After you create your concept for your 3D project, you have to begin the process of creating a model of it. The best way to do this is illustrated in the lower left corner. You essentially create a box out of the reference images that you or your concept artist made, and then build your model from that. This is a handy way to create something quickly. For Porky, I tried to make his low poly model look as similar to the model sheet as possible. This wound up not being the best idea for me in some areas. His polyflow wasn't as even as it could have been, so when he became subdivided, I ran into problems. Certain areas had more polygons, which can make it tough to sculpt properly. A shame I didn't know about Dynamesh at that point because it would have really helped.

Like the spokes on the Devil's Machine, the legs on Porky are modular. You make one of them, and then use them to populate the model so it has eight legs. You then stitch them together to create a model that will work. But that step would come once you have your game mesh created. And when you do that, you generally don't want a limb to be bent. The legs were sculpted and attached completely straight out in what was essentially a T-pose for a spider.

Once your low poly model is completed, you export it and bring it into a sculpting program like ZBrush to add in all sorts of gorgeous details. When you export, don't forget to place it at world zero (XYZ 0, 0, 0) or else you'll find your model a mile away and hard to move!

For this section, there isn't a while lot of creative thinking outside of making good polyflow for subdivision and making the shape look nice. And being low poly models, these aren't too exciting either. Next time though, we delve into the high poly models which are a lot more interesting.

For lighting, I used a simple three point system consisting of a Key (your main light), Fill (opposite your main light, this one fills up your shadows with light so they aren't black), and Rim (which is a white light that is high and above your model and is used to create a kind of halo around their shoulders and head).

Models and design by  AtticusKotch