Skeleton Key
 

I figure ill try to create a skeleton key while I animate my other project since its pretty repetitive. Ill make a Skull and a spine coming down, with the key parts sticking outward from its spine. A fun little project! Now to start... ill post some updates later, ive just started, thought id make the thread b4 i forget.

We want some renders mate:rant:

Haha! here is about 2hrs of work (not including the previous screwup skulls i did b4 i got this one). An unsmoothed Skull!:p Please comments and critz, i want this lookin nice! This thing pissed me off so bad... I redid this about 4times and finally got it right.

the chin looks wrong, like it doesn't protrude enough.

but other than that, i like it alot!

thanks! Protrude? Well i did a little work on the chin like 10min ago, is this any better? I also smoothed because i was in the process of adding texture. sry for the quick reply, but you replied as i was replying:(

nice skull man, looking pretty good. keep it up, can't wait 2 see the final outcome

meaning the chin should go forward more, and the chin is a bit to tall too.

Thanks backstabbing! Ok joopsin, i fixed the chin and pulled an all nighter... well i went to bed at 3, but i meant to pull an allnighter! This is the skeleton key. VERY old, tarnished, and rusted. Detailed as much as a skeleton key can be (will detail the skull a bit more). The key of keys! So old that all signs of sparkle, shininess, or beauty has passed, possibly from the darkest depths of the ocean. Thats the look i was going for. Please let me know if I hit it!
http://img363.imageshack.us/img363/2...ey9copyth3.jpg
http://img363.imageshack.us/img363/7...y12copylf3.jpg

you hit it ;)

looks great, too bad that the images go from 'just the skull' to 'the finished key'. I would have loved to see the progress and some wires (which I'd still like to see:p )

anyway, great job modelling and texturing it :beer:

If you fished the key from the bodem of the ocean, i think it could use a bit of rust and some more green tints(you know make it more dirty).
You can probably add some more cracks in his skull.
Also when it comes to lighting with spotlights make use of the linear decay funcytion (you should up the intensity to about 20-30, depending on the distance) and make the penumbra angle to about 5 and the coneangle to 35.
And give the light a dropoff(also depending on the distance)
And only make one light cast shadows (but this also depends on the scenery where the key is placed)
The model seems to be floating, you can also change the scenery ,to like a cave or something, to bring out the model some more.
And in the end an occlusion-pass to bring out the details

I know this was a bit long, but it's all with the best intentions:beer:

I agree with mastone. Needs some orangy brown rust.

Thanks alot for the comments! Ill start adding some rust, and detail/crack the skull a bit. Ive fixed the floating problem and double shadows. Im going to model a small box, like a jewel box behind it. Ill try to add something supernatural looking to it. But id like to get this looking perfect first! Heres the unsmoothed wires! Its a very basic model.

http://img393.imageshack.us/img393/4...refram2jx1.jpg
http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/5...eframe1rs9.jpg

Still not completely done the skull, and in this scene Yes the key is floating, forgot to save when i fixed it before... but heres something im working on. Still needs loads and loads of detail and not near finished, but you can get the idea im going for! Im going to add rust in photoshop, i have a rust texture instead of my present one, but it doesnt look as good.

Heres a little with some rust. Let me know how to fix it because it looks like crap.http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/9...15copy2rx3.jpg
http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/464...16copy2xy4.jpg

Great idea, very creative ... love the finished product :)

No put the rust in places that would get rusted. Like in the little crevises. Maybe some cracks on the end metal thingo lol.

Although i like the model and the setting, it seems that the chest is to small in comparison to the key(or the other way around, for that matter):lmao:

Well I think the key is too big to fit in the hole ?:attn:

i made the chest bigger and placed it back farther but it took the detail away from it and made it look like crap....BUT if i put it back farther and add some more detail, such as a couple more items and make them standing on a bumpy cave floor i may be able too... ill try it! Ill also add rust in small amounts in small places! Thanks!

"... ill try it! "
Like a wise green man used to say; 'try not....do or do not.... there is no try
:rant:






You didn't think we would let you go that easy, now? did you :p .

Yoda rules:nod: Heres the size. I did this just to make sure i had the right size! Now to start on items...I dont know what to make, maybe a compass? ill study up on some pirate crap.

Sweeeet, its look amazing man. Good Job...


Cheers :beer:

Pirat Sword , some coins around the chess , pirat gun , map ...

Looks pretty cool man! Keep up the good work!

Sparticus

Thanks!!:attn: !! Coldwave, that is a good idea. Ill make some old gold coins, but i think ill leave out the map and replace the gun with a sword. I want this scene to have a more...supernatural/evil look which i will begin to show soon. A rotted skeleton arm gripping the chest with a sack of coins spilled across the ground...a compass leaning on the chest while a small but long silver chain runs through the skeleton keys eye and around its skull towards the arm. A thick gleam of light shines out of the keyhole as if something other than treasure is inside. Thats the image ill be attempting to create!

Super :) ... ah the gun and map just come into my mind from pirat movies ... and the coins .. in every movie where there is chest :D there are coins around it ... :blush: Good luck and KUTGW! :beer:

yeah, this is turning into more of a pirate scene...:D
Heres a small update, added the chain.http://img472.imageshack.us/img472/5...y17copysi7.jpg

last update of the night, goin to bed...
Started the hand, Not done and not in the right position! For once i have nice clean wires on this project as well!
http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/8...y18copywh0.jpg

OH YEAH!!!!! That is so freakin awesome!

This is getting better and better.
I've drawn a little conceptsketch in photoshop.
And if you are quick enough you can still submit it in the pirate/ninja-challenge.
Als when you draw the skeleton make sure you model pieces of clothing around him and maybe a sword in his back...arrrr:p

Thanks louis and mastone:D ! This is within the guidelines for the pirate competition? If so that would be great! im not sure if ill make the whole skeleton, i might have his arm with his skull slumped on his arm. thanks for the little concept, im following it for the most part! Heres an update with the doubloons, had to add a dirty look to em. ill probably add some more detail to em eventually.

http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/6...y19copynt2.jpg
http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/7...y20copyyo1.jpg

Very nice kinddoggofwar! :beer: The skull on the key looks fantastic!

thank you THX1138! highly appreciated! I reorganized some things and tried to get a nice render before I add some more, the lightings a bit off and the backround doesnt match, but here it is.
http://img3.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/66f9869c69.jpg

the bump on that scope is waaaaayy to strong but other than that great work so far man:beer:

You can add some ground fog ( i think it was called myst but not sure .. ) and get some nice dark atmosphere : )

Very nice work !!! :beer:

Great progress, although putting a lens in the scope would make sense

thanks for the critz & comments! i really need them. I lowered the bump on the scope significantly, but id like to ask...
How do I add myst? That would be perfect to add but dont know how... and why would the lense make no sense?

No i mean PUT IN a lens

Ahhhh!!! sorry i think i had some version of dyslexia going on there... I actually do have a lens in there but the texturing is done so bad that it looks like crap. So ill redo that. Im also stuck at trying to figure out how to capture all of this in one render, but still having the key as the main focus!?:confused: :confused:

Really cool work! I was wondering though, is that skull from a tiny, tiny person, or is the pirate a giant? :p