Throughout the process I have learnt a lot about using different programs, the character design process and my own abilities.

Whilst wanting to start of becoming more skilled as a mudbox artist, I veered away from this course and got distracted along the way with what I was already comfortable with doing - traditional character design and photoshop. However, I have ended the process with learning what I wanted to in the first place.

This process has made me realise that I need to stick with one idea and work on it to the end, rather than skipping about between ideas. That's when things never get completed.

In the future I will be carrying on with some of the ideas that I have had and have already started - I plan to better my abilites in sketching, painting and sculpting and will learn even more about anatomy and modelling and sculpting. What I have learnt has become a stepping stone onto becoming a much better artist with a better understanding.

If I were to complete this process again I would focuss on one thing at a time, and relate my work to the games industry standards more, thereby becoming my diciplined in my own abilities.

A fellow student, Ceri Rogers, has included a piece of my work as a texture on one of her models:

As a way of adapting to different styles I also tried out some mudbox sculpting of some stylised characters. I tried to pay more attention to the mesh of the model this time - It still doesn't really fit the mold of the head properly, but it is an improvement on last time. This scult only took me around an hour and a half as well, whereas the previous one took me several hours over several days. I am pleased with the improvement so far. the character is referenced from character sketch that I completed when trying out different styles. After finishing this I attempted to sculpt the head to the left as it was more of a challenge being asymmetrical. However, I found this a lot more of a challenge and have yet to complete the model. I think it would make it a lot easier if I started each model in max first, using what I have learnt from previous tries.

I have also recently been looking at this artists z brush work, which not only helped me with structure for what I have completed, but will help me a lot in the future too:

artist 1

During these processes involving creating models in Max and sculpting them in Mudbox, I feel that I have learnt so much about human anatomy, character design and how to use different industry standard software during these processes. I think that this shows in the time it took me to complete each of these models. The first I spent around a week, familiarising myself with the tools and the processes of sculpting, whilst the second I completed in an hour and a half as a bit of free experimentation. During the past few weeks I have become more confident in my abilitis in 3DS Max, Mudbox and Photoshop whilst also familiarising myself with Z Brush.

Well today certainly has been a good day. I've been attempting to get the hang of Mudbox for the past couple of weeks. I was getting a little frustrated with it as nothing that I did looked like I wanted to - it looked like an attempt at something that could be what I wanted it to be -if that makes sense. However, today I had a sit down at attempting to create the head of this earlier character.

I am pleased with the way that the face came out, however, the hair looks like veins. I was unsure of how to sculpt it so just did some basics, and will finish it once I've had a look at some videos. The mesh is awful, I wasn't paying attention to it when I started modelling so I didn't know what I was doing to it. Apparently I can import it into Z-brush and create a mesh?

I edited two heads in max (edited from SGMAN/WOMAN) to created the basic shape of the heads I wanted to create. I then began sculpting them, the female character is more progressed than the male. I have learnt much about Mudbox from both of them, such as paying attention to mesh structure and have become more comfortable with the tools in Mudbox in general.

Female head in Max

Male head in Max

First stage of male head in Mudbox.

***EDIT***
I removed the hair because it was distracting from the point of sculpt, which is the face.



I also used some tutorials that helped me learn a lot about the tools and processes used:

tutorial 1

tutorial 2

tutorial 3

tutorial 4

photo reference 1

As a way of helping others with the skills that I have learnt over the last few weeks, and also a way of simply portraying some of my knowledge, I have created this simple tutorial showing how to draw the heads basic structure. I wanted to go into more detail with the body, but I think that it would have taken up to much time compared to its importance with the rest of my work. However, rather than illustrating the proportions of the body I have written them down as a basic guide alongside the head structure:

General rules for human anatomy:

· The neck is one quarter of the length of the head.

· The shoulders are another quarter head below the neck.

· Therefore, the chin to the shoulder line is 1/2 of one heads-length.

· The shoulder line is one and a half head lengths wide.

· The nipples are positioned one head length below the neck line.

· The length of one head is the distance from the nipples to the belly button.

· The width of the waist at the belly button is one head length wide.

· The hips are one half of a head below the belly button.

· The upper arm, starting from the shoulder to the elbow, is one and a half head lengths.

· The lower arm, from the elbow to the wrist, is one and a quarter head lengths.

· The hand is three quarters of a head long.

· From the knee to the bottom of the foot is two head lengths.

· The ankle is one quarter of a head high off the ground.

· The foot is one head length.