3D animation is the latest trend in the market with every one trying to get the best and dazzling effect to give their final product that “wow” feel- which viewers like to see. But the art of 3D animation is an all-encompassing one which is determined by many factors.
One of those factors is character modelling. Simply put, it is the process of creating your character in a 3D space using software. It may seem like a simple and meaningless task but involves a lot of technical knowledge and detailing. A sound understanding of human anatomy is required apart from the knowledge of the software that you use to make it. Arms, legs and head should be made to proper proportion to each other to make the character look believable.
After this step, the character modelling artist adds texture or color to his model to give it a finished look. The textures and color should look real or as prescribed by the designated look for the character by the client. This is a crucial step, the artist needs to understand the effects of different textures and lighting and their effect on the overall composition of things. There are several methods that he can use involving different brush types and the access to bump maps, which add the final feel to his model.
The character modelling is an important aspect because they are the “actors” in your 3D animated film and actors must always look appealing to engage the audience. Well executed Character modelling is necessary for the 3D animated film to look classy and have the “wow” feel. It is essential to make the star of your animated film the most captivation and engaging element of the film.
The most common tools used for Character modelling are Z-brush, blender and Mud box, to name a few. But all these tools do not make a great 3D film, it is the responsibility of the Modelling artist to create a believable character out of his tools. The character is considered complete when it is properly sculpted with proper proportions followed by correct texture and mapping applied, and if this step is properly executed only then can proper rigging and animation be done to the model. So, a lot of the later parts of the production pipeline depend on the Proper execution of Character modeling.
It is never a bad thing to invest time and effort in this area. Especially in the realm of 3D animation all parts and phases of the pipeline are important. Character Modelling is just one of the phases which is often sidelined and greatly underestimated.