Adaptation B: Cleaning Up and Expressions

  Today I have continued work on the creature. After a response from Alan regarding aspects of the geometry I looked into correcting or cleaning up what I could. I think compared to the previous versions it is flowing considerably better. than before. There's more bulk to the beak, I have managed to trim off a few triangles and the crest smooths up much more neatly. There is also some work around the eyes in preparation for any blinking this creature will do.

  With this refinement of the head and some torso refinement out of the way, I looked into the feet. This had an added layer of complexity to it as unlike previous hand designs I had to factor in the claws

  My main concern at present is how well the geometry on the underside flows, as it still appears a little messy. With a pair of fresh eyes I can see areas where it could be neatened up, something I can look into when I return to working on it. UV mapping however could take time compared to other parts of the body, but I am prepared for it as I am enjoying how it is turning out so far. At present each element is staying separate to ease the UV mapping process. Because this is a creature with a flowing body I may consider using a single large texture map for it. The alternative is to combine it all but assign the right texture map to different regions.

The quills on the creature's rear-end might be the only thing to stay visually separate. During a streaming session Wednesday night I came ot the idea these quills could be controllable; the creature could flatten them to increase maneuverability during running or fan out to make itself seem larger if it felt hostile or under threat.

  Wednesday's stream was primarily an expression exercise. I wanted to understand this thing, as if it were truly alive. The beak and staring eyes make expression difficult, but conversely I got ideas for the cute facade from looking at pictures of small lizards, particularly one or two of a Gecko licking itself with its large, flat tongue. Which for 14 and 15 I twisted into an act of salivation. Something it would most likely do when it spots a victim.