Okay, so this probably too early to show, but I've decided to post it anyway because I want to see what people think.
I'm still blocking in, a lot needs to be redone, this is my first time sculpting armor, and I'm not horribly experienced with hard surfaces so bare with me if this takes a while to finish.
Critique not only appreciated but encouraged.
Anyway, here it is:
The guy wouldn't mind having some abdomen armor, imo. And maybe it'd be worth narrowing the shoulderpads for a bit? And applying some metal on them too.
Overall, I'd say this looks a lot more heavier, bigger and at the same time much less effective that the original one.
Other than that, I really like the helmet, breast part and the pants at the moment
If not the above mentioned details in comparison with the original set - it already does look quite impressive (:
okay guys. Looks like I'm doing a basically total redo. Here's the new concept, courtesy of Dragomir:
looks like good mix of old and new armor only the boots need somthing but it looks nice te consept art
Here's one more relatively quick paintover for you, mate
Don't forget Great Mighty's concept too
Good work so far :D I was going to say your starting point didn't have much relation to the original morrowind armour but Dragomir's concept covered that with your style which is great.
Look forward to seeing more :D
Hieronymus7Z wrote:
That's a very very good sketch!
Hieronymus7Z wrote:
That's pretty close to what I was going to make it look like when it was done. I felt like I needed some motivation/inspiration so I posted my work probably a bit too early. I'm just going to keep feeling it out and making whatever seems right. I think I have an idea of how to combine the different ideas.
That concept was obviously my starting point, since I am GreatMighty after all.
Greatmighty and Hieronymus7Z that looks pretty badass :)
Okay, so almsot all of what you see will be redone, this is still just block-in. Especially sloppy are the greaves area; that will be done properly. What do you think?
Looks amazing!! I like how it has that samurai feel that the original one has
The color already gives it a much more Orcish feeling than your previous iteration, which made it seem closer to leather rather than orichalcum. I'd actually look at Hieronumus' sketch for detail on the boots and bracers as I feel it makes more sense from the practical and ornate point of view of Orcs when it comes to their armory. This is coming along really nicely already - I can't wait to see more!
awesome! but what about keeping that version of the helm where half of the face is visible too :) ? I for one would love that option.
I say make the brown leathery one the typical orcish armour and save the more ornate metalic one as a unique armour for Umbra! He deserves a unique armour. Both are excellent!
edit: or vice versa with the armours. Just think Umbra needs some love with one of them
Maybe Umbra could have a retextured version of the metalic Orcish that looks as though it was made from ebony instead of orichalcum.
iceflame542 wrote:
I'm down with this idea as well.
Didn't get much time to work on it today. What do you all think?
I like the spikes at the top of the feet of the boots, but I think the detailing on the greaves pulls away from the feel you have going on with the rest of the armor and brings it closer to something you'd see in Bonemold or Chitin armor. It's a little too organic and should still look like something that was forged rather than carved.
I really like the detailing on the gold trim of the shoulder pads! The overall shape of the belt and armor was also improved which is a subtle change but adds a lot to the quality of the model. Good progress on the face-mask and the helmet as well. I'll be looking forward to seeing the sort of detail you'll be adding into it as well as the bracers.
I agree with everything Tajnarasha said. The greaves look really out of place with the rest of the armor.
Truly, though, this is a really great looking suit of armor. But one thing's for sure: Third Era Orcish blacksmiths were a lot better at their craft than their Fourth Era successors. Skyrim's Orcish Armor looks very barbaric and simplistic in comparison to this. I wonder if there's a reason in Elder Scrolls lore for the transition from this sort of armor to the style in Skyrim.
I, on the other hand, really like the lamellar armour style you are going for. As long as you strike the right balance between 'barbaric' and 'master blacksmith', I think it will be great. After all, orcish armor in TES3 was 'medium' and thus was probably made of heavy materials, but with a lot of excess weight reduced via use of scales, sewn plates, etc. My personal feel is that the boots seem disproportionately heavy and protective in comparison to the rest of the armour.
In any case, I really like the progress so far, keep up the good work!
i agree with jk that the boots seem a little heavy compared to the rest of the armor, which i on the other hand like a lot.
I like it, but isn't the lamellar design more Akaviri than orcish? I know the original morrowind orcish armor is heavily samurai-inspired, but it was still full plate, with only a little bit of lamellar armor included at flex points. (I won't even discuss Oblivion's orsich armor here.)
It's possible the Skyrim designers moved away from the samurai look to differentiate the unique culture of the orcs from that of the Akiviri tradition.
Now, when you guys say grieves, do you mean the morrowind definition (thigh) or the real world definition (armored boots)? I only ask to help better the armor :p.
Also, the boots are super heavy because that's how they were in mw. The were made from what looked like solid steal, though in this case they'll be made from orichalum. They'll look more ornate and forged when I detail them. I'm starting detailing today, I'll post where I am in a couple hours.
And to TheComfyCushion, yes. In fact, the reason I was hesitant to use the lamellar effect was precisely because of that. In the end, I'm using it because I'm out of ideas for alternatives. Plus, I think it looks cool. The biggest thing stopping me had been the Oblivion Orcish (which was hideous), but I'd like to think I can do a better job that.
Imagine 1: only left side as reference.
and Image 2:
As an opinion, if it's not too late, you could change the traditional Japanese helmet mask design with the bull design from Morrowind.
Grieves as in BOOTS, good sir ;)
IF we are too scared that the orcish set reassembles Akavir armors, I think a big part to focus on would be the tasset of the armor, as it is the area people would generally associate with the samurai look. Switching it to a more plated design would already bring it much more in line with what we saw in Elder Scrolls game for this specific set of armor. The similar designed piece of armor cover the tricepts/bicepts could also be replaced with a more plated attire to match.
Personally, I love the armor the way it is. It looks somewhat oriental, but not really similar to Blades Armor from Skyrim. I would only change the boots around the shin area, since they look way too organic at the moment. Also, the texture needs to look a little more worn, but that can happen once the modelling phase is complete.
Okay, starting to high res the cuirass. Not much progress these last 2 days but I want to keep a log as I go.
This one is taking shape, eager to see more of it : 3
I know that you are probably a little ways from the texturing stage, but I wanted to throw out that the first Pocket Guide to the Empire talks about how the Orcish armor is sort of their creative outlet and they strive to make it as beautiful as possible to compensate for their imposed ugliness. That's why I think the ornate details and broad color scheme from the Morrowind version is better than the more utilitarian and monochromatic versions in Oblivion and Skyrim. I like the model quite a bit, but I suggest you try to bring in plenty of color when you do the final texture.
Sorry for having so little this last week. I only have an hour or two a day, sadly.
That looks so badass. Keep up the good work!
This is great, mr. Mighty! Changing the tasset for a more plated look REALLY embellishes the identity of the Orcish set as something different than Akavir. I'm looking forward to the detail you'll be carving into those pieces.
Yes. This is Orsimer done RIGHT.
there is no rush, the quality is the only thing that maters!
keep up the good work ;)!
Looks great! can you add more armor on the upper arms maybe?
are those the gauntlets that you will be using in your final draft? because if not gauntlets on in this picture i found (deviantart.com) would go great with your silhouette. but instead of what appears to be a wood texture in the picture a continuation of the chest piece texture or that of the thigh guard. just an idea, I love every thing you have done with this.
Not sure if Great Mighty is still continuing this, but this armour has finally gotten the long awaited, proper concept art.
I absolutely adore the silver tones of that armor. It gives the set a truly regal style, which would indeed contrast the Orcs' natural appearance against their unmatched skills as armorer. The detail, the ceremonial allure. This needs to be done!
Hi, been a lurker for a while, don't comment terribly often-
I really like a lot of things about this latest concept, but for obvious reasons, I think it'd be better in Skyblivion than Skywind. While I understand the need to consolidate work wherever possible and it doesn't make sense to do multiple variants for every single set (and I'm not contributing anything at all to the project, so my critique in that regard probably doesn't count for much), I've always considered each game's Orcish armor to be as much a local variant as iron, glass, or any other set. This may be headcanon and nothing else, but for some reason I've always associated Oblivion's Orcish with the native orcs of Valenwood, just as Skyrim's Orcish is specific to the rugged stronghold culture of the native orcs.
Personally, I'd like to see both sets in use- something based on Great Mighty's progress so far and Dragomir's original paintover, which you could say is Orsinium style mixed with the Akaviri and elven cultural influence of Morrowind, and then something based on this latest concept for use in Cyrodiil.
That's just my two cents.
Well, I am intending to make another concept for another set, much more leathery, made by Wrothgarian and Skyrim nomadic orcs rather than from Orsinium, as is the current one.
I love your latest armor, though I also like your original armor. Would you consider making both as two versions, one as a simplistic armor, others for war chiefs. It would make sense, and it would be a nice touch when you think of how there is only ever one orcish armor. Love your work GreatMighty