Sculpting fine details in Zbrush

Once I'd created the base mesh for my Flintlock pistol I exported each element into Zbrush to work on the details. Sculpting details such as the wood texture, and grip on the pistol handle should really enhance the finished model.

A screenshot of the pistol handle being worked on in Zbrush.

The metal elements such as the lock side plate required some filigree detailing created using custom alphas. Once each piece was finished I used Decimation Master to optimise the mesh for use in 3DS Max.

A screenshot showing the sculpted details of the side plate for my game asset.

Flintlock Pistol game asset

I've been working on a new game design this year bringing together all the things I've learnt over my time at college. I want to create enough concept art for use in a Kickstarter campaign, but I'm happy enough refining my skills and developing my portfolio. I'm keeping the game idea close to my chest until I have a body of work to use for promotion purposes, but it will be a first person shooter developed in UE4. My game design revolves around player customisation, especially when it comes to weapon selection, as such I've tried to push my technical and artist ability to create the most detailed assets I can.

Flintlock base mesh created in 3DS Max

The game has an Eighteenth Century setting, and based on the research carried out in the initial stages of the project, I've begun to model one of the character weapons.

Finding your own style

An excellent (if old) Disney video about finding your own artistic flair.

Inspirational Video

This video sums up how I feel as an artist. I don't think I'll ever be happy with my own work because I'm always trying to be better but that's O.K! I just wish I'd been told this when I started back at college.

Character modelling sheets

Continuing with my character development I sketched some modelling sheets to help when translating my designs to 3D. The game will have a number of ranks per character class and this will be reflected in the way a character looks. A high ranking 'Gentleman' character will be wearing the most decorative/ornate clothing of the period, whereas the 'Bandit' will be start poorly dressed and become more dishevelled/menacing as he levels up.

Character modelling sheets for different character ranks.

Character portraits and silhouettes

Following on from my research I began working on some character designs. In these early stages I wanted to get a feel for how my characters might look and act. The Gentleman will be refined and well trained, whereas the Bandit will be dishevelled and more of a bruiser.

Character silhouettes and concept sketches.

Using silhouettes is a great way to quickly capture character ideas during the initial stages of a design. The silhouette can also inform the viewer of the attributes of a character, especially important in a fast paced FPS. It is also a technique used in character portraiture of the period, as such I want to incorporate into my game as player portraits, and other UI elements.

A mockup of a loading screen for my game.

Game design mood boards

To keep my design idea in keeping with the period in which the game is set, I carried out a lot of research. I collected imagery relating to the two character classes (the Bandit, and the Gentleman), the planned environments, and the associated props/assets for both. Some of this research was collated online, whilst some of the environment imagery was taken on location at a local National Trust site. I've brought together a selection of these images to create mood boards that will help me keep my designs consistent as I develop the project.

Character and environment mood boards.