Ben Hobden - Horror Challenge
 

Okaaaayyy...been looking forward to this.

To start things off, I'm gonna post a couple of images I found which Im thinking of taking inspiration from. Im torn between making a 100% (or largely) Maya scene, or using this challenge to further learn some Z-Brush and Maya workflow. There are some techniques for rendering passes out of Zbrush which Ive read about before but never tried myself so I might use this challenge to experiment with those. Also, Ive only made a couple of 'character' pieces before, both very simply presented and both in classic/horrible T-Pose. So the two month deadline will give me a good time period to create a decent base cage in Maya, then sculpt up in Zbrush, and then try and get whatever I come up with, back into Maya for some decent lighting and presentation, or maybe render straight out of Zbrush if I can.

This may change, but my intitial thoughts have been along these lines.

From the following two images: I love the presentation and style/tone/look/feel of this first image, which is something I might try to replicate.

I also really like the form of the front hand in the second image, looking at it makes me want to sculpt it myself, so my first idea is to create some scary looking guy, with the pose of the second image, presented in the style of the first.

and this is the one with the hand I like.

I do like the look of the first one Ben........dave

It's nice isnt it. It looks to me like its just a simple Blinn or Phong like shader, with most of the colouring work being done by the lighting. I imagine that the model itself uses a displacement map, which is always a pain, so if I go down this route - and if I get a good enough base mesh - and if I get a good enough sculpt - getting a render this good will be v hard. Be a good experiment for me though I think.

The first one is so cool ben.....I like it!!!! You wouldnt believe this...driving home tonight..I thought 'what would I do if in this comp?'. Bugger me dead I thought of a zombie/animal coming out of a swamp/mud in attack pose VERY similar the the 2nd pic...talk about creepy and Fri 13th as well...LOL.

Yoiks bullet

! didnt realise it was friday the 13th. what a day to start this. it was meant to be!

Seeing Im in the future...so to speak...yes a good day!!! Rain, storms....then eerily blue skies...now storms just as the night falls. Good Zombie weather!! LOL go you good thing....buy a lotto ticket!!!:beer:

I think you got me with your swamp idea

I dig it man....I dig it!!!!

more more more bahahaha love it

Something like a Dagobah swamp yeh??? Not all water but not quite land.....something nasty lurking in the forest?

We'll see. Got some other ideas for the background also, but as itll be seperate from the character itll depend how much time I have ...IF I can get the character done right.

Hi Ben

Looking firward to seeing the development of this!

Steve

Made a start on the base mesh. I keep thinking of Jay's ball-chinean (!) character from his Outlaw's Tales wip thread. The toplogy of it, and in particular the hand. I'd like to try and take this base mesh to that kind of level, particularly in the hand area. Whether it needs it or not, I still dont have the amount of experience to judge I dont think, but, that's my rough plan. Will post wires when it gets a bit further in. Should be able to put a few hours in over the next couple of days.

Good start mate....Im looking forward to this.

cheers bullet

I]There's[/I] some pressure for me, Bullet.

This is a quick wip while I take a break and refill my caffeine.