W3
2D previs
Character design
Modeling and test render
Behind the Scenes: Texturing My Character in Adobe Substance Painter
For texturing my character, I used Adobe 3D Substance Painter to bring the design to life. I drew inspiration from BUCK’s Gong Cha project (link here), particularly the charming dots on the character’s face. These small details give the character a cute, youthful vibe, reminiscent of a teenage girl. Adding these subtle touches was a fun process and added a lot of personality to my character.
Exploring Cloth Colors for My Character
Before finalizing the cloth color for my character, I created mockups by placing all the different looks into the 2D scenes from my storyboard. This process helped me visualize how each option would appear in the context of the story and made it easier to decide on the best fit for the overall design.
Reference
Character Design and Rendering Inspiration
For my character design and rendering, I drew inspiration from various references to refine my approach. One of my favorites is the Gong Cha video by BUCK design (link here). I love its 2D feel combined with vibrant, colorful palettes. The characters in this project each have distinct personalities and an eye-catching style. The hair’s fluffy, fur-like texture and the fabric elements, paired with painted brush details on the faces, give the characters a unique identity that I find inspiring for my own work.
Another significant influence is Ayumi, an artist I met at the OFFF event in Barcelona (her work here). I admire her use of clay-like textures and her mature, consistent color tones, which create a unique style. She has also been incredibly helpful when I’ve faced rendering issues in Cinema 4D, offering advice and support. Both of these references inspire me to push the boundaries of my character design, blending textures, colors, and personality to create something vibrant and memorable.
BTS
Behind the Scenes of My C4D Workflow
For my project, I used Redshift to render the entire video. To improve my skills, I signed up for Vincent Schwenk’s Patreon (link here), where he shares valuable tutorials on lighting techniques in Cinema 4D with Redshift. His lessons have been incredibly helpful, teaching me how to use lighting effectively to enhance the look and feel of my animation. This experience has made me realize just how crucial good lighting is in creating visually appealing and professional-looking animations.
Tips for Setting Lights in C4D
- Use HDRI for Natural Lighting: HDRI maps provide realistic environmental lighting and reflections for all scenes.
- Add Rim Lights for Emphasis: Place a rim light behind the subject to separate it from the background and add depth.
- Play with Color Temperature: Use warm and cool tones to create mood and contrast in main scenes.
- Combine Lights with Redshift Settings: If using Redshift, tweak global illumination and light samples for optimal rendering results.
Character Texture and Styleframes: Exploring the Look
I tested a few different looks for my character, focusing on textures and colors. While I had already created a 2D previs, transitioning the design into 3D gave it a completely different feel. To refine the character’s appearance, I experimented with various outfit styles and colors, then shared them with my classmates for feedback. They suggested using a color that stands out from the other objects in my scenes, ensuring the character remains the focal point.
The process of exploring textures and styles was incredibly fun. Seeing a 2D character transform into a 3D design brought a new level of excitement and creativity to the project. It’s been rewarding to bring the character to life in this way!
R&D
Exploring Character Animation for My Model
I decided to explore some character animation for my model to better understand how it would look in motion. Since my character has a geometric style and no arms, I wasn’t sure how it would behave in animation. To test this, I uploaded the model to Mixamo to see how it would move and to use it as a reference for future animation.
I also experimented with different style frames to see how the character would look in various colors. This process of exploration gave me a clearer vision and sparked excitement for creating more character animations. Seeing the character I designed come to life with cute and dynamic movements motivated me even more to continue developing animations for it.
