Low - Baba Yaga

**blankslatejoe** · October 31st, 2004, 01:38 PM

Hey guys.. I've been working on this character for a 3d contest over at cgchat.com. Deadline's tommorrow, so I figured I'd post this around and get any last minute feedback.

model - 2448 polys, a 512 color, a 512 bump, and a 512 spec.

If you're curious, check my sketchbook on here for process work.

**blankslatejoe** · October 31st, 2004, 01:42 PM

orthoriffic stuff!

Actually I may not have too much time to make too many big changes, but I still certainly welcome the crits!

**Pavel Sokov** · October 31st, 2004, 05:33 PM

yo i know who baba yaga is.. its a russian fairy tale, my granma used to tell me...
but u mussed up the model, baba yaga flies around in a pot thing (dunno the english word for it) and has a shack with chicken feet. also i wish her clothes were a bit more russian, and some sort of boobs would be nice.. she is a female after all..

**blankslatejoe** · October 31st, 2004, 05:41 PM

yep, you're right, she flies around in a mortar and pestel... but that's not nearly as much fun to make, or even to see in a game, as a chickenhouse-steed.

**USER777** · October 31st, 2004, 06:30 PM

isn't baba-yaga this uber-cruel witch that eats humans.. it's mentioned also in grieg's peer gynt symphony.. nice.. like the design.. she has a really cruel look to her. colors and textures are great! way to go, pal!

**egerie** · November 1st, 2004, 02:06 PM

cool polly efficient

**blankslatejoe** · November 1st, 2004, 04:22 PM

thanks fellas.

yeah, i've done quite a bit of research on her over this project... she is a cannibalistic ogre-witch-diety-goddess-devilmomma(literally) depending on which culture you pull from. Either way, she's based in slavic folklore and she pops up in LOTS of fairy tales, not always cruelly... but usually.

SHe also had a weird obsession with using bones and skulls as decor.

**majinpunisher** · November 1st, 2004, 11:17 PM

I like this a lot Joe.

How many hours did you put into it? Can you say?

She needs an AK-47. Those are legal now, stupidly enough, so she can get one, after a seven day background check.

-MeFist.

**maldrin** · November 2nd, 2004, 12:55 AM

Absolutely stellar, dude.. I'm really impressed! you kicked ass on this one!!!

D

**npagan** · November 2nd, 2004, 09:27 PM

you're right. she is funner to look at riding a chicken house. i absolutely love your texture. awesome.

www.npagan.com

**Yiako** · November 3rd, 2004, 10:58 AM

Five stars!

**blankslatejoe** · November 3rd, 2004, 11:26 AM

thanks guys.. I'm glad you dig it.

Andy - too many hours to mention... I need to pick up on speed.... modeling was probably the quickest; 10 hours or so.. but with 3 or 4 hours of optimizing on top of that, since that optimizing was so key for this comp. 3-5 or so unwrapping, that goes quick. Texturing... 40+ hours easily.. maybe more.. that's where my real bottleneck is, but it's also where I'm learning the most. Lighting took a couple of hours too at least... too many people toss away lighting as an afterthought. I've learned that good lighting takes time. Total... 60-70 maybe? I think an experienced game artist could do something equal or better in 40-50 hours.

**Deth Jester** · November 3rd, 2004, 04:46 PM

Looks great Joe! I hope you win over at CGchat! though Tasart's Medusa is damn sexy!

I think yours was the most creative though..most deffinitly.. I was looking at your time tables..they sound pretty good.. except on your texturing.. that definitly needs to get a little faster.. more along the lines of 25 hours or less..

I think for final renders lighting is good.. but if the model is just for a game.. lighting isnt that big of a deal.. the best thing to do is setup a "lighting file" where you have all your lights set and camera's set.. then you just import your models into that same file.. ajust a little and render.. that way you arent setting up lighting everytime..

ok Im rambling.. keep it up.

peace
-mike

**blankslatejoe** · November 3rd, 2004, 08:17 PM

Thanks Jester! I appreciate the encouragement... Tas is a great artist and a cool guy, and I really look up to him... but due to a bit of controversy I'm not sure if his medusa is going to be entered or not. It's a shame really, since that is an incredible incredible piece.

Luckily, it doesn't make too much of a difference if he DID enter.. the main prize at stake is a -possible- job, and he already has one. As does rabid kitten, another strong contender. They both just entered for fun/other prizes.

Thanks for the reassurance on the timetables... I was pretty sure texturing was my slow part, but I didn't know too much on the rest of the pipeline's 'norms'.

As for lighting, we are 'allowed/encouraged' to create a beauty render for these cgchat contests; with the model posed, using a 3-point-based-lighting scheme(no raytraced lighting or shadows though)... so it's only to my benefit to light it specifically to the model for the contest. I learned a lot doing it too... so that's always good.

Outside of contests like this though, I agree with you entirely. A simple versatile lighting rig seems more than enough to clearly show off most of a game portfolio.

**hito** · November 4th, 2004, 08:49 AM

Sweet man. I love your take on Baba Yaga riding her chicken hut instead of getting around in her mortar and pestal.

**requiem** · November 6th, 2004, 11:10 PM

wow, I remember seeing this in your thread over at cgchat a while back when you had first started on the model. Honestly i wasn't really impressed with it at that stage. I'm amazed how good it looks now. great job, especially in the textures. I hope you win

**blankslatejoe** · November 7th, 2004, 09:55 AM

hito - thanks man, see ya in sf, right?

Requiem- thanks, yeah this suckah's been through a loooooong process..i hope I win too... there's quite a few solid entries though, and i might not know for another week or so.. which leaves me a bit anxious.