Week 22: End of character project!

The end of this week marked the end of the character project. I've learned so many things and I think I've definitely impressed myself with the work I've produced.

Final texture and model

Final model and texture with wireframes

Unwrapped texture

I've already written a lot about my model over previous blog posts so I'm just gonna insert my reflective assessment to save me typing it all out again!

" Overall I’m very pleased with my model and texture, especially considering how much of a struggle I thought this would be. I learned a lot through the process and feel like I could do the whole thing a lot better if I started from scratch again (unfortunate time constraints).

I spent a lot of my time concepting going in the complete wrong direction and it was only during the last week or so of allocated time for concepting that I actually decided to go back and change my original idea to something more appropriate. I think my issue was I knew that my original idea wasn’t very strong but I kept pushing it further in the hopes that it would just ‘work’ after I’d put colour on it etc.

Although I am pleased with my final design I wonder how much further I could had developed it if I hadn’t spent so much time developing in the wrong direction.

The topology of my model isn’t the strongest; I had difficulty getting it right for the face and I always seem to be quite messy when it comes to modelling and since I know texturing is more of a strength than modelling I think I get lazy and leave things as they are hoping that the texture will sort out my faults. I feel if I had used my topology more efficiently I could have a better model and nicer textures.

Since some of my modelling was bad my unwraps weren’t as clean and tidy as I had hoped they would be, leaving myself some nasty seams and overlaps that I spent a lot of time going back in to re-model and unwrap (time that would have been saved if I modelled my character more carefully in the beginning).

Rigging turned out to be a bit (a lot) of a shambles. After many attempts to do it while I was mid-way texturing I kept abandoning it because I ‘didn’t get it’ and it ‘wasn’t going right’. I’m not sure why I thought anything would change if I left it till last! I really feel like my rigging let me down because I was just so lost with it and didn’t leave myself enough time with it, despite knowing it would be difficult.

As well as this I neglected to model an accessory, despite having one in my concept. Part of the time I simply forgot and then the rest of the time I thought ‘I’ll do it later’, which ended up leaving me with no accessory!

Although my model and my texture are of a relatively high standard (for me) I think it’s definitely overshadowed by my awful attempt at rigging."

This week was also review week in which I received some really positive feedback on my model/texture as well as ways to improve it. I was also told I was working at B level at the moment and if I keep improving I should be on track for a first. I know grades aren't everything but it's nice to know your hard work is paying off and you're not quite as awful as you thought you were!

Study of Frederic Leighton-Pavonia

I managed to do a quick study at the end of the week and I'm really happy with how my digital technique is coming along- just need to start doing my own stuff!