New Character Just looking for advice.

[dhin]

Here is Dolly. I'm going for that girl next door look with her.

The head is set up with a fully openable mouth (teeth and tough included,) and lidded eyes. So far I've spent maybe 5 hours on it. Just modeling and fixing mistakes. I plan to start rigging and mapping latter next week, as well as starting on the body. I might change the pig-tails I'm not sure. I also have alittle poly reduction to do, but that will wait for now.

The tri count is just under 1200 polies.

Wire (http://www.angelfire.com/id/Dhin/Textfiles/RuneSinger/headWire_wip.txt)
Solid (http://www.angelfire.com/id/Dhin/Textfiles/RuneSinger/head_wip.txt)

C&C are not just welcome, they are required! :D Thanks

[RionMcCloud]

The nasal bridge looks a little off to me... Mine slopes, curves, and slopes again. Yours Slopes, ascends, and slopes. DOes that make sense. The nose is too straight on the vertical? Dammit, whay can't I word this in a good, understandable way?!?!

[dhin]

I understand what you mean, even if you articulated it poorly :D. The only problem is I've blown my poly limit for this part of the body. I'm 200 polies over what I wanted so I'm reluctant to add more polies in the nose unless I can find places to reduce them elsewhere. I know I have some spots in the mouth and on the back of the head where I can reduce more but I'm not sure I'll be able to reduce enough to justify adding more to the nose. I'll look at it though.

Edit: I thinks I've found some spot I can reduce more, so maybe I can fix the nose a bit more. I post more when I have something to should.

[dhin]

I've been refinning even more, Making it look more anime than before. I made the eyes larger and fixed the area around the nose alittle more.

old head image (http://www.angelfire.com/id/Dhin/Textfiles/RuneSinger/Anime_wip.txt)

Should I keep going this way or just go back to what I had before. Tri count is 1230 but I may just increase my limit alittle instead of worry too much about it

[RionMcCloud]

Ahhhh.. YES!! That's it. Much better, more natural, my god she's beautiful!!! (Translation: Pip, pip, Cheerio, and good job old boy.)

Edit: The wireframe disturbs me though... Teethj are odd looking like that... Not your model, cause wireframes always do that to me.. (Shivers as a chill works it's way down his spine)

[FireJin3]

You planning to make a body?

[dhin]

Thanks guys, glad to see I'm heading the right way. I've started on the body but it still looks like a half a deformed box. I still need to UV Map the head and rig it too.

This week hopfully.

[dhin]

Here is the front view for my character sheet. Just to give a bit of idea on what I've been up to and how she should look.

Front View Character Sheet (http://www.angelfire.com/id/Dhin/Textfiles/RuneSinger/MM_WSC_Dolly_con.txt)

I'm still not done, but I'm getting closer. The bottom half of the costum isn't finished so I left it out for now.

[robberthesp]

l like the concept! Look at the eyelids...they come out too much..
And i think the hair in the drawing looks better than in the model..

[dhin]

The hair on the CS is just the hair line. I haven't decided on the style yet. I've actually change quite a bit about the hair since my last WIP image. Hopefully today or tomarrow I'll have something more to post from the model.

Here is my full CS without costum (cause I'm still not finished. with it.)
image of character sheet (http://www.angelfire.com/id/Dhin/Textfiles/RuneSinger/CS_Dolly.txt)

[dhin]

Well, I havent stopped working on this one, it just I have had time to do a lot. But here is a small update on my charater sheet.
Old Char Sheet (http://www.angelfire.com/id/Dhin/Textfiles/RuneSinger/Dolly_CSF.txt)
I'll do more latter. I haven't got enough of the rest of the modle done to show very mush else.

[dhin]

Think of this as a journal update.

I'll be actually getting back into full swing with this model and my other Mad Mages to go with it next week hopefully. I think I'm going to say away from compotions for a bit and actually try to finish up my personal projects first.

nothing interesting (http://www.angelfire.com/id/Dhin/Textfiles/RuneSinger/RuneSinger_CS.txt)

I still don't know what to do for the hair style. If any one has suggestion I'd love to hear them. I'v complete change the hair on the head model (taken it off, not actually modeled more yet.)

Plus should I leave the legs bare or dress them up some how? I'm not sure on that, though I like the side view of the boots and want to keep them visable regaurdless of leggings. Maybe I'll do more fabric things around the legs, I'm really not sure where to go with it.

[dhin]

http://www.angelfire.com/id/Dhin/Textfiles/RuneSinger/RuneSinger_Leggings.txt

I've changed the name of my character from Dolly to Karasu. I think I'll give some back history on the character, so crits can be more specific to the style I'm shooting for as well as the actual model.

A mad mage is a magic user that is not willing to follow the paths and structures of their set magical disciplines. Runic magic is based on arcane symbols. A Rune Singer charges a rune deck with magic and casts spells by forming rune word with cards from those decks (normally made of tiles so that the magical release of the spell from the rune word does not destroy the card.) Rune Singers arranges the rune into useful words for quick casting of spells, they generally have an offensive and defensive deck. After a card is used it must be recharged, as the magic of the rune has been released.

Karasu is a Wild Rune Singer because she does not arrange the cards in her deck, she pulls cards at random to form rune words. This is a major taboo for Rune Singers as the magics that are released are uncontrollable and the result is never known, often it leads to the death of the Rune Singer on the fist throw of cards. It is a quicker way of casting spells though.

Karasu is Japanese for Raven (actually Crow, but it's close enough,) I thought that fit the personality of the character I was trying to portray. She has a very dark obsession with chance, and risk taking. She doesn't take advice very often and as a result is always getting into trouble. But despite this there is an airy and fluid grace with which she does things and you are never quit sure of her intention. Karasu is unnaturally lucky as well, but as with all gamblers their luck eventually runs out. . .

The costume is Asia in style, partly due to the name choice, partly due to the fact that a rune conveys an idea or part of an idea, so I wanted to draw from a culture with a writing system that was similar to that.

Crits are very welcome.

[dhin]

This is nothing big I just though I would post what I have done on the model so far. I'll actually be dedicating all my spare time to it this starting next week. I've been competeing in a couple of contests and have really been involved in those the last couple month so I haven't got much done with this Character. Now I'm done with those I think I'm just going to focus on this model and take my time to do it right.

I am modeling her nude first, then I'll model the costume over the top of the body. I think it may be easier to get the folds and flow of the coth better that way.

wip (http://www.angelfire.com/id/Dhin/Textfiles/RuneSinger/Karasu_Wip.txt)

I'm sure it's too early for crits on the body but if you see anything really obvious that I may have missed, or anything wrong with the head let me know.

[dhin]

Hair test.
http://www.angelfire.com/id/Dhin/Textfiles/RuneSinger/Face_Hair.txt

Tell me what you think of this hair style. I think this is really close to what I want. But I'd like a little input as well.

[dhin]

I updated my image, but forgot to mention it here, Which hair style is better in the above pic. Or should I keep playing around and try for another style?

[robberthesp]

B!

[dhin]

here is an update, since the server down time.

I have some problem areas. Like the back of the knees. Any advice on any of it is very impotant to me. I'm trying to improve my technique so be brutal if you need to be. Any flaws you see please point them out keeping in mind the previously posted character sheets (http://www.angelfire.com/id/Dhin/Textfiles/RuneSinger/CS_Dolly.txt).

I'm actually having alot of problem with the arms now. If anyone knows a good place for refs, or tuts I'd be intersete to hear about them. I actually have a few I'm working off of but any help is good.

Solid:
http://www.angelfire.com/id/Dhin/Textfiles/RuneSinger/Karasu_S.txt
Wire:
http://www.angelfire.com/id/Dhin/Textfiles/RuneSinger/Karasu_W.txt

Tri count is ~2400.