modeling

I began modeling the character using basic primitives in Blender (spheres, cubes, planes), then sculpted a high-poly body model to establish form and detail. From there, I created a clean low-poly version by using the shrinkwrap modifier, mirror modifier, and snapping tools for retopology, and baked the high-poly details onto the low-poly mesh for optimization.

For the hair, I modeled strands using curves, then converted and optimized them into a single mesh for efficiency. I created two versions for the hair, my hair when it is straight, and when it is in its natural form. For the clothing, I generated base meshes with the shrinkwrap modifier over the body, then refined the topology and form through sculpting and additional modifiers. Each clothing mesh is based off of an item from my closet.

animation/rigging

For rigging, I used Mixamo to quickly generate an idle animation, which helped keep the project within scope. I refined the rig by weight painting areas of the body to achieve more natural deformations. Once satisfied, I applied the armature to the hair and clothing items.

Initially, I experimented with the Surface Deform modifier for clothing, but realized it would not be compatible with game engines. So I instead parented the clothing meshes directly to the body armature. This introduced issues where some clothing became warped due to modifier stack order and unapplied transformations. To resolve this, I retopologized the clothing, ensured modifiers were applied in the correct order, and consistently applied transformations before joining meshes. With these fixes, the clothing deformed correctly, and I fine-tuned results through additional weight painting to minimize overlaps.

To add more expressiveness, I created basic facial animations using shapekeys, including blinking and subtle smiling. I also rebuilt the eyeliner and eyelashes so they could follow the facial shapekeys, ensuring natural movement during animation.

texturing

I textured all meshes using Substance Painter, combining hand-painting with procedural materials (such as fiber and weave) to add realistic detail to the clothing. To accommodate hardware limitations on my laptop, I painted at a lower resolution and then exported textures at a higher resolution for final use.