Research
Project Description
This project's goal is to redesign a character from a story of antiquity: to put my own spin on a character with whom most people are familiar. After concepts are approved they will be taken into ZBrush for modelling and texturing. The purpose of this assigment is to practice sculpture and becoming comfortable using the functions of ZBrush.
This project's goal is to redesign a character from a story of antiquity: to put my own spin on a character with whom most people are familiar. After concepts are approved they will be taken into ZBrush for modelling and texturing. The purpose of this assigment is to practice sculpture and becoming comfortable using the functions of ZBrush.
Adding to the Requirements
I have minimal experience with ZBrush, so I plan to use this project to explore the techniques of sculpting fur. Also, as an animator I am hoping the workflow of this assigment will allow me to export my model into Maya to rig and animate it.
I have minimal experience with ZBrush, so I plan to use this project to explore the techniques of sculpting fur. Also, as an animator I am hoping the workflow of this assigment will allow me to export my model into Maya to rig and animate it.
Origin Reference
Cerberus does not belong to a single myth. His job was to guard the gates of the Underworld, welcoming visitors but preventing the dead from leaving (most often by eating them). His most prominent role was within Heracle's tale, in which the titular hero was tasked with capturing Cerberus as one of his twelve labours. How Heracles managed to capture Cerberus varies slightly by version. The basic consensus is that Heracles squeezed him using a lion skin until he surrendered after being told by Hades he needed to best the beast without weapons. In some versions Heracles also fought with Hades himself. Heracles took Cerberus back to the surface, and by many accounts paraded him throughout Greece. Few tales then state that after presenting Cerberus to Eurystheus (as he was commanded) Heracles took him back to Hades. Cerberus is also mentioned in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey and Hesoid's Theogony. As well as many other less known works.
Most commonly, Cerberus is depicted as a three-headed dog. Though descriptions of him range from having one head to fifty. He is occasionally said to have snakes as a tail, mane, or simply protruding from various places on his body. He was the son of Typhon and Echidna.
Cerberus does not belong to a single myth. His job was to guard the gates of the Underworld, welcoming visitors but preventing the dead from leaving (most often by eating them). His most prominent role was within Heracle's tale, in which the titular hero was tasked with capturing Cerberus as one of his twelve labours. How Heracles managed to capture Cerberus varies slightly by version. The basic consensus is that Heracles squeezed him using a lion skin until he surrendered after being told by Hades he needed to best the beast without weapons. In some versions Heracles also fought with Hades himself. Heracles took Cerberus back to the surface, and by many accounts paraded him throughout Greece. Few tales then state that after presenting Cerberus to Eurystheus (as he was commanded) Heracles took him back to Hades. Cerberus is also mentioned in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey and Hesoid's Theogony. As well as many other less known works.
Most commonly, Cerberus is depicted as a three-headed dog. Though descriptions of him range from having one head to fifty. He is occasionally said to have snakes as a tail, mane, or simply protruding from various places on his body. He was the son of Typhon and Echidna.
Redesign Reference
For my Cerberus, I am taking inspiration from Anais Mitchell's album: Hadestown. Hadestown is a musical re-telling of the tale of Orpheus set in a Great Depression Era-esque post apocalyptic world. Here, the Underworld is an underground mining town run by Hades. Through his contracts, workers sign away their soul and are then unable to leave town without his permission. In return, Hades offers them payment and protection from the outside world of poverty. While Cerberus is lampshaded in the album, "Hound dogs howling round the gate; Them dogs'll lay down and play dead; If you got the bones, if you got the bread," he is not a character within the story.
For my Cerberus, I am taking inspiration from Anais Mitchell's album: Hadestown. Hadestown is a musical re-telling of the tale of Orpheus set in a Great Depression Era-esque post apocalyptic world. Here, the Underworld is an underground mining town run by Hades. Through his contracts, workers sign away their soul and are then unable to leave town without his permission. In return, Hades offers them payment and protection from the outside world of poverty. While Cerberus is lampshaded in the album, "Hound dogs howling round the gate; Them dogs'll lay down and play dead; If you got the bones, if you got the bread," he is not a character within the story.
Concept
I asked myself how Cerberus could fit into the world of Hadestown beyond him being the stereotypical dog guardian. And so I propose a Cerberus who was originally a worker in Hades' mines, but managed to be noticed by the king and prove his own loyalty. And so Hades offered him a contract: Gain enhanced physical abilities and social power in exchange for being the royal guard of the town.
Upon signing the contract, Cerberus transformed into a half-human, half-dog beast. While his upper body remains human, his legs became that of a dog. He also gained dog feet, tail, and claws. I have two ideas for representing his three heads. First, for Cerberus to have three faces upon his head: His original human face on the front plus two dog faces on the sides. Second, for him to keep his original human head and face and have the second and third faces be represented by the gasmasks he carries around.
I asked myself how Cerberus could fit into the world of Hadestown beyond him being the stereotypical dog guardian. And so I propose a Cerberus who was originally a worker in Hades' mines, but managed to be noticed by the king and prove his own loyalty. And so Hades offered him a contract: Gain enhanced physical abilities and social power in exchange for being the royal guard of the town.
Upon signing the contract, Cerberus transformed into a half-human, half-dog beast. While his upper body remains human, his legs became that of a dog. He also gained dog feet, tail, and claws. I have two ideas for representing his three heads. First, for Cerberus to have three faces upon his head: His original human face on the front plus two dog faces on the sides. Second, for him to keep his original human head and face and have the second and third faces be represented by the gasmasks he carries around.
Anatomy
For Cerberus' torso and head I utilized my previous knowledge of human anatomy, then used the reference images below in order to add a few finer details. For his dog anatomy I gathered references of multiple breeds. Initially I retrieved dogs which are typically associated with Cerberus (Doberman and Rottweiler), then added some stereotypical guard dogs (Mastiff and Boxer). Next I looked for dogs with fur length different from my previous references (Labrador and Husky). Finally, I got a researched the dog breeds used in coal mines as ratters and chose one of those breeds (Bedlington Terrier). And to create the different mask designs I combined the dog face anatomy with the mechanics of the masks.
For Cerberus' torso and head I utilized my previous knowledge of human anatomy, then used the reference images below in order to add a few finer details. For his dog anatomy I gathered references of multiple breeds. Initially I retrieved dogs which are typically associated with Cerberus (Doberman and Rottweiler), then added some stereotypical guard dogs (Mastiff and Boxer). Next I looked for dogs with fur length different from my previous references (Labrador and Husky). Finally, I got a researched the dog breeds used in coal mines as ratters and chose one of those breeds (Bedlington Terrier). And to create the different mask designs I combined the dog face anatomy with the mechanics of the masks.
Reference
Thumbnail Sketches
Roughs
Models
First Draft: Head
Body First Pass
Reference
Reference
Model
Clothing & Anatomy Adjustments
Reference
Model
Further Detailing
Went back over the details on the clothing: increased the frequency of folds in the pants, added stitching to the collar and bracelets, and created texture for the suspenders. Tweaked torso and leg anatomy. Began redo-ing arm anatomy in the T-pose. Added skin details to hands and remade the feet. Added the tail.
Went back over the details on the clothing: increased the frequency of folds in the pants, added stitching to the collar and bracelets, and created texture for the suspenders. Tweaked torso and leg anatomy. Began redo-ing arm anatomy in the T-pose. Added skin details to hands and remade the feet. Added the tail.
Further References
Polypainting Skin
After further refining the arms and hands and redoing the head, I painted the skin sections of my character model.
After further refining the arms and hands and redoing the head, I painted the skin sections of my character model.
Hair
Using a combination of the move and clay brushes I created a base form and some detail for the hair, then I utilized Fibermesh to create the curls.
Using a combination of the move and clay brushes I created a base form and some detail for the hair, then I utilized Fibermesh to create the curls.