Belgian Soldier [Head or full character]

[Kinrove]

For which Engine - UT3
Current Polycount - 1316
Max Polycount - 5 or 6k
Texture Size - don't know uet
Description of background information on piece -
Where are you looking to receive criticism - Topology and everythings that could be improved.

Hi all, as I want to keep on progressing on modeling and texturing, I would like to create a Belgian soldier of the second world war. Pehaps just the head or all the full char, I will see.

I chose that, because It's a theme that I like a lot. I would like to get some comments on all things that could be upgraded. I hope to finish that piece.

At the moment, there is just the head made... So don't hesitate to comment that piece.
That time I won't use Z-sphere to start my char I'll start from 3dsmax.
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[benclark]

the ears are very low, and the nose looks very short. can we see your reference images?

[Kinrove]

I didn't follow my reference perfectly, I just took those pic to have "good proportions" or shoud I say I try to get good proportions


Here the pics

[Xoliul]

He tilted his head backwards on that sideview, you know

[Talon]

I've done a quick paintover explaining some points.

You've a lot of ngons in the face, especially around areas which should be nice and quadded for an even flow and smooth deformation (eyes and mouth).

Other things to take note of;
The ears are extremely detailed, but they are almost never a focal point of a character and a lot of their detail can be faked with a normal map or even just a good diffuse. The key areas that need the detail are the eyes, nose and mouth - these are the areas where people look at to gain an idea of the emotion and personality. It would be worthwhile removing most of the detail from the ear and using those polys to flesh out the face.

Areas around the corners of the mouth and lower cheeks have very long and stretched polygons, with quite sparse divisions compared to the rest of the face. I think these areas will end up lighting quite strangely and deforming akwardly. Giving a few more divisions in there should help matters.

Your jawline finishes well behind the ear join but the ears should join behind the jawbone. Try and curve that quadstrip that runs around the chin up around the border of the jawline and around to the forehead.

[Kinrove]

Thanks a lot for your help Talon, that's very useful, I tryed to follow what you said as well as I can, hope I understood all fine.

I also hope my general flow that the edge loops follow won't be a problem because it's not the same .

Perhaps and surely my model won't be as much "credible" as it should do.

About the ears, I haven't worked on them since then, I just try to find some references to show you and according of comments on these references you are going to say, I will see if I should go in this way.

Here just below some screenshots of low poly ears, so tell me if doing that would be better for my char.

ears reference





Head with smoothing group



Head and wires





Thanks again for all your help.

[Tom]

Thanks for the thips Talon, I am working on a very similar thing to this model so nice to have some tips on organic modeling

[Kinrove]

Still working on the character but I haven't done anything on the head since yesterday, I'm waiting for some more advices to keep on working on the ears.

So, I created the helmet, which isn't awsome, due to the normal map partially...
Don't know why but I don't succeed to get convincing normal map, I should "study" it deeper !

So here the screens of my helmets, wires and etc...










I should try to get something better with the texturing...

[Kinrove]

I changed the texturing of my helmet, comment and criticisms are welcome



The maps





Don't hesitate ton give you advices !