Irfan Hyder

@irfanhyder7

Studying MA Games Arts and Design at University of Hertfordshire

45 posts

Blog#30. Kalin Popov and AAA Character Art

When I looked into current game character artists, Kalin Popov really stood out as a clear example of what’s expected in today’s AAA industry. As a Principal 3D Character Artist at Creative Assembly, his work shows not just strong artistic skill, but also a solid understanding of full production pipelines and how teams collaborate.

Principal 3D Character artist at Creative Assembly Sofia

One of the things that felt most relevant to my own project is how wide his role is. He’s not just focused on modelling or sculpting, he’s involved in multiple stages like texturing, lighting, and final presentation. That made me rethink my own workflow. I’m using tools like ZBrush, Autodesk Maya, Substance Painter, and Marmoset Toolbag, and instead of treating them as separate steps, I’m starting to see them as part of one continuous process where each decision feeds into the next. His work on large projects like Total War Saga: Troy also highlights how important teamwork is in game development. Characters aren’t created in isolation, they need to fit into a wider world and match a consistent visual style. Even though I’m working on my own, it’s changed how I think about my character. I’m not just building a model, I’m designing something that could realistically exist within a game environment. Another thing that stood out is the balance between quality and optimisation. In AAA production, characters have to meet strict technical limits while still looking visually impressive. That links directly to my own goal of staying within a set triangle budget. It reinforced the idea that game ready art isn’t just about adding detail, it’s about using resources efficiently. Overall, studying Popov’s work has helped me see that being a character artist today is about more than creativity alone. It’s about combining artistic skill with technical awareness. His work reflects the kind of industry standard I’m aiming for, especially when it comes to workflow, optimisation, and presentation.

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Blog#29. Clément Néca’s Gwen – Stylized Character Art in Contemporary Practice

A strong example of contemporary character art is Clément Néca’s recreation of Gwen Stacy, featured in 80 Level’s Best 3D Character Art of 2023. This work reflects the growing influence of stylized pipelines inspired by animated films such as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, where 2D aesthetics are translated into 3D form.

Let's celebrate this year and look forward to the next with this collection of the greatest 3D character art breakdowns of 2023.

Néca’s project focuses on recreating Gwen using tools such as ZBrush and real-time rendering workflows, demonstrating a balance between sculptural accuracy and stylized abstraction. The breakdown highlights the full pipeline, including modeling, texturing, and post production adjustments used to achieve a sharp and visually striking result (80 Level, 2023). What makes this work significant is not just the technical execution, but how it successfully captures the graphic, painterly quality of the original 2D design within a 3D environment. This reflects a wider shift in the industry where character artists are moving away from purely photorealistic goals and instead exploring hybrid styles. Rather than focusing on realistic skin detail or physically accurate materials, Néca emphasises clean shapes, controlled shading, and stylised lighting. This approach prioritises readability and artistic expression, which is increasingly important in modern game art and animation pipelines. From a critical perspective, this work demonstrates how stylization is no longer seen as a limitation but as a deliberate artistic choice. The ability to translate a 2D concept into a believable 3D character requires a strong understanding of form, silhouette, and colour design. It also shows how modern tools allow artists to experiment with non photorealistic rendering while still maintaining high production quality. This directly relates to my own practice, as I am also aiming to create a stylized character. Néca’s workflow reinforces the importance of focusing on clear forms and strong visual design rather than overcomplicating details. It also highlights the value of combining sculpting tools with rendering and post processing techniques to achieve a cohesive final look. Overall, Clément Néca’s Gwen represents a significant example of contemporary character art, demonstrating how stylization, technical skill, and artistic direction can come together to produce visually compelling and industry relevant work. Reference: 80 Level (2023) 80 Level Digest: Best 3D Character Art of 2023. Available at: https://80.lv/articles/80-level-digest-best-3d-character-art-of-2023/

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Blog# 28: Antonio Nikolovski and Game Ready Stylised Characters

As part of my research into contemporary character artists, I looked at the work of Antonio Nikolovski, whose stylised characters strongly reflect current industry standards for game ready assets. His work is particularly relevant to my project because it sits at the intersection of stylisation and real time optimisation, which is exactly what I’m aiming to achieve with my own character.

Collection of models I created during my studies at M3DS Academy.

One of the first things I noticed about his work is how clean and controlled his models are. Even though the characters are stylised, the forms are very clear and well defined. There’s a strong focus on silhouette and readability, which ensures that the character remains visually strong from a distance. This is something I’ve been trying to apply in my own workflow, especially during the blockout stage, where getting the primary shapes right is more important than adding detail. Another key aspect of his work is how well it translates into a game ready format. His characters maintain a high level of visual quality while still being optimised for real time engines. This includes efficient topology, clean UV layouts, and well balanced polygon counts. Seeing this has reinforced the importance of sticking to my own poly budget and making sure my model is not just visually appealing, but also technically sound. Overall, studying Antonio Nikolovski’s work has helped me better understand what makes a stylised character successful in a real-time context. It’s not just about how the model looks, but how well it performs and reads as a complete asset. His work provides a clear example of how to combine artistic style with technical efficiency, which is exactly what I aim to achieve in my own character.

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Blog#27. Mathilde Mano and Contemporary Stylised Character Art

While looking into contemporary character artists, I came across Mathilde Mano, whose work really aligns with the direction I want to take in my own project. Her characters stand out because they sit comfortably between realism and painterly stylisation, a balance I’ve been trying to achieve with my Fio Germi model.

Final year student at Artside. I love badass stylized characters with a painty look. Here's my work : badass stylized characters with a pa

One of the most interesting things about her work is how she handles textures. Rather than aiming for pure realism, she brings in a subtle hand painted feel that gives her characters more personality. It stops them from feeling too rigid or overly technical, and instead makes them feel more expressive and alive. This approach also reflects what’s currently happening in the industry, where stylised characters often blend realism with illustration instead of fully committing to one or the other. Platforms like ArtStation Learning reinforce this idea, showing how modern workflows combine technical skill with artistic interpretation. Her use of proportions is another thing that stood out to me. Even though her characters are stylised, they still feel believable because they’re grounded in solid anatomy. That’s something I’m trying to apply in my own work, starting with a realistic base and then pushing proportions in a controlled way to improve appeal. Studying her work made me realise that stylisation isn’t just about exaggeration, it’s about making deliberate, thoughtful choices. Presentation is also a big part of what makes her work effective. The lighting, rendering, and overall composition feel just as important as the model itself. She often uses soft but directional lighting, which helps define the form and materials without distracting from the design. This matches current industry expectations, where how you present a character can be just as important as how well it’s made. I’ve also been paying attention to how structured her workflow seems. Looking at her work alongside industry resources, it’s clear she follows a strong pipeline, from blockout through to high poly, retopology, and final render. That lines up closely with the process I’m using with ZBrush, Maya, Substance Painter, and Marmoset, and it’s reassuring to see that connection. Overall, studying Mathilde Mano’s work has helped me get a clearer idea of what “industry ready” stylised characters look like today. It’s not just about the modelling, it’s about combining strong design, controlled stylisation, and polished presentation. Her work gives me a solid benchmark to aim for and confirms that I’m heading in the right direction with my approach.

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Blog#26. Hyper-Realism vs Stylization in Character Art

A major trend in recent character art is the divide between hyper realism and stylization. With advancements in technology, many AAA games are pushing towards photorealistic characters, while stylized art continues to remain highly relevant, particularly in games like Overwatch and Fortnite. Hyper realism focuses on achieving lifelike detail, accurate anatomy, and physically correct materials. Advances in rendering technology and real time engines have made it possible to create characters that closely resemble real humans. According to Shiyan (2024), technological improvements in rendering and asset creation have enabled hyper realistic workflows to reach new heights, with realism benefiting heavily from scanning and physically based rendering pipelines. However, academic research suggests that pure realism does not always guarantee viewer appeal. Zell et al. (2015) found that while realistic materials and shapes increase perceived realism, they are a "bad predictor for appeal," and stylization can actually drive more positive emotional responses. On the other hand, stylization prioritises shape language, exaggeration, and visual clarity. Stylized characters are often more readable, expressive, and adaptable across different platforms. They also tend to age better visually compared to realistic characters, which can quickly become outdated as technology progresses. Shiyan (2024) traces the evolution of stylization in games, noting that its visual longevity and distinct artistic identity have made it a preferred choice for many developers. From my perspective, stylization is more aligned with my current skill set and creative goals. Since I am focusing on creating a stylized character, this trend directly supports my approach. Stylization allows me to emphasise strong silhouettes, clear forms, and personality driven design rather than focusing purely on realism. This approach is backed by empirical evidence, Zell et al. (2015) demonstrated that strategic de-emphasis of realistic shape and material details can enhance perceived appeal and circumvent the "uncanny valley" issues often associated with photorealistic faces. Another important advantage of stylization is production efficiency. Stylized assets often require fewer resources while still achieving a strong visual impact. This is particularly relevant in game development, where performance optimisation is critical. However, both approaches have their place in the industry. Realism is often used in narrative driven AAA titles to enhance immersion, while stylization is commonly used in competitive and multiplayer games to improve readability and appeal to a broader audience. Shiyan (2024) further argues that the evolution of stylization often parallels advances in realism, with each approach borrowing technical innovations from the other. In conclusion, the balance between realism and stylization reflects different artistic and technical priorities. As a developing character artist, understanding both approaches, along with the perceptual research behind them, allows me to make more informed design decisions and adapt to different industry requirements. References: Shiyan, A. (2024). The art of stylization: Understanding its transformations in games. 80.lv. Zell, E., Aliaga, C., Jarabo, A., Zibrek, K., Gutierrez, D., McDonnell, R., & Botsch, M. (2015). To stylize or not to stylize?: the effect of shape and material stylization on the perception of computer-generated faces. ACM Transactions on Graphics (TOG), 34(6), 1-11.

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Blog#25. The Rise of AI in Character Art

Since 2022, the emergence of AI-generated imagery has significantly influenced character art workflows. Tools such as Midjourney and Stable Diffusion allow artists to generate high quality concept images from simple text prompts. This has introduced both opportunities and challenges for character artists, particularly in early stage ideation. AI is increasingly being integrated into creative pipelines, especially in the concept phase. According to Epstein et al. (2023), generative AI systems are rapidly improving and are capable of producing outputs that can resemble professional creative work in certain contexts, raising questions about the evolving role of artists. As a result, AI is not replacing artists entirely, but it is reshaping how ideas are developed and visualised. From my perspective, AI can be a powerful tool for rapid iteration. It allows artists to explore multiple design directions quickly, which can be useful during brainstorming stages. However, it also raises concerns around originality, authorship, and ethical use of datasets. Many AI models are trained on existing artworks without explicit consent, which creates tension within the creative community. Another important consideration is the impact on skill development. If artists rely too heavily on AI for generating ideas, there is a risk of weakening fundamental design skills such as anatomy, silhouette design, and visual storytelling. For someone like me, who is still developing strong character design foundations, it is important to treat AI as a support tool rather than a replacement. In relation to my own project, I see AI as something that could assist in early concept exploration, but not in the final design or execution. My goal is to develop a strong understanding of form, stylisation, and storytelling through manual practice. Therefore, I would use AI selectively, ensuring that the final outcome remains original and reflective of my own artistic decisions. Overall, AI represents a major shift in the character art industry. While it improves efficiency and expands creative possibilities, it also challenges traditional workflows and raises ethical concerns. As a character artist, adapting to this change while maintaining artistic integrity will be essential. References: Epstein, Z., Hertzmann, A., Herman, L.M., Mahari, R., Frank, M.R., Groh, M., Schroeder, H., Smith, A., Akten, M., Fjeld, J., Farid, H., Leach, N., Pentland, A. and Russakovsky, O. (2023) Art and the science of generative AI: A deeper dive. arXiv preprint. Available at: https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.04141

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Blog#24. Major Project Development: The Importance of Real-World Scale

Before moving into lighting and rendering, one important step I need to address is ensuring that my low poly model is scaled to real world proportions. This may seem like a small technical detail, but it has a significant impact on how the model behaves and appears in the final presentation. Working with the correct scale helps maintain consistency across the entire pipeline. When the model is accurately sized, lighting behaves more realistically, especially when using physically based rendering systems in tools like Marmoset Toolbag. Light intensity, falloff, and shadow behaviour are all influenced by scale, so if the model is too large or too small, the lighting can look unnatural or difficult to control. Another important factor is the use of HDRI environments and camera settings. These systems are often designed with real world values in mind, meaning that incorrect scaling can lead to unexpected results, such as overly harsh highlights or weak shadows. By ensuring that my character matches realistic dimensions, I can achieve more predictable and visually accurate outcomes during rendering.

Scaling also directly affects how materials respond, particularly when it comes to subsurface scattering (SSS). SSS simulates how light penetrates a surface, scatters internally, and exits at a different point, something that is especially important for materials like skin (Adobe, n.d.).

Discover how subsurface scattering influences realistic rendering by understanding how light interacts with translucent materials to create

If the model is not correctly scaled, the SSS effect can appear unrealistic. As ITU Online (2025) notes, “set the real-world scale first. If the model is 10 times too large or too small, the scatter settings will feel wrong no matter how good the shader is.” Therefore, ensuring correct model scale is critical for believable SSS results. For example, a model that is too small may cause light to scatter too quickly, making the surface look overly soft or waxy, while an oversized model can reduce the scattering effect, making the material appear too hard or opaque. A correct scale ensures that the light travels through the material at a believable distance, resulting in more natural and convincing skin shading. In addition, maintaining real world scale is important for consistency if the model is used in other environments, such as game engines or animation pipelines. It ensures that the character integrates correctly with other assets and avoids issues later in production. To achieve this, I will check my model’s scale in Autodesk Maya before exporting it, using real world units and reference measurements. Overall, scaling is a foundational step that directly affects lighting, materials, and presentation, helping me achieve a more accurate and professional final result.

References: Adobe (n.d.) What is subsurface scattering? Available at: Adobe Substance 3D guide (Accessed: 27 April 2026). ITU Online (2025) What is subsurface scattering? A practical guide. Available at: ITU Online article (Accessed: 27 April 2026).

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Blog#23. Major Project Development: Rendering

Following the lighting setup, the next step in my workflow is rendering, where I will produce the final images and presentation of my character. For this stage, I will continue using Marmoset Toolbag, as it allows for high quality real time rendering with a wide range of control over visual output.

RENDER RENDER art by Ben Armstrong & Popularity Choi 3D Rendering in Toolbag Craft breathtaking renders with speed using

Before lighting and rendering, I will carefully set up the size of the character to match the real world scale and my camera angles to showcase the character effectively. The angles will include a primary beauty shot that captures the overall design, along with close ups of the face, accessories, and important details. Choosing the right camera focal length is important, as it helps avoid distortion and maintains accurate proportions. I will also adjust the field of view to ensure the character looks natural and visually balanced. A slightly narrower field of view can help create a more cinematic and professional appearance. In addition, I will make sure the character is properly framed within the composition, keeping the focus on key areas without unnecessary distractions. Another important step is refining render settings. I will increase the output resolution to ensure sharp and detailed images suitable for portfolio use. I will also enable features such as anti aliasing to smooth out edges and improve overall image quality. If needed, I will use depth of field subtly to draw attention to specific parts of the character, such as the face, while softly blurring the background. Material presentation will also be a key focus during rendering. I will ensure that textures respond correctly under lighting, with proper roughness, reflections, and surface detail clearly visible. This helps communicate the quality of both modeling and texturing work. Finally, I will export multiple renders, including turntable views and the animated version of the character. This variety allows me to present the project more effectively in my portfolio. To sum up, rendering is the final step that brings everything together. By carefully controlling camera, composition, and render settings in Marmoset Toolbag, I aim to produce polished and professional images that clearly showcase the quality of my character.

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Blog#22. Major Project Development: Lighting

Lighting plays a crucial role in how the character is perceived in the final presentation. Even with a well modeled and textured asset, poor lighting can reduce its overall impact. To ensure a strong result, I will be using Marmoset Toolbag to create a clean and visually appealing lighting setup.

I plan to create two different lighting setups. The first will closely match the original concept art, ensuring that my final render stays true to the intended design and mood. The second setup will be more experimental, where I will explore different lighting styles and add my own artistic touch. This approach allows me to not only demonstrate accuracy but also showcase creativity and personal interpretation. I will begin by establishing a basic three point lighting setup, which includes a key light, fill light, and rim light. The key light will act as the primary source of illumination, helping define the main forms and shapes of the character. I will position it in a way that highlights important features, particularly the face and upper body. The fill light will be softer and used to reduce harsh shadows, ensuring that key details remain visible without flattening the overall look. The rim light will be especially important for separating the character from the background. By placing it behind the model, I can create a subtle outline that enhances the silhouette and adds depth. This is particularly effective for stylized characters, where strong and readable shapes are essential for visual clarity. Throughout the process, I will carefully adjust light intensity, colour, and positioning while testing different camera angles. This ensures that the lighting remains consistent and effective from multiple perspectives. Overall, lighting is about guiding attention and enhancing the character’s presentation. By combining structured techniques with creative exploration, I aim to produce a final result that is both accurate and visually compelling.

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Blog#21. Major Project Development: Animation

At the final stage of my project, I plan to enhance the presentation of my character by adding a simple animation. While my main focus is on modeling and texturing, incorporating movement will help bring the character to life and make the final result feel more engaging. For this, I will use Adobe Mixamo, which provides an efficient way to rig and animate characters without requiring advanced animation skills.

Once my low poly model is fully prepared, I will upload it to Mixamo and begin the auto rigging process. This involves placing markers on key joints such as the chin, elbows, knees, and wrists. After this setup, Mixamo automatically generates a rig that is suitable for animation. This step is particularly useful for me, as it allows me to focus on the presentation without needing to manually build a skeleton or skin the model. After rigging, I will explore different animation options available in Mixamo. My goal is to choose an animation that complements the character’s personality and design. This could be a subtle idle pose, which adds life through small movements, or a short action based animation that highlights the character’s attitude or role. Selecting the right animation is important because it helps communicate the character more effectively to the viewer. Once I have applied the animation, I will download the rigged and animated model and import it into Marmoset Toolbag for the final presentation. In Marmoset, I can set up lighting, camera angles, and rendering settings to showcase the character in a polished and professional way. The addition of animation will make the presentation feel more dynamic compared to a static render, allowing the viewer to better understand the character’s form and personality. To sum up, this step is about improving the final output and making the project more visually appealing. By using Mixamo for quick animation and Marmoset Toolbag for rendering, I can present my character in a way that feels complete, lively, and ready for a professional portfolio.

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Blog#20. Major Project Development: Texturing in Substance Painter

Following the baking stage, I will move on to texturing, where I will define the final look and personality of my character. I will continue using Substance Painter, as it allows me to combine both procedural and hand painted techniques in a flexible and non-destructive workflow.

My main goal is to achieve a stylized look that fits the character’s design. To do this, I will combine hand painted details with procedural tools such as generators and filters. The baked maps created earlier will play a key role here. For example, I can use curvature and AO maps to automatically generate edge highlights, dirt, and wear, which adds depth and variation to the surfaces. At the same time, I will manually paint over these effects to enhance the stylization. This includes exaggerating highlights, simplifying colour transitions, and adding unique details that give the character more personality. This balance between procedural and hand painted work is essential for achieving a clean yet expressive result. I will also make use of built in smart materials and masks, modifying them to suit my style rather than relying on them directly. This helps me maintain consistency while still keeping the textures original. Additionally, I will use filters and baked lighting effects to push contrast and improve visual readability, especially in key focal areas like the face and important accessories. Another important focus will be colour harmony and material definition. I will ensure that different materials such as fabric, leather, and metal are clearly distinguishable, while still fitting within a cohesive colour palette. Overall, texturing is where the character truly comes to life. By combining technical maps, procedural tools, and hand painted techniques in Substance Painter, I aim to create a visually engaging and polished final result that supports both style and storytelling.

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Blog#19. Major Project Development: Baking in Substance Painter

Baking is a critical step in transferring detail from my high poly model to the optimized low poly version. For this process, I will be using Substance Painter, as it provides a complete and efficient baking system within the same environment used for texturing.

Before starting anything, I will first set up my scene properly. This includes using neutral lighting and adjusting the field of view to avoid any distortion when previewing the model. Having a clean and balanced setup helps me accurately evaluate how the baked details will appear on the surface. I will then begin baking all the essential maps required for a strong texturing foundation. These include Ambient Occlusion (AO), Curvature, Vertex Color ID, World Space Normals, Normal Map, Position, and Thickness. Each of these maps plays an important role. For example, AO helps define shadowed areas, curvature highlights edges and wear points, and world space normals assist in directional effects during texturing. Together, they allow me to build more advanced and believable surface details later on. A key part of baking is ensuring that the high poly and low poly meshes are properly aligned. I will carefully check for issues such as projection errors, skewing, or artifacts. If needed, I will adjust cage settings or match naming conventions to improve the bake quality. Clean baking results are essential because any errors at this stage will carry forward into the texturing phase. In conclusion, baking is about creating a strong technical foundation. By carefully generating and checking all necessary maps in Substance Painter, I ensure that my model is fully prepared for the next stage, where I will bring it to life through stylized texturing.

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Blog#18. Major Project Development: UV Mapping

Following retopology, the next stage of my workflow is UV mapping, which is essential for preparing the model for texturing. Once the geometry has been optimized, I will use Autodesk Maya’s UV Toolkit to unwrap the model and create a clean UV layout.

The goal of UV mapping is to flatten the 3D model into 2D space without causing distortion. To achieve this, I will carefully place seams in less visible areas of the model, such as along the inner sides of limbs or under clothing. This helps to hide any potential texture breaks and keeps the final result visually clean. One of my main priorities during this stage is to maximize the use of available UV space. Efficient UV packing allows me to achieve better texture resolution without increasing texture size. I will scale and arrange UV shells to ensure that important areas, such as the face and hands, receive more texture space, as these are focal points of the character. I will also maintain consistent texel density across the model. This means that all parts of the character will have a similar level of texture detail, preventing some areas from appearing blurry while others are overly sharp. Maintaining this consistency is important for achieving a professional and polished look. Another important consideration is minimizing distortion. I will regularly check the UVs using checker maps to ensure that the texture is evenly distributed and that there are no stretching issues. If any problems appear, I will adjust the UV shells accordingly to improve the overall layout. For the revolver prop, I will follow a similar process, ensuring that the UVs are clean and optimized while preserving important details. Since it is a hard surface object, I will focus on keeping edges sharp and aligning UV shells in a way that supports clean texturing. To sum up, UV mapping is a critical step that directly impacts the quality of the final textures. By using Maya’s UV Toolkit and focusing on efficient layout, consistency, and minimal distortion, I aim to create a strong foundation for the texturing stage of my project.

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Blog#17. Major Project Development: Retopology

I also have to focus on retopology, which is a crucial step in preparing my character for a game ready pipeline. After completing the high poly sculpt, the model contains a dense mesh that is not suitable for real time use. I have to recreate the geometry into a cleaner, more efficient version while maintaining the original form and detail.

For this process, I will be using Autodesk Maya, specifically the Quad Draw tool. This tool allows me to manually create new topology directly on top of the high poly model. I find this approach particularly useful because it gives me full control over edge flow and polygon distribution, which is essential for both performance and deformation. My target is to keep the entire character, including clothing and accessories, within approximately 35,000 triangles, while the revolver prop will be around 5,000 triangles. Keeping this budget in mind, I will carefully place more polygons only where they are needed. Areas such as the face, hands, and joints will require more geometry to preserve form and allow for smooth deformation, while flatter or less important areas can be simplified. A key focus during retopology will be maintaining clean edge flow. I will ensure that edge loops follow the natural structure of the character, especially around joints like the shoulders, elbows, and knees. This is important because good topology directly affects how the model will behave if it is animated later. Even though my focus is primarily on modeling, maintaining proper topology ensures that the asset remains versatile. I will also pay close attention to the silhouette of the character. Even with a reduced polygon count, the outer shape must remain strong and visually appealing. This is especially important for a stylized character, where the design relies heavily on clear and readable forms. Overall, retopology is about simplifying the model while preserving its quality. By using Quad Draw in Maya and working within a defined triangle budget, I aim to create a clean, efficient mesh that is ready for the next stage of the pipeline.

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Blog#16. Major Project Development: Planning the Diorama and Presentation Scene

One aspect of this project that I want to talk about is the presentation scene, the diorama I'm planning to build alongside the character to provide context for the final renders. I wanted to document the thinking behind it, because the decisions I'm making at this stage will shape how the whole final presentation reads. The brief I've set for myself in the pre production document is a small diorama scene that supports the overall setting and story of the character, along with an ammunition box as a secondary prop. The diorama is deliberately a supporting element, not a coequal deliverable. The character is the main focus of this project, and I need to make sure the scene enhances her rather than competing with or distracting from her.

Looking at the reference for Metal Slug environments in my PureRef board, the game's aesthetic is a mix of military hardware, desert settings, and a kind of cheerful wartime chaos. There are sandbags, crates, vehicles, and rubble everywhere. That visual language sits well with Fiolina's design, she'd look at home in that kind of environment. For the diorama I'm thinking of a simple ground plane with some environmental storytelling elements, the ammunition box, perhaps some shell casings on the ground echoing the scattered casings in the original concept, and a simple platform or surface for her to stand on. The workflow I've planned for the diorama follows a slightly different path from the character. I'll block out the scene in Maya first to establish the composition, scale, and placement of all elements. Maya's viewport is better for thinking about spatial arrangement than ZBrush's. Once the layout feels right, I'll bring everything into ZBrush to add surface detail and sculpted texture to the props and ground elements.

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Blog#15. Major Project Development: Accessories Planning

I am focusing on creating the character’s accessories using a workflow that balances both efficiency and precision. My primary tool for this process will be ZBrush, where I will build most of the accessory elements using a combination of the ZModeler tool and sculpting brushes. This approach allows me to quickly block out forms while also giving me the flexibility to refine shapes in a more organic and controlled way.

I plan to begin with a simple blockout for each accessory. This step is important because it helps me establish the correct proportions, scale, and overall silhouette before committing to any detailed work. By keeping the geometry simple at this stage, I can easily make adjustments without slowing down my workflow. Once I am satisfied with the basic shapes, I will move into subdivision modeling, which will allow me to smooth out the forms and start refining the structure more accurately. As I progress, I will gradually introduce more details into each asset. This includes sharpening edges, defining smaller forms, and enhancing surface quality to make the accessories feel more believable and visually appealing. Using sculpting brushes in combination with ZModeler will help me strike a balance between stylization and clean topology, which is essential for achieving a polished final result. The only exception to this workflow will be the revolver. Due to its complex, hard surface nature and the need for precise mechanical details, I will model it in Autodesk Maya instead. Maya provides better control for hard surface modeling, especially when working with clean edges, accurate proportions, and technical components. I will follow a similar process there, starting with a blockout and then refining it through subdivision techniques. To conclude, this workflow allows me to stay flexible during the early stages while gradually building up detail and complexity. It also ensures that each accessory is created using the most suitable tools, helping me achieve a higher level of quality in my final character model.

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Blog#14. Major Project Development: Planning the Mesh Hair Approach

Hair is one of the most visually prominent elements of the design. That large, wind thrown red ponytail is a defining part of Fiolina's silhouette, so getting it wrong would significantly undermine the final result. After researching different approaches, I've decided to model the hair using mesh based geometry. It’ll give me more control over volume and three dimensional form, which feels more appropriate here.

My approach is going to follow a clear process. First, I'll sculpt a library of individual hair strands directly in ZBrush, starting with thicker to thinner clumps and more refined strands. This thick to thin range is important because it's what creates the sense of a real hair mass. Thick strands carry the primary volume and direction, and finer strands at the outer edges and tips give the hair its lightness and movement. Once I have a good library of strand shapes, I'll convert them into a custom Multi Mesh brush in ZBrush with the appropriate stroke settings, which will let me place strands efficiently across the scalp rather than positioning each one manually from scratch. Once the overall hairstyle is blocked in using the brush, prioritise flow, direction, and silhouette. I'll go back in and refine the forms, adjust overlaps between strands, and add subtle variations to keep the result feeling natural rather than mechanical. The colour gradient from dark roots to vivid red at the tips will be handled during the texturing pass in Substance 3D Painter.

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