my first A:M project

[modernhorse]

Hi Gang -

Attached is the early stage of a my first *scene* in A:M. There will be an inhabitant and grass and all that .... but I'm posting for your comments. Thanks for looking.

 

Doug

 

 

 

 

click me ...

[JTalbotski]

Hey Doug,

 

That's really cute. I think we can guess what your character might be. Are you going to go further with the texturing or keep it simple? Simple is good, too. Can't wait to see more.

 

Jim

[modernhorse]

Hey Jim -

Thanks for checking it out.

 

As for texturing ... I'm thinking some color gradations (would this be a gradient texture I presume?) of greens and yellows. I'd like to add a bit more bumpiness to the door. But yes, simple is the goal here.

 

I'm trying to get this done for my daughter for Christmas but I think i'm running out of time. Maybe for her birthday.

 

Doug

[Zaryin]

I'm sure your daughter is going to love it when it's done. It's looking really good so far.

[modernhorse]

Thank you Zaryin!

[modernhorse]

Update -

Added worm ... just a start. More of a concept model from my concept drawing.

 

Comments appreciated as always.

 

Doug

 

 

 

 

 

click here ...

[CRToonMike]

It's all really cute. Mean that in a good way.

 

The worm's cool and has a bit of personality. Think the kids'll love this.

[carterhawk001]

Your images never load for me, always shows a Yahoo! 404 page!

[Zaryin]

Are you going to give him eyelids? Otherwise he's going to be looking surprised at everything

[modernhorse]

carterhawk001 - I really have no clue why. Maybe its a Yahoo thing. I can never post Yahoo images over at CGTalk. Wish I knew why.

 

Zaryin - Yeah eyelids are in order.

[modernhorse]

Hi all.

 

Updated worm. Here he / it is.

 

Doug

 

 

click here ....

[CRToonMike]

eyelids do add a lot. Only quibble is that the lids don't look like they're part of the body itself. If that's the look you're going after then it's cool. However, by making the eyelids part of the body mesh itself can give you a bit more flexibility, imho. For instance, the lower lid can then be affected by the cheek of the character. And the top lids could have some poses created for it so it could have a sleepy lid pose to a wide-awake pose and so on...

 

Any thoughts to eyebrows? Just curious.

 

Really enjoying the progress so far. Great work!

[modernhorse]

Thanks Mike.

 

My thought on the eyebrows is to have those floaty ones above the mesh. Not part of the worm mesh. That's how I sketched it anyways.

 

Only quibble is that the lids don't look like they're part of the body itself. If that's the look you're going after then it's cool.

 

Yes, you're right. But for this fella that's the way they're gonna be. This really is my 2nd character in A:M and I'm trying not to bite off more than I can chew at this point. I've already learned more with this fella than i can document. Nothin' like jumpin' in there.

 

I have noted your reasoning for making the lids parts of the mesh though, and you make good sense. Thank you.

 

Doug

[modernhorse]

Yet another update of the worm. I'm nearing completion with him - hopefully. Thanks especially to J.Talbot for his advice and guidance on this character.

 

click and scroll to bottom of page

 

Any looks and banter appreciated.

 

Doug

[DarkLimit]

looks cool so far; I just think his face is too wide / round maybe scale parts of it just to add some facial planes to it, which I think will also add more character to him......

 

that's just a surggestion; but if your pleased with this look then go with it.

[modernhorse]

Thanks for peeking at it DarkLimit.

 

I'm pretty pleased with it as is, but I agree it is a bit flat here and there. I wanted to add larger cheeks but didn't build in enough splineage to do so. I'm rethinking adding more detail as opposed to finishing this scene.

 

Thank you.

Doug

[modernhorse]

I've updated the worm a bit. Feel free to check it out and comment away.

 

Scroll down to bottom of page.

 

Ciao!

Doug

[Zaryin]

Let me first say that I like the new face, but I think I like the first one better. Maybe use the eyes from the first one? I also think the body segments are too small. I would enlarge the segmented areas a little more.

[modernhorse]

Hey Zaryin -

Well, maybe its perspective but the eyes are the same from the other pics posted.

 

Re: the segments, I actually shrunk them down as you noticed. But I'm liking them a bit smaller.

 

I appreciate you taking the time to look and comment.

 

Doug

[modernhorse]

Hi Hashers.

 

I've updated the apple a bit, mainly textures/materials. I'd appreciate any comments on this as I feel i'm getting closer to completion on this part of the project.

 

click and scroll down for update ...

 

Cheers.

Doug

[Rodney]

That's really neat.

If I had to live in an apple I think I'd be happy in that one.

 

About a month ago I created a worm when my daughter came home from school with a task to recreate a story from a book on a poster or somesuch.

 

We designed a shadowbox (out of a shoebox).

While we were thinking of ideas I modeled the scene in A:M.

 

A fun time was had by the whole family.

 

If the project isn't on my daughter's crashed harddrive I'll post it here.

 

*** Wish I would have seen your apple back then. I would have had to add it to the scene ***

 

With... ahem... your permission of course.

 

Rodney

[modernhorse]

Hey Bakerrod -

 

Thanks. Would love to see your scene.

 

Anything that you think this apple needs? Have you also checked out the worm?

 

Doug

[modernhorse]

Hey everone. Still working on this scene. I've updated the worm. This fella has been modeled in A:M, exported via another program and rendered in yet another program.

 

I will be completing the rest of the scene all in A:M and compositing the Worm over it. Alot of steps but so far I like the look of it. Any comments appreciated. Thanks!

 

Updated Worm at bottom of page ...

 

 

Doug

[DarkLimit]

Your chatacter looks alot better, eyes and mouth looks great. Beginning to get some personality.....

 

as far as modeling goes is it finish?

 

keep up the good work.

[modernhorse]

Yes, I believe the modeling is complete, though i'm still undecided about whether I should add eyebrows.

 

Thanks alot for your comments Darklimit. That's a motivator.

 

Doug

[modernhorse]

Another update, this time a scene test. This is still a WIP. Thanks for any comments particularly do the elements of the scene seem to fit?

 

Still to do, add specularity to eyes(for that twinkle). Clouds, ummm ... what else?

 

Worm / Apple scene test

 

Thanks as always.

Doug

[drpenguin]

I think the worm would look better without the pink lips

[ChrisThom]

I think the worm would look better without the pink lips

I agree.

[modernhorse]

I think the worm would look better without the pink lips

 

Yeah thanks guys, I'm not sold on 'em either.

 

Doug

[modernhorse]

Still working on this thing. Follow the link for one of my first animations ever, which is me trying out the facial rig (so far).

 

Doug

 

animation test at bottom of page

[modernhorse]

Finally getting to the end of this project. A couple things left to but thought I'd post a pic so as to ask the following question re: the backdrop. I added a gradient backdrop as someone suggested but i'm not pleased. The question is, why don't the colors behave the same in the chor as they do in the model window? I presume it has something to do with light color?

 

I'd also love to hear any comments on this scene.

Cheers.

 

Doug

[modernhorse]

Minor update, fixing the gradient issue. Hmm ... this conversation feels a bit one-sided. Do I appear desperate here.

 

Cya,

Doug

[nixie]

Maybe you could enter the next animation contest, topic: mad! talking to yourself is the first sign of madness so im told!

 

Gradient looks good, I actually liked the colour of the other one though! looked like a pleasent dusk scene.

 

Nixie

[modernhorse]

talking to yourself is the first sign of madness so im told!

 

First sign?! Uh oh.

 

Thanks Nixie, yeah I'm on the fence now about the color of the backdrop. I think it looks a tad more interesting. We'll see.

 

Doug

[NancyGormezano]

Hi -

(Disclaimer: I always prefer stylized, expressionistic or impressionistic images so take the following as a subjective opinion on the backdrop)

 

I actually prefer the oddness of the first backdrop to the second, as it seems more interesting. By oddness I mean the unexpected color - it casts a different mood & suggests a different time of day, (but with perhaps a bit of unwanted pollution in the air?). The blue gradient backdrop suggests a happy, noon time, but is almost a cliche. Perhaps a tad bit more purple? turquoise jewel? in the blue to keep it happy, rather than the greenish cast as in the first eg.

 

like I said - just a personal biased opinion - and only you know the mood you want to create - Nancy

[Zaryin]

Hey, your project's really coming along. Nice.

[modernhorse]

Thanks all for your comments. I'm still thinking about the color of the backdrop though. In some ways I like the cliche'd look as that's what was in my head when I thought up the scene. But, alas mistakes sometimes yield interesting and sometimes better results.

 

Gotta finish this up ... must ... finish !

 

Looking for one more opinion on the pose of the worm in the apple. Should I pose him so his silhouette breaks up the apple ? As opposed to now where he is all in the apple.

 

 

Doug

[modernhorse]

Couple of updates.

 

Things to do ...

1) Retexture tree as it now sux.

2) Get rid of glow from cloud on tree.

3) Fix up texture on door.

4) Decide once and for all the backdrop color scheme.

5) Fix the things that *YOU* tell me.

 

Is the grass working? Its really giving me fits.

Thanks for any comments.

 

Doug

[ChrisThom]

I'm just now jumping in on this one.

 

I like what I see so far, especially the texture on the apple that I saw on your first picture. My only comment is that the door looks like it's been through a fire or something.

[modernhorse]

Thanks Chris,

Ok next up fix the door. I've fixed the tree texture and i'll post an update later on.

 

Doug

[KenH]

It's just a small thing but will look big when blown up....between the petals of the 2 flowers, there is a yellow shadow. I don't know what that is.

And I hope your daughter isn't too young to be afraid of giant walking/house building/incredible hulk looking worms that live in apples She may never eat an apple again!

[modernhorse]

Update - Near completion now. A couple of things bug me but I think its near time to call it done. Like KenH said the yellow shadow on the flowers is one. Anti-aliasing is another. Maybe that won't show up at higher resolutions? Lighting could be better, etc. etc. But I'm pleased with how far its come and how much this has taught me.

 

Now I hope my daughter isn't scared of it.

 

Cya

Doug

[pabloschmid]

hey modernhorse, I really think it comes quiete good, have you already tried to render it in toon style? I think that could work very good with your work, just an idea...

[modernhorse]

Thanks very much Pablo -

 

I have tried and in fact I'm 90% sure that i'll be using toon rendering with the short that I've decided on - of which this character will be one of the players.

 

However for this still, i'm unsure. I haven't much experience yet with toon rendering. Perhaps I'll do some tests on this image.

 

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

Doug