[lol] Well, crap. It sounds as though the whole model needs work. I went from fruity pants to deformed shape to ugly colors to complete homosexual.

Standing around in boxers wielding a machine gun probably doesn't help that fact.

Actually, I wasn't aiming for macho or gay. I was trying to shoot for a comic-book style shape. Simular to Superman or spawn comics. That shape. The crappy lighting I'm using is making his muscles look even more round than they really are. But I think maybe increasing the size of his stomach might make him look less bulky at the chest. Does the version with a shirt look better? It's basically the same shape, but has a thick stomach.

But now wait a sec. Creamy skin? What defines that? A lack of tan? If so, I personally must have extremely creamy skin.

And surely body hair would push this farther towards the other side of the stick? Just picturing body hair on this guy helps me see some of the other problems [lol]

Finally, I had no idea he had a pretty face. Thanks. He started out with this really big, wide, round looking head. But I needed a much younger looking face. Once I add some scars and facial hair, you'll never know he was once pretty [smile]

And again: I have nothing against making gay characters. I'm not saying gay=bad, or that I need to remove gayness. But this story doesn't revolve around such a character. I just don't want to have a look that defines it completely. If I get the look I want, anyone could easily pretend the guy is gay if they prefer to [smile]

Thanks much for the opinions. I'm far from an artist. I'm just a simple programmer hacking his way through this [wink]

edit: I've made a few small adjustments to his bare body. It seems like his abdomen has become longer for some reason. And I'm not sure how I could fix it without drastic changes.


[Edited by - Jiia on October 29, 2004 6:55:30 PM]

Well, let's start with the 'creamy skin' part. Creamy was probaby a bad choce of words - I don't mean the color (although he does have a bit of fresh glow to him, lol), I mean... think of how a teenage girl or a baby's skin looks different from, say, a cowboy's skin. The teenage girl has more estrogen and less testosterone, which results in her skin being a bit more soft, hydrated, silky, glowing, etc. Similarly, our teenage grils will have much rounder muscles where our cowboy will have hard, corded, angular muscles, especially if he's not overweight. You have made a twink: a guy with teenage girl skin and muscle shapes, which suggests that he has more estrogen and less testosterone, which correlates (although not completely) with homosexuality. People subconsciously know this, which is why their gaydar pings when they see this character.

Now, look at the changes I have sketched out above:
- broaden jaw and mouth
- add muscle definition and collar bone hollows to neck area.
- make pecs flatter and more angular
- make biceps more angular
- widen waist
- raise top of hip slightly
- make butt flatter and more angular
- put inner thighs closer together to minimize package
- make calf muscles more angular
- make feet a bit narrower and more angular

That should make him less of a twink and more of a jock. You might also want to make his eyebrows a little thicker, and if you're going to go with facial hair I personally would suggest just a 5 o'clock shadow. Hope this helps you and isn't too much work! :)

[BTW I've found this a really amusing problem to think about since I am usually trying for the opposite effect, trying to make sexy, slightly effeminate male characters like this one. It was really funny to be trying to un-gay a character for once. ;) ]

That's really interesting. I guess I can't really identify buff gayness. My picture of a girly-guy is petite. I guess I've not seen very many buff gay guys.

I've made some changes to the upper body area. I haven't worked on the legs much, or the head at all yet. Does this look any better?


I pretty much rebuilt the chest and abs area. Mostly just because it was using too many polys, though. It's hard to control the glow of his skin. The lights are causing most of that (unless my textures are doing it). He is pretty low poly, and uses a 256x256 texture for his whole body (so that snap is stretching it to about 3 times its size).

I honestly don't understand the rounded muscle concept. Some guys develop muscles differently. It also depends on how you work out. Lifting heavy weights fewer times will make bloated round muscles, while lifting small weights tons of times will develop smaller but ripped and tight muscles. Like comparing Arnold schwarzenegger with Bruce Lee.

By the way, did anyone notice this guy has no ears? Heheh. I hope not, as I plan to leave him earless. I see you drew him some, though. Felt sorry for him? :P

Thanks for all of the help S-A-S. I'm still working on it [smile]

edit:

Quote:

and if you're going to go with facial hair I personally would suggest just a 5 o'clock shadow

I'm really curious as to why you suggested this? Heheh. You're not trying to make the guy look more attractive are ya? :P

I think you need to give him some traps aka trapezius... (the muscle between the shoulders and neck)

Also, I think his waist should be a bit wider.

I don't know though, I think that would make him look more masculine.

There're actually lots of buff gay guys since they have more motivation to do sports and workout (i.e. locker rooms). Anyway, yeah, it looks better already! :) If you do the face too he should be good to go.

The bloated round muscles of weight lifters look different because instead of having soft smooth curves they look like they're trying to burst through the skin, with veins and tendons sticking out here and there.

I suggested the stubble because it's the only kind of facial hair I like. I don't think it would make him more handsome, (like I said I alredy think he's pretty ;) ) I just think it would make him a more masculine type of attractive.