#development project 1

Figure 1: Main and final render.

Final Render Story:

The battle had ended, but the silence that followed felt heavier than the roar of guns. The sea whispered its grief, carrying the loud crackle of flames from the burning ship on the horizon. Smoke flowed upwards, a gloomy beacon marking the loss of more than hundred enemy sailors. Their cries, mingled with those of our own fallen, had long since faded into the wind. The ground, once alive with chaos, now lay still, stained with the blood of men and spent industrial munitions. The bitter taste of defeat lingers in the air as only our abandoned weaponry guards the beach defences. The sun rose over the horizon, casting long shadows on the sand, as if the shadows served as warm blankets, gently laying the brave to rest. The belongings left behind on the battlefield whispers the stories of the fallen and defeated. For every step the enemy gained, they left a part of themselves behind, just as we had. This war does not choose sides in its cruelty. May humanity learn this painful lesson and not repeat it ever again.

Reflection:

I managed to get used to using Substance Painter again as it has been a very long time since I used that software. I also learnt a lot about camera, lighting, and post processing as I experiment with many settings to achieve the final appearance in figure 1. The entire development process took longer than expected but it has helped me to familiar the entire production flow. Hopefully it would speed up production of my next development project.

Extra:

If more time and resources were given for this project, the following are the additional models or effects I wish to add into the project:

Model and replace machine gun and rifle online asset.

Expand the beach environment.

Experiment more on camera, lighting, and post processing.

Optimise the environment even more.

Add more visual effects where applicable.

More Renders:

After destroying its creator and its lover, this great musician now takes the stage to perform a piece for the many fans who have come to its concert—a piece of death. A sorrowful composition that drives anyone who hears it to take their own life. When the robot fell into deep despair, it created this music using analyses of the countless pieces it had listened to and processed over the years, aided by its uncontrollable artificial intelligence.

In this post, I’ve shared views of the designed character without materials, showcasing its details. I can't say I was entirely successful with this project, nor that I failed, but I went through many iterations while designing this character. The important thing was that I was learning sculpting along the way. By switching between modeling and texturing software, I discovered and learned a lot of new techniques that will surely help me in future projects.

The head of this character is composed of uneven panels, giving it an assembled and constructed appearance. The light emanating from the gaps between these panels forms its eyes, adding a striking and futuristic touch. On top of its head, thin, open pipes serve as its “hair,” further emphasizing its mechanical nature.

Its shoulders, arms, and forearms are also designed with a mechanical aesthetic, inspired by the intricate mechanisms of old pianos. This design choice ties the character’s appearance to its role as a musician, blending function and form in a unique way.

The waist is separated by a cylindrical connection, while two spherical joints detach the legs from the upper body. These components are designed to give the impression of handcrafted assembly rather than resembling a factory-produced, machine-like robot. This design choice emphasizes the robot’s uniqueness and individuality, adding a sense of artistry and character to its construction.

For the robot design, I used the concept from the story itself. The robot was originally invented to create gramophone records, so I chose a circular and spherical shape to start the design. I began with two overlapping circles—one small and one large—to represent how the robot initially looked. Over time, the robot evolved and became more detailed, reflecting the progression of its design until it transformed into a musician.

After writing the story, I created a storyboard to help organize my thoughts and visualize the parts that I felt could be developed into a 3D project for the development phase.

For my first project, I decided to focus on character design. So, I picked up my pencil and began practicing anatomy on paper. The book I used as a reference was Anatomy for Artists by Morpho. I started with head sketches, practicing the structure of the head from different angles as well as the indentations and connections of facial features.

After completing the hand-drawn sketches and feeling more confident in sketching body geometry on paper, I transitioned to designing body anatomy using digital painting.

I took one of the face sketches I had drawn and started refining it. I added more details, gave the character a beard, added shading, and focused on enhancing the facial features. To complete the look, I added a cracked-lens pair of glasses and a headband. This served as a warm-up exercise.

Figure 1: Modelled assets. (Top) Figure 2: Zoomed in on smaller assets. (Bottom)

In figure 1 and 2 contains a bunker wall and roof, two types munition crates, Bren Light Machine Gun magazine, spent rifle bullet casing, and Barbed Wire Set.

Figure 3: Ship modular components.

In figure 3 contains 16 different unique models that form the design of the ship.

Figure 4: Old Assets from previous projects

In figure 4, the sandbags and long crate are assets I created for my degree final year project. The sandbags were altered and improved for this project. The textures for the sandbags were re-done as well.

Figure 5: Decals drawn