Custom Dragon CATRig

This is a CATRig I have created for my Dragon. I have done this so I can start to animate and do motion studies more relevant to the look of the Dragon.

Galen Model Progress

I started modelling Galen, my main character. As I am doing my animation first person I don’t need to create any detail for his face as you wont see it. I need to create everything else though because as he moves his head you will see different parts of his clothing. 

Here is my progress; I took a ready base mesh from Mudbox and started building on top of it.

Project Back on Track

I am now back on track with my original project idea. I am no longer changing my idea. As everything was already completely designed I can now move onto modelling everything.

Project Idea Change

After much discussion with tutors I have decided it would be best to change my project idea, as my previous idea was taking far to long and not really going anywhere! I am going to take two models I have found online that I have permission to use and create an idea that allows me to just focus simply on my animation skills.

I will post as and when the new idea comes to me.

Baby Dragon Modelling Sheet

This is my baby dragon modelling sheet. I have now fully finished designing my baby dragons and they are ready to be modelled.

Baby Dragon Design with Colour

I have now added colour to my baby dragon. I have used the same colours i used on the adult dragon.

Baby Dragon Design

I have designed how the baby dragons will look. I have just took the original adult dragon design and simply made it smaller and rounder. This is how I want my baby dragons to look.

Cave Formation Diagram

This is my Cave Formation Diagram. My cave is now fully designed and ready to be modelled. I may have to come back at a later date though to maybe add colour to my drawings.

Cave Inside Design - Lake of Fire Entrance View 2

I have now finished the design of the cave. I still need to figure out where I want the hole for the moonlight but I will do that at a later date. I now just need to create a Architectural view of the cave then it will be ready to be modelled.

Cave Inside Design - Lake of Fire Entrance

This is the entrance to the Lake of Fire. I want moonlight to enter the cave somehow so I need to design a hole in the top of the cave for this.

Cave Inside Design 3

This is the 3rd section of my cave that will lead to the Lake of Fire where the dragon lies.

Cave Inside Design 2

The 2nd part of my cave. This is where Galen will find the princess and the baby dragons.

Cave Inside Design 1

I have re-drawn the previous image only using a thick line to pick out the edges of the rock and a thin faint line to pick the detail. I really like how this looks and it gives a good understanding of how the cave will layout.

Cave Inside Colour 1

This is the inside of the cave design. I’m not happy with how this looks, the colour work isn’t as good as the previous picture and it just doesn’t look right! I have found a drawing of a cave that I really like that only shows the outlines and light detail of the walls. I am going to base my designs on that as I’m not comfortable enough to carry on using colour.

Cave Entrance Design

This is my design for the cave entrance. I’m very happy with how this looks and will use this in my animation. I now just need to start to design the interior of the cave.

Final Dragon Design

This is my final dragon design. I have taken my favourite body design and added the head to it, I then just created the detail on the body in relation to what features the dragons head has. I now just need to decide on what colour to make it.

Dragon Head Design

These are some head designs. I have based them heavily on the amazing artist Kerembeyit ( http://kerembeyit.deviantart.com/gallery/4760165 ). I am going to use the head in the top left corner as I think it will suit the dragon body design I chose the best.

Dragon Body Design

These are the body shaped designs for my dragon. I am going to use the shape in the top left corner. It is my favourite as its a simple traditionally shaped dragon and I think it will fit the rest of the theme well.

Galen Shield Design with Colour

I know I said I preferred the shape of the 2nd shield design but I had another look at it and decided I preferred the 1st shape better. I have done some colour schemes for it. I’ve not done as good as the other designs on these shields but I am happy with one of the designs and that is the design I will use in my project.

Galen Shield Design 2

These are my 2nd shield designs. I prefer the shape of this shield as I feel it suits the theme of the project a bit more. I also have a favourite from these that I may take further.

Galen Shield Design

These are the fist of my shield designs. At first I thought I liked the shape of the shield but I created a mock shield in 3D so I could do the test animations and I feel the shape of that shield is much stronger. I am currently creating the new shape designs for the shield.

Galen Test Walk Cycle - Walk

This is a test render of how Galen might walk. I need to edit out some of the raggedy bits but apart from that I feel it looks quite good.

Galen Test Walk Cycle - Sneaking

This is a test render for how Galen might walk through the cave as it’ll be dark and he’ll be very wary of what might be happening.

Princess Elspeth - Character Modelling Sheet

I have now done Princess Elspeth’s modelling sheet. Elspeth is now fully designed. All I need to do now is create a character bio for her and maybe design a corpse. I just need to add flesh wounds and make half of look like its been eaten.

Princess Elspeth - Face Design

As Princess Elspeth is just a corpse in my animation you wont see her face so instead of spending ages designing one I just based it on Vanessa’s face to save time.

Princess Elspeth - Clothing Design Favourite with Colour

These are my favourite clothing designs with different colour schemes. I think my favourite colour scheme and the design I’m going to use for Princess Elspeth is the purple design in the middle.

Princess Elspeth - Clothing Design

These are my clothing designs for Princess Elspeth. I didn’t have information about her appearance so I’m able to have full creativity on how she looks. As she is just a corpse in my film I feel I don’t need to design her to much so these 3 will be enough. My favourite design is the middle one and I will add colour to this to make sure it fits my story.

Sword Design

These are my sword designs for Galen. I decided on the handle earlier but I just needed a blade that suits it the most. I feel the the design on the far left is the best as it looks more of a warriors sword and I feel this will suit my character design much better. That design is probably the design I will choose as final.

Galen Character Modelling Sheet

Here is my character modelling sheet for Galen. Galen is fully designed and ready to be modelled, I just need to design his sword then he is totally complete.

Galen Face design - Front, Back, Top & Bottom

I have added an above view and underneath view of Galen’s head to help my understand how it looks from different angles. 

Galen Clothing Design - Final with Colour

I have taken my favourite clothing design and added colour. Out of the 3 my favourite colour scheme is the far left design. This is the colour I will use for my character I now just need to apply the head and do a front, back and side views ready to be modelled.

Galen Clothing Design 3

I felt I needed to do a couple more clothing designs. Even though I like these two I’m going to go with a previous design I created as I feel it suits my character better.

Galen Face Design with Expressions

I have now designed some of his facial expressions. I have tried to draw expressions that I think will be used during my animation.

Galen Face design

This is my facial design for my main character Galen. I have based the face on mine and just added a beard. I have done this to save time on trying to design the type of character I want. This way I can also pull the expressions myself and not have to fiddle adjusting them for a different type of face.

Storyboards 7-11

I have done another 6 boards, below is the script these go with;

(Frame 7 & 8) Galen grips his sword tighter and pushes on. (Frame 8.5) (Frame 9) Suddenly he stops and picks up an embroidered slipper (Frame 10):(Frame 11) Elspeth’s. 

Storyboards 1-6

Here are the first 6 storyboards for my animation. Below is the section of the script these represent;

DRAGON’S LAIR

(Frame 1)

Smoke swirls at the mouth of the cave as Galen enters, holding his sword before him, lighting his way with its faint blue glow.

  

 (Frame 2)

GALEN

Elspeth!

The floor of the cave as it winds down into the mountain is paved first with rock, then with dragon scales, then with bones.(Frame 3) With each footfall, clusters of mysterious insects scuttle away.(Frame 4)(Frame 5) Galen pauses to mop his brow; it’s getting hot. (Frame 6) A sound echoes up from the depths, a grinding sound like the gnashing of teeth, followed by hissing and squealing.

Storyboards

I have been told by my tutor that I should leave the character designs for now and concentrate on doing some storyboards as I have so much work to do and need to work quickly to get through it. He also feels that the character designs might be created/influenced while I’m doing my boards.

I will start them today and will post them as they are created.

Galen Clothing Design 2

This is the second lot of Galen designs I have done, I may just do another few more and then get some feed back on them, maybe combine a few of the designs I like and see how that takes me.

Moving everything from Tumblr

I know everything is posted on today but I have only just figured out how to properly user Blogger so I am currently moving all my posts over from Tumblr to here.

Galen Clothing Design 1

I have done some character designs for the main character, Galen, I have designed them based on the information that I was given in the extract I chose.