Character Creature | Sculpting Process

This character, the Clicker was inspired by The Last Of Us, following a bunch of references.

The retopology was made in Autodesk Maya under a UDIM workflow, but that shell arrangement would be re-arranged in a single Layout to upload later in Sketchfab for better optimization preview proposes.

I look for a bunch of references for skin tones, this because I wanted to create a rotten skin. The texturing process was well separated in different well named layers, for each channel.

I decided to separate the model in different files for texturing, that would make more manageable the process itself.

• Head
• Body
• Clothing

I decided that the best way to perform this task was to start with the body, then, I created a Smart Material with the finished texture, and I use that Smart Material for the other files (the other body parts), that allowed me to preserve the colors and the useful layers, that way, I would just have to adjust minimum details.

Personally, I prefer to separate each mesh in Maya, both high and low poly, having everything well named and organized in the outliner and preserving the final transformations of each mesh, this technique to allow me a better preview when texturing in Substance (and in this case, to keep all the detail behind the clothing); when textures finished and connected back in Maya, just set the mesh transformations back to cero to have each mesh back to its original place in the character.

All of this, just when the character characteristics make it posible.

Just for the fun of it, I rendered an animation of the Clicker by using a Mixamo animation, and I just fixed some skin weights and keyframes for the lower part of the character.

I performed the whole character modeling in ZBrush, with 6 subdivision levels and lots of details along the skin and the mushrooms, helping me aside with brushes and alphas, I used an external model of Alexander Antipov for the teeth and I added extra details in the software.

For Sketchfab, I avoided re-texturing a new model with the new shell arrangement by just editing all texture images in Photoshop, placing them in its new UV position. This because for the final render, I wanted to keep all the details, and for Sketchfab one, I just wanted the possibility to explore in a closer way the model without worrying about the huge file sizes.

For rendering, I used Volumetric Lights to create the atmosphere, I imported some assets from the MegaScans Library and I rendered the Z Depth Map to create depth of field in the final render. Finally, I just added a few adjustments to the final image in Photoshop to get the very last outcome.

I always enjoy seeing the Black & White versions of the renders.

Thanks for reading me along the process of the Clicker.

Hope you all like it as much as I did!

"Grenadier" - Creature Character FanArt

I wanted to do a little of Hardsurfacing with this, I took Inspo from the awesome "Ben Erdt "Grenadier" - Creature Character Tutorial" character. 

The character is divided in three materials, one for the character, another for the clothing and one final for the Armour. The Painting was performed in Adobe Substance Painter.

I sculpted a quick base mesh with primitives with the generale shape of the character, then I merge them and performed the retopology step.

For the Armour I watched over and over the reference, I believe the chest was the more difficult part, I kept adding pieces and details, removing and improving them until I felt satisfied with the final look. I tried to keep it a bit low poly with good consistency in shapes and alikeness with the original model.

I realize there is a huge path ahead, but I enjoy and had the opportunity to pearn more my skills in hard surface, texturing and render.

I took really care about the texel density and the topology of the model, as well as the UV Shells well unfolded along and the distribution around the UDIMS. I did a quick extra arrange just for a Sketchfab preview purposes.

I watch over the general loops of the character and also the muscles. I reimported back in ZBrush to add details, helping me along with alphas and brushes to create wrinkles and skin texture.

I also used some assets from the Quixel Bridge Library, some others from CN Entertainment, Bulat.Shakirov and Federico Paredes in Sketchfab for set dressing purposes.

It was rendered in Arnold, and composed in Photoshop for the final images, using the Z depth map and some overlays to give it a better final look.

I find very impressive the Ben Erdt work, so I had to give it a try. I do enjoy doing this stuff so I hope you all like it the way I do.

War Pig

When I watched The Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 on the big screens, I was captivated by the story and characters. The fusion of robots and animals in the film moved me, and upon encountering the War Pig, the idea to recreate the character sparked in my mind. It felt like the perfect opportunity to showcase my skills and bring the concept to life.

For the modeling, I personally sculpted the organic body in ZBrush, utilizing six subdivision levels and crafting the general shapes and wrinkles. The only external resource I used was alphas for enhancing the skin with extra detail.

I began by creating the initial base of the body, followed by performing retopology in Maya. After that, I imported it back into ZBrush, where I added complex details while adjusting the subdivision levels.

I did put a lot of effort in the details of the modeling as well as the textures.

I carefully managed UVs in Maya to ensure proper texel density, optimal arrangement, and unfolding across the layouts. Consistency was maintained to achieve a high-resolution output of 4K.

The texturing process was carried out in Substance using a UDIM workflow, with separate projects dedicated to the body and the mechanical parts. Smart materials were not used to maintain full control and customization.

I utilized a total of four materials for the character, with one dedicated to the body and three for the mechanical parts. This separation in Substance allowed for improved painting and better organization during the project.

I took extra steps in organizing the project by developing each channel separately and placing them in their respective folders. Additionally, everything was well-named in the Maya outliner to maintain control and clarity throughout the process. Personally, I prefer this approach to ensure a better understanding of my workflow.

Assets besides the character were imported from Quixel Bridge Library. 

I loved the intricate details on the face and aimed to emphasize the eyes using a subtle, shadowy illumination.

In addition, I incorporated a Subsurface Scattering map primarily for the ears and the top of the nose.

I didn't perform the rigging or skinning process; instead, I focused on posing the character's extremities solely for rendering intentions.

I conducted extensive research on the original character from the film and studied various pig references to bring my idea to life.

I also take pleasure in viewing the black and white version of the renders, purely for the sake of satisfaction.

I thoroughly enjoyed working on this personal project and had the chance to enhance my skills in sculpting and texturing, which are areas I'm truly passionate about. One of the main intentions behind this project was to practice both organic and inorganic sculpting and achieve realistic texturing for both aspects.

The total number of hours dedicated to this project is uncertain, but it involved a development period of two and a half weeks from start to finish. The software used for this project included Autodesk Maya for hard surfacing, ZBrush for organic modeling, Substance Painter 3D for texturing, Arnold for rendering, and a touch of Photoshop for compositing purposes.

I hope you all like it as much as I did.
Any feedback will be well appreciated!

Thank you Rookie Awards for this great opportunity!