Figured I'd have another go at a comp, just to see if I won't screw up on the last day like I did with the last comp that was held here. LIke last time I'm probably going to go into more detail than I need to, mainly because its what I like to see in other people's work.
So here's some sketches I did in the last hour or so while I'm stuck here babysitting my brother (which I thought as going to be easy but apparently when my mum says 'sick' she acyually means to say 'pale, shakey and vomiting') so I can only hope you'll ignore the roughness of them. Just for clarity's sake they're only about 10cm tall at the most.
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v16/Azazel/scan_01.jpg[/img]
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v16/Azazel/scan_02.jpg[/IMG]
In order:
1) This actually based off a colour one I've been working at occasionally. I want to see if I can have any sucess working straight into digital without bothering with any pencil sketches. I'm still on the fence about the results (see below).
Pro: Big, bulky, looks like it could be hit by a truck and still work. COuld easily be bulked up even more with more hardware.
Con: Doesn't lend itself well to glowy bits and bright colours which seem to be some measure of talent when it comes to models (its also a pet peeve of mine, I get sick and tired of hearing how a game lacks graphical skills just because it wasn't full of bright bubblegum colours).
2) I think I was trying for something hawk-like here but I'm not too happy with the end result. It just looks to round and soft, not formidible enough. Could maybe be worked into something better though.
Pro: Could easily be covered in glowy bits and fancy colours.
Con: Just not menacing enough to be seriously considered as battle armour in my opinion.
3)I submitted something similar to this in the original proprosal thread but I can only assume from the fact it got no replies that everyone hated it. Too bad, I'm using it again [:)] This one's probably not big enough to be in the heavy armour group (I actualy based it off the ninjas in Ninja Scroll) but could maybe go in the middle class. I could actually make this a theme, use samurai designs for the heavy armour and geishas or something for the medic.
Pro: Godd silhouette and workable design that can be brought into other classes. Can be accesorised quite easily which will probably be my next step with it.
Con: People seem to hate it [:D]
4) This is basically something I doodled on a post-it note at work. As you can see its not finished but there's something I like so I may try to develop it further. Its just an option at this point.
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v16/Azazel/paint_01.jpg[/IMG]
This is just the original colour for number 1, just for completeness sake.
Step one in my endless noodling of a design, just a quick sketch I've done in the last hour. Right now the chest and upper arms are bugging me. I'm thinking the chest may need more detail and the arms need to just look cooler while remaining funtional. The cut lines in the thighs will probably get some work too. Once that's all done it'll be time to noodle out all the details no one will ever see. Basically I'm trying to do the thing that usually kills me on these things: making something that looks cool and functional. I think if I just concentrated on cool for 80% of the time I might be better off.
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v16/Azazel/scan_03.jpg[/IMG]
I'm glad some of you guys seem to be digging the ninjas as well since that's pretty much the one I'm going with at this point. I like the big hulking one as well but the big armoured guy seems to a popular topic so I thought it'd be a bit more challenging to do something a little different. Regardless of what happens I'd still like to have a go, at a later date, with making a heavy armour guy based off samurai armour and the sniper/medic (if I'm remember the brief right...I'm tired).
So anyway, here's the final drawing of the day. I'll probably have a go a colouring it later, I'm not sure if I'll try and design the back first (I'm going to see if I can try and apply the automotive design rule: "It should look different going than it did coming"). I've still got to go back and see exactly what this character class was meant to do, engineer/demolitions type of thing if I remember right. That means bags and pouches and the like for tools and stuff.
The swords are most likely a temp thing for my own kicks, they'll wind up being replaced by some sort of bull-pup rifle, might keep 'em though. Reminds me, I should really give him some sort of neat looking side arm for completeness sake.
God, I'm doing that rambling thing again.
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v16/Azazel/scan_04.jpg[/IMG]
Back to work today so I can't give as big an update. Doesn't help that I spent more time on this one than I meant to.
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v16/Azazel/paint_02.jpg[/IMG]
Done in Painter 8, maybe two hourse, possibley longer. I wasn't really paying attention to the time. I actually did the opposite here of what I meant to. I'll switch to greyscale to be sure later but originally I meant to make the banded metal pieces the darkest bits and the solid bits of armour the lightest, it looks like I've done the opposite here. I'll have a go at my original attempt in Photoshop, just to switch things up a bit.
I'm still not too sure on what final colour I'm going to go for, either a deep red or a very dark blue. I'm also going to add some sort of symbol to the left side of the chest and possibley the shoulder pads, most likely some sort of kamon.
What's left now is the back design and the gear which I hope to have all finished by the end of the weekend.
The head's been bugging me over the weekend so I've had a go at redesiging it. Originally I was trying to simulate the look of the hood and mouth scarf you'd normally see in ninja attire but I had a go with doing it without the hood and I'm not minding the look.
This has sort of helped solve the lack of glowing things problem as now the exposed side of the cranium is leaving itself open to glowy, wirey madness of some description.
Aside from these four I did one with the mouth expose which would have been the main glowing area. I'm still not too sure about since it just look more evil and demonic which I'm not exactly sure is the look I'm going for here. I might go back to it later, howere.
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v16/Azazel/scan_05.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v16/Azazel/paint_03.jpg[/IMG]
Finally - I've stumbled upon your thread! Robo-ninja is progressing very nicely - surely it would work best at a sniper/assasin class. I was really expecting to see light armour and dark metal banding as I scrolled down, and think it might look cooler than the reversed tonal combination.
I also noted that the design is progressing toward more traditional ninja looking details rather than a tech-future look. I really liked the 20/04, 16:51 post where the ninja reference is almost just the outline and the details are smooth, uncluttered curving forms.
looks really cool, actually reminds me of some of the models form the warhammer40k spin off game inquisitor