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About
3D Environment Artist at Tab Corp
Task List
- Creating Buildings
- Texturing Buildings
- UV Unwrapping
- Texture Baking
Category: Links
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
Note: Before reading too much into this, perhaps you should play the game first? The less you know about the game, the bigger the impact will be. Do your self a favor, and play this game. You shall not be disappointed.
Ethan Carter uses the rail as hierarchy to drive the player.
Last weekend I had the privilege to discover The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. I have been very busy recently, and now that I finished a couple of projects, I have some time to wind down and relax. A couple of friends have recommended me this game for some time, and I decided to get it on special on Steam.
And from minute one. I was mind blown. There are a lot of things made me think why this game is so special. It is not only on how realistic the environment is, but the gestalt, the combination of many of its elements.
A celebration to a lovely 2014
I must say that the last past months has passed very fast, and I have not updated the website with anything juicy or interesting for a while, so id like to apologize and explain why:
- I have been working super, and incredibly hard, all jobs has been intense, but with amazing perks that enhanced learning and productivity skills, all projects with great and amazing opportunities that enabled me to learn to be faster and accurate.
- Most, if not all of the work I have been doing, is all Non disclosure Agreed. So I even do I have done some exciting work, I can’t show until a later future! There is a project that I would like to show rather soon with some permission as it finalized back in the second week of September.
At my time off I have been doing my own teaching with Unreal 4 and PBR with unity and marmoset sky box. It has been all very exciting stuff, but at the same time, its nothing to really show other than simply understanding what it is all about. Perhaps I could write a tutorial about it?
Lately I have been also a bit involved with an app on my phone. Id like to share a new button on my website, a button to my Pinterest account. I shall create it, bind it and share it on my website for everyone to share and view. I must say its an amazing tool to quickly put together visual information to a tutorial, environment, research or idea, while at the same time be organized to what ever you are looking for, can be there.
Some of my boards include topology tips, anatomy references, texturing techniques and resources as ps brushes and textures.
I have been using Pinterest for a very little time, but when ever I shall find an interesting article that can be shared, I shall share it here.
A sample of boards at my account, it may be limited at the moment, but I am looking forward to keep adding
I am going to have a few days off in the next 10 days or so (thank god its xmas) because I am pretty itchy to make some thoughtful art to show.
As I mentioned earlier, I am very interested in PRB, and I’d like to explore it while using Unreal 4, so in the next few days id like to show some progress shots of a personal project that I am doing of an environment. Its an illustrated piece by an Australian artist, but recreated in Unreal 4. Currently I have only done some blocking and have put some ideas together, so its too soon to show anything. But its certainly in my interest to show a demo reel about this environment with some WIP shots. I have made sure that the piece is very minimal with a low list of assets. So should be done right away.
To give away a little a little treat, id l couple of works I have done in the past weeks for a very old project that I worked back in 2007. I thought the original art was not up to my new standards. So I have re imagined them and remade them. Here I present you Orpy and Lyde. A couple of creatures for Glow.
Before I do however, id like to wish you all a lovely merry Xmas and a fantastic new year!
A flaming sea horse
A hermit crab
Physically Based Rendering
As I have been doing a little bit on reading on how to create better Materials, and I was looking for the Tutorial Guide on Material Setup from Marmoset I came up with a more interesting article. PBR, or in english words, Physically Based Rendering will be what seams to be the next (or current) form of preparing texturing in order to make Materials. Old games used just diffuse, then specularity, then normals. A good material is one on how well the textures lie on top of each other, but now the information seems to be adressed diferently with the use of HDR cube maps. I could be wrong hey, I am putting it here so I can have a look at it as well on my spare time.
The people that made Remember Me (a game that I have been playing recently) have put this method in practice on their game, and it looks sensational. In the page there is a video that shows the different phases on diffuse (now called albedo in PBR), specularity colour, roughness and reflection
Check the page for a deep read on how PBR works in Remember Me
I have put together a cheat sheet so I can study later from the article, One in particular (the material values) I found incredibly useful.
Cheat sheet that explains different values of materials with examples
Source: PBR in Practice
An object that look good in many different light scenarios.
Also, while I am at it, a little update on what I have been doing recently in Zbrush.
A Polycount practice statue
God of Blunder, Preview Shot 4
The original west side of the dining room lacked ambient lighting and shadows. So I decided to give it a last pass 😉
New Metal Gear Solid Announced!
New Metal Gear Solid game announced!
And a little refreshment of Past Metal Gear Solid Games! 🙂
The Art of Journey
The Art of Journey
Hardcover Art Book Reveal! So tempted that I might buy it. This video explains why is Journey, Journey, what took to make it Journey. And it so does so well. It explains clearly what design choices they have conveyed to make the game from inception. They had a goal before they even knew what location was the game going to based on.
New Favourite: Feng Zhu
New Favourite: Feng Zhu
I have seen some videos of him before, but I wanted to share his great blog and website. This guys has really good tutorials and suggestions. I could just listen to this guy all day long, he shares great deal of good knowledge. I also added this link in the Digital Artists, few with other new favourite guys.
Feng Zhu Design Blog
Dota 2 Character Art Guide
“How to make Dota 2 Characters” Sheet
Valve takes an extra input at coming up with this PDF on how to make characters. What surprises me more, its that they are sharing around this great resource! Did we need to know? Its a great thanks to me the detail that they have gone into, from silhouette, colour, perspective to topology formation and gradient. Great work Valve. Its stuff like this that makes work being even more appreciated.
Dota 2 Character Art Guide
Colour examples in characters, Dota 2
Character Silhouettes from Dota 2
Geometry Best Practices
Valve Making movies?
Valve Making movies?
As making games was not enough, Valve seems to have a great talent for making the video Meet the Pyro But at the end of the clip, it shows a logo of something I have never unheard off!
Its time to suss it out. I want to know what the hell is this 😀 more game engines should certainly have this to take advantage of in game assets, why not?
http://sourcefilmmaker.com/
I shall check it out once I have a moment 🙂
Prometheus Concept Art
Prometheus was such a fresh experience, from the beautiful vistas from the very beginning, giving such a resemblance of Baraka, to a stranded and far away land, just like 2001 Space Odyssey.
I enjoyed this movie very much, and it was very calming to see such a movie that was so thoughtful in so many areas. What makes a movie like this stand out! They are a lot of things, but good storyboarding and concept art takes the cake!
If you look to the end of the Page, You shall fine a link to the download of these buggers in high def. Enjoy!
I must say, thank you very much Ridley Scott for that fantastic movie. I Seriously consider watching it again.
Also, for anyone that has seen the movie, some really good theories and thoughts from this guy!:
http://cavalorn.livejournal.com/584135.html#cutid1
Portfolio Links: Anthony Vaccaro
Great work from Anthony Vaccaro on Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 3, one of the best experiences while playing on the PlayStation 3. Check on his website for other works!
Diablo III 2.5D Assets
Months ago I tried to explain to some friends the smart use of using 2.5 Assets while using an Isometric Camera, but I failed to explain carefully how this would work.
I am glad that a friend of mine actually found this link of GCD (Game Conference Development Talk) by Christian Lichtner.
The way that this works, is by using painted textures (or already prerendered) work, place it in planes, and connect the planes to give the paralax effect.
I may create an environment tech with this in mind (with having the camera set to a dimension)
Great advantages of using this, is giving a painterly feel to the environments while costing very low polygon count.
The disadvantage is however, its only suited for a particular camera angle or for assets that are at a distance or our of reach.
Another disadvantage also, more thought and more time on texture painting. Figuring out what works as a 2.5 asset.
After clicking the link, if you want to skip, click on The Game Canvas – 2.5 Geometry Trees
I do recommend watching the entire talk however 🙂
In this GDC Vault Talk, the Blizzard Artist carefully explains how art with high fidelity can be displayed using low triangulation. A way to remain art un-aged.