This looks right up your alley: http://library.creativecow.net/artic.../maya_hair.php

Thanks for your link NextDesign, but its not the modelling its the rendering in metal ray, coldwave did this devil girl in WIP that he implied that he used metal ray to render it, I looked at the sss shader link you once gave me but was not sure how to import the shaders into maya might have bean easyer than fast skin..............Dave

Hi all
I had to turn on the"use depth map shadow" to get the hair to look better but this affected the transparance of the eye any idears..........thanks dave
coldwave dont need that tut but thanks

Hi Again
Little update, still not fixed the eyes..........dave

Dave, been watching this for some time, and have to say very nice work!!

Yes Dave I have to agree with OHT you've done very well and you have been using alot of Maya's tools, shaders, hair, plus the sculpting work.

I don't have a great interest in organic modeling lately and when I did nurbs was in fashion. At some point I will have to get into the maya to zbrush to maya organic workflow though.

Good work, keep it up.

Use ray traced shadows instead. You get alot more control than you ever will from depth map shadows.

Very nice work on the rendering daverave!!

Thanks for your kind comments, Tom glad you like it. ctbram it would have been so easy for me to go into zbrush to get a better bump map but I set myself a task of only using maya and photoshop (I am left handed but only use a mouse in my right hand, need to get a tablet so as to use my left hand). THX1138 will try your suggestion on ray trace glad you liked the render....................little update..........dave

Nice Job on the eye brows daverave!

I wish I had Z-brush, I have some ideas that would greatly benefit from that program.

You need reflection on the eyes.

Good job so far !

Hi all
Change to ray traced shadows as advise by THX1138 this fixed the eye problem also softened the hair I think this looks a lot better? also had to increase the amount of hair on eye braw....................dave

Edit|render time has double

Fantastic Daverave! About the render time; yeah, it will increase, but the result is alot better.

Thanks THX1138
Just a little update, eyelashes.....dave

Edit: I used this link to get the base of the eyelashes then did a lot of tweeking
https://www.highend3d.com/tutorials/...n-eyelash#tabs

I've done the tut for the hair ... Contact me @ my skype :

Shc_Cold

thank you coldwave but I have got over my problem with rendering hair in metal ray...........thanks again dave

yeah i see :PP

Go for some detailing ! :beer:

Hi all
using the back light scattering to liven up the ear not sure if ive over done it? .......dave

Yes that's the effect.
Now get rid of the green background.
And finally make the HDRI for the eyes reflection will bring a lot of life!

Keep it up a few more things and will be ready for your portfolio !

Thanks coldwave will do the HDRI for the eyes as the last thing. this little bit of hair gave me a lot of trouble, because its fin all the light make it a lot lighter in the end I put a ramp on the colour................dave

Anymore progress on this daverave?

Hi THX1138
Not really was looking at a head dress but it looks like the male only have feathers but I liked the look of the females head dress. I was hopping that there were going to be some more competitors joining in but alas that does not seam to be the case. do you think the braid hanging down looks OK I think it looks a bit to straight but will change............dave

The braid looks fine daverave, and as this competition is drawing to a close in the next week, I recommend finishing your model by adding the bio luminance speckles on the face. Lol, you should win this comp pretty easy.

Fantastic work anyways! :beer:

The hair looks really good dave.

If this is really one of your first maya projects you should be very proud. You have shown masterful work in modeling, use of the hair system, uv'ing and texturing.

The only constructive critiques I can make is the studio set and the lighting of the scene could be better.

There is something about the flat area on the top of the cheek that seems unnatural to me. Not sure if it's an anatomical anomaly or just aesthetic.

But over all it's really good work. I am sorry more folks did not join in to the challenge. I started out with organic modeling but lately I have really just been focused on hard surface modeling. I will go back to organics at some point but I will probably try to learn the maya -> zbrush -> maya workflow as that seems to be the new hotness in organic modeling.

Thanks THX1138
Im glad you like the hair, will do the spots

Thank ctbram
This is my forth model in maya, all of them are on this site, Pod racer in finish work(from tutorial), head model WIP, M40 WIP then this (base model from jay), im clad you also like the hair. The set is only for the green colour was going to put a background shot of the navi home world
The flat part of the cheek is caused top mouth having to be move farward so to get a flat lion nose ( might look at it again) I think I will finish this of in the next few days..........thanks again....dave

Edit: I have done a lot of modelling in lightwave but funny never finished one, posting on this site has help me get thing done

Your thoughts please

A better angle

Very amazing work!! I don't do that sort of modeling, so can't be a critic! But it certainly looks very nice to me!! I think the reference for this would have be very proud!!

yes I agree this angle is better. The first seemed to be to much of a profile shot and was too tight.

I am not really a lighting or comp guy but I am not sure the lighting on the head matches the background lighting though. But I can't really be sure as I have not had much experience in that area.

Are you planning on adding any bioluminescence?


Very nice work Dave.

Thanks Tom
Thanks ctbram
I think you are wright about the background colour this is a first test to see if this is how I will end it. There are not a lot of photos out there of pandora with the light how I wanted it. I think what I will do it put it together in photoshop there I should have more control and yes I will add bioluminescence and more texture on the neck. As for the lighting I will soften the shadows.............dave

Edit: these are the things I see wrong with this
1 The back light scattering is affecting his cheek need to fix that?
2 Lighting shadows
3 specularty on the skin

Hi All
Just to let you know that my monitor is down will try one of my old ones ( this is wong time of the month for me money wise). if that does not work this will be my end result.................dave

Best of luck to you daverave, hope you can get back up.:beer:

you've done a terrific job, i'm almost certain you'll win.

get a higher resolution of your backplate it seems abit blurry and also try and match up your lighting to fit your background other wise thumbc up :beer:

Sorry now working on a 15" from a 19" this sucks, please let me know if I am on the wright track........dave

That looks really well done. It looks like the background lighting is coming from the side and almost backlit, whereas your avatar has light from the front/side. Also I'm not really a fan of the faded out neck, but that's just my opinion. You're really close, keep it up!

That looks very good Dave. You should be proud. You did a wonderful job!

looks fantastic daverave! I'd call it final render. Now all you have to do is wait till Jay hands out the first place prize. :beer:

I think Dave is the only one left standing so he should get 1st, 2nd, and 3rd logos all in one contest! Gratz!!!! :beer:

Very nice work Dave, you should be very pleased!!

Dave, i must say, i'm a right bit impressed by this creation of yours.

Even if everyone was still in the contest, you get my vote..
You also get 100,000,000 Points for seeing it through to the end.

G-man