Okay, so there's been a bit of additional tweaking to the characters over the last few days to refine them a little more. Here's how they're all currently looking:
I've added eyelashes and eyebrows to their somewhat empty little faces. I've also added more refined spots and a super flash wristwatch to Walter, a few more sheep-like features to flossy; such as the ear tags (to represent her brighter colouring) and a bell tied around her neck with ribbon (to help her communicate and feel safer when the Nightmares are around). I've also added belt loops to Natty and a rather glamorous sash around Clarissa. The latter two ladies also bear the logo on their belt and sash which adds a nice extra touch I think.
I'll put together a group image with the new changes soon, and this time with better lighting too I hope :)
I've added eyelashes and eyebrows to their somewhat empty little faces. I've also added more refined spots and a super flash wristwatch to Walter, a few more sheep-like features to flossy; such as the ear tags (to represent her brighter colouring) and a bell tied around her neck with ribbon (to help her communicate and feel safer when the Nightmares are around). I've also added belt loops to Natty and a rather glamorous sash around Clarissa. The latter two ladies also bear the logo on their belt and sash which adds a nice extra touch I think.
I'll put together a group image with the new changes soon, and this time with better lighting too I hope :)
gosh, natty is just so nifty!
ReplyDeletesome thoughts: why is clarissa sitting on a box? It seems to anchor her to the floor when she's a bit more 'pop!' and powing into mid-air; it also makes her seem a bit elderly in comparison with the other heroes.
Sorry, Molly (and maybe Jon too) but I really don't like Flossy's earrings; this one is tough - I'm tempted to suggest you give her a much more smooth sculpted face and nose and sort of graduate the fluff - I just think she needs to be reconsidered structurally. To be really bold for a moment, if she's shy and that's in her pose and demeanour - and she has this secret brightness - why not think about NOT making her fluffy, but making her more in keeping with the other characters, think of her more as one of those sculpted poodles - more shaped. I think you should have the courage to really re-think her - and you're good at this, so I wouldn't worry too much.
And finally, I think Walter's spots on his bowtie are too small and too busy.
If all of this sounds a bit negative - it isn't, it's just I can't 'not' pick up on these things because your characters are exciting and charming and these small things feel like tiny splinters on an otherwise silky smooth surface!
Natty is wonderful and has continually been the benchmark that the others have needed to strive for. She's certainly my favourite, and I want to own a 3D model of her soon.
ReplyDeleteIn my mind, Clarissa is shy when she isn't lit, but upon lighting up she becomes rather outgoing and confident like she's getting a dose of serious Vitamin D from her light, that cures her depression for a bit :P
I kind of agree about Flossy, but I'm not sure if smooth is the way either. I think the plan is that she would be fluffy. I think she lacks something that the others have though. I think the thing I didn't like about her was that she is a very dense mesh and sculpted to have the look that she has. But that's not a very clean way to work. All the other characters are modelled for sub Division. If you were to turn these into animated characters, you'd have such a hard time rigging, skinning and animating her. Phil, I saw that you suggested looking at those shaggy dog type things with long hairs, I'm not sure I like that either. A need to be brave and reinvent her a little is needed though, to bring her level up to Nattys. (I like the added bell on Flossy though)Going back to the thing I mentioned about too much geometry, that's what makes the blobby feel, the topology doesn't flow around the bulges, which isn't ideal. It's hard, maybe talk to Alan about the technical aspects of this tomorrow when you see him.
Clarissa should have two card variants maybe, the standard unlit, shy one (not seated, figure another way to convey it) but also a card where she is lit and jumping or something.
This is all babble, blaaaah! :P
And by Clarissa and the vitamin D.. I mean Flossy. Bed time I think..
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