Santiago Forero - The Rocketeer: The Start of a 3D Journey

The piece was based on Mondo's poster for The Rocketeer, as well as Fritz Lang's film Metropolis. My main focus with this project was always to have a dynamic, epic portrayal of this iconic character that also felt visually balanced and appealing, I also wanted to include some components that were evocative of a certain visual style reminiscent of the rocketeer, like the city behind him. This project was made for the Texturing and Shading Il Class at Gnomon taught by Christophe Desse.

Finding a visual balance between the rocketeer and the cityscape was one of the biggest challenges for me, since I wanted the character to be the main focal point. I found that playing with the lighting was key to find the composition I was looking for. 

This project started with a base T Pose mesh made in Zbrush, which was the framework for the character's clothing. The mesh was then rigged and posed so he could be in his final flying stage. 

The clothing patterns for his jacket and pants. All of his garments were made using Marvelous Designer. 

The remaining components of the character and environment were textured using Adobe Substance Painter

Overall, this project represented a huge challenge for me, but it also left me with new found insight into the tools and techniques that are required to make a 3D character. I'm now more aware of the creative possibilities 3D offers, and I'm really excited to keep learning. :)