Hello everyone, it’s been a while, and I’ve learned quite a bit of new skills since.
I’ve recently tried to give it another stab, using a lot of the techniques I’ve learned since last time. Instead of the blocky modeling, I took a more traditional game engine approach, and optimized it for:
- Subdivision
- Deformation and Rigging
- Normal Smoothing
- UV Mapping
- Low poly count
I tried to maintain a nice, consistent flow of topology, and make sure every polygon is quadrilateral so it subdivides properly. It’s able to maintain a smooth shape with under 2500 polygons.
The head is temporary, as it’s topology will be a little bit more complex. Getting the nose to stick out properly is a lot more difficult than it looks.
I’ve added some temporary eyes to help visualize where they go, however, I actually like the idea of 2d animated eyes on a 3d face. Rather than trying to rig and animate awkward 3d eyelids, I think it may be better to animate a series of expressions as 2d frames, and use those. After all, it really matches the reference and gives it that cool 2d look.
