Original post:
So I finally decided to take a pause from my other threads and to take part in the new Blender Guru competition. This is because I really enjoyed watching the last competitions threads and because of the historical subject. This threads result will show a scene when Hannibal and his elephants crossed the Alps to start a battle against the Empire of Rome.
To get me started I modelled one of his famous elephants yesterday, which is obviously not finished yet.
Every hint, feedback and criticism is very welcome. Let’s have fun in the competition!
Damn, Monk, yes, it will be fun Thanks for your kind compliment. But if the best man shall win you’ll have an advantage
Here is a wire of the elephant. I didn’t sculpt it, because sculpting is unknown terrain for me. The only things I ever sculpted are some cloth and face wrinkles. Surely not mentionable. Instead of that I like to make use of the mirror modifier and proportional editing. Since 2.68 proportional editing is also aware of the x-mirror option - thanks to Campbell Barton. That’s a cool thing.
It’s the first Blender competition ever for me and I’ve chosen a challenging scene. There will be rocks and snow and plants and wind and people and elephants and armor and probably a donkey. So let’s see what I can learn with a deadline and of course all the advanced, ambitious and experienced Blender artists as contestants at the back of my neck.
I’m hoping for plenty of support from you, guys, to get me through
Manorial, thank you for the reference. I planned to show a kind of rider like the indian mahouts do. But after I saw your reference I will think that over. Perhaps I should model such a fortification for the back of the elephant. But I plan to show the crossing of a mountain pass on the way to the battle, not the battle scene itself.
I’ve read that only one of the 37 elephants survived the march across the alps. His name was suru.
Today I modelled a donkey. This little donkey is part of the trek to carry the necessary supply goods. The shoulder of the donkey is 1.5 meters high and the elephant is 3.8 m. I hope to get the scaling right from the start this time
My further plan is to finish the modelling of all animals and characters (at least I need a several men and an older woman as a camp follower). After that I’ll have to rig them and to texture them. Clothes and armor should follow then and then the scene is going to be composed. Plenty of work ahead …
I was wondering what you have been busy with…now I see. The elephant topology looks pretty good to me on your wireframe you posted.
I’ve always found animals or any organic creature tough to model… they always turn out boxy for me. Sounds like your going to get some good practice in on this project.
Thanks Harleynut, it wasn’t easy for me also - although I think that organic models forgive much more inaccuracy than hard surface models. With hard surface models everything has to be perfectly aligned, perfectly round corners and perfect angles etc. That’s something which is still more difficult for me.
Here is a wire of the donkey. It took me longer to model this one than the elephant. Especially the nose and mouth area took some time.
Now I’m going to model a human base mesh as a basis for the people in the scene. They don’t need to be perfect necessarily because this competition has a deadline But if anyone has some good topology references besides the Blender Cookie topology collection I’ll be glad to know them.
Nice donkey. What is the scene going to be like? how big are these animals going to be?
Thanks MonkMonk, the scene will show some elephants and their riders coming up from the backside of a mountain pass. There is snow and they are struggling with the cold wind and the snow. Among the elephants and the soldiers the donkey pulls a little wagon and an older woman is guiding the donkey - that’s what I think of at the moment. So the animals will be in the middle of the image, if that’s your question. if you are asking for the sizes: the donkey is 1.5 meters height and the elephant 3.8 m.
Are you working off of a reference image? Nothing sticks out to me negatively (other than the lack of ears ) and hopefully someone with more topology experience can offer input. The visible cheek on rendered model, can maybe use a little smoothing.
Thanks for your input Harleynut and TheNewGuy! I smoothed the mesh, enlarged the eyes and sharpened the lips as you said. You both were right, I think it looks much better now. Some additional changes were adding ears and I moved the chin a bit backwards.
I modelled loosely based on a reference image, but there is no “lookalike” intended. Now I should continue with the torso and the rest of the body. This doesn’t have to be that detailed because this parts will be covered with clothes.
Damn… the ears came out really good from a modeling/sculpting standpoint… I’m wondering if they are just a little too low… .curious to see what others might think.
Here is some progress of the human mesh. I think I call it done for the moment. It’s the first human mesh I ever did, and I think it will serve it’s purpose in the scene. There will be no close ups and I think the overall topology is good already - although there are a lot of possible enhancements. Perhaps I have to smooth the front chest. It’s a bit strong in the right most image.
The athletic look is intended, because this is a soldier and soldiers of that time had to be well trained and in a very good physical condition.
Now I should rig it to see if I can pose the mesh properly. I’ve learned a lot the last days and improved my skills in organic modelling. And perhaps I try another posing technique than I do usually by using a mesh deforming cage. Giving this a short try could save some time perhaps.
Of course the soldiers will be dressed and with this I come to a problem I have at the moment.
I did some historical research on the net but until now I didn’t find a reliable and definite source for the equipment of the Carthage army. What I found (mostly from Wikipedia) is that after the Third Punic War the Romans destroyed the city of Carthage and therefore we don’t have any reports from Carthage witnesses but only from a Roman historian, called Polybius.
He said that Hannibal had equipped his troops with Roman arms and armor which he had taken from formerly overwhelmed opponents. So I tend to model Roman equipment and mix it with some elements of a Greek style, because the ancient Carthage was under strong influence from the Greek culture.
Beside the regular troops there were mercenaries from the Celts and the Libyans with them in the Alps. But let’s see if I place one or two of them into the seen.
Perhaps I have to smooth the front chest. It’s a bit strong in the right most image
Once you put clothes or armor on him, I don’t think that would be needed. But what sticks out to me is the flatness of his arms and hands, particularly in the pose on the far right… again arms may be covered, but I would do just a bit more work on the hands, because those will be exposed.
I’m sure impressed with all you Europeans history knowledge… they must stress history in school more across the pond, way more than they do here in the states.
Your characters for the scene are coming along very nice.
Thanks Harleynut, I’ll have a look at the arms and the hands again. I see what you mean.
In order to keep the work/learning balance in order I decided to stick to Rigfiy for rigging it after I did a few quick tests with a mesh deforming cage. And after some quick weight adjustments that’ll do. I think that’s allowed since all plugins are allowed except MH.
Awesome… It’s cool that guy is going to be riding the elephant. Do Elephants have that sharp of tusks at the tips? Rigging the elephant will be challenging but a good learning experience… I know when your done rigging that elephant… your going to want to make him move
Thanks for your kind compliment. But if the best man shall win you’ll have an advantage 
) and hopefully someone with more topology experience can offer input. The visible cheek on rendered model, can maybe use a little smoothing.
