[mabad]

Though the title of this thread could fit to another thread I started a while back (which I will probably revive), I want to show you my progress in modeling heads since I got C4D.

The first one dates from March 2004. Kids please don't do this at home:



The second one was not much better. These were failed tutorial trials. Basically trying to run before I could walk. These are from Nov 2004:



The third one was starting to have some shape, but the concept of edge loops had still not come to my ears. These are from March 2005:



The fourth I did following the Joan of Arc Tutorial. It was the first head I kind of liked though I think it did lokk kind of skewed. This one dates from May 2006:



The next one has some more contours. It was a trial with some foto references but this is nearly where I am now. Still not control of the mesh: it kind of controls me. I still cannot shape it as I want. These date from November 2007:



The last one I have done for the last C4D challenge. I have a clearer concept of edge loops but I still don't have the mesh 100% under control (probably the loops are not correctly placed). These are March 2009:



In between of the last three heads lies a lot of investigation, as time allows as I am not working on the CG industry. If you see it has been kind of a trial at a head per year and the improvement in the last time has been noticeable.

Now I hope that with the "tutorials" by Cardinal on 3D World to be able to reach a new level.

I hope newbies, as well as pros, find this kind of "head diary" if not interesting at least amusing.

This post has been edited by mabad: 31 March 2009 - 09:05 AM

[Anthony Owen]

Equally interesting would be a "texture" diary.

[phobos]

What you need to do to be able to control the mesh is to constantly move around points while you're building it. Don't create the geometry first and then try to move around the points. You'll end up frustrated and confused.

You need a lot less geometry than what you have at the moment to build the basic shape of the head. Right now you're overwhelmed with all this geometry.
And you also need to have some photo reference. It doesn't matter who. Just take a few pictures of yourself and add to a few planes so you can have a guide for proportions.

One really amazing step by step tutorial is the one from freedom of teach. You have to pay for it and it's not cheap but it shows an amazing workflow for box modelling. You'll be able to create the basic shape of the body in less than an hour. They're that good. This is at least how I learned to model. They build the model in maya but you can easily recreate what they're doing in cinema.

Hope this helps.

[mabad]

@Anthony Owen: I'm not still in texturing mode, the textures I use are not really well thought, just to put some colours to the models I'm afraid. But that is also an interesting idea.

@phobos: The last model was done with photo references, without them I come to nothing. As for the number of points, I think with less points than in that last mesh you cannot form it. The question is the loop flow. I have just taken a look at Cardinals first video (the one downloadable), and found some hard critics to my way of doing things. The advantage is as I have tried to do it, now I see what I was doing wrong. If I just imitate what someone is doing I will never get an own style.

BTW, the two first heads came from a MAXON tutorial parting from box modeling. I don't recommend that tutorial to anyone. Though the end result was nice to see, the learning effect was disastrous: unexisting edge loops and sometimes do as I do methode. Well the first trials of a dedicated noob show where did they end. If you see a similar head from a noob you can say with 90% certainty, which tutorial she/he was following.

IMO point by point and edge extrussion modeling are far superior to box modeling, but that is a matter of preferences...

This post has been edited by mabad: 31 March 2009 - 08:57 AM

[Horganovski]

Looks good so far, the edge flow looks decent. I'm far from expert at realistic faces but I hope to work more on them in the next while and build a 'Stop Staring' facial rig with morphs for facial expressions.

Looking forward to seeing your progress.

Cheers,
Brian

[mabad]

Thanks Brian. If you see it has been 1 head trial per year (shame). I hope that after seeing Cardinals videos to give a second try to another head. That could take a while. But time will come.

[mabad]

This is my progress up to the moment "viewing over Cardinal's shoulder". It is more difficult than I thought. I will have to repeat the head several times until I get it.

This post has been edited by mabad: 20 July 2009 - 09:04 AM

[Anthony Owen]

Nice smooth mesh with a couple of exceptions.

[doubledope]

Nice thread you have here Mabad, nice of you to dig it up
As I really cannot model heads, i find the latest really good.

@Anthony: I think that's just perspective assuming the mesh is symmetrical

[mabad]

I think this head needs more than a few tweaks, see front and side wires.... more than probably I will re-start it again.

[Horganovski]

Looks good to me, I think you could clean it up quite easily using the Brush tool in Smooth mode.

Cheers,
Brian

[contrafibbularities]

I'm not an expert in these things so I can't tell you where you could do better. From where I stand, however, you've got some really nice tries collected here. "viewing over Cardinal's shoulder" is looking quite beautiful. I admire your staying power and your will to get it right. I haven't even dared to tackle that kind of modeling so far. Keep it up!

Cheers
contrafibbularities

[Anthony Owen]

Hi doubledope, here it is in side view:

[sfBlackFox]

Here's what KingComa posted me some time ago (my work was equal to yours )

PS: interesting to see that most people actually leave out the ears !!! Poor people won't hear a thing!

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This post has been edited by sfBlackFox: 20 July 2009 - 02:31 PM

[mabad]

@Horganovski: Thanks man. Cardinal uses the brush tool in Smooth mode to straighten up the mesh. I did not know about this before I saw his videos, but using it too much makes the face featureless and plain. That's a department to use very carefuly.

@Contraffibularities: Thanks for your comments. If I had the time and patience I would try to do a head per week instead a head per year [img]http://www.c4dcafe.com/ipb/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif[/img] , than I could probably get the hang of the business.

@Anthony Owen: what should I do with those vertex in your opinion?

@sfBlackFox: I know about those references: I saw some of them at CG Talk in a thread where a guy wanted to create a head using the all quad methode... the hard way... it was like a checkerboard test mesh... ugly. Someone posted the references for him to get the concept of loops.

I have Jason Osipa's book Stop Staring, and that's the topology I would like to get to, though his modeling methode does not fit mine. I am using Cardinal's videos to get more proficient in "seeing" what comes where regarding "face loops" and "edge loops". Everywhere I've found tutorials on how to create eyes, noses, mouths, but Cardinal's is the first detailed tutorial I see where all the pieces come toghether.

PS: The ears, yes. They represent an extra effort. I suppose we, head noobs, tend to see whether we like the head or not. If we don't, we don't go the extra yard to fumble at the last moment.

This post has been edited by mabad: 21 July 2009 - 02:16 AM

[mala]

Hi mabad,Looking good so far...don't know if you are intending to animate your head with StopStaring style morphs...but if you are i would suggest adding another loop around the mouth and probably one round the eyes/brows-maybe not quite how i've marked it on pic

Have a look at the other 2 pics i've attached one is Osipa's mesh the other is CactusDans version of the StopStaring mesh..they both have quite a few more loops around the mouth+eyes/brow-although the actual polyflow is some what different to Cardinals,probably because he is making stills and doesn't have to worry too much about be being able to build face morphs for expressions.
Having just built a Face morph set for a character i can say that having those extra loops helps a lot when it comes to building the brow and certain mouth shapes that require creasing.

Keep up the good work...modeling and animating faces is a long old slog but worth every ounce of effort when your character comes to life...pushing the smile morph fader on my latest character makes me smile too

mala

[tnobukun]

Mabad,
Reading through this thread the progress(or evolution) is quite impressive, I must say.

I wish I had that tut you mention.

Looking forward to seeing some more of your results.
I would like to see what you will end up with.

[mabad]

@ mala: thanks for the advise. At the moment I would be happy to be able of modeling a head with a clean poly flow. I have Dan's mesh and when times come to animate a face that will be my first file to study.

@ tnobukun: thans for your words. You can buy the 3D World Magazine #115 (in UK). It has Cardinal's tutorial on modeling and painting a character. I think for C4D human modeling and workflow usage, is one of the best things out there. A new update could take a while as I am seriously thinking in re-starting the head.

[Anthony Owen]

Not to flog a dead horse, but here is a reply to your question:

[contrafibbularities]

Quote

@Contraffibularities: Thanks for your comments. If I had the time and patience I would try to do a head per week instead a head per year rolleyes.gif , than I could probably get the hang of the business.

Tell me about it... lack of time (and sometimes patience, too) in particular always is a problem. If it's any comfort, I think you do have some very decent stuff here already, and you will reach your goal eventually, so keep fighting.

Cheers
contrafibbularities