[ KYLEFLETCHER - Games+Character Art ]

I've been told I have to put this on my blog, so here goes:

When I started this project, I was unsure of what to pursue – traditionally I have focused on character design, mainly 2d with a hint of 3d. For this project I set out to fix the gaps in my knowledge.
I think having a wide range of skills is a must in this industry, as it helps with the processes involved in the creation of the content and it (hopefully) makes you more appealing to employers. I felt that this was a good way for me to go, to bolster my knowledge of 3d modelling and texture mapping. I decided to focus on the very basics of 3d because I feel that once you have the basics down, it is easier to work your way up to the more complex methods. However if you begin with really high polygon models and begin using the different types of maps from the very start, it is easy to get swamped. You cannot create a high poly normal mesh without having a low poly base mesh to apply it to. So I felt that this was a good area for me to start in.
I also decided not to focus on the usual type of characters I had done previously. I wanted to do something a little different, so I chose an idea I had had in the first year of my studies, an MMORPG/Racing hybrid in which people could design and customise their own futuristic super-fast vehicles. So this is what I decided to model and texture.

Originally in my initial brief/outline I stated that I would design a total of three vehicles, however I ran out of time towards the end of the deadline. I had begun texturing my first vehicle, and decided to try to get as much detail into it as possible (because I was relying on the occlusion texture map to do the job of the normal/bump maps you find in new generation software) as I had decided early on to try and create something impressive without having to rely on newer technology.
However when it came to rendering out the texture, applied to my base mesh, it came out well – but not as well as I had hoped. The texture was lost on the renders, mainly because of the lights I had applied in my scene and the way Maya renders.

After learning this, I was a little disgruntled due to the fact I had spent a lot of time on the first texture. Looking back now I would’ve much preferred to use the techniques I used in the creation of my second vehicle texture, so that I would’ve had enough time to create yet another vehicle. The next textures I made were the road and environment textures, I feel these came out really well. Especially the road. I didn’t spend a vast amount of time on them, and the skills I had learned in creating my first texture helped me a lot. The one I was a little disappointed with however were the mountains. I had to cut around them in Photoshop and create an alpha channel so the top of the image appeared transparent in Maya. If I could go back I would work on painting my own, so that they looked less ‘cut-out’ and more natural.

The second ship was much easier, I managed to build the base mesh and fully texture it within 3 days, whereas the previous vehicle had taken over a week, so I really feel that I learnt a lot during the process, I even preferred the second one to my first! On the second I decided not to bother with minor details and instead focus on creating a vivid colour scheme that was eye-catching, I think I succeeded in this, so I made this vehicle the focal point in much of my submission, including the poster, screenshots and show reel I produced.

In conclusion I feel that overall I managed to do most of what I assigned myself in my brief, besides the fact that I wasn’t able to create my three vehicles, I did manage to complete all of the other tasks. I created a fully animated environment, that includes a road, a sky and some mountains. All of this gives the impression of speed in my final show reel. I also managed to create a fairly unique visual style that stands out, which was another of my targets. I had the idea of modelling and texturing each vehicle in a way that would portray the racing teams/pilots character. On the first I decided to go for industrial colours and very angular shaped, and on the second I went for a much more streamlined appearance and bright vivid colours. I created some logos for each team which convey this successfully as well.

If I could go back and change some decisions, the main thing would be the amount of time I spent on the first vehicles texture. Another would probably have to be the choice I made about the texture maps, even though I feel the textures work well. I can’t help but think they would’ve been even better with bump maps and normals.