sixth

level 3, 1,5 hours

I started shaping with the wax tool. First time when I shaped with decreasing volume instead of increasing. I assume it keeps the polygons smaller, so I get smaller detail.

Wax tool works nicely, it's easy to add and take away. So now it flows a bit better than before.

Still, it wasn't all feel good. I noticed at one point I was getting some good facial emotions from my character and I stayed on that area for a moment. Maybe for a too long time, lost the big picture. When I took some distance, I noticed the head was very wide. And from the side, very thin. As show in the upper two shapes. Tried to fix it with grab-tool but then all went down with flames. Somehow it broke the model. Or the idea of the model, where it's heading. I've done it before, but been able to go on. Now I felt completely unmotivated to continue. Tired and shit..
Can of fosters. A peek at Spungella. Bed.

background and colors

It has to be given a thought.

At the moment the coloring is dark, grim, like a dungeon where stopmotionanimators and the like would normally work. It doesn't have a lot of air, it doesn't give you the mint fresh breath of mac-purity.. It's more like a handcrafter workspace than a graphic designers workdesk. And what I want it to be? For some reason I like it to be airy, and more white.

fifth

level 3 - 1 hour

It took a while to get going, I was trying to find a good workflow with playing around in the hotkey settings. And they are confusing, and for some reason you can't reset the settings anywhere if you mess something up. You'll have to dig up a hotkeys.txt and trash that to reset.

But now it seems a bit better. Lower wacom button and draw for changing the size seems good for now. Lower wacom with shift-key and draw to change the strenght.

Getting there.

 Edit: 26.03 This model again is not looking the same in the views. Sideview hints that his lower lip bottom part would sink deeper into the face, but it's not shown in the front view. Why? Also sideview cheek hints that the lower part of the cheek is sagging, but the frontview is not. 

Hmh. An idea. Maybe I could get a sideview to a floating window, so while sculpting I could also see it from the sideview.

trying to get to the point.

What is the point of this blog for me? I am trying to do as many sketches as possible, when I have the time.
Where I'm trying to take this? I am learning this blogging system for future projects and having a platform where I can put all my doings.
Why here? It's a feeling of being connected. It has something to do with motivation.. when I'm making something public, it creates a motivation to keep it up. Even though nobody is watching, there is still a chance that maybe somebody is. No matter, it still lights up some kind of a spark to keep moving into a direction.
And I feel it. This is not even close to being an important part of my life, but when I have some freetime, I notice I'm thinking about doing a thing for the blog.

I like sculpting, I'm comfortable with 3 dimensional shaping, real and digital. And usually I get very focused when doing it. And through this focus, I sense I should be doing more of it. I think now this combination of publicity and sculpting has created an interesting arena for me to develop and dig deeper on my interests.

Also every time, when I post a model, I feel obliged to comment on it. And that feels like it's an important reflection on the work. I might think more clearly on the comment, when writing for a public review. So forcing yourself to a clear comment, maybe gives you a clearer reflection.

I'm also trying to become a better writer and a better communicator. Im trying to shake off all the over-the-shoulder people who come and comment on my writing. I'm trying to get into the root of me.

I'm using the word "try" though one short man once said: "do or don't, there is no try". I get it, but I don't actually, actually get it. 

fourth

level 3, 30 mins.

Had 30 minutes of my own time and did this fellow. It's seems interesting from the side, but the front is lacking something. I think his eyes are too something. Have no time to analyze now, will do later.

I used the wax tool to get the basic shape and it's starting to work quite nice. I think I'll have to think about the hotkey-business, B for size and M for strength is no good for me. There i still a flash of unsureness of which button to press, so it's not very workflowy. I think I'm keeping my hand on the left side of the keyboard.. but why? The touchpad?  I can't rest my hand over the touchpad because it could interfere with my bamboo. I think that's the underlying formerly unconscious action that makes my hand to move when finding B and M.

I'm using google spreadsheet to keep record of my work. I still have to figure out how to make it so that I can write down minutes instead of full hours and 0.8 hours is 50 minutes. Jea.

Edit. Hours and minutes using : sign. 1:30 is marked as 1 hour 30 minutes. Good for me.

Third.

level 3

I tried grabbing-tool to adjust the shape, but it felt like it was braking the shape too much. Maybe I was doing it too quickly, or overusing the capacity of the tool. 

I stopped shaping the basic mass when suddenly the lips felt good. The lips then were the "pivot" point from what all the rest leaned on.

I'm still trying to get to a closer relationship with this program. It's not yet very fluent, I have to look for hotkeys and I take away volume in big chunks. I would like to add some, and take some quickly away without getting some weird overlapping action that I have to smooth later. Im now using the wax in, smooth out method, but the smooth smooths out the dynamics of the shape and it loses some of its .. momentum, or tension that keeps me focused on the shape. And I don't like that.
Best just to experiment with some different methods.

I'm not sure I am doing this sketching thing right. The first sketch was really quick, but this one is looking it has been taking longer to finish. As it probably has. I might need some timing system. Maybe a limit of 15 minutes to finish the sketch, whatever might it look. Or just take time how long from beginning to finish.
Yes, I'll do that and see where it leads.

This is still taking too much of my time, I should be doing this more efficient and in the between of things. From now on it has to be quick, quick, quick and RAW.

Edit 26.03 Sideview feels like he is keeping his teeth apart intentionally. Maybe should fix the jaw to pull it back and up. But wont.

Second sketch

A level 3 mudbox character

I did this sketch with keeping my attention mostly on the frontal image.

Now, more goals: Have to get the side and the front to be from the same character.

Sideview jaw needs more testosterone, lips down, thicker neck, forehead maybe lacks some volume. But at the moment I'll nevermind this and move on.

first sketch

a level 3 mudbox character

Im trying to use a small amount of polygons, because I have read that this is the thing in the modelling business. I've done some modelling with 3ds max, but I consider it forgotten.

My goal is to use Mudbox often and make characters in a very primary shape. You can already get the feel from these models where they could lead, so I leave the high detailed work for later on.

Using the primary shape and doing it a lot, I think I could get better in quickly shaping the basic form of a character.

If I'm correct, this buddy has 24 576 polygons and he's a level 3 Mudbox character. I'm planning to stay in this level at the moment to keep it simple, stupid.