Whitetail Deer, Buck

[Kamikaze]

Hashers,

 

Here is my latest non mechanical model. used 3D painter for the decals for hair color, still trying to get a handle of this organic? modeling. Still have more hair grooming to do a touch up or two on the decals, and to texture the antlers. more work on the geometry proportions.

More pics to come as model progresses.

 

(Note: I used the unicorn model from the Extras DVD as a starting point, so much thanks to Eric Lindstrom, hope I got that right)

[steve392]

Thats looking good ,nice skinn/fur texture

[bighop]

Looks good! You may want to add some details like this:

 

 

Sorry, I had a long day and couldn't resist.

[mtpeak2]

Looks pretty good Mike. The only thing that looks odd to me is, his eyes look too small.

[Kamikaze]

Did some modding on the head geometry and hair color decal, also added color decal to antlers as well as a displacement decal for bumps on the antlers, and also increased the eyes size, but still look to small? head still seems its shaped oddly to me?

 

2 additional pics:

 

Mike

 

Thanks for the reply s and suggestions!

[Gerry]

No this is looking pretty good to me. the proportions are much improved and the head looks fine, though I say this without looking at a photo of an actual deer for comparison. Nice work on the antlers.

 

What does look odd for some reason is that in the 3/4 view the head looks like it's off to the side. I know the model's symmetrical from the back view up top. It looks odd but I can't say why.

[Rodney]

Mike,

If I didn't know better I'd say you are up to something... first the fish... now the deer... I smell a project going on.

 

It looks like you are going for a high sense of realism.

Even so, I think the model could benefit from some additional exaggeration.

Save the model and experiment on a copy of it.

 

I'm not suggesting you turn this guy into Bambi but push just a little in that direction until you capture the right level of appeal. If that is what the design and style you are seeking calls for... the appeal factor should soar.

 

Some of what I'm suggesting is sure to be resolved in the rigging and posing.

Right now its hard to say as he's in such a static pose.

 

Looking good. Keep pushing!

[mtpeak2]

I think the neck is a bit too long and not fat enough for a buck that size. The eyes, I think, are still a too small.

[Kamikaze]

Thanks for the comments , and suggestions, and I agree with them all, now to figure out how to apply them, smile....

 

Gerry, that is odd, and I see what you mean , could I have the camera type set wrong? its straight up in the chor....Humm

 

Rodney, Thanks for all the good suggestions, Ill see if I can post a more lifelike pose, and Im constantly looking for ways to tweak the model itself, Ill keep pushing its limits, keep me on my toes my friend....No actual major project for these yet, Im thinking of getting together a few self made nature models that could possibly be use in TV commercials here locally.

 

Mark, Thanks for the suggestions, Ya know, when I go in close to rework the eyes I seem to think ,ok that looks plenty big enough, them when I back out and render, they still seem way too small, Ill keep on working on them...Ill take a look at the neck and tweak, thanks again, I agree...........geometry is not there yet.

 

A slightly more natural pose, my rigging leaves a lot to be desired, this view seems to bring out more problems in the model,

 

 

The last 2 pics I shortened the neck, enlarged the eyes/sockets and other bodily work....I want to redo the neck.

 

(I may want to post this in that other forum, Im thinking about asking for a trade, if someone would want to trade a rigging job on this Whitetail they can have the model for their use, I wouldn't know what to sak for other than it be animatable,(is that a word, surly not the correct spelling if so) LOL, be able to be animated without deforming much, it may not be worth the effort involved for a decent rig.(Id email the rigger the model)

 

Thanks,

MIke

[agep]

Very nice model!

[Gerry]

Brainmuffin did a fantastic job rigging a polar bear not long ago. Maybe you could get some pointers from him or that thread.

[StormedFX]

The fur and the model itself looks really good... nice work.

CHEERS!

[mouseman]

Very impressive.

[Kamikaze]

Thanks for the comments guys....

 

Just a couple more pose shots,(I didn't post the terrible shot from the rear, LOL) I did more modifying of the geometry and bone placements, still a lot to be desired as far as animating goes.

[mtpeak2]

Looking pretty good Mike, though the white hooves stand out. There's one spot on the front shoulder that the fur doesn't really show up well. It looks like a 5 point patch, is the normal flipped in the right direction?

[Rodney]

Seeing your deer in action really makes a difference. Nice!

 

I'm not sure what you are using as reference. Hopefully you've been finding everything you want.

One of my favorites (drawing/animation related) is from Ken Hultgren.

Some of his book on drawing animals is online.

 

The Art of Animal Drawing by Ken Hultgren

 

Why look at drawings as opposed to videos? (Don't... look at them both!)

A benefit to the drawings though, especially by the likes of Ken Hultgren, is what can be learned through their study.

 

There is something a bit odd about the legs in your last post. I'm trying to vector in on what that is...

 

Edit: I haven't searched a lot but I'm not finding any images where the rear legs move forward and overlap the front legs that much. Perhaps if sitting?

 

More online reference:

Deer Hunting Book

Slow motion video of cheetah chasing and catching wild deer (WARNING. Graphics of nature in progress. Gulp. Poor guy didn't have a chance.)

 

More images of deer than you can shoot a bow and arrow at:

http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/whitetail-deer.html

[mikracken]

As a hunter i would say the deer looks really good. although i do have one question. what season is this deer to be in? Deer in the mid west shed thier velvet from the antlers right befor the rut, or mating season. lasting in the midwest from about late october through the end of november. thier is a secont rut late season Dec.-Jan this secont rut invalves fewer deer and is way shorter.

i bring this up only becouse during the rut the buck will increase in muscle mass/ size in the neck and overall gurth of the animal. And color to lighter shades of brown to tan. some say for a camo effect agenst the dead leaves of fall. the size for male domminece within heards for the right to mate. prime time hunting.

 

mikracken

[johnl3d]

Modeling gurus always amaze me ...I have a hard time with that part of am...nice deer !

[Kamikaze]

MTspeak2, Ill check out that patch, I always seem to have probs with hair and 5pt patches, just changes the color of the hooves to blackish, later I will put more texture to it, thanks for the heads up!(checked out the 5pter its normal is correct, may have to increase the density of the hair there)

 

Wow! Rodney, that will help alot, such great info...As far as the leg, I did pose it from some images I DLd from the net, but from the pic it was hard for me to tell exactly where to place things, the pic showed the rear legs going outside the front, and that was a bugger to pose, Ill attach the pic Im talking about.

 

mikracken, I too , well, use to hunt WT here in Arky land, but Im not sure what part of the season this buck is, I hopefully will make ones for all seasons and including doe's and fawn's. Along with varying antler shapes and sizes, differing body shapes etc, but I may tire of this and start a new model and come back to this later once I have an animatable version. I working on getting different hair colors and looks at the moment... Thanks for the info, Ill use it as reference,

 

The pic ,straight pose (working on a new bones setup, cant get the neck to full extents, head and neck up and head down for grazing) new hair attempts ,decal color , hair property changes, thinned the legs out a little, still have plenty of problems though.

 

And the Ref. pic...

[Rodney]

Wow! Rodney, that will help alot, such great info...As far as the leg, I did pose it from some images I DLd from the net, but from the pic it was hard for me to tell exactly where to place things, the pic showed the rear legs going outside the front, and that was a bugger to pose, Ill attach the pic Im talking about.

 

Looks like I sit corrected. Good pic!

Admit it... you put him up to that pose.

 

I'll weasel out of this one by suggesting its rare that both back legs and front legs overlap at the same time beyond maybe a hoof. One side... okay. Both... not sure. (While not a scientifically valuable-exploration I'll look for images that break or prove the rule)

 

Of interest to me is the motion. Which legs are moving forward... while others are getting ready by recoiling in anticipation of the next push forward. The process... how deer are so light on their feet yet propel their weight forward. Facinating stuff really.

[Kamikaze]

Rodney,

 

Ill have to admit when I first saw that pic I thought , what? deer do that?, I have seen them in the wild running fast in flight of a deer dog, but as you know ,it is all a blur at reg speed., It is becoming difficult to rig this thing so be able to get good full extent motion from it just for posing, never mind animating (yet) I set up some smartskin for the rear legs and had to do some spline geometry correcting before hand. The neck is another story all together.

 

Thanks for all the help and heads up, Im always appreciative...

 

Mike

[Kamikaze]

Of late About all Ive done is work on this scene (just for fun), The trees in the background come off of the TWO models, and the corn is from leaves from a plant off of the extras DVD with a stalk I modeled.

 

Same image twice, one with 35mm blur PE, seems to blurry to me, the other is the reg. render no PE.

[TheSpleen]

awesome model!

[tbenefi33]

That deer is right on the money awsome job I've seen them leave our garden like that

well except for one.

[Kamikaze]

Thanks for the encouragement fellas,

 

I watched a hunting DVD where they shot the Buck when it was taking a crap, I would have waited tell he was through with his business before I did ..........

[Kamikaze]

Any suggestions on the best way to swap out antler types ? Im trying action objects at the moment.....

 

Thanks