My current contract is due to end this month, which leaves me available for hire from October.

I am free for full time game related artwork, animation and rigging as well as high resolution modeling for print, advertising, TV and animation. For more information please download my CV from the “”About Me” section of my site.

Have a look through my gallery, and my slideshow to see more of my work. If there is something in particular you need, but cannot see it here then please get in touch so we can discuss how I can help you.

3. Model Testing

When you are happy with your model import the high resolution version. Its important to have the full version of this car and not just half or, when you come to generate a normal map, it will have a line down the centre.

What you need to do now is test the topology, making sure the surface will look as good as it can when a normal map is applied.

If using Maya apply quick and dirty UV`s to the optimized model using the Automatic Mapping tool. Now you can generate a quick normal map to fully test the model.

To generate the normal map use the Transfer Maps tool found under the Lighting/Shading menu.
Under “Target Meshes” add the low polygon game model.
Under “Source Meshes” add the high resolution model.
Under “Maya Common Output” set the “Sampling Quality” to preview while you are working to generate quicker maps.

Remember to keep both models in the same world space!

What you should have now is the low resolution model with the normal map applied, looking smooth and detailed! Its at this stage you can rework areas of the model, optimize further or tweak the topology. This will effect the normal map but when you want to test the surface again just apply Automatic Mapping again and throw out another preview normal map.

Continue on like this for as long as you like.

NOTE: If working on a hard surface which will have elements that will be seperate, car doors for example, you can use the normal map to guide you as you cut around the seams. It is important to keep these edge normals hard though so the normal map will look the same when they are detached.

2. The Game Model

When you are happy with your model, and it has been approved, export the low resolution version and take it into Maya, or an equivelant package.

This will give you a good, low poly base to work up into your game model, so its now time to chop out all the extra polygons you don`t actually need. These will include geometry added to give detail which the normal map will cover, so are now redundant.

You can also use this time to optimize the model, removing any polygons which don`t actually add to the models silhouette or topology.

NOTE: Its generally easier to work on half the model at this stage, so long as your model is symetrical.

With the help of Robin at Solarise Design I am proud to launch my new and very much improved site. It has a loads of new features including an integrated blog, so feel free to look around and even leave a comment or two

This is the first in a series of posts detailing a pipeline I have been working through for a while now…Hopefully it will be useful to some of you

1. The Source Mesh

Before you do anything else work on your subdivision surface model. This is a low resolution, proxy model which can be smoothed to create a higher resolution version.

My personal preference is to use Silo for this stage but feel free to use Maya, or your preferred application, so long as you can export two models. A low, and a high resolution model.

I like to get as much of the larger details into the model in Silo, before moving into Mudbox for finer details. Mudbox is also great for cloth, this can be a pain to model but this is down to preference.

If you are creating something less organic then Silo is also ideal. If creating a car for example I add in all the details like the indentations around doors, and I try to bevel most edges. Just remember these won`t be in the final game model, but will be in the normal map, which will catch the light giving the appearance or more geometry than there actually is.

Its at this stage which you send some screen grabs to your client for feedback, or approval. Chances are things will need tweaking but that’s the beauty of working with Subdivision surfaces, alterations don`t take too long.

I was recently “Artist of the week” on the Challenge3D network. You can see my interview here - Challenge3D

Great news! My work “Stylised Female” has been accepted into the new book, Exotique 4 by Ballistic Publishing. This is great news as the model is over a year old, it just means I have to pull my finger out and do something better for my next submission.