my idea for a 3d environment was a coridor in an egyptian tomb which I had some major challanges trying to save and texture so here are two screen shots of the environment that was worked on in a render view from Maya. 

Idearly it would have been better with fire on the torches and more elements to the scene such as sand or skulls and Hyroglyphs on the walls but from these two angles you can see the basic idea.

Here is a possible CGI background download which I like alot. to be used as a sky of an environment.

Sandstone texture for possible walls in an egyptian tunnel

UV mapping in photoshop reference and layed out ready to be added to the structure. I understand now more about UV mapping. I didnt at first. but Im stating to get it.

Image of making the corner corridor whare the main environment will take place. I qiute like the idea of the space feeling claustophobic etc.... I will aim for this...

Adding the sand stone texture and it not going completely to plan... will need to try again from another perspective...

The corridor from another angle... making the decisions to add torches just like the sketch of the interior (see sketch book)

playing with an idea to build the corridor inside of a pyramid so that the camera can enter from outside

Pulled back camera view of my overall desert environment before texture... Im not sure if this works but I may go with this idea or alternatively just have the corridor on its own with glowing fire torches.

animating test shots and time line

Ok so in this post I have finally found the images of my efforts doing test animation

here is a selection of frames selected I have been trying to work out how to move brow, lids and mouth at the same time with a puppet that dousnt seem to respond. Im definately learning alot though about getting used to the characters face and learning about timing whilst trying to ballence the controlls.

a preview of the render...

something I find particuarly awquard is when animating, the time line seems to get very clutteres with red lines and it is extremly hard to workout how each movement effects the next etc... I find it quite confusing.

Quite a ways in whilst working out kinks an getting the face to move. this character is very facially driven so getting it to move around in expression has been rewarding so far but I have so much to learn about the timing in a 3d space to make the movement more believable. particuarly when basing it on human esque emotions.

character rigging and decisions

now at this point in doing the back up hydro character and Mummy girl I was making decisions on what more to change about this character before animation ie warts, jewelry detail and colours etc

Finally I have learnt how to rig the character! Very excited that I am so much closer to animating the character now for the 2nd animation.

different viex further on in the process etc.

here she is after the skin binding process which baffled me a fair bit to be honest.

sorting the joints andtrying to understand how to move the character and not have the face warp to the arms or legs when it moves.....more later.

little pink baby Mummy without wrappings

here is the mummy girl post continued before her eye and flower get some colour.

side view showing her little pinkness.

 back view and her lille bum. I will continue to model this character as she is not ready to animate yet.

from this angle I just wanted to see how she would look with an ornament on the far side and how the sillouette would look.

Right this is the furthest I have got to at his stage and the following images in this post. she is a funny little character and she reminds me of our new born babr who is 4 months old... 

side view of the character in colur with semi symetrical feet

Back view

Face close up. I liked the three teeth especially and the gaps around the eyes. even tho she is dead and rotting she still looks friendly. sort of.

lower view showing the in-turned feet as she hasnt been lwalking long when she was mummyfied along with her family.

A three quarter view. She still has quite a way to go and Ill be making more changes in forthcoming blogs. my bigger animation(2nd Maya hand in) will feature her propperly modelled and moving about in her own scenario.

Next post Im back to the green witch character and Ill be uploading test animations of the aspects of the face.

sketch design and Mummy girl model progress

so here is an idea for Mummy girl before begining the 3d model complete with beatle broach and frizzy hair in a t pose.

The one eyed hydro character needed a lot of work to make him fit my personality alot more so I had this idea to make him a voodoo character/ witch with piecings so I have begun to change and modify it in the right direction....

So here is mummy girl begun, I have found it quite a chalange to get my head around this project making this character in 3 dimensions as "a shell" rather than first making an armature to build on as I would do traditionallly. I am now aware that in Maya the armature/skeleton comes later etc

close up uf the foot having another edge loop tool added... toes later

brought the head in as a sphere to be modified in the next part...

body now has two feet. - The adding of the other side to make sure it is fairly symetrical.

head now more oval and melon shaped....needs to be bigger in comparrison.

Trying to figure out how to make the sockets took way too long but after looking through tutorials etc I got to the stage bellow...

mouth was added and pushed inwards ready for teeth later...

googly eyes really helps the characteristics... I couldnt just have the hydro character I needed to show that my knowlage of Maya was bigger than that...

once the teeth were added there was an idea to add a flower to her character but I decided against it as it wasnt practical for the time frame I have.... I will see how she progresses as I learn.

This whole project has been a major challange to learn and come to terms with personally and creatively.

started to test colours on the character just to see how she may (might) look.

more in the next post....

test face expressions

This is the first time I have screen shots of facial expressiond using the image blender tool.

A few faces including sinister, happy, worried, discusted, naked off and gormy.... just to tes the controlls before I finish the build.

seems a little sinister like the character means business.

sticking his tongue out to check for rain...

here is the discusted expression in which I imagine the character has just come accress some stray dog poo on the street.

This eye brow that raises up on one side seems to be good as it is full of life and movement...