My final module for my university degree is a self managed project for which we will produce a high quality piece that demonstrates our skills to the best of our ability. We are allowed to choose the piece to work from and the media in which to create it, with regular feedback from our tutors to monitor our progress.
Current Progress:
In my last entry I explored the best software in which to pose my character by looking into the different methods that can be used.
Leather Strap
Since my last update I have been working on creating some of the materials that will be widely used over the whole of the asset. Starting with a base colour, I then added layers using the curvature map that would add depth to the material by representing dirt caught in the cavities and highlights on areas that would feature general wear. Then I can use smart masks and grunge maps to build up the layers of detail and break up the uniformity of the model.
The leather straps are a large aspect of the character design since they feature on every limb but are also used to bind and tie the the rest of the design together so I will need to make sure that the colours.
Skin Material Test
This is the first human that I have worked on and will need to spend time learning new techniques such as subsurface scattering in order to make the skin appear as real as I can. Achieving the right skin tone is important which is why I've been following the character creation tutorials by Adobe.
Stage One Bone Material Test
I managed to create a base material of what looked like bone and then started using the curvature map to add the grunge detail however, the detail on my model was too smooth as I had hand sculpted the base shape. This meant that there was a high contrast between the dirt and bone layers which didn't appear natural.
Stage Two Bone Material Test
I decided to use some alpha maps to vary the heights and add the tertiary detail. This worked really well in achieving the realistic appearance I was aiming for by adding tiny chips or scratches which would be seen on an item worn everyday.
I then took this new high poly back into Substance Painter and worked on adjusting my bone material and exploring how I could further use layered masking and grunge maps to target specific areas such as the sharp edges which would feature very little dirt. Although this took a long time to adjust, the bone material is an important feature in this character design so it's crucial to ensure that the material will work on all the different elements.
Next Stage:
Now that most of the secondary detail is complete, I am working on adding the tertiary detail such as chips in the bone and the wrinkles and veins for the character.
