naughty Nick

[e338]

Hi
Here is my latest character. It's CG based, as you can see, and overpainted in photoshop. This is the way i work...
This time, i've paid much more attention to the shader and details, which is something i do in photoshop usually.
The final goal is a short animation, if i find the time to do it...

hope you'll enjoy

http://infernito.prdt4themasses.com/forums/nickGrave/nickGrave_small.jpg

>> Hi resolution image << (http://infernito.prdt4themasses.com/forums/nickGrave/nickGrave_big.jpg)
http://infernito.prdt4themasses.com/forums//nickGrave/Zbrush.jpg
http://infernito.prdt4themasses.com/forums//nickGrave/wireframe.jpg
[/img]

[Visceral 619]

sweet piece!

Love the lighting (very atmospheric), great model too!

Just curious, what's naughty Nick's role in your animation? Just asking because it looks like a cool project.

[Mat_Ratcliffe]

superb 3d model, z-brush right? . The image still looks a little unfinished. I would sharpen up the face like with his hand on the left, maybe pop the eye and the edge of the nose out with a little contrast.

Great stuff, how long it take to create that model?, its incredibly complex!

[Danilo]

Anatomy is extra good. There is something about shoulder muscules that im not digging. Check some ref.
Last image is best for me.

[davi]

this is just fantastic, for some reason the hand reads strangely, but besides that, awesome work :]

[cateaic]

Nice model...the details are awesome!

[Odds]

ah, i thought the hands were amazing.. i really dig 'em. the lighting is amazing, also. keep it up :)
edit: one thing i don't like is the really saturated, red nose. red noses can work sometimes, and not work other times.

[stalsby]

did u create the model using zspheres? and how do u get the holes for the eyes when modeling in zbrush? (how can u detach vertices) or disconnect polys that are connected?

[Eyal]

Awesom model.
The whole scene really reminded me of a shot from the movie Snatch, where bradd pitt has his proving-himself fight againts this freaky, speed induced bully.
I think the ps coloring job, with all repect, looks like a cheap color job next to the model. You seem to know what you are doing, what you are looking for, but the accuracy and sharpness of a CG render are so inhumanly accurate one cannot keep up with realism. the texture on his chest, the red on his nose, the green/yellow on the walls don't work, imo, with the tight rendering on the fingers, on his rear edge..
I think you should pay more attention to the balance beteen perfect CG renering and painterly photoshop look.

You did a great job, nontheless, dont get me wrong :)

[e338]

eh!
Thanks for the comments, time for answers.

This short animation is a personnal project, it could be a part of my next demoreel. I have to work a lot on facial animation controls. It's a long process, and i don't have time at all right now...
But it's going to be... violent!

The model was build in Maya and Xsi. I used Zbrush to tweek few things and add details, that's all. No Zspheres in here! (Not that i don't like, but i'm pretty used to work in Maya with regular cages).

I don't know how much time i spent... done after job, in those hours that doesn't really count eh!?! Anyway...

About the details, on the face, etc... i don't know what to say. I think it's pretty sharp at the moment. The picture is really highres, and loses a lot of details with this screenSize. Check on this zoom and tell me your opinion ;)
http://infernito.prdt4themasses.com/forums/nickGrave/nickGrave_deskTop2.jpg
For the shoulder muscle, yep. I seems that i f..cked up the back of the shoulder. mmm... ok... will work on that for the future characters.

And finally, about the gritty touch ups, Vs CG render.
This picture is close to the previous one i've done, in a matter of style. A mix up between 3D and 2D, that i enjoy doing.
I don't like the classical "out of package" renders. And mine are really not good enough to be shown this way. But REALLy, i almost HATE that.
So, about the "cheap" colour job,... well... i don't know. It's frustrating dude.
Have a look at the basic render, and tell me again what you think about this photoshop work.
http://infernito.prdt4themasses.com/forums/nickGrave/roughCG.jpg


thanks again for the interrest.

[Eyal]

hmmm
oh, and you welcome :)

From seeing the render now, I think I see the problem (or at least whats been bothering me anyways..). I suppose its the material and the way it is rendered. Like you said, you arent the best at rendering?

I thought a lot more was painted in photoshop, since there is a pretty blant incosistancy between color/material relief and the actual rendering. As I adressed in my other post, such a red nose = no go with this highlight along it. The strong saturaion on the wall goes well with the pushed colors in the shadows (really nice job there) but I feel it doesn't work for its own. It doesn't maintain a balance.

Skin shaders are tricky. Im not very familiar with it (none at all actually). But theres plenty who are, perhaps you should look it up and research it. Could come out pretty handy getting those renders better if thats what you always start with. Gotta get the soil ready before plenting the seeds, right?

[e338]

yeah... well. err

No, i'm not the best for rendering, people are dedicating their life to this part of the job, i'm more involved in modelling/animation... that's for sure.
But still, i know what i'm talking about :bashful:

I don't know what to say... I had many cool comments about this shader (for once). I made many researches, tryed many approaches. Ended up on MentalRay using the now classic miSSSfastSkinShader. I've been testing it with animated lights as well, and it's working properly (except for the eyes)
Here, this picture is more Stylized. So i don't mind if i loose a lot of details on the shader or if i'm getting less realistic result.

My biggest regret about it, and Francesca pointed it on CG talk, is that the bump isn't strong enough. I could have increased it! Damn...

But the overall aspect is quite cool i think... No?
Here's another test with a basic pose...
http://infernito.prdt4themasses.com/forums/nickGrave/oldRef1.jpg