January 2022

Hello everyone! I hope the first month of 2022 has treated you guys well!

So First, regarding the 3D model I'm working on: Tekki.

I'm happy with the sculpt and I've now moved onto the retopology phase! This is what the sculpt looks like, I also did a quick vertex paint mockup to see if everything looked good.
I made the ears straight but tried to keep them very close to what the bent ones looked like.

I expect a lot of the details, especially on the body, to fade or soften during the retopology process.

https://i.imgur.com/hXHCBb5.png

The stuff that's subject to change is the front hair [Both the top and the side thingies that are hanging, framing her face] and the hairband, but that can be left for after/along the retopology phase.

I still really struggle adding a lot of density when doing the retopology, so I'll usually re-start a few times until I get something I'm happy with! Right now this is what my current attempt looks like. I'm struggling to keep the nose/mouth area less dense, and I'm also struggling with the ears, but I'm sure I'll get there!

--------------------------------------

I've also started follwing the animation course "Alive!" by Pierrick Picaut
https://www.p2design-academy.com/courses

I don't have much to show yet, it's mostly been theory and the exercises so far I've been following along, they have been the bouncing ball exercises!

I think the next one will be the last bouncing ball and I'll be applying what I've learned so far, and next chapter it's all about animating a little squirrel. I believe there's a video coming up that explains how to save videos directly from the viewport in blender, so once I get there I'll be posting the videos here [or gifs if possible!]

It's bot really exciting and really really scary haha;; 

--------------------------------------

Progress was halted for a bit because we got Covid at home. It looks like we're already over the worst of it, only one person at home seems to not have caught the virus, the first 2 to get sick are feeling really good now, and as far as I know, only 2 of us experienced some of the scarier symptoms but thankfully it was veeery mild and only lasted a little bit [For me I felt some pressure on my chest but it was only one night and like six times, each lasting less than a minute, so no big deal.] It's been like a cold, and the sore throat has been the worst of it. 

So yeah it's been alright! I'm looking forward to making more progress on the 3D model and on the animation course! I hope to finish the retopology this month and start the next phase... which I'm still not sure... if it's going to be texturing or rigging. I might start with a bit of rigging just to make sure the topology is good! And then move onto texturing..? 

I'll publish one more post for Tier 2 with the compilation of drawings made for during January! There will be a lot of fantroll stuff [Not the fantrolls I made a while back, these are from a sort of "random troll generator" I had a lot of fun with.]