Modelling Process Part 1 – The Head | Development

After finalising my 2D designs, It was time to begin modelling my character in Blender. My instinct was to begin with the head, here is my evidence and what I encountered during the modelling process.

Intended Outcome:

• Have a completed head for my creature.
• Become familiar with the ‘Sculpt’ mode in Blender.
• Use the ‘Boolean’ modifier to create eye sockets.
• Apply tools and tips I have learnt in previous experiments and tutorials.

First attempt:

I tried to begin modelling my character before I had done any detailed research and experimenting within Blender, and I was only familiar with basic tools. Because of this, my first attempt at modelling the head failed, as I could not gain the look I was hoping for. It was after this I decided to look into creating natural elements in Blender, and conducted the research shown in my ‘Creating Rocks in Blender’ research post. Here is a time-lapse of my first attempt, showing the struggles I faced.

Final Attempt:

After conducting research I became slightly more confident in when modelling. I was introduced to the sculpt tool which really helped me to create a natural looking form. Here is a time-lapse of my process.

Problems I encountered and how I overcame them:

• Shaping the head proved harder than I had anticipated. Although my character is made of natural elements such as rock and/or sand and therefore gave me an excuse not to be uniform, creating a surface on which the creatures face would look equal took a few different sculpting tools to perfect.
• I struggled to use the ‘Boolean’ tool to create natural looking eye sockets. To counteract this, I searched through the different sculpting tools and tested one called ‘Inflate/Deflate’. This left the effect I was struggling to get from a Boolean, allowing me to manipulate the sockets into similar yet non-identical eyes.

Where to go from here:

• Begin modelling the torso and pelvis of my creature.
• Seek further advice on using the sculpt tool to ease modelling.
• Experiment past the sculpt tool, so not to limit what I work with within Blender.