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Stylized Character Arts for Games

Stylized Character Arts for Games

An 8-week course on creating 3D characters with hand-painted textures
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Create Hand-Painted Characters

Create Hand-Painted Characters
In this course, students will learn how to model and texture a stylized, handpainted model from Weston Reid, a Lead Character artist at Moonshot Games. Over 8 weeks students will learn the principles and workflows to model and texture a bust using Zbrush, Substance Painter, 3DCoat, Photoshop, and Marmoset Toolbag. Topics covered include dynamic subdivision, Zmodeler, Substance Painter greyscale generation, 3DCoat and photoshop painting, and rendering/ presentation in Toolbag. Student will learn about shape and silhouette, value range, and color theory among other principles. The course will also cover how to use a combination of zmodeler/dyanmic subdivision with dynamesh/zremesh workflows to make a clean stylized model. Students will learn how to interpret stylized concepts into 3D and how to problem/improve areas in 3D; how to utlize bake maps to expedite the texturing process; and how to handpaint texture and the concepts of value, gradients, color theory, and light. Finished work will be a stylized bust from concept in both Zbrush and as a lowpoly game art model using a flat unlit texture.
Please note, this course is not suited for beginner to intermediate students.

Course Format

Standard

Skills Level

Intermediate - Advanced

Duration

8 weeks

Q&A

Once a week

Feedback

Individual recordings

Lecture Type

Pre-recorded
Assignment
Due each week. Expect to spend 10-20 hrs/wk viewing lectures, Q&A, and time on assignments.
PREREQUISITES
Strong foundation in digital painting, moderate knowledge of Zbrush/Photoshop and Maya/Modo/3DMax/blender, basic knowledge of Substance Painter/ 3D Coat and Toolbag. Recommend course prereq: Zbrush for Concept & Iteration, Anatomy for Production, Stylized Characters in 3D, Character Creation for Games and Digital Painting. Must have moderate knowledge of retopology & uv workflows.
MATERIALS
Zbrush, Substance Painter, 3DCoat, Marmoset Toolbag and a 3d modeling package of choice ( maya, max, modo, etc etc )

The more you know, the better.

Review Course Syllabus | Discuss workflow overview using Zbrush, Substance Painter,3DCoat,Photoshop | Review production requirements (naming conventions, file size, format, etc.) | Priciples of good stylized modeling ( silhouette, exaggeration ) *Blockout Modeling using Zmodeler, Dynamic Subdivison, Crease Edge, Dynamesh
Cleanup shapes from blockout pass | Secondary Shapes using Zmodeler and Dynamic Subd; Crease Edge for clean shapes | Secondary Shapes using Dynamesh/Zremesh  | Detail work and exporting to toolbag
Export highpoly model for Retopologization | Principles of good topology | UV generation and proper usage of 0-1 UV space | Seperate UV and materials for special material types ( transparency etc etc ) | Using Toolbag for baking and fixing bake errors
Overview of prop models and the material types they represent | Material type descriptions and properties | Greyscale Value range layer stack and 3d coat texturing | Gradient application in Substance Painter and finalizing in 3dCoat,Photoshop | Material and texture application in Toolbag
Overview of Substance Painter greyscale stack | Texture Export for 3dCoat | Texturing workflow and philosophy | Light/Shadow and Value Ranges | Material types and reflection
Continued Refinement of greyscale | Texture Export and reimport to Substance Painter | Levels Adjustment and correction | Applying color gradients to greyscale in Painter | Exporting color diffuse back to 3dCoat
Color pass texturing in 3dCoat,Photoshop | Shape and Value Cleanup | Special Material Types texturing
Final Model and Texture | Model and texture polish and tweaks | Camera setup in Toolbag | Color Correction and Rendering Presentation | Turntables and Model Viewer Scene

Bringing out the best in talent

For specific questions regarding TBA instructors, please contact CGMA Admissions Department at registration@cgmasteracademy.com

PRICING SCHEDULE

Even though our courses are the most affordable for the quality of education, these finance options allow you to focus on your goals instead of the barriers that keep you from reaching them.

3x Payments

$249.67

2x Payments

$374.50

Full payment

$749

Summer TERM REGISTRATION
Apr 29, 2024 - Jul 15, 2024
Stylized Character Arts for Games

What makes this learning experience unique?

PERSONALIZED FEEDBACK

Receive personalized feedback on all assignments from the industry’s top professionals.

LIFETIME ACCESS

Enjoy lifetime access to the spectrum of course content, including lectures, live Q&As, and feedback sessions.

CERTIFICATION

Show off your Certification of Completion when you turn in 80% of course assignments.

FLEXIBLE LEARNING

Learn anywhere, anytime, and at your own pace with flexible, online course scheduling.

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