This post will describe how using common 'Polygon' manipulation, Max allows me to create realistic looking lips, as well as nostrils and eye detailing (even a set of teeth thrown in too!)
In preparation for creating the lips, I returned to using the 'Left' viewport to gauge the distances between the upper and lower lips themselves
The technique I would need to employ to get them modelled would be to use the 'Scale' tool - this involves selecting the 'Move' icon, going into the 'Select Edge' option under 'Editable Poly' sub-level, clicking on the lower edge of the polygon you want the new poly to be created from whilst holding the 'SHIFT-key'
I knew I would need to create my lips so that the lowers were 'taller' in a sense that my upper lips, to coincide with other scaling throughout the model
Once I extruded a polygon from all existing polys around the lip area, I then had to choose to move my viewport over to the 'Left' view as shown here so that I could move the edges along the 'Z' axis (an important step, otherwise I would end up having a parrot's beak instead of fleshy lips!)
You can clearly see that the various 'Scaled' polys will not tesselate well with each other as this stage, but the image/paragraph below describes the next step
As part of this step, once all the edges and resulting vertices were close to one another and no gaps were entirely visible, I needed to use the 'Weld' tool once again - highlighting each vertex perpendicular to the other so that two seperate polygon's would be joined by their parent vertices (again, solving any issues with gaps along the modelled area itself)
The result is that roundness and fullness is brought back to the lips and I can begin to form them as per my reference images
The tool that I used to repair distorted and discordant polygons and vertices in the last post has become a lifesaver when recreating topology that I hadn't realized when Photoshopping the original reference-photograph would be so disastrous to do without
The 'Connect' tool has allowed me, here, to insert the vermillion border of the upper lip which the philtrum and nasolabial folds lead into before reaching the lips themselves and the vermillion of the lower lips that curve upwards from the chin
This the the result of the work that has been carried out - I decided to draw out the lower edges of the lips into a neutral-like expression if only to give me greater flexibility if I feel the need to change the form of the lips at all or conjure a reason to open the mouth back up
Note that the nose had also gained another 'Connected' joining edges which perhaps may allow me to transform the nostrils slightly before adding in the inner nostril detailing
I was now needing to create a pair of eyeballs that would (hopefully) fit inside the sockets that I had spent a good deal of time adjusting and repositioning to achieve as close to real-life dimensions as I could
By creating a 'Sphere' from the 'Primitive Shapes' tab, I then converted it to an 'Editable Poly' so that I could adapt it form easily - this image shows the use of 'Soft Selection' which allows the user to manipulate the standard form of an objects order of vertices, edges and co-ords
I am causing the Sphere to compress in on itself here so that I could achieve the desired form needed for this purpose
Once again (most certainly not for the last time) the 'Connect' tool meant I could overcome another potential time-wasting spectacle of having to recreate any part of the eye-socket should my manipulations of the sphere not quite sit right with the modelled feature
This has meant I could add further precise detailing as to how I wanted to socket to appear - including the amount at which the lids would fold upwards when the sphere is inserted, as well as to make sure the 'ball itself will not appear to be falling out of the socket when rendered!
Upon closer inspection of my eye area, I thought that I could add in the small section at the inner corner of the eye where the tear ducts are situated and where the eyeball itself is actually away from the socket ever-so slightly
I used the 'Scale' key-combination of left-click and the SHIFT-key to drag out two extra polygons from the outer edges of the existing outermost polygons of the corner - I did find I was unsuccesful in using the 'Weld' tool and attach the outermost vertices to the existing socket-polys but, using the 'Perspective' view I was able to align them as closely against the other polygons around the area
There was a delicate line to take whether to follow the reference images, taken to maintain accuracy when constructing the model, or in fact, to alter the form of various parts to allow new segments and additions to fit into their places
This was the scenario I faced when altering and adjusting the eyelids elevation and depth when I was planning to position in the eyeball - here, you can see that from this angle, the sphere is coming into contact with the upper lids at the corners...
Once I had sorted the left-hand eyeball, I then thought all I needed to do was to use the 'Clone' tool and transfer the cloned 'Copy' along the 'X' axis so that it could slide into t'other eye socket, with only a small tweak to the 'Y' axis needed to compensate for any slight miscalculations with the 'Spline' modelling
Typically, I realized that due to my oversight of needing to use the 'Rotate' function to comply with the flowing facial structure of the left-hand socket, I needed to go into the 'Type-In' floating menu shown here to retain precise measurements to ensure a snug fit!
It did strike me as peculiar how, no matter how a user can keep concentration and a level-mind when going through each stage of this process, you can take a step back and see parts where you think "that isn't exactly looking as I imagined it to be" This shows the stage after the eyeballs had been positioned
I thought it best to keep an equal level of detail shown so far in the modelling when adding in the material for the eye-detailing with the next section below describing that process
To get a detailed Iris/Pupil material that was close to my own without me needing to photograph myself (painful!), I found the image shown here within Google's Image search and decided that I could modify it to seem more realistic - the image was ideal to wrap around the spherical eyeball as it had the square border round it which would accept a 'UVW Mapping' modifier much better than the eye in circular form...
Taking it into Photoshop CS4, all I wanted to do was to add a 'Levels' Adjustment layer , resulting in an enchancement to the 'Red' Channel which contributed to the visible magenta border around the pupil itself
I still felt there was a touch more I could do to further enhance realism and true-to-life detail
I used the 'Brush' tool with the same magenta hue to add in some faintly-visible nerve endings across the surface of the cornea (perhaps a close representation of the original photograph!) and by introducing a 'Gradient-Fill' Adjustment Layer I could throw a dark-to-pale-grey gradient shown here so that when applied to the eyeball object will show darker around the lower eye-lid, again to add further depth to the object
This is the 'BitMap' taken from the upload to the Material Library, applied through a 'UVW Map' as a 'Box-Mapped' texture and aligned to the 'Z' axis so that I could get the Pupil/Iris to align in such a way as that half will be hidden as shown on the photo and to avoid the appearance of me having a wide-eyed frog-like stare
At this stage I also employed the technique of incorporating a 'Specular-Highlight' so that its looks as natural light would reflect of the glass-like surface
The positioning of the eyes themselves was troublesome when trying a maintain a semblence of symmetry, rotating and altering the depth at which they sit inside the sockets so that eventually they look relatively natural
I had to use the 'Freeze' option when working on the rear of the head so that wasn't accidentally selecting the innapropriate object and causing various vertices, edges or elements from moving around without me noticing until it was too late!
Now it was time to move onto creating the inner nostrils - at this point, it was pleased with how well formed the outer areas of the nostrils were looking, considering I spent a good deal of time adjusting and altering the vertices around to create natural and flowing topography around the outsides
Going into the Sub-Object level of the Modifier List down to the 'Editable Poly' level, selecting 'Polygon', I used the 'Create' tool to generate another poly across the open-space, joining each vertex up and creating a solid 2-D cap over the end - I made sure they all joined properly by ensuring I had the 'Snap-To-Vertex' icon engaged
With the newly-created Poly still selected, I used the 'Extrude' tool under the 'Edit Polygons' menu
By using the 'Group_Extrusion Type', and specifying the 'Extrusion Height' of -0.57, this is
how the Polygon looked afterwards - a efficient way of creating nostril inners without having to use the time-engaging 'Scale' tool and worrying about 'Welding' all the vertices up inside the nostril canal
A brief update as to how the the modelling looked at this current stage where all facial features were completed: eyes inserted w/ material applied, nostrils 'Extruded' to a neccessary amount and lips that are as well formed as time would allow ( As part of this stage. I have also enhanced the 'Subdivision' method to a 'Quad Output' with 2 'Iterations' accounted for)
*I have, so far, certainly felt the consequences of ill-preparation of the reference and concurrent modelling process - without supremely accurate initial photographs and resulting topology, problems that surely can hold a user back and cause many incidents of mis-informed decision making!*
Although this decision wouldn't have been based entirely on fact in accordance with the photographs, I wanted to show that it would be possible to display another technique and an example of individual persona by incorporating a material onto a 'Primitive Object' and using it in the overall rendered image - this example is of course a set of teeth!
A cylinder was created, modified with a 'UVW Map' through 'Box Mapping' and a internet-downloaded BitMap of a shining pair of pearly-whites were applied, as displayed here
Now, I was to position them inside the head, behind the now slightly open lips (modified by selecting vertices and adjusting them along the 'Y' axis to give a natural presentation of the upper incisors)
Of course, I needed to avoid the cylinder coming into contact with the edges of the lips near the nasolabial folds - I was able to gain greater incisive adjustment by right-clicking on the 'Move_Transform' icon and get the detailed 'Type-In' window shown here
I decided to, once I was relatively happy with the intial positioning of all details, render the image for the first time to check its appearance before advancing any further - I was well aware at this stage in the process that the untidy looking edges near my cheeks and neck needed to be sorted out - perhaps I was to use this as a chance to incorporate a full skull and neck after all (it's be a shame to avoid attempting them altogether I admit...!)
* There will be a part 2 this week as well, which will detail how I doubled-backed, retrofitting the skull and created a fully 3-D object (a process which strongly highlighted the weakness my initial plans were created in)*
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