3D Character Animations

I am going to be perfectly honest.  My experiences with character rigging, skinning, and animation have not been the best.  Between hardware limitations, file corruptions, and a slew of other issues that would frustrate the most patient of individuals, I have regretfully not learned as much about this as I would like.  Considering this is one of the most important and highest demanded aspects of 3D modeling and animation, it is a necessity that I will have to overcome in the near future.  In any case, for what I have learned and managed to accomplish despite hardship, these are adequate representations that could use improvement and use of advanced techniques learned after the creation of these renders.  I have a firm understand and representation of the principles of animation, but portraying them into a three-dimensional space is another work-in-progress.

2D Exterior Environment Concept Art

 

These pieces, though simple, help lay the groundwork in shaping general ideas before adding the detail and polish.  These are environmental concepts for the same project that I mentioned with the 2D Character Concept, they are both part of the same idea.  Essentially, this is to be a near-future, utopia-like urban environment utilizing many new-age, experimental technologies and ideas as a setting.  Architecture, scope, mood, and overall artistic design is meant to reflect this.  I am content with these as introduction pieces, but I will be doing new versions now that I have basic concepts down that will feature higher detailing and more realistic rendering.

3D Exterior Environment

 

This is both something I am proud of and at the same time, recognize its flaws.  I suppose one could say it has nostalgic value to me.  Reason I say this is this was my very first scene modeling attempt that is now nearly 3 years old.  I acknowledge that it is quite mediocre, but the scale and what I accomplished at the time was and still is something I am proud to announce.  Incorporating multiple teachings of camera operation, scene setting, use of Reactor for the physics-based simulation aspect, as well as my first attempt at a particle system to reflect the phenomenon of rainfall.  I intend to completely rework this projects from the ground up and see if I really can amaze myself with what I have learned since then.

3D Interior Environment

Environments are important aspects of 3D art and animation.  Just as with their 2D counterparts, they can set the scene, establish overall mood, and provide a logical background for events transpiring or being represented.  I have never worked with environments before, only brief flirtations with abstract object creation and character modeling before attempting this.  Utilizing an approved freeware model, I learned the process for skinning and applying textures to scenes rather than objects.  In reflection, this can use improvement in the form of applying bumpmapping, as well as atmospheric lighting rather than directional.  The latter is something I learned of and was made aware after the creation of this scene.