Study from Winners : Create Ok-Pop Avatar with Sport Modeler in Seoul

Half I. Winner Entry Workflow

Step 1. Discovering Reference

It takes numerous time to seek out references for me. It’s a vital course of to assemble references earlier than beginning work. Earlier than I begin working, I particularly design who my character will appear like and which movie star my character’s outfit must be impressed by.

For heads, search for references the place you could find options resembling entrance, facet, 45 levels, prime, and backside, if mandatory. Subsequent, we are going to resolve on the fabric and general feeling given by the costume. On this case, Ok-pop idols gave me numerous inspiration. And Like many staff, I primarily use the PureRef program.

Step 2. Enhancing Face and Physique

Principally, I used the physique supplied by CC3 as the bottom.

Let’s begin with the pinnacle. CC3 could be very handy as a result of you’ll be able to intuitively modify the form of the face. Specifically, it’s attainable to manually management the deformation as you want whereas connecting to ZBrush with GoZ. In my case, I bought an extra Headshot plug-in and used it, which allows extra refined management of the pinnacle.

Step 3. Head Corrections, Including Hair & Costume

Modify the pinnacle extra exactly. Then, earlier than making a personality pose, apply CC3’s inventory hair and dress to get a really feel of the character.

Step 4. Making a Character Pose

I made a character pose after placing on my hair and gown. The reason being that the physique might look completely different when the character wears a dressing up and when it doesn’t, so it’s to make extra modifications to the physique to the look that you really want after they’re dressed.

Step 5. Fabric Modeling

Now let’s make a dressing up. After positioning the character in CC, import the edited physique into Marvelous Designer. The general silhouette and wrinkle instructions are decided in Marvelous Designer (MD).

Step 6. Including Particulars in ZBrush

Add a bit extra deformations, textures, and stitching in Zbrush. Use the massive silhouette precisely because it was taken from the MD, however totally categorical the main points in ZBrush that MD can’t. I added the hemlines, nice wrinkles, stitches, and cloth textures.

Step 7. Render To Texture (RTT) and Texturing

It’s not for in-game right now, so I didn’t put numerous effort into the topology. Additionally, I completed a certain quantity of low poly and UV mapping for texture work. The following step is to texture the costume utilizing Substance 3D Painter.

Step 8. Facial Expressions & Make-up

Lastly, add an expression and edit the make-up to appear like a Ok-pop idol with Photoshop.

Step 9. Remaining Polish

After the competitors ended, I made extra enhancements to the standard of the components that gave the impression to be missing. I edited the makeup and just a little little bit of the pinnacle in addition to added hair and equipment to enhance the general high quality.

Thanks a lot!

Half II. Characteristic story

Q : Hello Yunji, many thanks for sharing your workflow with us. Your entry ‘A Beautiful Lady’ has a really beautiful character and costume design. Whether or not this lady is tying her bow or consuming an apple, you’re good at catching delicate moments to indicate the character’s aesthetics.

May you share extra of your inventive ideas behind this challenge? How do you resolve the most effective angles to exhibit a personality’s distinctive character?

I’ve been desirous to make a reasonably lady character on a regular basis. Whereas collaborating on this “A Beautiful Lady” challenge, I noticed that making a lovely character isn’t as straightforward as I believed. Nevertheless, making a reasonably character is a typical request in my business, so I’ll proceed to work on it. It was my take a look at of whether or not I might full a personality of fascinating qualities in two months’ time from idea to modeling and rendering.

Planning of the wonder shot and general really feel of the piece is about eighty p.c full in the beginning levels. The number of clothes supplies, hairstyles, poses, and facial expressions start with a dummy. I discover numerous references and maintain making an attempt out dummies till the look I like comes out. CC supplies a operate that makes it straightforward to vary character poses and facial expressions; it’s useful in decreasing working time.

Q : You’ve talked about the way you’ve dreamed of working within the sport business since childhood; what was the set off for such ambition?

I’ve appreciated drawing since elementary college. Of the assorted fields into account, Sport Artwork was a really enticing choice. I appreciated to play games and I believed seeing the sport paintings was actually cool. 

As a result of I didn’t acknowledge the distinction between 2D and 3D on the time, I used to avoid wasting the illustrations I needed to attract on my arduous drive or purchase a group of illustrations and draw alongside. Naturally, I majored in a associated subject and 3D from the age of 19. At the moment, I’m honored to have the chance to work with the artists of the illustrations I used to repeat.

What are essentially the most rewarding points on this line of labor? What are the challenges of being a personality modeler within the Korean sport business?

Character modeling is simply too tough: face, hair, gown, monster, arduous floor, nothing is straightforward. However additionally it is extra rewarding as a result of it’s not straightforward. New ideas at all times excite me and I’m very pleased after I get some passable outcomes. Being a 3D artist is an irreplaceable and enticing function.

The Korean sport business is at all times aware of globalization. As a game developer and modeler, the problem is to consider the right way to categorical extra realism. For lifelike expressions, Korean sport corporations are prepared to put money into growing their improvement capabilities by utilizing next-generation engines and 3D scans, and so forth.

Do you assume it’s useful to be a trilingual speaker (Korean, English, and Chinese language) within the sport business in Seoul? How does this multi-cultural background affect your character creation?

It have to be nice to have the ability to converse three languages. Nevertheless, most of my colleagues are Korean, so there are few alternatives to make use of numerous languages in individual. Nonetheless, the power to know with out subtitles appears not very ineffective as a result of a lot of the tutorials within the new instruments are in English, and if there’s a drawback, additionally it is handy to have the ability to contact by e mail straight with out utilizing an interpreter.

As well as, most artists on YouTube use English. As a result of they’re like my instructor, generally I really feel unusual and pleased to know their language. Moreover, I can count on extra alternatives sooner or later on this world world. 😀

Q : Typically you additionally have to take part in surroundings design for the sport. Everyone knows working within the sport business calls for enormous quantities of effort and time to ship high-quality items.

How do you study new strategies aside out of your busy day job?

Earlier than I begin my day, I analysis and buy pattern recordsdata or pin new inspirational works and articles within the morning. I take advantage of the information that I’ve piled up after I have to. This routine is definitely very useful when working.

I search for technical deficiencies at any time when mandatory. Often, I ask my colleagues or search for abroad articles and YouTube for issues I don’t know. There are numerous methods to work inefficiently within the sea of knowledge, however you need to be capable of see and select rigorously. In any other case, I look by means of the thumbnails of YouTubers artists and click on on the movies I’m eager about.

Q : How do you know about Character Creator? In your expertise, what are the deserves and shortcomings of utilizing CC to design characters?

At first, I believe I noticed an commercial on the ArtStation. I used to be questioning if I might repair the form of the pinnacle intuitively prefer it was marketed, so I downloaded it and used the trial model. The instrument was less complicated and simpler to study than I believed, particularly in that I might use the GoZ operate to interchange the bottom I needed for the fundamental mannequin itself, and I used the operate successfully within the challenge: “A Beautiful Lady”.

Q : “Indian Lady In Saree” appears to be like very photorealistic whereas “A Beautiful Lady” has some CG stylization. How did you obtain completely different outcomes by utilizing Character Creator, Marmoset Toolbag, ZBrush and 3ds Max?

As talked about earlier, I goal to make a reasonably girl; and each works have this identical function. The photo-like look as a “due diligence” is enjoyable to make personally, however additionally it is a mannequin that might not be obtained nicely within the sport market. Maybe my objective is to combine the 2.

If you happen to have a look at Ok-pop idols nowadays, there are artists who look as unreal as sport characters. I need to make a personality that expresses details realistically however offers a cool and fairly really feel. To take action, I’ve to take a look at numerous materials and research all of it⁠—I’ll proceed to study and research what I lack.

Q : May you share three issues that encourage you essentially the most if you begin a brand new challenge?

What conjures up me essentially the most are the Ok-pop idols nowadays. Typically I’m ecstatic after I see artists who’re prettier than 3D characters. Or I attempt to see numerous well-taken photos and well-drawn photos. As a result of I believe it is very important maintain my eyes open to new materials. In the identical vein, I consciously watch sci-fi dramas on Netflix in my free time.

Study extra :

• Yunji Jung (Little Gold) on ArtStation https://www.artstation.com/summerjung

• Yunji Jung (Little Gold) on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/littlegold_jung/

• Character Creator https://www.reallusion.com/character-creator/download.html

• Reallusion https://www.reallusion.com/