Modelling Sanaa.

Finally, I feel like I am moving forward with my project. I can see some actual effects of hours spent on modelling, watching lectures recordings and other video tutorials, trying to figure out how to achieve desired results on my own, but also asking my lecturer for advice.  

I am satisfied with how my model looks. I can’t really say which version it is as I have been starting from scratch so many times; but I can definitely say that this one is my favourite. I assigned materials to the model, added facial features and big statement earrings.   

I also changed the concept of my model. At the beginning of this project, we were supposed to think of the characteristics of the character we wanted to build. My original idea was related to robots, but the further I was, the more my idea was transforming. In the end I decided to proceed with the model inspired by the L.O.L figurine series, little dolls with chubby bodies and enormous heads. Meanwhile, two significant events occurred. Firstly, I did a bit of secondary research about the Coded Bias documentary findings and faulty facial recognition for people with darker skin shades. This shocking discrimination gave me an idea of creating a character inspired by African heritage, with a dark skin colour (technically speaking, with a dark grey material assigned to my geometry in Maya). The second affair influencing my work was traumatising news about a person in my close environment diagnosed with cancer and losing her hair due to chemotherapy. I then decided that my character will not have any hair but still will be fully functional, and happy in her skin. 

I added an Arnold SkyDome light and rendered the model in Maya to see the actual progress and was pleased with the look I have achieved for my little character. Unexpectedly, a guest at my house seeing my rendered figure shouted: “Why do you have a black baby daemon on your computer?”. Just to clarify, my little character is not a daemon; she is a girl called Sanaa, which means a piece of art.  

Ready model was a success already, as I have spent an enormous amount of time working on it.  

The next step was to rig it. I decided to proceed with a quick rig option I knew from the exercises we did a few weeks ago. I repeated the process a couple of days ago, to see how it would work for my character. It turned out fine, but as my model was not ready then, I had to do it again.