WIP Small Works Art Thread

yuck, whats up with the new unity forums? Im not sure if Im a fan of this new setup tbh. I kind of liked how the forums were set up before. Its not that different I guess It just threw me off a bit when I came on here. Guess its going to get time to get use to. And why does it say that I am a new member now?

Thanks! yeah, I tried it with more rounded edges and It looked very weird. The edges wouldn't connect to one another because they where too rounded. So I rounded them just slightly to keep them more blocky. Of course there is other ways of achieving a nice rounded tile style but I decided to just stick with the more standard blocky tiles.

And yeah I am also really happy about going for a more tile setup. I'm trying to create more modular pieces that makes it easier to create a variety of different levels and setups. In my past projects I would always try to create these unique parts for my levels like different terrains for each level and so on. This was an inefficient way of creating levels because I would spend to much time on a single level and then for the next level I would need to create new pieces. So with tiles and more modular pieces level design is faster and can end up with more possibilities. I think Im going to start going for more tiled level designs not just in this project but for my future projects as well.

 

I haven't tried the web version of the forums yet, but it's fairly mobile friendly. I think I'm going to like it once I get used to it, it feels cleaner so far.

Thanks Snow! I was aiming for the best topology I could get on the hand, so had a look at a lot of images on the web and made a mix. I would mostly agree with you on Blenders retopo tools. Whilst BSurfaces can be handy occasionally, there aren't any other dedicated tools, which is a shame. That being said, I find Shrinkwrap and face snapping to be a great combo. The lack of dedicated tools is why I'm excited about CGCookie's 'Contours' and other retopo tools; they look like they'll help speed the process up.

I used to HATE retopology, it was just another time consuming step, but now I like to see it as a challenge. Since giving sculpting a proper go, I love it, but I can totally see why some people wouldn't. For me, it feels more natural, but there are certain objects I'd definitely stick to poly modelling with, which I also enjoy.

I'm also a big fan of your tiling set up! They look much tidier than your earlier islands, and I often think obviously-modular assets look bad, but they work really nicely here

EDIT: Oo! Apparently I'm also a new member. Odd, considering I've seen people with <5 posts categorised as a regular 'member'.

 

Yeah, I'm getting used to the layout, but it's pretty nice so far. The phone layout is a godsend, when I'm commuting home.

However, the true test of the forums will be our friend, the Arabic Washing Machine Spammer...

Yeah, that's why I went with 3D tiles in The Hero's Journey. I'm still having a lot of self-dialogue with myself on Crown Princess's style. On the one hand, I liked THJ's style, but on the other, I'm not entire surely that I couldn't do one better.

Also, for your fog effect, you may want to consider toning it down a little bit so that it makes a more convincing atmospheric effect. Also, don't use white for the fog color, I recommend using whatever color is at your horizon instead. That's actually what I did with the world map in THJ, and I think it worked quite well.

 

Piano, also I love the new forums

 

looking to go futuristic: pulsars suppose to be gold glow still a work in progress...

 

Here's another out of that series of vehicles....

 

Yeah I agree. I mean a sculpt + Retop workflow is definitely a good challenge and also necessary sometimes in CG art. I kind of have a variety of different workflows. For making games/working on my game projects I need to work much more rapidly and pump out as much game assets as I need in order to complete the project within a decent amount of time. I personally hate long projects and just don't have the patience to work on something for a long time without loosing interest. I cringe when I hear about solo indie devs who spent 4 months, or 5 years or more working on a single game project, so I try to keep all of my game projects with-in a 1-2 month limit or sometimes even a week or so (Even though I spent nearly 4 months on my most recent project but that was more of an on/off thing and didn't work on it everyday).

but for cg art, or a render I don't mind sculpting + Retoping too much. Blender is getting much better retoping tools. I usually just use the face snapping tool to hand layout my verts. Contours is pretty good but very limited and it can only quickly retop basic cylindrical shapes like arms and legs. If the shape is too complicated though there isn't really an easy/fast work around for it.

And thanks, I use to also not be a big fan of modular pieces because I thought it felt cheap and for some reason I use to have this belief that you should keep showing the player something new throughout the game. While I still think this is nice to show new stuff throughout, I feel like it can be done with modular assets. I was wrong, its not cheap, its more efficient. I am starting to get to that point where I am just trying to make everything easier and quicker now. I don't know why, but it seems like most (including myself) game developers, artist, designers etc just can't seem to accept working on simpler stuff. We always feel like we need to over complicate our visions to create whatever it is we want to create. But I am learning that simple is good and less really is more, not to overcomplicated what I want to create. This is something I am starting to learn from recent simple games that have been successful such as Flappy Bird and Smash Hit and even simple cartoons that air on tv. Also going back to what a professor told me a while back "Don't over think it."

also, you and me are now members instead of new member for some reason

haha I think I have seen threads about that guy. Some believe that he is just a mythical user somewhere on these forums. I am starting to get use to the new layout though. I tried it on my phone and see what you guys are talking about. The mobile version is much cleaner and easier to use now, esp since I often check the unity forums on my phone a lot.

I really liked how you did "The Hero's Journey" and I think going for a similar style with your new game projects will kind of be like your signature thing that lets people distinguish your games. Like they could play one of your games and then maybe one day stumble onto another one and play it and say to themselves "hey this looks like one of Asvarduil's games" or "I think this is from the same guy that made so and so"

and yeah that was just a quick atmosphere set up. I will definitely be tweaking the lighting and fog further more. And thanks for the tip, I like the idea of having the fog color match the horizons color. That seems like it will work nicely.

 

100% agree with you on the less is more thing. I want to make a working version of my next game in a weekend, so I'm designing it around that idea.

Finished the retopo of this chick. Here's the low poly with a normal and diffuse:



The body is around 4700 verts at the moment. Clothes and accessories are still high res. Going to shift the UVs around a bit and have a dedicated map for the face, with the idea being that the character should work for close ups and so on.

 

Hey guys im posting my HK416 here (updated one from before that I showed on lux thread. First time doing something like this.


2 Questions,
1 - The render showcase setup is it up to scratch first time doing something like that.
2 - after my exams in like 2 weeks a couple of people want me to model for them for $. Although pricing wise i'm a bit lost, how much should I do something like this.

Sorry if a bit derp questions young (16) and learning
Thx

@marcos
Looks hot mate
Btw there is some clipping on her short shorts in the groin/leg area

 

That's some lovely topology Marcos! And nice and low whilst not sacrificing detail, awesome job.

I should probably clear up what I said about modular assets. I'm not a fan of it when it's very obvious, unless the whole style of the game is simple and has a similar theme. That's the only time I think it looks cheap. For example, I've seen FPS's make use of modular streets, with the same shop fronts, rubbish bins (trash cans) in the same places, rubble scraps in the same spot etc etc, and it's easy to notice and breaks the immersion. However, in a game like yours, with a simple toony style, it's perfect for it. It fits the style very well. I think any stylised game can really benefit from it, and whilst I have no problem with realistic games using it, it can't be too obvious and has to be placed well.
Less is definitely more, and simple is often the way to go.

I'm one for drifting off on projects for too long and then losing interest, but I have no problem with hearing about devs spending a long time on a game. Especially if it's a team, as that helps ground motivation for a lot of people. As long as there's a great end result, it's good to see it get to completion, but if it didn't turn out quite like how they wanted, it is a shame to think of how much time they lost.

Sculpting for me is the only way to concept a 3D form quickly and creatively, unless it was a lamppost or something, then I'd definitely poly model. But it's going to be different for everybody. As I'm working on realistic stuff atm, and need to bump up my portfolio, it's also the best way to get a good normal map and level of realism.
However, for anything stylised I generally wouldn't touch sculpting; I do it all via poly modelling. For example my Turgle character in my avatar, and the accompanying character, were just poly modelled. I find it works better for these characters, for me at least.

Contours is just meant for cylindrical stuff, yep, but they have other tools on the road map for edge loops around key forms and poly-grid filling these loops, which should be a great addition to the set.


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EDIT: Sweet stuff Tinyman! Nice to see another fellow young one as well (turned 17 yesterday). Also nice to see someone else battling modelling and exams at the same time! haha

That's a nice clean model, and the textures look sharp. I've never sold a model, so I couldn't say, just make sure you trust the people on payment, I've heard about a lot of people being ripped off selling or buying models privately.
The render has a lot of different shots, which is nice, I only feel like we're missing a closer side view shot, maybe to fill that space under the text. Other than that, you get to see how it'd look from a First person camera.
Oh, it'd be nice to see the tri count on the render though.
I'd pay good money for that though, great stuff



EDIT EDIT: I see there's a bit of a bug when editing posts on mobile, it doesn't always update the text.

 

thx for the advice, ill add tris for future reference
this model is a bit on the high side, since I have some weird thing to want most details actually geometry (not normal). In total it's 12k tris but I did far dinkum since the base of the low poly unoptimized was 30k.

I dont appear to have any problem about mobile and editing

 

I don't know what's high poly anymore! What with next gen and all. What I considered too high before has gone out the window, especially after finding out that Ryse's main character is 80k! I know Unity isn't the same spec as Cryengine, but now for models in general I'm having to re-learn what's high and what's low

It's only occasional for me, I think it's if I click 'Done' but then back on the text box and make more changes, when I then click save changes, it doesn't update the post. Works fine most of the time though.

 

Cheers! Yeah, will be fixed when i retopo the clothing, at the moment it's still the mesh i used to sim the cloth onto the high res sculpt body.

Also thanks tweedie!

 

WIP Low Poly building. Working on a Germany 1945 scene.

It has some details that I added just for the HighPoly version, but this is pretty much how the LowPoly will look like.

Edit: Here is another one:

 

remember that 1945 germany usually kept their buildings very uniform.

 

@marcos, I use textures for clothing; it may not look good, but there are no wardrobe malfunctions. @coingod, it does look like they were built by two different architects. The one on the right looks like it has a Greek or Roman influence. The one on the left looks more German. The one on top looks good, unfortunately I'm not an architect; can't help much.

 

I'll be removing all of the underlying verts will be removed when the clothes are retopoed. I just made the whole body for different outfit options later on.

 

Nice work Marcos. I like the proportions
Only critique would be the obvious seams in some places like the shoulders. But I guess you going to address that.

 

Got a refraction shader working for our cloaking starfighter!

 

Saw this on Polycount. Really awesome effect

 

If anyone wants the shader, just holler... or, here it is?

 

That's awesome! Thanks for sharing

 

Sweet shader - I assume it requires Pro and renderTextures? I'll file it away until one day I can afford it... Thank you very much for sharing!

 

Shader is nifty, thanks for sharing it out (y)

 

Wow, thanks for sharing, Howard! If it does require pro, I can't use it, but that's an awesome thing to share for free, tons of people will find that very helpful

 

Made this today The game is like mini golf, but instead of shooting a golf ball past obstacles, you throw a bowling ball past obstacles, and the goal is to hit the cones!
So made these low poly cones and bowling ball today, and im pretty proud of the outcome !
I also made the little obstacle level you see, but i havent finished texturing it.

 

Yeah, it requires GrabPass, which is a Pro-only feature. Sorry.

Working on a 3d version of an IRKALLA backup-mech.

 

I'm loving your art style. What is the project?

 

OH! It's not my art style, it's something I did because I also love the art style. the project is IRKALLA, and the artist is Skydsgaard. I was just riffing off his design, and making it 3d instead of pixel-art.

 

This looks baller.

 

Spoiler: Art

http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/d-o-c-descent.233610/

 

Like those sci fi women, 2nd one from top bit too skinny.
Otherwise they look very good

 

Dude, amazing stuff!

Did more work on Cora:



Gave the face its own set of maps, so that she will work better for close ups of the face, painted spec and translucency maps. Still need to do the final diffuse map. I also put in the proper low poly eye geometry, including corneas and the little corner bits (the name of which escapes me right now), and painted the eye textures.



Clothing is now retopoed and the normal maps are done. Still need to do diffuse and spec and all the rest. I'll also probably give her socks or something.

Aside from said socks, next up is proper eyelashes, eyebrows, hair, teeth, gums and tongue. Then I'll do another pass of textures and so on.

 

Looks a bit too cross eyed for my taste.
One a sidenote. Is this kinda hair style en vogue these days

 

...Not this game again...there's no way I'd ever consider making a second Zombies vs. Knights...right?

 

Started on a new game. Not enough for a full thread yet, but here's a picture:

 

Looks like a sci fi religious symbol :S looking forward to it

 

Noticed the eyes too, was too tired to do any more yesterday though. All fixed now!

Thinking something like this for the hair:



Still needs some tweaks and so on before the low poly. I might also do long flowing hair later on when I have time.

 

More IRKALLA fan art.

 

So, I'm working on my environmental effects some. I'm trying for a dark nighttime scene (the perfect time for Zombies and Knights to be fighting, because Zombies always attack during the dark...) Have I made it too dark?



I promise I did not just colorshift the last image. As you can see I re-baked the in-progress castle texture, and updated the selection reticule on the base unit that I'm testing.

 

Just remember that night doesn't equate to total darkness, can still have torches causing nice warm highlights on the edges of buildings and stuff. I think a good contrast with light and dark can make a nighttime scene really appealing.

I've attached some references that I had in my inspiration folder. Artist names are on the file names,I think they also serve as their Polycount handles.

 

Yeah the warm yellows and oranges really make the scenes stand out good share

 

First pass of low poly hair:

 

As marcos said, a bit too dark. I personally find the contrast between a moonlit night and the glow of man-made light (torches, window lights) more atmospheric than total darkness. The images that marcos linked show this concept well. If you're worried that it feels too light/bright, you could add some rain, maybe even flashes of thunder, to give a more oppressive and dreary atmosphere.

From a game point of view, you also have the added bonus that full moons are often associated with dark magic and monsters - what a perfect time for the dead to rise!

 

Friends, I've almost totally redone art work on my game. What do you think about it?

 

Looks fantastic! I like the asymmetric style of the buildings.

 

Much better than before, IMO.