Final Major Project Update – Enemies - 14/3/20

Since my last post (less than 2 weeks ago) I have started working on the enemies of the game. Here is my design reference board:

I wanted these people to have a military, strict, practical feel to them. I used military uniforms and geometric shapes as my inspiration. I started by sketching faces and costume, then began creating silhouettes, incorporating simple but sharp-edged shapes into the designs. At first I liked some of the more complex looking designs but then decided it would be better to simplify them and make them look practical, simple, and easily manufactured/made over and over again.

I took the iterations I preferred and made small further changes. After I chose a front design that suited my aims I did a few back designs and then chose to simplify the uniform even more by taking away the long back and making the coat more of a jacket. I did a couple rough sketches.

I then took the previously favoured designs and started making the enemy leader’s design. I aimed to make his attire fit in with the rest of the uniforms but stand out as its own important outfit. I decided to give him a long coat and played with the front asymmetrical shapes and hard angles. I wanted it to feel military without resembling existing uniforms too much. Next I will create a symbol to reflect the hard nature of the enemies and I’m thinking of giving the leader a walking stick of some sort, more of a sceptre than an actual walking aid.

Final Major Project Update – Natives – 3/3/20

Over the past couple weeks, I have been working on developing the native race for my concept. I began simply with sketching and after I produced a few I came across a head idea I really liked, so I moved to Zbrush to sculpt it to determine if it would work in 3D. It also made drawing the race over and over again easier. I stuck with the idea. It matched the rest of the fauna of the environment by having the nose-bone be a crest with nostril holes.

I painted a page of quick heads to work out colours and expressions and how individuals can vary or how genders vary.

I decided that they should have natural markings across their body. Females would have green and males would have red. I also played with the idea of hair dyes.

I went on to create the basic body structure/proportions. I wanted to make them very close to humans with slight differences, the same way dwarves, elves, and humans are similar but different despite living in the same world. I made the natives slightly taller than the average human and also decided that both males and females would be of similar height to each other. I wanted to change the feet and made them hardier looking as this race of people are more accustomed to walking around bare foot on difficult terrain.

Then I designed what kind of body markings they would have, and after choosing one, I created a reference page for the design of the natives.

Then I began to work on the clothing. I just wanted to get and give a feeling for what sort of clothes they would wear. I decided the use of rope and simple lengths of cloth was best. Not too fancy but not boring. I applied some colours to see which sort of dyes would look best.

I wanted to do a shaman design as well because it is an important character to the game as it is the character who will conduct the power of the ancients into the main character. I started with sketches and then found a design I really liked. It’s unique to the rest of the natives, and has a big pop of colour with the feathers and has the bug wing nose piece worn only by shamans.

The last thing I have done for this race is some drawings showcasing day to day life and people.

Final Major Project Update – Creatures – 3/3/20

Apologies for not updating recently first of all. Secondly, here’s what I have produced in the past few weeks for my creatures!

After determining the design of the Thymexodon (apex predator) and the mount creature, I developed anatomy reference pages for both. I used existing creatures as reference to make the anatomy as accurate as I could. I also produced some head views and feet views. I decided it would be beneficial to show the main body, muscle structure, and skeleton separately from each other and then show the skeleton’s placement within the body.

I went on to create a final render of the predator. I used photo-bashing and painting to produce a realistic render. I used the textures of a crab, scorpion, beetle, alligator, rock minerals, and a lion. I decided to work in black and white to determine texture before colour.

After finishing the render, I used overlay layers to add and experiment with colour schemes. I even overlaid images of fish or precious stones to try patterns out on the body. I experimented with a colourful and vibrant scheme as well as a few controlled palettes.

I found that the bright blue/purple colours were too ocean-like and not suited for the environment. I kicked those colours to the curb for the moment, but carried the idea forward of having markings on the back half of the body.

A couple of my tutors and my peer gave me feedback on my work at this point. I was told to make the forms of the predator render more organic by changing certain areas, such as the back piece, the fore legs, the back legs, and the back of the neck. I have yet to act on this feedback.

As for the other two creatures, I have started on the basics of their designs. I did some silhouettes and sketches. 

I decided to keep certain anatomical similarities within the creatures of the local environment so they all looked related. This is why the scavenger design has a head crest with the nostrils like the predator does. It also has four eyes, and I will probably add some long spiky tail feathers to reflect the predator’s rump spikes.

In the next post I will cover what I have produced for the native race in the past few weeks.

Final Major Project Update – 11/2/20

I have started working on the predator design, who has been named Thymexodon (a combination of different specie names). Initially, I began with silhouettes, and immediately felt this was too static a way to start the process. I moved to my sketchbook, and using references I just started loosely sketching ideas. Mostly heads at first, and then I started studying lion anatomy. I wanted the predator to have a hunter form. I also chose to use beetles and bugs as inspiration. The spiky forms are interesting and aggressive looking.

Once I found a general idea I was happy with, I moved back to photoshop to start narrowing down the best design. I created a few sheets of head designs, filtering the best ones into the next sheet until I found one that felt best. I chose this head because it looks aggressive and has a unique shape.

I started working on iterations of the body, changing the surface detail, silhouettes, and proportion. I made the shoulders and neck very bulky to match the ramming attack implications of the head structure. I kept the back half of the body lean and agile. I wanted the feet to not too closely resemble cat’s or dog’s paws, so I made them a bit longer and skinnier, and added details like dew claws and webbing. Here’s what I wrote explaining the general anatomy of the Thymexodon:

“The Thymexodon hunts primarily in the forested and wet areas of its habitat. It has webbed toes to aid in paddling through rivers etc. and a chitinous exterior to protect them and harden their attacks. The serrated head piece is made of bone and chitin and can be rammed into larger prey to stun them, hence the large built shoulders and neck. Thymexodon has a jaw with two pieces similar to the long maxillary canines of a Smilodon, which go up the skull above the eyes. The back has a leaner agility-focused anatomy. Thymexodon runs fast and hits hard. Extra dew claws on the front legs allow it to hook its claws into prey that tries to escape. They are also helpful for gripping onto trees when climbing to higher vantage points. The serration on the fore-legs is also useful in this action.”

I aim to render the Thymexodon next and create a material call out page.