Cineversity

Hi. I have a difficult (for me) modeling issue that I hope I can get some advise on…
I’m stuck on how to create my parrot’s head with the scalloped looking bottom edges.
Its all to look graphic and cartoony not realistic but I have to reproduce the character exactly as shown on my 2d drawings.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Couldn’t find a tutorial on something like this.

Thanks,
Brian

Hi Brian,

I can’t see a drawing. Would you mind to try again? Note that there is a size limit. If the image is larger, you may zip it.

All the best
Sassi

Hi Sassi,
Thanks for taking a look.
I drew a scalloped vector and brought that in and extruded it…
That may work but blending that seamlessly into the top spherical head might not

Brian

Here is the drawing…

I also experimented with pulling faces out of a sphere then adding to a Subdivision Surface which could work but can’t really see how I can be exact about it…

Thanks Brian,

I hope I understand this correctly, you like to have the Dark Green Area [image] graphically but “3Dish” established.

This part feels more like three hats placed on top of each other.

The simplest way to get this done would be to have two copies of the body, and Normal move each a little bit. Then use an Alpha mask to get that shape done.

I will check this out and post my results.

Talk to you soon

Sassi

Right, kinda like 3 hats on top of each other, a yellow one (the main body), a dark green one (the middle scallop) and a light green one the top scallop and full head) …
But yeah it has to be true 3D

Hi again Sassi,
The more I mess with this the more I’m thinking its over my head.
I’m gonna try to find someone to model and rig this guy for me.
If you know anyone please let me know.
Thanks so much for your help always!

Brian

Hi Brian,

have a look to these three attempts. I made a mistake early on in subdividing it not as “smooth”, so this error is visible in the models, but not at all a limitation of the way I did the models.

A fourth methode would be to draw a spline in the shape you would like and use a spline that you got from a edge loop of your model (Edge to spline), then place both in the Loft [nurbs]. (Porject spline and scale up again will help with the wavy spline to get to the body contour of the parrot.

Let me know which of the three you like most, then let me know what question you have.

I have not discussed a pure texture based option, as the “feathers” of the parrot seems to be more away from the body.

I left (invisible) some states of the models in the scene, so you can see some steps I took. All sketch quality, as we are in the “brainstorming” phase, right?

The MoGraph version should have larger elements, but I think you get the point.

Check on the Render icon in the Layer manager, I left them off.

As a side note, the new Pen Tool has exactly an tool for that, to add circle shapes to edges! See the R16 intro video about it or http://www.cineversity.com/vidplaytut/polygon_pen_part_01

All the best

Sassi

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/Z3LFJtkOuIEVmmziZgJ6jz9FsdKP_A_2qKqC3rd4qqU

Thanks so much! I think the method/model on the far left is what I need… Cant really understand how you got that though.
I’d like to do this if I can handle it….

Yikes I didn’t know you can model with alpha channels!!!

Hi Brian,

I didn’t model with an alpha, but you can use the textures to use them with SubDivisionDisplacement. For that I would have created them in 16bit, to get a clean result.

The method on the most left side:

Have a look to the image of the Object Manager, I have stored there the states of the modeling.

First I took a edge loop selection, to pull scale this and pull it.

Use a square selection set to “visible off” and select to complete top part, pull it down.

Then I used another edge selection above the previous edge and pulled it down and scaled it up. So I got a nice edge, as you can see on the images.

This selection should be kept, save it—perhaps.

With the edge selection active, go to the top view. With the live selection (mouse) and the cmd down (to deselect) I suggest to leave 3 edges active and deselect the next two, and so on.

This smaller selection needs to be pulled down, moved eventually, and scaled on the XZ plane.

Now, back to top view and deselect from the three edges always the first and third. Move the final selection down, scale etc.

Perhaps you create for each a new selection, note that there should be no edge selection tag be active—otherwise you might overwrite information.

Enable a SubSurface [hypernurbs] and adjust the result by pulling the edges (the single or all three—>selection: activate) to get the result you are after.

Take your time and explore the results, so you get savvy with the workflow and get waht you want.

My best wishes

Sassi

Here are the images for the selection process, with my model, three and two as rhythm will leave one double instead of a triple selection, I hope that works for you. Place it on the back perhaps. ;o) Eventually 4-2 wrks better, you might experiments,

Thanks once again!

You’re welcome, Brian.

Let me know if there is a “road-bump”, I’m happy to have a look into it.

All the best

Sassi

P.S.: Here is the modeling version, with all steps needed Top to bottom (Object Manager). Once the steps are clear, it is a very fast way…

Enjoy.

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/JBxPGaUeJhlGLqI45Um29HLRdODTSJqo4NPReOSZbdo