Creating a Shaman Girl with Intricate Clothes & Accessories in 3D

Introduction

Hello! I am Yeongzy, a Character Modeler living in Korea. I first encountered 3D modeling through my major courses in college, and since then, I have developed a deep interest in the field.

From a young age, I was fascinated by realistic miniatures, and I found it incredibly appealing that I could overcome the limitations of physical materials through computers and create a variety of animals, objects, and characters freely. In particular, my childhood experiences with video games played a crucial role in choosing my career as a Game Character Modeler. Even now, I am constantly learning to improve myself and striving to become a professional Character Modeler who can create more engaging and captivating characters.

About the Shaman Project

I began the Shaman project after coming across a shaman character's artwork while working on the Black Knight project. I was deeply captivated by its dreamy and mystical atmosphere and found myself revisiting the artwork several times.

After completing the Black Knight project, I explored various concept arts and stumbled upon Harok Lee's original and charming Shaman artwork. This discovery became the starting point for the Shaman project.

The Shaman character appealed to me because it incorporated a wide range of materials, such as wood, fur, fabric, metal, bandages, and leather, offering diverse ways of expression. Working with such varied materials provided an intriguing and challenging experience. The character's visuals also reminded me of Studio Ghibli's Princess Mononoke. I was inspired by the film's unique aesthetic, where nature, humans, and mystical beings coexist, and I aimed to reflect this inspiration in the Shaman project. This project was a challenge to harmonize diverse materials and intricate details and to complete a deep and attractive character.

Reference Collection

To collect references, I mainly used Pinterest and Google, exploring various materials in depth. Instead of focusing only on the primary visuals or large images, I meticulously researched details of different styles and materials. For example, I paid close attention to the wrinkles and textures of fabrics, the flow and feel of fur, the surfaces of wood, and the shapes and textures of skulls.

I believe that these detailed elements significantly enhance a character's completeness. Hence, I aimed to incorporate as many references as possible, analyzing them thoroughly to reflect even the smallest details in my work.

Modeling

The first step is to define the basic form and structure of the character in ZBrush. During the blockout stage, the focus is on adjusting the size and shape according to the character's proportions, with the primary goal being to capture the overall mass rather than working on fine details. Once the basic balance of the character is established, the workflow moves to 3ds Max to create a high-poly mesh. For intricate details that are difficult to achieve in 3ds Max, the model is taken back into ZBrush for detailed sculpting to enhance the overall quality.

When creating a pattern, I created a set of repeating shapes, then duplicated them and used bend in the modifier list.

Feather Creation

Creating Feather Shapes in Ornatrix

I created the feathers using 3ds Max's Ornatrix and ZBrush while using Substance 3D Painter for texturing. First, I made the shaft in a cylindrical form, then detached the mesh in the direction the feathers would emerge, and generated fur from that mesh.

By layering the Ornatrix stack step by step, I gradually shaped the feathers. To efficiently create various feather forms, I made multiple modifications using ZBrush.

Feather Texturing in Substance 3D Painter

To texture the feathers, I gathered reference images of various feather styles. I believe that reusing identical textures reduces the level of detail, so I aimed to create at least two to three different textures to add variety. Here is the method I used for feather texturing.

Face

Since I wanted the face to closely resemble the concept art, I researched and referenced a variety of materials. In particular, I used AI-generated images found on Pinterest as references for the process.

As I intended for the face to be the focal point of the character, I went through multiple revisions to ensure that attention would naturally be drawn to it. During this process, I carefully adjusted detailed elements such as angles, expressions, and lighting, putting in significant effort.

In the later stages, I used ZWrap to realistically depict fine textures, such as pores and wrinkles, to enhance the facial details.

Additionally, during the texturing phase, I meticulously adjusted the facial color areas to ensure a consistent overall tone. Thanks to this process, the face appeared much more realistic.

Hair Creation

The hair work was done using the Hair Cards Tool. This tool's major advantage is that it allows for intuitive observation of the hair shapes during the process. The hair placement can be divided into three major stages. First, I established the silhouette of the hair by placing the outer edges. Second, I filled in the empty areas inside to create a sense of fullness. Lastly, I focused on placing curls along the outer parts for a natural look. Instead of approaching it like real hair implantation, ensuring that the upper layers naturally overlap the lower ones makes the process more manageable.

Eyebrow & Eyelashes

For the eyebrows, even though the shapes vary by person, they typically grow in three directions. The front part (brow head) grows upward, the middle part grows at an angle, and the end part grows downward. Paying attention to the growth direction and using various textures evenly helps to create richer and more natural-looking eyebrows.

For eyelashes, crossing some of the hairs at intervals makes them look more natural. For female characters, extending the outer corners of the eyelashes enhances the character's charm.

Rendering & Background Setup

The rendering was done using Marmoset Toolbag 4. The key light was positioned from above, directed at the face to draw attention to it. A rim light was added to highlight the model's silhouette.

To enhance the scene's immersion, colored lighting was used where appropriate, matching the concept of the scene. Elements like natural objects and smoke were arranged as meshes to enrich the composition. Although I could have created the natural assets myself, I opted for existing assets that matched the background to save time efficiently.

The crystal was created separately later in the process. While planning the background scene, I thought it would be interesting to add a story where the Shaman discovers the crystal and learns the power of dark magic. For post-processing, I used Photoshop to seamlessly integrate the glow of the crystal and the smoke emanating from the skull's eyes.

Summary

The Shaman project was a cycle of struggles and joys. Getting accustomed to new tools and modeling processes wasn't easy, but I reminded myself that even the greatest artists went through the same challenges. It is natural to struggle at first, and what's important is not to give up but to keep moving forward. Over time, breakthroughs occur, and the sense of accomplishment at those moments is incredibly rewarding.

I believe that observing and attempting various works is the key to growth. Moving forward, I will continue to stay up-to-date with the latest trends in 3D modeling, master efficient tools, and strive for continuous improvement.

Thank you for reading, and I also want to express my gratitude to the 80Level team for conducting this interview.

Yeongzy, 3D Character Modeler

Interview conducted by Gloria Levine