Sculpting, Modeling, Texturing, and Rigging a Cartoonish Fish

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Just started a new project, a cartoonish fish, using sculpting tools in Blender 2.54. In this series of tutorials, I start with the default cube, add loopcuts and extrude to make fins, then dive into sculpting to refine the rough shape. After getting the rough shape, I work to add in details like like eyes, mouth, and gills. Finally I finish up by add smaller details like scales.

1st video: http://vimeo.com/15171699
2nd video: http://vimeo.com/15183016
3rd video: http://vimeo.com/15183859
4th video: http://vimeo.com/15195475
5th video: http://vimeo.com/15195643

Update: Just uploaded 8 videos on modeling a cartoonish fish. Starting with a plane and using snapping tools, I model a low poly mesh that follows the shape and contour of the hi poly sculpted fish. I concentrate on adding edge loops in areas that maybe animated later on to ensure good deformation.

1st video: http://vimeo.com/15368306
2nd video: http://vimeo.com/15369224
3rd video: http://vimeo.com/15369540
4th video: http://vimeo.com/15382955
5th video: http://vimeo.com/15383141
6th video: http://vimeo.com/15384449
7th video: http://vimeo.com/15390502
8th video: http://vimeo.com/15390960

Update: Just uploaded 3 videos covering creating eyes for the character, including creating an eye ‘socket’ for the eyeball, making the actual eyeballs, and final character mesh adjustments.

1st video: http://vimeo.com/15614854
2nd video: http://vimeo.com/15615035
3rd video: http://vimeo.com/15622443

Update 10/24: Just uploaded 9 videos covering various topics on texturing this cartoonish character.

1st video: http://vimeo.com/16125012

  • Covers marking seams and unwrapping the mesh to ensure minimal stretching.
    2nd video: http://vimeo.com/16125208
  • Organization of the UV layout and baking a normal map from the hi-poly sculpted version.
    3rd video: http://vimeo.com/16125389
  • GIMP is used to create a basic color map, including using GIMP’s layer masks.
    4th video: http://vimeo.com/16125704
  • Corrections to basic color map are made using GIMP & Blenders’s texture paint system.
    5th video: http://vimeo.com/16125857
  • Details are added to the character’s scales in GIMP using layer masks, in a way to allow creating a specular map later.
    6th video: http://vimeo.com/16129485
  • Details are added the the character’s fins in GIMP in a way to allow creating a bump map later.
    7th video: http://vimeo.com/16129733
  • Blender’s texture paint is used to hide seams in the color map and creation of a specular map.
    8th video: http://vimeo.com/16129884
  • Creating a bump map from the details added to the character’s fins.
    9th video: http://vimeo.com/16130111
  • A few final touchups are made to the color map.

Update 11/30: Just added 8 videos on rigging this character, quite a few topics covered.
1st video: http://vimeo.com/17334362

Update: 1/17: Just added 10 videos on face rigging, topics covered listed below.

1st video:http://www.vimeo.com/18878572

Update: 7/31: Just added 4 videos on the finishing touches to this character, topics covered listed below.
1st video: http://www.vimeo.com/27086970

Links to completed .blend files for each tutorial can be found in the description of the video. Enjoy!

Randy

PS - Even though I started these videos with Blender 2.54, they are still valid for any version above 2.54…

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thanks, I look foreward to the next set!

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Really nice :).

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Thanks for the tutorials. :slight_smile: I cannot wait to see more of them.

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Thanks for the input!

Just uploaded 8 videos on modeling a low poly character, links in 1st post.

Randy

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Awesome tutorials mate! Any chance for some detailed texturing tutorials?

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Just added 9 video tutorials on texturing this project, links are in the first post with a description of each topic covered.

Up next is rigging for animation!

Perfect timing agentmilo, I just finished this series.

Randy

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Wow, this is awesome! Downloading the texturing videos now :slight_smile:

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Randy, you’ve become a tutorial machine!

Keep it up! This is all great stuff…

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Hi Randy, I’m watching you re-topo the hirez fish model right now. I’m going to watch the texture section next. Great series… Please add my vote yes :yes: for a request to see your animation process, I would really like to see your work flow for the fish character. I really enjoyed your vimeo vids on rigging the robotic arm and also the primer discussions on FK/IK. Thanks for your tutorial contributions… /cie

Edit 11/16 - Nice section on texturing, I really liked how you keep it OpenSource by using the Gimp to process the maps. The spec map for the scales was nice too hadn’t seen that before. Lastly, the tip on packing image files for v.2.5x was nice. May I suggest, someone taught me there is a “Save all edited” button that will update any changes to an image loaded then modified with Texture Paint. Find it here… Texture Paint subsection Project Paint look towards the bottom of the subsection panel. Dunno if it’s faster to dig up the button or just do an Image>Save File in Texture Editor. Can’t wait for the rig and animate sections… thanks again for contributing!.. /cie

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Just added body rigging videos using the seldom used mesh deform modifier.

Randy

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revolt dude you’ve made me fall in love with deform rigs…after following along with you, i know realise what the deform mesh is used for and saw in my fish that there was places that without the deform mesh would not look right without it.

for that i say go randy… lol

and yes please do animation.

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These are great tutorials, well done!!!

I might try this on a longer fish and get a controller working on the sway movement of the fish.

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Thanks pancreasboy! I’ve thought about automating the sway of the fish but not really sure how I would do it. I think that would become apparent to me when I actually start animation with this.

Anyhow, I’ve been sidetracked, but I really want to finish this project! Today, I just uploaded 10 videos on facial rigging, covering a few different topics not covered yet in this series.

Audio on the last 3 isn’t the best, as my microphone is failing. As soon as I have a working microphone, I plan on making tutorials on organizing the .blend file and then I will move into animation!!!

Can’t wait!!

Randy

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Excellent!

I’ve been giving it a go myself, but have come across a problem that I’ve posted here but alas no replies :frowning:

I’m guessing you can’t key a bone that has a constraint on it.

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Downloading them all. Thanks. I am very curious of the rigging.
If you do the animation videos too it would be the tutorial of all the tutorials for blender. Each newbie we see we can point to your tutorials now.

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Just a quickie revolt_randy,

what would you suggest for egg shaped eyes that need to look up or down? ie if the egg shape rotated to look up then they’d stick out of the bottom eyelids (come to think of it, that would stuff up the shape keys too).

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Let them say something!!!
:evilgrin:
3D South Park (Blender 2.5)


:evilgrin:
Unofficial South Park 3D Animation made with Blender

:eek:
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thanks for the tutorials Randy :slight_smile:

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Thought I’d post up what I came up with following your tutorials Randy…

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/200093_10150129027851651_595526650_6933019_814156_n.jpg

Animation to come :slight_smile: