Gertrude Faces

Here's a look at some face tests for Gertrude.  When I'm done She'll have a full range of expressions on hand to really give her life.  The inspiration for much of her facial positions come from studying Anastasia from the Don Bluth Film.  I was fortunate enough to not only learn from animators who worked on the film but to get a look at the character model sheets to see how they mapped out her expressions.

Shoe before and after

I thought I'd do another before and after image comparing the old Gertrude boots to the new.  This time I really wanted the boot to look like it was physically made.

Grim Textures

Texture creation has begun on the new Gertrude model.  These images show the diffuse map only.  I'm currently working on the bump, specularity, and others. Just like the first model I plan to use subsurface scattering, but this time I hope to have a better handle on it.

Prepping Gertrude for texture

now that I have the main model created. It's on to texturing.  right now I'm unwrapping Gertrude and using a checkered textured to make sure everything textures correctly.

These boots are made for walking

another adjustment update!  new boots!  This time I really wanted the seam to be seen in them.

Gertrude, with a new do

One of the last things before moving on to clothing and texturing, giving her hair.  The hair on the first model of Gertrude was difficult as I wasn't use to making hair and tried approaching it the same way I sculpt hair on a clay figure.  However, anyone that tells you making something in a 3D program is just like sculpting is not your friend.  Its more like sculpting if your hands were numb and then someone put boxing gloves on them.  At first I always just want to put my hands on the model and just form it.  Fortunately after working on the first short, I'm more use to working with the computer as can be seen in these images.

More Grim adjustments

Literally working from head to toe for the next short.  I spent most of today working on Gertrude and I'm now at her feet, though I plan to go back and check everything again.  This time we want to see how far we can take everything with what we know so far.

The Grim Makeover

With animation done on the first short (it's currently going through sound an music) I've been talking to a 3D dynamics artist on how to improve everything for the next.  He's currently testing cloth while I'm making adjustments to the character models for the second short.  You can see the start of these changes in this image below, with the original Gertrude base model from the first short on the left, and the adjusted model on the right.  I hope this project constantly grows and improves with each chapter.