Narrative: WIP - Car Modelling

Happy Holidays.

Just an update to show what I've been working on.

For the following scenes


Car work in progress






96ish hours in. Custom Model developed drastically from the initial car design (After feedback the back was too exaggerated and the 'snub-nose' front made it look like a cartoon) and drawing further inspiration from modern design and the designs of 1930's cars, specifically:
-1932 Ford Coupe
-1927 Coupe Napoleon
-1931 Mercedes-Benz 710
-1938 Talbot Lago

Still a lot to go.
-Fix Seams/Irregularities
-Extrude in the Edges that are meant to be separate (Hood.. Boot.. Doors..)
-Finish Front Grill
-Add More Detail into Rear
-Add More Detail into Interior
-Add Placement for Back Lights
-Add Front/Back/Indicator Lights
-Add Interior Back
-Add Emblem/Hood Ornament
-Add More Detail to Interior
-Add Doors
-Add a Roof
-Colour + Texture All
-Probably more fixing after all that.

Maya Tutorials Animation 3: Animating an Action

Maya Tutorials Pipeline: Cartoon Characters

Maya is constantly crashing/corrupting and at this point in time I just don't care to finish it anymore, a lot of work was lost tonight. Salvage:



Considering how important this tutorial is I'll aim is to finish it, along with the others, later in the week.

Narrative: Victim and Generic Character Turnarounds

Narrative: Victim Turnaround Continued

After talking to a number of people, grabbing as much feedback as I possibly can and taking in a vast range of opinions, I've made a number of changes to the turnaround.

The Body Proportions have changed once again. Domantas, Alex and Paul suggested for the curves to be slightly larger, as well as to make the shoulders less broad in order to make the victim more feminine. The dress has also changed. At the moment it looks like a modest woman from 1950's suburban fashion choice. In a nutshell, it is bland and boring.





Me and Alex went back to the fashion choices I posted up some time ago, and agreed on changing the dress style to a mixture of options 4 and 5. There is a degree of symbolism in the revised dress, with the abdomen to waist area starting to form a Key. She is after all the Skeleton Key.

The face still continues to be problematic- I'm having a hard time grabbing confidence after the disaster with the Detective's face and the CD Unit.



We've changed the hair once more. Instead of tied back Alex had asked her to have more of a hard cut hairstyle similar to 1930's Silent Film Actress Louise Brooks.

Kay helped in pinpointing what was initially wrong with her face, which was through the jaw and eyes -Jaw too low, eyes to small. Whilst Godwin pointed me towards women's jaw and facial shapes which helped a lot. Turns out there are a variety of jaw shapes,



Taking the current face and altering it to fit the hairstyle



Further experiments with the hairstyle and face - went for a blend between number 6 and number 8



Refinement of the turnaround from the side and cleaning up

After talking to Alan later in that day, the approach to the victim is now made much more clearer- There were more problems identified with the Victim, specifically parts of her overall proportions which were wrong. I need to learn to look back at fundamentals and the core of body structure.

The Victim is aimed to have a statue-like appearance. This is simply based down to a number of things; Her figure and facial features are sleek, inspired by the form of stautes. Whilst other parts of her hard cut, such as her hair and parts of her clothing. The way in which this can be illustrated best is through clean cut lines.
Alan also pointed me towards Jessica Rabbit as a prime example of a sleek form. As well as Bob's work with Yuki-Onna



Hopefully these are the last hurdles and I can finalise this tonight along with the Generic Man and Woman Turnarounds.

Narrative: WIP-Victim Turnaround Development

The past three days straight was spent developing the Victim into a turnaround for Alex to model from.

Started off from the initial Victim concept, it needs to be more stylised so that will be worked into at the same time.



Okay, body sorted. That was easy. I'll clean it up after the face is done.



Took that first concept into a symmetrical face



Alex wanted her hair tied back - Inspirations:




Turning her into a similar structure to fit with the style of the detective's face, as sort of a base to work off - like, chopping off from a block of wood.



Line Art

After talking to Alex, they don't work. Something looks wrong. Did a few more, and they're still having the same problem



Looked at ideal facial proportions, they're fine.



Looked back at Jessica Alba, Cassie, Angelina Jolie and Zoe Saldana

Did more studies with line art





and more, looks like a masculine alien..



and more, masculine aliens with wigs..




Alex, Andriana and Lyn-Dae now tell me she looks like an elf. Bedtime


Gave up trying to approach this facial study from the front, went from the side.



Finally, they look like faces, I'm progressing. Now to see if I can do front studies based off them-



Sigh,


Okay instead I'll take the best side study. The first looks great. I'll focus on translating her into a front study.



I need to go back to Life Drawing classes.




After going back to every reference on head and facial studies I've seen and taking note of their cheek and bone structure, I produce something adequate.



This'll be enough to work from. I refine it, i.e inking whilst trying to line up her aspects with the side view.



Finally, translating her to her body as well as refining the body.

I'd like some feedback cause I'm doubting this could be adequate for a turnaround that I can clean up and call a final.

I'm not sure if I need to re-do the face..again- to me it needs to be more stylised, its still too realistic. and would be completely understood when its time for texturing- making her look sculpted, more like a faded relic/statue of Old New York.

Narrative: Detective Turnaround Final Development

We pushed forward with the Original Detective Concept.

The suit was fine with the original turnaround, but the facial study was wrong on many levels.



Went back to the initial sketches and the initial inspirations, as well as the inspirations for faces Alan suggested (Kryten from Red Dwarf and Vinnie from Spaceballs), and pushed out a different look



It was again wrong, as now he looked less attractive and more "mousey"

Went all the way back to my original sketch and worked over those, making them a lot more softer and rounded.



It was suggested that the hat was redone and that he be given some facial hair. Looking at Gaff from Blade Runner for inspiration



After numerous variations the pencil moustache and goatee point-up worked best.

Final.

Narrative: Theatre Concept Art

Slightly rushed but we are pressed for time, orthographic images to follow.