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# 3 04-12-2010 , 10:28 AM
Jay's Avatar
Lead Modeler - Framestore
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: UK
Posts: 6,287
Marlon John

nice to know you are seriously thinking about doing this. Just a word of warning, dont pigeon hole yourself as 'just' a character modeller. Sometimes it will go against you and you'll lose out on work when you know you 'could have made that tank' or could have made an alien smoking, sitting in that pick up truck, so my advice would be become a modeller not just a certain type. Believe me Ive been there. I can now say that Im in a better position work wise because I model in every aspect from from organics to hard surface - though I still prefer my character stuff at the end of the day - LOL

Aslo how realistic is this going to be - this is another area to think about, the more realistic the harder it will be to achieve and people will be looking extra hard to catch it all out if they feel its wrong. Sometimes less is always more, so maybe use real world proportions but do something stylised to get you going.

The model you've started is pretty good seeing as though you've not done any like this for a while. My first thoughts are really why do female model?? As your name to me suggests you are a guy, I would really have started out by modelling a male head based on myself. My reason for saying this is because you have all the references and angles you need right in front of a mirror. I know we are all a little partial to making a female model but seriously, the female face is designed alot differently in a few areas to a guys especially around the eyes and mouth so make it easier on yourself until you have re-familarised yourself again.

I know this is a work in progress, but theres only so much you can get from image planes before you need to look for different angles to acetain other forms and how one set of muscles fit to the next. For example the corners of the mouth where they meet the cheeks is very flat right up to the cheek bones, there should be more form there. Have a look at the attached image, look at the silohuette down that far side of the face. Everything has form and is not just flat.

Have a look in the topology section, theres plenty of stuff in there discussing not only geo but theres also muscle diagrams and other bits. It will help you. Understand the forms and it will make so much more difference to your model.

The nose area: mmm always tricky. I would lower the lower edges from the base of the tearduct down the nose a bit more as the topo is a little uneven there, try and square it up. The loop in the middle of the nose bridge can come up a little too, this will allow you to even out the topo on the front of the nose. If you have to cut out some loops on the nose so you get a cleare picture of what its all doing, block it all out even if its very rough to see where you can add later on. the corner of the nostril around to the cheeks (nasalabial folds) need a bit more form too, make the mesh flow as if it were muscle under the skin, this is why edgelooping is important, they are actually a representation of the the underlying muscles, hence the reason for have good edgeloops for facial animation.

anyway thats enough from me for now, I'll give some else a chance

keep going
Jay

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