Introduction to Maya - Modeling Fundamentals Vol 2
This course will look in the fundamentals of modeling in Maya with an emphasis on creating good topology. It's aimed at people that have some modeling experience in Maya but are having trouble with complex objects.
# 46 02-01-2013 , 11:22 PM
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Travis I have to ask what are we looking at, is this some of your work?..............dave




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# 47 03-01-2013 , 12:32 AM
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Hi Dave. Yes it is.

I actually sort of touched on this in another thread today (Woman with suspenders) as a reply to the artist on his project, but I'll quickly reiterate here...

The last time I posted here, I had just started thinking about doing my first 3d female. After the brouhaha (whats in the past is in the past), I realized that, while I'm a competent enough artist, I never really did the homework on human anatomy. l always sort of cheated it for my job(s), you know?

When facing the actual 3d tutorial, I realized it just wouldn't be advisable at my present (at the time) 2d skill set for the finished 3d model I wanted, you know?

So, before I even attempted the tutorial I'm working on now (on my 4th base mesh attempt now finally that I started getting the knack of it), I decided to go and do a 6 week study of female anatomy, took a few life drawing sessions, looked at what was out there for a good reference series to use (finding none to my liking really for what I wanted to pull off with the final model), and decided in the end to just render out my own as a fully realized character in order to start the Maya base mesh.

So yes, you are looking at that render, which took me then 4 weeks (I also wanted to be able to use her in the end for a 2d pop-piece for an art show next year, so I really took my time), excluding the outfits, which were another 2 plus weeks on top. So this the result of a total 12 week process.

I decided to do a fun reveal video and that's what's been posted. I forewent showing the completed side view companion render because I didn't want to make her available publicly outright. I'll be doing stuff with her at some point. So you're only seeing the 90% completed 2d rendered model.


Last edited by TravisCowsill; 03-01-2013 at 04:45 AM.
# 48 05-01-2013 , 06:31 AM
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Dear god, she'd poke someones eyes out with those things!


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# 49 05-01-2013 , 04:45 PM
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Dear god, she'd poke someones eyes out with those things!

Yep...Luvs me some howitzer shells.user added image

# 50 05-01-2013 , 06:30 PM
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Ha. So how did you go about making these references? The Youtube encoding is bad, so I can't really tell if they're photo sourced, or painted.


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# 51 05-01-2013 , 09:42 PM
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The above post sort lays out the overall task I had to go through in order to do this properly (IE-not sucking), but as to the physical procedure(s). there were a few in tandem and to be specific in how I did everything...

Remember, she's 90% completed here- there are large swaths that you will see upon close examination that I have not finished. She's still a little rough in areas until I go in and smooth her out totally, especially on the upper body and her feet.

BODY

The body form itself (Head to toes) is a scratch paint job, first sketched out for the base, and then using a sh!t-ton of anatomy reference and took me 4 weeks. Again, this was a huge first crack at a realistic human form render for me, coming out of years as more of an animation background. So I really had a lot to learn.

Her general facial features (look) were first a combination of a few of my favorite hot celebs as rough reference, then was finally scratch painted (BTW: when I say painted on any of this, I start/work in photoshop with three shades of grey, white and black, blend, sculpt-IE: Warp, stretch, mesh, stretch, fold on to itself, etc.-I like to call it digital putty and I use the technique on a lot of my stuff as it gives me a lot of control without looking airbrushed, before I smooth everything out and finally surface texture into the appropriate shapes-muscle, creases, highlights, what-have you) also including features of two of my ex girlfriends. So a good deal of the detailing went there to get her to look just right.

I tend to work in separate windows on specific parts of the piece, then bring them in as layers. So there's a bit of aliasing here and there from those canvasses.


HAIR-All 7 styles

The hair is photoshop as is everything else. starting using good photo reference, then the digital putty for the base, then brushes. Some of her hair is completely done (finished), some you will see the digital putty on. Again, 90% completed here.


OUTFITS

The outfit composites were not where I needed to spend a mass amount of time, as the real task was her bodyform for thee 3d model in Maya and Mudbox, though they did take two weeks to get on her lithe little bod. The superman t-shirt is a combination. Shirt is paint, emblem is photo-sourced from an existing shirt I used as reference before I tore it all up. WW boots are combination, painted then using the actual stripes photosourced, Bitch boots are mostly painted from reference, with the fronts of the ankles to the feet and zippers photosourced for time and because frankly it will be easier for modeling. Tied t-shirt/cleavage is paint from reference (as are the arms at sides-again, not finished-)and hands.

Underoos (red briefs) is paint with seams photo-sourced to save time. Metallic Hot Pants are completely painted from reference. Spent 3 days to get them right, right down to the last reflection, then textured them.

Waist belt is completely photo-sourced. Gun belt is paint with buckle photo-sourced. Holster is paint with no reference, and leg strap is combination paint and buckle ring is photo-sourced. Choker(s) are paint. Jean shorts are paint from reference. Bikini is completely paint as well. Rubber Bustier is paint plus photo source, as is the rubber bra. The catsuit is nearly completely photo-sourced with a bit of detailing with the digital putty. That was a last addition and I'll be feming up the boots into stilettos in modeling.

I think that covers everything. Here are some high res images. Click them for full size viewing. Watermarked...

She was all done with a mouse. Actually very proud of that as I am a struggling artiest, and my wacom died three months ago.

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Last edited by TravisCowsill; 05-01-2013 at 09:55 PM.
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