Kid's Guardian

Here are the final renders and this robot is still in shape, despite its age :). 

The texturing process was fun and I learned a few things while doing it. I focused on layering colors and details and SP's system really helps in that regard, especially since I can work in a non-destructive fashion and come later to tweak parameters and colors. I ended up making 5 texture sets because there are lot of pieces and elements to it.

A few texture sheets below, specifically the basecolor, roughness and metallic of the main body.

Blocking and Modelling

Based on the design, I started blocking the shapes. I haven't designed and modelled robots that often so I found myself spending quite some time figuring out the exact mechanics of how it would move (horizontal, vertical and diagonal movement). I ended up even doing some rigging tests to see how it would play out. 

The model is overall done, I'll probably still add a few more larger clutter/imperfection elements  that couldn't be achieved through textures (some more cables, some more pieces of metal that'd cover other holes and such etc.). I'll add below more progress shots and then onto texturing and rendering a nice beauty shot for this model. 

One of the first thoughts I had about this robot was to make it bulky and through the design process I came up with a lot of reasons for why it is bulky and constructed a world where this robot would feel at home.

I sketched traditionally since I hadn't done it in quite a while and it was a nice change of pace. First I drew out a few of the things I knew the robot shouldn't be. 

Afterwards the design gradually formed reaching a state where I know what I want it be but there's still a lot of flexibility in terms of details. I'd say there's a checklist of elements the robot will have: box shape, 4 legs, a basket, a ladder, some handles and one big eye in the front.

A lot of the leg design will be solved in 3D as it's quicker to check it from all angles and see and test more easily how would this robot move.

I like making the designs authentic and bringing a sense of verisimilitude to them, so with each element I tried to explain to myself why it looks like this. 

This is an ex-industrial robot meant for carrying heavy loads on uneven terrains. This explains the box shape, the legs and the basket. It's not meant to look "pretty", it's meant to do its job. 

The "ex-" part answers why it has a ladder and handles on top. As this model was eventually changed with a better model, this particular robot was adopted by kid. Because of the height difference, the kid added a ladder to be able to climb on top and the handles to hold onto them while moving.

The implication of being an old robot gives a lot of freedom for imperfections that can add a lot of character - scratches, missing/loose pieces, peeled paint etc. 

There's still things to discover when actually modelling and texturing this robot and I am joining the challenge quite late but I enjoy stylized approaches which might make the modelling quicker focusing on nice shapes and silhouettes rather than making intricate gears and engines... I'll see. Even if I don't finish in time for the challenge, I'll make this robot since I quite like the idea.