MODULE LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Examine and analyse different 3D character art styles and break them down into their key visual components.
2. Demonstrate advanced knowledge of human anatomy and apply this through abstraction to the stylisation of characters
3. Construct a detailed insightful style guide for an art style and apply advanced 3D skills in the creation of a fully realised stylised game-ready character.
4. Communicate the research and development process and critically reflect on the production pipeline and suitability of the character in meeting the brief.
MODULE ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT DETAILS
Assessment Component 1 – (Learning Outcomes 1,2,3)
Game Ready Stylised Character weighted at 80% consisting of:
- You will complete a fully realised stylised game ready character utilising the full 3D character production pipeline. Including anatomy sculpting, modelling, retopology, and material production. The final piece will be rigged, posed, and presented in Unreal Engine.
Assessment Component 2 – (Learning outcome 1,4)
A logbook documenting development and reflection weighted at 00% consisting of:
- A clearly presented full production process including, but limited to: initial research, breakdowns of silhouette, shape, value, and colour, initial blockout, digital sculpting, retopology, unwrapping, material production and final presentation.
- A reflection on the final model’s suitability to the brief commenting on how closely it matches the art style, its optimization and professionalism of final renders.
MODULE INDICATIVE CONTENT
This module will cover the skills required to make stylised characters following a game ready pipeline. There will be a focus on adhering to a given art style from existing media and development of digital sculpting skills.
Students will research and develop some of the following skills:
- Human Digital Sculpting pipeline
- Game topology and retopology
- Substance Painter materials
- Game Ready prop production
- Presenting and Rendering
WEB DESCRIPTOR
Game Characters are what connects and immerses a player to fantastical game world, and the game world is not the only thing that can be awesome. Enter stylised characters, when it comes to them you are not limited to the ordinary and can push the boundaries. In this module you will learn to adhere to and break the rules of anatomy all in the name of style, whilst also being taught industry standard techniques for digital sculpting and game ready character production.
MODULE LEARNING STRATEGIES
1x 2hr Lecture/Demo
2x 2hr Tutorial/Workshop
MODULE TEXTS
- 3DTotal (2020), Fundamentals of Character Design: How to Create Engaging Characters for Illustration, Animation & Visual Development, 3DTotal Publishing ISBN-13: 978-1912843183
- 3DTotal (2018) Creating Stylized Characters, 3DTotal Publishing ISBN-13: 978-1909414747
- Motomura, J, C (2015), Guiltygearxrd's art style : The X factor between 2D and 3D GDC Conference, 4th March California
Kondrats, S, Zarins, U (2014) - Anatomy for Sculptors
- Simblet, S (2001) - Anatomy for the Artist
- Winslow, V (2015) - Classic Human Anatomy in Motion
- Winslow, V (2008) - Classic Human Anatomy
- Fedor, P (2007), Creative Essence: The Face, Ballistic, ISBN-13 978-1921002366
- Spencer, S (2010), Digital Sculpting Human Anatomy, John Wiley & Sons, ISBN-13: 9780470450260
- Spencer, S (2011), Zbrush Creature Design, John Wiley & Sons, ISBN 978-1118024331
- Spencer, S (2011), Digital Clay: Character Creation with Z-Brush, John Wiley & Sons, ISBN-13: 978-0470249963
- Kingslien, R (2011), Zbrush Studio Projects: Realistic Game Characters, Wiley & Sons, ISBN 978-0470872567
- Goldfinger, E (1992), Human anatomy for artists the elements of form, Oxford University Press, USA, ISBN-13 978-0195052060
- Peck, S (1982), Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist, Oxford University Press, U.S.A. ISBN-13: 978-0195030952
MODULE RESOURCES
- Digital Academy Forum
- Digital Academy Uploads
- Adobe Photoshop
- Pixologic ZBrush
- Autodesk 3DS Max
- Autodesk Maya
- Autodesk Fusion 360
- 3D Coat
- Substance Designer
- Substance Painter
- Unreal Engine 5
- Internet access
- Blackboard