Snow Creature
'Snow Creature' was my second entry for a CG Boost Challenge. I made this assignment entirely in Blender.
I didn't want to go on the fantasy tour again this time, I wanted to make something more friendly. "A snow tiger with some cubs" was my original plan. But I seriously underestimated this. The tiger fur and the interaction with the snow took me many more hours than I had expected. In the end it became just one tiger cub in the foreground and some snow and sky around it. And some repeats of the same tiger cub in the distance.
Not what I had in mind at first, but I guess it didn't fail after all.
The FINAL render.
I posted some solo versions on BlenderArtists some time later. This one of them.
And this is another one.
And also this close-up.
This was my first attempt at making procedural fur.
I kept trying!
I used Suzanne, the Blender mascot, as a test subject.
Suzanne in the snow...
Even more tests with Suzanne in the snow...
I'm trying out a background photo for the sky.
Another background here... And testing Dept of Field.
Blocking out the scene. I first had a mother tiger with 3 cubs in mind. But in the end it became 4 identical cubs. Because I ran out of time when my Rigify rig broke. I had moved a joint that you were not allowed to touch. I didn't know that then. Pity...
...That's why my tigers are all stiff. Still a bit sad... So this here is where I started modeling...
...and modeling...
...and modeling...searching for the right form...of course with references next to me.
And after modeling I started sculpting the shape more precisely. Not overly precise, because I knew there would be fur all over...
I like sculpting a lot! It feels like a very natural activity to me. In 3D it is closest to my former traditional artistic activities.
What a nice strong body those wild cats have!
I would never look that close in the eyes of a tiger!
But as a 3D artist you have to! Fortunately only pixel-wise :-)
The rigify test yields funny results :-)
The retopo is finally done here. That took quite some time!
A little naked! Ready for a fur...
The first fur test gives horrible results!
And the next tests are no better! This is clearly not the right way...
I'm abandoning the idea of a procedural texture. I will make a UV map and paint a texture myself. I don't have much experience with that yet, but I have to try it anyway.
It's slow, but it gives better results...
This method is clearly much better! I'm on the right track now.
Let's see if it fits. A family of four.
A little twisting and sliding ... And a lot of light tests ...
This is starting to approach the desired result...
Some more snow-on-the-nose tests...
I feel the end is in sight. But that black shadow on the neck must definitely be better!
This is a lot better! Another test render.
And finally a viewport render to prove to the CG Boost judges that this is my own 3D work. Finished! Over and out!