Carter Sheffield
3D Character Artist
Thesis Statement
Realism in Games
Realism in gaming recently revolutionized the games industry. With the introduction of affordable, new tools and methods of creating realistic game assets, independent developers can compete with high-end studios in terms of graphical integrity. My question was; is it possible to create a compelling, realistic video game character as an independent developer with limited resources in mind? I set out to demonstrate this by creating a believable real-time character and a short animation. I used traditional modeling, photogrammetry, and a mix of the two to create the assets.
Character
Jane’s Traits
To help with the character creation process I wrote a backstory and built a world for the character to inhabit. This helped define what traits the character would have and propel some of the design philosophies behind the character.
Link to full backstory: https://cartersheffield.com/apocalyptic-survivor/
Traits
- 5’7″, 110 pounds
- Tactical genius
- Manipulative
- Loner
- Weak from years of malnurishment
- Cold-hearted
Process
Since this was my first real-time character I studied the industry-standard workflow for creating characters. This included sculpting the anatomy of this woman from scratch, learning how to create realistic skin and pores in 3d, utilizing clothing simulation to mimic lifelike clothing, rigging and animating the character, and lastly texturing and rendering her.
Realism Studies
Alongside my main project of creating a realistic character I also set out to create realistic props. Most 3d character artists aren’t only creating characters, but are also expected to create a wide variety of assets to accommodate characters and world-building. This includes weapons, environment pieces, effects, etc. This is a collection of props and another character I made in the meantime.
Biography
Hey! Glad you stopped by, I’m Carter. I’m graduating with a BFA in Graphic Design. I’ve been emphasizing in 3d graphics. My focus has been to learn the foundations of interactive 3d art such as video games and virtual experiences. Much of what I do is self-taught, however, it would not have been possible without the direction and input of my professors and colleagues.