I'll be working on making all of these into models in the coming weeks. If I get some help from more knowledgeable folks than me the plan is to do the hair as a solid modeled object on all characters instead of actual hair effects. This should, if my experience with the Wookie taught me anything, severely cut down on rendering time.

Wish me luck, I'm going to need it.

A good start. Good luck!

You got some good drawrings to work from

Nice. Nice. Very nice.
I like!

You know... if you keep that mask on... that is going to make lipsync really easy!

That's the plan. And between him and the cat (who speaks telepathically) it accounts for about 50% of my dialogue.

Apololgies for messing with your stuff... but Remedy is cool.

I thought Remedy's mask would be really easy to model.
At least that is what I thought.
I ended up with a lot of 5 point patches due to the vents in the front.
They could probably be eliminated altogether.

Anyway, he're an attempt at the model.
Nice mask design on your part.

Nice rotoscopes!
For your visual style, it would be most efficient to simply slap a color decal on the mask for the holes.

Most definitely.
That will really bring the patch count down.
Should the holes need to be modeled its not hard to cap them and color them in the back. (see example)

Holmes,
That mask is spot on!
(and you've pointed out to me that there is no gap in the center of the mask. Doh!!!)

There's that word again. Holmes should do a slap tut.

LOL . I guess I've been a little slap happy lately.


Thanks Rodney. Those great rotoscopes were a huge help in making the model.

I suspect I'll be doing a lot of decaling on these models. Time is short.

Although, Rodney I really do like your take on the mask. It looks a lot more threatening than the original. If Remedy had an arch nemesis I might give it to him.

When I commissioned the art work the mask immediately became a problem because Jason had pretty much never drawn it from the side. As soon as the artist tried to he discovered there was no way to draw those lines on the mask straight from the sides and be able to model it. Thank goodness he does a lot of 3D stuff himself (not in A:M though, he's never used the program) so after I pointed it out and asked for some changes he worked it out.

My inspiration for the mask was the paintball masks I used to use when I played paintball. Nowadays they look more like full faced motocycle helmets but back then you pretty much had eye and minimal face protection and that was it. Hit's to the ears and back of the head were common and painful... probably why they wear the full faced ones now.

But, from using both masks I have to say I prefer the smaller one with less protection. It's less stifling and easier to breathe in. It also gives your head a more responsive range of motion. The trick is, don't get shot and you won't get shot in the ear or the back of the head. It hurts like hell but after it happens once you won't forget to keep your head down next time.

Add in the nice thick strap, the bubble goggles and I have something I can work with from a writing perspective. I can add all kinds of gadgets to a setup like that.

The biggest thing for me was making a mask that allowed me to incorporate the bandanna on the head. Originally he was drawn with an Army style cap but I changed it to a bandanna. The bandanna is something I can change any time I want. it really has a ton of story related applications. So far we have used the bandanna with a yellow smiley face on it and one comic we changed it to an American Flag bandanna. That versatility adds to my story telling ability.

The only change to the mask I'm considering for the short, if I can figure out how to do it, is to make it mirrored like aviator sunglasses. If I can figure that out I might even try some reflectivity. That would be cool. But one, or both might break the "style" that I've been fighting myself to preserve so we'll have to see.

I've made a lot of progress on the neighborhood. I've still got a lot of decaling to do but I'll probably have something to show with that in the next day or so. Then I need to start figuring out the sky and the background cityscape.

Thanks for the advice and encouragement as always.

Oh and Rodney and Homes; there is no gap down the middle but there is a line. So you are both right. And you are both wrong. LOL.

When I started modeling it I really didn't have a goal except to see how the splines would fall making real holes in the faceplate.
As it started to take shape and I did a test render I thought I'd try to go for a more 'live action' take on it.
You know we have to at least look at the blockbuster movie adaption aspect.

If you ever have a nemisis weare a psuedo-remedy mask... having it with a largish crack in it (like a scar) might be ideal.



I'm so use to being wrong these days it hardly phases me.

I guess the real reason I was inspired to lay a spline down in the first place is that I'm excited for you.
I think 'Remedy' is great.

And you are a great cheerleader (and I mean that in the nicest possible way). I appreciate the support.

Any time you want to come and model for the short for me just say the word and I'll start giving you work to do. And that goes for anyone else as well. I can't pay you but you will get credit in the credits for the work that you do.

(any opportunity to recruit... LOL... the truth is, as much as I enjoy Animation: Master I will always be a storyteller first and a modeler, animator.... well I'd like to say second and third but I don't think they are even that high on the list... they are on the list... just... not that high.... maybe in the top 5 or so, probably more like in the top 7)

I am gratified that you like Remedy. It's been very frustrating for me that so little of his story is out there. I have enough story material to last hundreds of comics at this point but no one to draw them for me. And I was never thrilled with relying on someone else for the art anyway, that's why this really is a much better solution in the long run. But it is frustrating that it crapped out so soon, and at such an important turning point in the story line.

Ah well. The sooner I stop bitching and get back to work the sooner it will be back in production.

Thanks again.

Can't wait to see this in production

That sounds like an easy fix. That zip file in my post above is a model of the mask. Download it and add a decal of a line running down the middle.