Character Creation by Jason Martin

In this course, students will create a fantasy-based bipedal characters from scratch using any major 3D package, ZBrush, Photoshop, Substance Painter and Marmoset. The course will cover finding reference and inspiration, blockout and design, finding shapes and form, refining design elements, prepping for retopology and texturing. The course will help students understand the character workflow and pipeline and will focus on skills that will directly impact their future work in games.

By the end of the course, you’ll:
Know the importance of references and what to look for.
Know how to build a game character from scratch.
Understand how to move through a AAA studio workflow and pipeline.
Have sculpted and brought to life your own character.

Class Overview
Create Fantasy based bipedal creature in some form of armor. This process will cover all aspects of game character creation and implementation.

Subject Matter
Trolls, goblins, giants, orcs, you name it! The creative base for this can be endless, stylized, dark, realism, any direction you please. The choice here is yours; you are open to get creative as possible.

Feel free to create your own designs or base character off concept art.

Software Usage
Any major 3D package (3ds Max, Maya, XSI, Modo etc…) Zbrush, Photoshop, Substance painter, Marmoset. Other packages may or may not be used depending on course needs

Course Breakdown
This is a basic overview. Topics and structure may be shifted to suit needs of course.

Week 1:
– Go over course expectations and goals
– Find reference and inspiration and building a board
– Loose ideation ZBrush sketch and blockout
Homework: Come up with reference board and design ideas, start loose ideation and blockout of character.

Week 2:
– ZBrush modelling
– Continue blockout and design
– Find shapes and form
Homework: Continue blockout of character

Week 3:
– ZBrush modelling
– Refine design
– Split out elements and focus on first, second reads
Homework: Continue sculpt of character focusing on form. Start feeling out first and second reads.

Week 4:
Continue:
– ZBrush modelling
– Refine design
– Split out elements and focus on first, second reads
Homework: Continue sculpt of character focusing on form. Continue feeling out first and second reads.

Week 5:
– ZBrush modelling
– Refine hi poly
– Focus on second and third reads
Homework: Refine hi poly, focusing on second and third reads.

Week 6:
– Finalize ZBrush model
– Prep for retopology
– Retopology
Homework: Retopologize model.

Week 7:
– Retopology and bake
– Texture techniques
Homework: Bake model and layout base for texturing.

Week 8:
– Texture techniques / Texturing
– Discuss materials and surfaces
– Pull from reference
Homework: Texturing.

Week 9:
– Finalize texturing
– Pose and composition
Homework: Finalize your character

Week 10:
– Finalize model
– Pose and composition
– Final character