creating a mini me
I wanted to create a mini that could serve as the face of my website, a fun way to digitally implement myself into my portfolio.
As part of my goal to become more knowledgeable in different software, I decided to bring me vision to life in Blender, a program I had never used before, as my last two years learning Game Development, my 3D modelling software of choice was 3DS Max.
the inspiration
My Sims was a game I enjoyed when I was younger and I wanted to emulate a similar low-poly style, albeit I chose to add more shape to the body and hair, just to make it a little more human in shape.
learning blender
modelling
Same as 3DS Max, I model from basic meshes like cubes and cylinders, aiming for even topology
rigging
I construct a simple rig myself, adding link constraints for the arms and legs. I also create a control bone that changes the texture of the face, allowing for easier animation.
unwrapping
I create seams in areas least likely to be seen. I create two separate maps, one for the body and one for the clothes + hair.
weight paint
Weight painting was tricky, as some sections of the model had very few verts to work with, so it required a lot of testing. A lot needed adjusting, even though I had used Auto-Weights.
texturing
I add the base colours directly to the model in Blender and add the details, like the face, externally, in Gimp.
posing
Finally, posing the model was pretty straightforward. I primarily used stock photos as references. However, I do feel that some of my poses are very static.
