Looking for inspiration
My first practical project is going to be a witch character with a series of props. This will then be used as a set of bench mark assets to be annotated so that I could pass the project onto other people and they would be able to follow the style guide and art direction.
To start off the project I made a Pinterest board and started adding lots of different images that I find interesting.
I then chose some of the ones I want to take forward into my design and made them into a moodboard:
My moodboard [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17]
After looking at the art style of Oxenfree [22] I am really inspired by Heather Gross' character designs. Unfortunately i couldn't get hold of the models from the game but I have managed to get hold of some models from Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney [18], which has a similar type of character stylisation.
Interesting observations I made when looking at the Hershel Layton model [18] [19] :
Specs of the models:
- 7,514 tris (including second set of hands)
- 4x 256x256 diffuse texture sheets
Layton in wire frame with bones visible.
Layton in T pose from the front.
Layton in T pose from the back.
The mouth and eyes are a separate part of the mesh.
There are two sets of hands so that they can switch them out in game rather than animating them as bones are costly.
Looking at the deformation topology in the legs.
Seeing where the seems are in the unwrap.
The head, hair, hat and hands unwrap.
The eyes and mouth are mapped to their own texture sheet so that the expressions can be changed with a flip-book material.
The torso unwrap, note the colour palette in a free space.
The arms, legs and feet unwrap, note the colour palette in a free space and the large empty space at the bottom.
Seeing how the mesh is skinned around the knee joint.
There is no face topology all facial expressions are done through the material, note that the nose and ears are just interjecting meshes.
Interesting observations I made when looking at the Luke Triton model [18] [20] :
Specs of the models:
- 6,712 tris (including second set of hands)
- 2x 256x256 diffuse texture sheets
- 1x 128x256 diffuse texture sheet
Luke in wire frame with bones visible.
Luke in T pose from the front.
Luke in T pose from a perspective side/back angle.
Looking at the elbow deformation topology and skinning.
Looking at the knee deformation topology and skinning.
The head, hair, hat and hands unwrap on a half sized texture.
The eyes and mouth are mapped to their own texture sheet the same as Layton, this is so that the expressions can be changed with a flip-book material.
The body unwrap.
Interesting observations I made when looking at the Eve model [18] [21]:
Specs of the models:
- 3,791 tris (excluding pendant prop)
- 2x 256x256 diffuse texture sheets
- 1x 256x128 diffuse texture sheet
Eve model from a perspective side/front angle.
The body unwrap, including the prop.
Face unwrap, the facial expressions would be swapped out in game using a flip-book material.
A half size texture for the bandanna worn around the neck.
From looking at the Professor Layton [18] models and their textures I have learnt that you can have mutiple textures for one character, you don't have to have facial topology if you are going to use a flip-book material, the texture sheets can be rectangular, meshes can intersect each other and I know know how they unwrap and pack their characters. From this point on I will move onto concepting my character using the refererences I have gathered so far.
Bibliography:
[1] HEATHERSKETCHEROOS (2016) Character concepts for Oxenfree. [Online image] Available from: http://heathersketcheroos.tumblr.com/post/138101871196/heathersketcheroos-figured-it-was-time-to-share [Accessed 29/11/16]
[2] HEATHERSKETCHEROOS (2015) Meet the artist. [Online image] Available from: http://heathersketcheroos.tumblr.com/post/130317513521/yay-inktober-is-finally-here-thought-id-start [Accessed 29/11/16]
[3] MOSTLYMILKWOOD (n.d.) Oxenfree character designs. [Online image] Available from: https://www.tumblr.com/search/the+colour+guide+to+the+side+is+neat [Accessed 29/11/16]
[4] REBLOGGY (2014) Grunge fashion. [Online image] Available from: http://rebloggy.com/post/grunge-red-hair-martens/70493604997 [Accessed 29/11/16]
[5] ABDIRAHMAN, M (2016) The Golden Death Witch. [Online image] Available from: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/lNqPk [Accessed 29/11/16]
[6] PUNZIELLA (2016) Modern witch. [Online image] Available from: http://blackcat-witch.tumblr.com/post/149122097230/punziella-i-was-commissioned-to-draw-cute [Accessed 29/11/16]
[7] DELEON, J. (2016) Moon staff witch. [Online image] Available from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BMP0drljBHh/ [Accessed 29/11/16]
[8] THE ART OF STYLE (2015) Turning Japanese. [Online image] Available from: http://www.theartofstyle.ie/2015/10/turning-japanese/ [Accessed 29/11/16]
[9] STEFFYSPANDCS (2016) Orange cardigan. [Online image] Available from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BEEId-VTTH6/?taken-by=steffyspandcs&hl=en [Accessed 29/11/16]
[10] JI, X. (2014) Girl in blue checked shirt. [Online image] Available from: http://huaban.com/pins/210979604/ [Accessed 29/11/16]
[11] SIMPSON, H. (n.d.) Pagan makeup. [Online image] Available from: http://pffeatvp.tumblr.com/ [Accessed 29/11/16]
[12] DAZYGRAVES (2015) Candle Magic. [Online image] Available from: http://dazygraves.tumblr.com/post/116631957066/candle-magic [Accessed 29/11/16]
[13] DELEON, J. (2016) Flower bouquet witch. [Online image] Available from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BLkpGHLjooV/ [Accessed 29/11/16]
[14] DELEON, J. (2016) Orb witch. [Online image] Available from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BLhUwgjDeqn/?taken-by=jacquelindeleon [Accessed 29/11/16]
[15] DELEON, J. (2016) Purple braids. [Online image] Available from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BH31lHqDZto/?taken-by=jacquelindeleon [Accessed 29/11/16]
[16] CZAJKOWSKI, M. (2016) Witchin’ around. [Online image] Available from: http://tinypaint.tumblr.com/post/149713604190/witchin-around [Accessed 29/11/16]
[17] 2AM ON JUPITER (2016) Yachi lvl 80. [Online image] Available from: http://pfeffersteak.tumblr.com/post/144974163281/yachi-lvl-80 [Accessed 29/11/16]
[18] LEVEL-5 / CAPCOM (2014) Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. [Game card] Nintendo 3DS. Kyoto: Nintendo
[19] PLOAJ (n.d.) Hershel Layton. [Online download] The models resource. Available from: www.models-resource.com/3ds/professorlaytonvsphoenixwrightaceattorney/model/15122/ [Accessed 30/11/16]
[20] PLOAJ (n.d.) Luke Triton. [Online download] The models resource. Available from: www.models-resource.com/3ds/professorlaytonvsphoenixwrightaceattorney/model/15157/ [Accessed 30/11/16]
[21] PLOAJ (n.d.) Eve. [Online download] The models resource. Available from: www.models-resource.com/3ds/professorlaytonvsphoenixwrightaceattorney/model/15123/ [Accessed 30/11/16]
[22] NIGHT SCHOOL STUDIO (2016) Oxenfree. [Online] Microsoft Windows, OS X, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Linux. California: Night School Studio.