:00

....So i haven't touched sketch book pro in almost a month and a half.
The Wide range of Brushes in Photo shop just ACES S.K.P!
that siad iv'e done more that just these two but this blob and stroke THEN line draw what i think i see is a great exploration tool...and I color!! ...in fact, I look forward to it .
that said..there will be more done.
The Glow guy is a tron design proto for CG talk and the mecha is just that...mech .sstill neeeds some colors to make em pop tho.

I'm having a hard time getting into the fantasy art of things but i hope to change that as i progress with this new found way of sketching

lots of sketches coming this way as we move onto the comicon challenge slated for later this summer

lotsa time on learning retopology

2010-05-05T19:45:00.000-07:00

Not much to show on the retoposide of things.
I think i will however do a video of retopology in process.
It's either easier than i thoguth it would be or....they fixed it!.
Still much to learn as this tool is MASSIVE in scope...and they've added animation to Z 4 .
Charcter designs will NEVER be the same.... i have a LOT of work to do....theorehctically...i could do my sprites in z brush render with the key frame animator.....holy sh*t....

1st drawing with my Cintiq 550pl
love the way it handles...tho the resolution is only 1024 x 764 ..the feel and control rocks....i had to sacrifice my 2nd flat screen for the hookup...but when i get a dual mobo with multiple vid cards...i'll be back to three monitors...maybe four...my wif is gonna kill me.....
time to start posting @ concept art.org i was told.

I am so nervous about it...

2010-04-14T20:20:00.000-07:00

Quick female sculpt...since DOm war is cancelled!!!,,,,,figured i might as well do what i DIDNT do last year.
Al z brush VERY basic base mesh made in 3D Max

Poly paint in Z

2010-04-02T19:51:00.000-07:00

head paint in Z brush....less than 30 mins
:)

It's Friday night...and i have digital mercs to kill

2010-03-31T20:51:00.000-07:00

So yeah at first i thought i was doing something...and now i kinda hate it....
that said..I'm done with it far as sculpting goes..I'll do pores and maybe another hair but i have a deadline so it's good to have a good nuff stopping point,

I can go on to the next and not be mentally tired.
this is kinda cool.

quck post

2010-03-24T08:23:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the delay
lots of overtime ...and playing Just Cause 2 don't help.
i did do this before i played

RElic hunters Test animation

2010-03-03T23:44:00.000-08:00

So here are a few more animations i did a while back for Relic hunters.
time 4 bed

sketch night and harpy comic update.

2010-03-01T20:39:00.000-08:00

So i get my first comic credit!

WOOT!

My harpy is going on the interview cover for DW's reprint of Starstruck.
I'm using Zbrush to render the plate; then Lee and I will doctor the image in photo shop.
Still a few days off; i had to redo the missile racks due to Kaluta's design change. (no biggie i need the practice of revision)

eres the prelim pose..it's more of a popular mechanics vibe so no blurs or heavy action.

My thumbnail night is all about getting rid of tired and used ideas lodged in my head...and boy do i have some stale biscuits up there!

The first few were honestly better than the last few (Ive mixed em up since then)...but beauty is in the eye of the beholder so dont take my word..i usually find fault in eveything i do......how bout them terps?

Logan got some much needed attention in the body and face.
the facial features are now more intense...might be time to grow a test version after the claws and holders are in place.

tired z sketches

2010-02-20T21:52:00.000-08:00

sleepy...
all meshes came from z spheres to start with,
The move tool and clay brush did most of the heavy lifting.
next is retopo

z sketch

2010-02-12T14:04:00.000-08:00

z sketch & polish tools
total time? a little under 2 hrs so far...

gotta learn retopology ....NOW

stay on target

2010-01-27T19:55:00.000-08:00

mkay...again not much 2 say.
drew; listened to the state of the union address...feeling very unsure about Z brush and sculpting heads...not sure WHY im stuck.maybe drawing heads for a while will get me back in flow.

quick draw??

2010-01-19T18:57:00.001-08:00

Uggghhh!!

Drawing took forever..felt like i was on it all day...
i did make new z brush busts and figured out how to use the traditional poly set vs the new 3.5 polygons method...so not all was lost i guess...also did some photo shopping.

trying to get this painting thing down iz tough.

weekend stuff

2010-01-17T19:49:00.000-08:00

some updates dont have much to say.
spent most the weekendin Z figuring out some new tools.

love hate relationship

2010-01-13T20:05:00.000-08:00

so far z sketching has taken some getting used to
still need time to get used to it but press on and you will get results after getting a feel.
i suggest watching the intro videos on the z brush central site for a start.

The vest was all polysphere with polish tools and the move brush.

concept goin on Mecha vest and biggun

2010-01-08T18:58:00.000-08:00

so i'm getting out of only doing line work for concept....fact of the matter is that it takes to long and i need the braod loose stokes to quickly concieve an idea.

gunz

2010-01-06T20:01:00.000-08:00

Like Gilbert said...go ahead...pick one...i am so mad about that by the way....ANYWAY.

For the mesh below it needs a gun not any gun but im talkin a big a$$ Unreal 55 caliber of sorts if it hits; there will be mush.
In any event any observation would be helpful so feedback is encouraged.
Spent the day looking at retopo tools in Z and working on hands....
seems z sketching then re-meshing and then sculpting to a mid detail level... THEN retopo is the way to go. ...so far.
But I need a solid leg design...thought of converting the vest into the image drawing below with the giant sword; but the vest doesn't fit it...so i might as well do both.

I need the practice

on to the next

2010-01-03T21:28:00.000-08:00

so i need to treat models like a i do a sketch book.
cant get there without being in the tool on a almost daily basis.
getting the Z sketch to work in a manner predicatble is still a cahllenge but it's more me getting used to sculpting this way.

Today was adaptive mesh usage....and dog walking a 150 llb Akita.
at least he listens to me.
The wacom tablet still feels loose, a bit separated from the experience.
i'll be looking into one of those Eastern exclusive 600 dollar cintiqs. off of ebay.

just hope the adapt sculpt will stay after i put the fingers and hands onto the armature.
But i doubt it will....i need the practice anyway.

Knu year

2009-12-31T20:40:00.000-08:00

......Dare i say I'm back?

I own my own personal copy of z brush now.
cost me 600 buxx but it will be well spent.
it was time
guess that means i need to make soemthing of myself huh?
i pray this year comes with much discovery and artistic fruition.

lets go and see where we land eh?.

Hard surfacing getting easier...next... overcome my fears of the new retopo tool!
there's power in discovery

A dragon rider concept im knocking back n fro....how bout finishing the other stuff first eh?

Me....oakbeast...yeah thats him

Two more concepts that need a LOT of work to get noticed...maybe i should go for the general idea then just get started in Z-Brush? I think Imma start doing that...gotta find ways to streamline my workflow and get the most out of creative zeal.
take these old school concepts. process & workflows and turn it on it's head.

next model

2009-09-15T13:16:00.000-07:00

comicon entry final.....for now

2009-09-01T20:16:00.000-07:00

yeah im sooo over it..i shall fix em for rapid prototype sometime this week.
i need the practice with projection anyway.

quike! post of comicon z brush render

2009-08-30T22:40:00.000-07:00

cant talk very sleep but wanted to share
i promise to no longer post lame drawings...ever

comicon challenge entry

2009-08-23T14:53:00.000-07:00

it's been far too long since i posted anything here.
Shame on me.

Here is the latest on my entry to the challenge
havent touched z brush yet for this one.
i feel little out of sorts with it since it's been so long.
seems you spend more time in max planning out the surface smoootihgn groups.
when i think about it i prefer the edge control Maya gives you as opposed to face surface application of 3d max....but when in Rome.

i hope i get this baby done by the deadline. i started on it a week late but it's fine as i have had some great revelations in the process of tudying hard surface modeling and uv mapping that "work" better.

this is 4 u ching :)

2009-07-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

my good buddy C Lau didn't want to wait to see him all at once.
head ,arm & leg close ups havent completed yet.
a quick peek of my black manta concept for comicon challenge 2009 btw.....i still have to add the cape/wings.

So i get the point of this challenge

2009-07-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

Grendel prime's story pretty much puts his design in stone.
not much challenge there in the creativity dept
so i thought n thought....nothing
looked to my childhood fav's ..there it was.

Black Manta 2100 ad
not too far away but far away enough to conceive tech I think of as "cool".
i see lots of gray tone and hex like shapes in my future...
i'm in a inner debate on weather to use z-brush's natural tools or go poly 3d base in max and then port to Z. then theres this tool called Xnormals
might be a tool great for avoidng the dreaded tech BOTTLE NECK.
I advise one to browse the toturial vids on the site to get a grasp on how the tool works.
not hard but it's always good to read and watch before you swim in unknown waters.
seems you can use base making tools like z-spheres and worry about a low res 3d mes and it's uvees till AFTER your done the hige rez sculpt.
a very liberating flow...except for color maps...not sure how that all works yet as diffuse maps dont carry over to obj. the tool needs more investigating.
thank god it's FREE.
as i start my sculpt book over at pixologic I think i will eventually ask some challenge winners what a paint tool is thier weapon of choice. im certain the answer will be varied.

so my workflow
max base shape
use

right now it's the issue of UVw pipeline that has me up at night.
which one?

tonites struggle & subtool extracting growth

2009-07-24T19:57:00.000-07:00

so i might do the comicon challenge not sure yet///
i'll make my mind up by sunday night.
so.... this weekend i'll do some sketching and idea kicking on how to approach a build.
right now it's either gonna be the guy you see Grendel prime or...Jazz or prowl the 1980's tranformer.
i'm seeing that IF you want to use the mask extraction tool and want a clean subtool...it's best to do it at a high subdivisin BEFORE you add hyper detail.
i find lvl 5 works well letting me smooth out details easily that may have extracted a little too well. ..in fact seems sub d 5 is ideal for good detail vs ram management period...it's a sweet spot of detail and flow..a lvl that doesnt need to update or compact ram too often.

K it's friday night..
time for some infamous & maybe dawn of war.

Thumbnail night....

2009-07-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

K...so i get bored easily...idle hands are the devils workshop they say...so instead of doing nothing...it's thumbnail time!! :)
my twice a week date with this stuff needs to increase ...should be posted more often.
gotta break some annoying habits.
went so far as to buy this Gnomon DVD for quick ref when i need it.
awesome helper for those oh crap i forgot moments.

don't want to post update after update of the ole bug eye'd martian on the blog...that can get....boring.
Instead here's 45 mins worth of me wondering "what to do next?"
I love this part because there is no frame to work except the one in your mind. You can just wander off and come up with some true off the wall wacky "i didn't think of that before" stuff.

Along with my Z Brush focus ..Really, i mean REALLY; I want to get the conceptualizing thing down.
In that repsect it's all about the brushes...cant wait to find more ...i shall share when i find more and grow.

as my mentor says.."who cares about a model if the concept stinks?"

tonight is another sketch night for the 1st two hours then off to making the loin cloth for martian man. and if ya cant get enough of the day 2 day martian progress ...go here. and please feel free to comment.

thanks for watching folks it does my heart good :)

mtc

Kay... i lied thark update with baked in color.

k no more tarks till he's almost done

2009-07-21T19:30:00.000-07:00

Teeth added
Aight...i must admit ; i still like to build a majority of things in max...what can i say?
It's hard to break a habit tool of almost 12 yrs of use....12 yrs?

That said; the mask extract tool is THE SHIT... this is my first try of bandoleer ...hate it but still a decent start.
The tool is great for close fitting clothes and the like but still need work and practice with it.
i'l show a pic with teeth and the antenne next.
lets go append tool!!

update

2009-07-17T17:57:00.000-07:00

he's stil a lil lumpy in areas.
time to press onto the head and add the antennae..totally forgot to.
gonna do it by appending the cylinders.

THE RETURN OF THE TARK!

2009-07-10T13:16:00.001-07:00

ONTO THE NEXT Z-BRUSH MODEL.

THIS TIME FINISHING WHAT I STARTED WITH THE JOHN CARTER OF MARS TARS TARKAS WARRIOR.
BASE STARTED IN 3D MAX THEN TAKEN INTO ZBRUSH.
SO FAR 2 HOURS IN. ...I NEED TO GET FASTER.

SEEMS SUB D'S OF 6 ARE BEST THUS FAR.
CANT WAIT TO GET EXTRA RAM FOR THE TABLET ....BUT I'LL NEED TO UPGRADE TO 64 BIT OS FIRST.......and i just realized i had caps on the whole time...

Fun with transpose function

2009-07-06T19:54:00.000-07:00

...what more can i say?...transpose function is a pain in the ass....for sure
takes a while to get a feel for it... But after an hour or so ... I wasn't fearful of it anymore...just bitchy.
Still need to master it however... but ya gotta learn it to be da man baby!
The top 5% use it... need i say more?

the top 5%...

2009-06-19T12:59:00.000-07:00

So my mentor says...if you want to be good then do what the top 5% do.
truer words have never been spoken.

I.E
"Do the work , practice, pay attention, read and participate"
simple right? yes and no really.
The hard part is filtering out all the crap and getting an eye for what is important in each piece.
I'm finding out rather quickly that most of the time it's 60% technique and 35% talent 5% luck the tools wont blow up at some point in the creation process.

I am fully into Z-brush now.
all other tools have taken a back seat...I feel like i'm working with sculpey again...it's a zone i havent been in in years.
more to come
1st full model done in zbrush..no max or maya here.
under 12 hours.

learning a lot as we go...."be afraid...be very afraid" they say :)

I'd rather be zbrushing

2009-06-11T13:26:00.000-07:00

But this will do for the moment...the build took two days to complete...now i just ned to unwrap and paint...at least i'll be able to paint and hard surface detail in Z.
More on the way

not much

2009-06-07T20:24:00.000-07:00

not much to say just posting....i did find some GREAT workflow tips for z brush over the weekend....now all i need is to stop sketching...and get to the zing.

2009-06-03T18:34:00.000-07:00

I lied.....i drew again instead of zeeing....what am i afraid of?
Now off to Gnomon z brush vids i need to buy..
i need to draw in z brush as much as i doodle in sketch book pro.

way too long

2009-06-02T20:42:00.000-07:00

OMG i spent waay too long on this to go Nowhere!!
well....maybe not, but still...in the end ..i kinda like the idea of a 2345 AD scavenged earth; The human race is slowly putting itself back together.

it just so happens that the girl is a fan of Bruce Lee movies she found off of a legacy satellite feed her and her pet combat robot stumbled across while scavenging.

I drank what?

2009-06-01T20:37:00.000-07:00

only got one drawing in today...
but she was a great subject.

OMG way too much to drink earlier...nothing hurts..but i fell asleep on half of Ubi soft's E3 presentation. if there was a picture next to the definition of lightweight drinker It would be me.
Lets see....what DID i see?
Assassins creed 2 looked fantastic
Red Steel 2 looks promising...but I'll hold true judgment till hands on time.
The halo sequels look like more Halo
The star wars old republic trailer kicked MUCH ass. why couldnt the movies have that edge?

from my new tablet pc

2009-05-30T20:19:00.000-07:00

Not much to say/
received mt new pc tablet///holy cripes!!...z brush studies are gonna get Really intensive
also got my massive black dvds in their awesome.
I hope to use this laptop as a sketchbook....pretty much a poor mans Cintiq...but i like to call it a 21st century sketch book.

2009-04-15T08:14:00.000-07:00

not much to say today
it seems life has a way of making plans other than what you intend.

Thankfully my wife's operation was a successful procedure, she is mending well.
I am the nurse of the house and get in some work where i can...but not much.
i did get to finalize my dominance war concept some where in all that worrying i did over the past week.
a few more ideas before the final

Both cars are in semi working condition as both have potentialy large repair bills wilth little to afford paying out so much.
The PC laptop i work on was on the fritz...i had a virus /worm that replicated it's self each time it was quarantined by my anitvirus software.
Thankfully I was able to save my drawings from the past year and burn them to dvd for storage.
then i bit the bullet and reinstalled the OS.
hours later i had a new OS but now the re-installation of programs begins
Considering my tablet is my sketchbook...i really needed it to work
such as life

been away for a second...Floss title at work shipped YAY!!! now i can draw and not sneak about it.

2009-04-01T21:42:00.000-07:00

The custom paint tool in sketch book pro 2009 is my new best friend!
i found it by far more forgiving than the pencils & set brushes that come default...the times i need to "Suggest" a shape or form drove very well; can you tell im pleased?

I need to get onto the minion concepts next,
i looked into some ideas that went absolutely nowhere.
now I'm going to simplify a bit since i only have a ceiling of 10K triangles to work with.

I'm having a heckuva time with which direction to take my minions.
Do i go marionette driven robots or my mecha/ junk golem? I'm stuck a bit but coming loose.
guess i need to look at both... (i need the practice anyway) ... whichever one catches my fire first is the one i'll go with.
"cough"junk golem has a slight lead"cough"

I guess I just fear cliche ...but... if it works, who cares?

More fun with Alchemy

2009-03-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

some more Dominance war 4 Silhouettes.

So far; I'm liking the magnetism/ junk Golem maker... a necromancer of tech if you will.
Really trying to hone in on what i want to go for.
so far
norm: woman / invoker/magnetism/ marionette

Wolverine update

2009-03-18T21:04:00.000-07:00

UPDATE:
tanks LEE :)

Oh Z-brush; thank GoD your wonder digital sculpey Powahs are FOR good.
....your interface is a child of the devil.

A little over a year with Z-brush and TODAY ...today... i finally find the *&^%ing Perspective button; figured out poly groups too :) ...yay.

gonna use them on the Tark should make sculpting easier

before & After

yeah still needs work but this is BIG.
let me save you the pain of a year in finding the dang button...

My 1st night with Alchemy

2009-03-12T20:14:00.000-07:00

While waiting for Dominance War 4 information;
i was linked to a tool that carries the concept of creating shapes and drawing in a random but controlled manner but better explained by the site as...
"Alchemy isn’t software for creating finished artwork, but rather a sketching environment that focuses on the absolute initial stage of the creation process."

best of all it's FREE!

here are a few examples of what i did in a few mins.
Alchemy Link here

from these set of shapes i saw this ....

So if your ever stuck and need a visual jolt or just need something plain ole weird to start from....this tool might do the trick.

cheers!

2009-03-08T23:35:00.000-07:00

I figured I should jump in and get something on tablet before Dominance War 4 starts; great way to shake the z rust off.

I'm glad I did... the Tark's face is easily sculpted and the test took about 30 mins tops.
The subdivisions for him couldn't have worked better; feature sculpting should be pretty fun.

more to come

Doverfield

2009-02-26T20:49:00.000-08:00

not much to say here....but i need more practice
still needs some detail to make it pop.
really sleepy but cant sleep.....go figure
so i decided to draw something loose and paint it after being inspired by the i draw girls blog.
this guy is awesome

girls girls girls

2009-02-25T20:15:00.000-08:00

It's been too long since I've done some drawings of one of my favorite subjects.

boy do i need to take part in some life drawing classes soon.

Tars Tarkas update

2009-02-24T21:22:00.000-08:00

So the past week has been dreadful on the personal work side.
With office deadlines and the lack of Internet service for a little more than a week.. I wasn't able to post much of anything.
even still ... i got the whole head and UV mapping done ...so...yah!! i don't feel like too much of a dead a$$.

i did a quick lay out of the "clothing" and my peers all seemed to go for the top one with the addition of the armor plates on the shoulders.
I will do some post of that version tomorrow.

I'll be heading on to Z brushing very soon and I'm kinda pumped about it. I learned some new techniques for keeping hard surfacing keen while in Z; should be dope to try em out on my own work.

Relic Hunters animation test

2009-02-23T07:55:00.000-08:00

I never got a chance to post this set of animations on the-edge-loop.com
but I did them some time back in early June/ July?? not sure...
at the time we were REALLY busy with establishing the concept for Relic Hunters.
I figure it's safe to show now since it's deader than a door knob :)

Z brush sketches

2009-02-11T20:06:00.000-08:00

So lately I've been using Z brush as a sketch pad
the results have been quite favorable...
each of these heads took less than a half hour to create :)

the true benefit is that as i sketch i get more comfortable with the tools. ...i think it's because your not using a base model you've spent hours or days conceptualizing and modeling.
so the pressure to get it right is really off now you can have fun minus anxiety.

I am now using the tools and incorporating new brushes into my work flow in ways i never thought before.

so F**King cool :)
i cant begin to think how much i've saved on Super Sculpey.

More than meets the eye

2009-01-22T19:34:00.000-08:00

For the longest time I've wanted to do a transformer of some sort...and so i actually began to get fearless and try something....the first drawing attempts were horrid and i say that with all the nicety i can.....anyway..i decide to just take pics and mosh them into positions with a lil help from photo-shop....i like where this is going...over the next few months i'll post the process...
i need to find good ref for the front next...then after that some pencil layovers to figure out and solve joints and head designs....maybe this will get me a invite on the convention circuit when it's all said and done
we shall see...
as always...be fearless

version one

and my fav

paitnover update!!!

2009-01-16T09:31:00.001-08:00

Part two

2009-01-08T18:29:00.000-08:00

Post apocalyptic armor sketch 2.... time to draw towers.

Making Boxes & Circles= killin time while exporting

2009-01-08T09:28:00.000-08:00

I wish I could do this and model all day...I think I will.
So... got a number of things going through my head.
ONE thing I couldn't ignore was the call to arms this morning...I just wished I would had jotted down the power armor idea i had while i was getting out of my car yesterday....

back to the Shirow books for me !.
the one on the far left is going to get fleshed out more regardless....it has a post apocalyptic vibe to it Imo.

off to the gym

so it's been a week since my deep thigh bruise...at least i can walk without too much of a limp.
but thats not whats killin me...it's the squats...i will NEVER slack up on the squats again...ever.

Having upload issues

2009-01-07T13:34:00.000-08:00

So i decided to add something extra to my latest model ....after taking a deep hard lookit it..i decided that there wasn't enough going on...sure the nails will be interesting but what about after that?
my answer to myself.

Poly build sessions

2009-01-02T16:02:00.000-08:00

new update for Mr. Skizz with polybuild sessions :)

Here is the most recent version update
I'm really happy with the poly flow....it was good to zone out and just go nutz
I figure the poly sculpt can be a bit garish as there isn't much detail outside of it;s actual skin and wrinkles...not many trinkets or extras to add..the nails are gonna be fun to build though.

started Mr skizz bone face update...

2008-12-31T00:26:00.000-08:00

So i figured I'd try to start my modeling sessions at a regular level again. boy di i need to i feel a lot better now.
as i said before i wanted to start a new model..i figure why not do multiple works instead of getting burnt out on just one at a time...hmmm thers a concept..
I think i see a Dragon in my future...it's been too long to have not done a dragon....hmmm
..speed... what a concept. (random thought)
4 to 5 hrl on this topology.
I'll post some of the model session later cause it's late...I'll start on the new hands...thans right,,NEW hands in the morning....maybe

I gotta get out of this back arch thing for a spell!!...bad habits..but it looks so cool to me... :(

Doc Boom !!

2008-12-21T17:45:00.000-08:00

Quick sketch of the day
15 min
Meet Doc-Boom.

Not much to say here but it was good to get away from the CPU; my eyes were falling out.

IT's TIME...And i have No Fu**ing clue what im gonna do

2008-12-21T12:53:00.000-08:00

Been waiting on this for a while and now the contest post is up.
I Don't know which direction I'll take yet but i most definitely want to take advantage of my Dominance wars III mistakes.
ugh when i look back...just ugh.

Oh.... WOwz this guy has a great thread on tips n tricks for Z brush. Here he breaks down transpose master like a pro.

I'll most definitely watch this one a hundred or so times.

Scott Eaton has made a great resource on poly modeling ,muscle structure, techniqe and rules to live by in digital sculpt.
It's pixologic focused but the underlying concepts fit for everything.
if this guy dont know it it aint worth knowing.

ZOOM!!

2008-12-21T10:13:00.000-08:00

So i noticed im getting a lot faster at this :)
Last night I retopologized the head, put in the cheek handles redid the the nose bone ...NOW im digging it! He's got MUCH more volume and interest in the face now.
I also reworked the torso to arm topology... now it Fu**ing works :).
Also figured out the quad set up for the hand to arm; had add a whole strip of edges up the arm to the neck but in the long run i neeedd them there to balance out the mesh anyway.

Ode to happy accidents indeed.

Hers a model session where I rebuild the chest to arm Topo as well as a few other things.

go ravens

2008-12-16T23:45:00.000-08:00

another quick post...i'll show the leg model session soon...it's funny...for somthing i had been dreading...im actually looking forward to now. cant wait till Z brush time.

2008-12-15T08:07:00.000-08:00

sometimes i hate sitting in meetings...other times i actually get somthing done.

quikie

2008-12-14T17:57:00.000-08:00

I am on SUCH the horror kick these days... trying to get in touch with my uglier side.
TBH it's hella fun

MR LONGE
(afterthought)
i am sooo sculpting this fu**er
more skethes needed.

EYE LOOP BUILD PROCESS

2008-12-09T21:48:00.000-08:00

This one goes out to eddie
you can download the link here for the high rez version

God i'm sleepy

A Force More Powerful article

2008-12-08T21:37:00.000-08:00

here is an article on the Breakaway Games project titled A Force More Powerful (pc) it was the first game i worked on for the company... it's kinda cool to work on projects that arent forgotten in 6 months....

Drawing with a shift in thought process?

2008-12-08T21:06:00.000-08:00

Holy Sh!t i don't feel like posting right now. but it's been a few days.

Today's drawing session was kinda neat.

REvelation was the order of the day

I tried to envision how i would apply detail in Z-brush while i was sketching out my idea below.
you ever get that "shift" feeling whenever drawing? almost like a zone of sorts?
Drawing on the right side of the Brain mentioned this mental process...it felt good to not focus so hard on the line as i have been for a while now especily when drawing on tablet... i loose a lot of creative energy that way it seeems.
but MAN to make gestures today felt really good...
I must take not of this next time i feel tight and "off" in my skething for long spells.

i feel my work is far more organic and fast this way and i can always laydown hard line after the sketch is in...DUHH huh?

Now i just need to work on the Big guy more. Not sure of the armor scheme or yet. the MNF game got too good.

2008-12-01T23:06:00.000-08:00

NOW THIS is a great hand modeling tutorial definately worth the watch..
go HERE for the big version.

2008-11-30T13:56:00.000-08:00

I cant say that THIS is the sure fire way to get good edge-loops but it does a nice job of providing a decent starting point,
the vid is about 8 mins long but a good watch...i'd recommend
for the large version go here

2008-11-30T13:50:00.000-08:00

Felt good to get bac to this guy for a spell..im starting to ramp up my model process..
still i am NOT thrilled to do the legs so i need to watch some monster movies or sumthing to get me inspired for that part..i hate when this happens...still i'll take a pic of the side (see above) and use my tablet to draw in some rough concepts.

cant wait to start the head...but the legs need to be thought out before i get to the candy part.

Mr Teeth

2008-11-28T20:20:00.001-08:00

I'm certain this one will go into cue
found a great vid on establishing edge loops i'll post that inna bit

I am So redoing the left and above pic...well least the idea is out on paper :)

2008-11-22T20:25:00.000-08:00

heres another sidevconcept i wanna d8 now if i can just stop drawing from the side all the time...gotta break outof this
here are some concepts for a unnamed title i am working on.

Away for way too long

2008-11-12T14:21:00.000-08:00

Wow...it's been too long since my last post...waaay too long..sorry for the delay for those out there in TV land...it dosent mean i havent been busy...in fact... The opposite.
I finnalt recived my copy of mudbox 2009 and wow ...i have to learn the tool over agin since i've been using Z brush for the past 3 to 4 months...sure some things are inheritly the same but theres enough difference in the two for a learning curve.
i tried putting my wolverine into mudbox at it's highest sub D (12 million polys)
and it took....except for the thousands of verts that were spread across the screen it was perfectly unusable....
on to the next...i need a change of pace soo...here she is...
heres was some inspiration for the evil and witherd feel i'm goin for...i think she'll be a great addition to mr boney face
Next costumes...leather corsets with large buckels and some skin...clotheing design is going on now..i'll post that very soon.

Editing in Z is easier than expected

2008-10-10T08:08:00.000-07:00

So I made adjustments at the suggestion of fellow artist and friends and changed some things..mainly the arm build and knees.
I find that going to sub levels and smoothing will not work the kinks out in the higher sub D levels as one might think...it's best to go throuh the levels and edit the mesh on each sub level for maximum control.
you don't always have to do this but it does help over all.

That said the flatten brush at 25 15 % is my best friend now :)
it allowed me to edit the chunky arms a bit more in tandem with the smooth brush to get something i REALLY dig.

paint update!

2008-10-06T23:20:00.001-07:00

A quick update on my paint job costume variation one.

more star warsy stuff

2008-10-02T20:38:00.000-07:00

i found that cg-talk is doing a Star Wars hardcore modeling contest.
Here are a few of my ideas to be honest the only ones in the running for me are numbers 1&2...and maybe 4.