Modelling improvements

I had a talk with phil and he revealled a few problems he was having with my character. He thought that the textures were becoming to complex which lead to too much visual information. Another problem was that he wasn't look big enough or anywhere near mean enough. So I have gone back a few steps and created this new fearsome head and made him larger.

I didn't want to make the head TOO different, so i started to think about how he would look under the previous mask that he had, and as the modelling continued I added a few more piece like the elongated chin. The eyes will be covered by small fibres, so that they are simular to the eyes of a flea, which is where the main design where from.

Loki's UV's and Texturing

To my surpise, the Uving wasn't as difficult as I had first thought. It turned out to be almost straight forward.

The Texture map is slowly changing as it evolves through the process. I keep finding places that I perhaps didn't think about in a large amount of detail before I started it.

For me, the character is looking excellent!, I like how I see the character grow each day. He is starting to look more and more like a games character now and I can't wait to get him moving. There is still a lot to do in terms of texture because certain areas need refining. Plus the main thing I have to sort out is the problem with the chains, which I have forgotten about for awhile now...

Chained arms

The chained arms are modelling, however it leads to an extreme problem! There is now so many links in the model, which have around 80 polys each, it makes the poly count sky rocket to 164,000 polys which is rediculos and something needs to be done. I'm now going to experiment with particles to bring that poly count right down.

Modelling Update - Chains added

Stage one of modelling neally done

Loki now has arms!! Im getting so excited, he is looking even better than I thought and I am no where near finished yet :D His frame and details are changing slightly as I model him just because of the decisions I make when modelling. I have realised that all his details are quite big, for example his shoulder armour or his fingered torso. This is a problem because the bigger the detail, the smaller he looks. So the next stage requires me to add smaller details which I am more than able to do.

Fingers modelled into the side of the torso

When modelling the fingers I thought it would be best to model them in their extended state so that they can be rigged and then moved.

Modelling Day Two

I woke up today and looked at the model, I started to think that the neck just was not working. I didn't like the metal panels that cover the neck and I thought it would cause problems when moving the character. Now to make him feel more real and more believable, I wanted to have a fleshed neck. Something that I could work some skin textures in and a few added spikes (Mwhahah). This does also leave me to remove four of the six tenticles/legs, but I really don't mind that because they were also causing problems with the chest and the future rig.

I'm going to have a little break now and continue the model in an hour or so :D

Turnarounds and starting to model

Im starting to model!!!

I'm finally modelling Loki and already having fun just watching the character grow. As I model him I'm constantly thinking about how he will move and what his attacks will be like.

I can not wait for day two of modelling!! :D

Loki Concept art half way through

I have been creating a final look concept where the final fight between Loki and the main character Lif could take place. Obviously I haven't designed Lif so I just imported a small silhouette, it is simple but hugely effective for the overal piece because it makes Loki look the size that he is. So far I am happy with the piece, all that's left to do is add the chained arms and weapons. Whilst drawing the clutching fingers on his torso, I had a thought of those fingers opening up and shooting out molten chain form the torso. This would look like a bug firing silk or spit at a prey.

After this piece is done, I will work on the turnarounds and get making in maya. It is all very exciting and I can't wait to see him in 3-D.

Concept - Tail Flick

I wanted to imagine how the character would swing that massive rocky tail, and I thought that using the chained arms as ancors at the point of the swing to really propell him forward!

I like this painting however I would prefer it to be easier to see what everything is, unfortuantly the skill is lacking atm. However I feel like I already know my character more now, in the scene of how it moves, how the individial parts move and how he will look in 3-D.

I can't wait to make him!

Development

Here is the character so far. At first I was getting worried that it was starting to look like ALIEN so I brought it more to the flea side to get rid of the problem. However after talking to Alan and Phil it turns out the problem with the character is the foundation. For instants the spine isn't working the way it should be, it should be acting more like a question mark shape. This allows the shoulders to go right back, the spine to stick out at the top and have the shape flow into the chained rock form at the bottom.

I have been advised to create some dynamic poses because these are looking to stiff and it will help imagine the character. The character looks a little stumpy because the rocks are too far up so I'm going to give him the ability to extend the tail when needed for bashing and bring it back in for stability.

Shading the character

So far

Variations of chainned arms and flesh arms - comments please

I was advised to see what it was like to have chainned arms and fleshed arms on the same body.

My favourite is 3 and 4 because I like that the back arms could be extend in battle to hit a far target.

Number Seven's improvements - Comments please :D

I added the extra arms back in because I like the deadly warrior presence they give the character. I also added a hide cloak on the back to add more essence of vikings.

Silhouette development - Comments or opinion please

I have been ill for the last couple of days which has stopped me from doing anything. However i had a lot of time to think about Loki and how to finally have him look. It was about time I asked myself, what does this character look like, what is his objective, what does he like doing, etc. I found out rather quickly that I don't really know the answer to any of the questions, and this is becuase I had so many ideas on what he could be and what he could look like instead of actually zoning in on the important final look.

I have already missed my personal deadline which was on sunday and have had to move to a week later. Character designs and concepts WILL be polished and completed for sunday 4th of march.

I still have all my drawing on the wall and spent a whole dayjust staring at them, trying to see what I like the most, what would truely fit with Loki character and also trying to solve the srabbled puzzle of his appearance in my head.

There is plenty I like and a LOT I don't like but I loved the trial and error before getting this solving stage.

I have now taken those parts I like and used them to create Silhouttes. Before I did this I drew another sketch that I had been thinking about during the illness. I researched Fleas under an electron microscope which I forgot to put on here, Whoooops!

This is what I got -

These are interesting, like the scaled armour and the weird face.

I created a silhouette from the drawing and then fixed and added a few things.

If your looking at this post could you let me know which number is your favourite, Possibly why and improvements you would make.

My person favourite is seven, I really like the dominate look he has, and the chained arms give him something no other characte has. Although I can't imagine them working, maybe a little tweak is needed.

Finding a basic form

I have been developing the basic form a little more over the weekend. I'm still trying to find that one amazing design that when I see it, I think YES I HAVE THE CHARACTER!!! I think that I'm half way there, I like quite a few of the designs and would love to see them up as a CG characters, however I still haven't found the perfect actor for the roll of Loki.

Time is running out, and the personal deadline is coming up fast so this week I will be very busy. It's a little worrying but exciting because I want to really free up my mind and let absolutely everything in.

Inspiration for form and look

Loki is the god of mischief and fire, he's a giant, he's a trickster, and agile. These are all very hard to combine with each other, I want to look at something in nature that could help me combine them to have a better understanding of the character. I have decided to take a look at volcanoes (Stay with me here), Volcanoes are very destructive and powerful, the lava that erupts create beautiful patterns that can also make new forms, it is fast and agile. The smoke and steam is free but still dangerous and can be interpreted as dark magic orea or something like that. Also with volcanoes, most of the activity happens below the surface, just like it is being mischievious....

I have found some images of volcanoes doing what they do best, some of them are pure amazing!!!

Lava Eruptions

Smoke and steam

Cooled Lava flows

This influence map of cooled lava flows is my favourite set of images, I find it really interesting how the cooled rock now look like cloth more than it looks like rock.



Visualising Loki via characters that are already in film - Con Air

I have been adviced to take a look at characters I already know that are in films that portray the same characteristics of who my Loki is. Loki is an evil genious that has been chained up so he doesn't cause harm so basically I see a locked up convict, mass murderer and an enchained psycho. What comes to mind is two characters in Simon West's 1997 film "Con Air". The two characters in mind are John Malkovich's Cyrus (the Virus) and Steve Buscemi's Garland Greene.

John Malkovich's Cryus the Virus:

This character is the smart-master-plan, highly dangerous convict that will kill anyone in his way. He's always moving, he's always planning and always acting on impulse. His characteristics of being dangerous and constantly planning the next move is what makes me remember how I want Loki to be. 

 

Steve buscemi's Garland Greene

This character is perfect for Loki, he is so evil deep inside that the other convicts are scared of him. His character is even more scarier because he never shows the dangerous side, but you always must keep an eye on him, just in case. This sense of danger is exciting in a character, because most of the characteristics are left up to the viewers imagination. So the character is as dangerous as you will allow him to be.

I also like the way he shows that he is a very clever character, but so clever that it has overtaken him