LogInInspired by Baldur's Gate 3, Vincent Lu's latest artwork is truly a marvel to behold.
Vincent Lu, a Junior Character Artist at Dambuster Studios, has recently proven once again that the "Junior" prefix matters little where true talent is concerned, demonstrating what has to be one of the most expressive 3D facial rigs ever made.
Inspired by Baldur's Gate 3, Vincent's latest masterpiece comprises a highly detailed model of a tiefling, accompanied by an intricate FACS-based rig consisting of blendshapes and dynamic Normal Maps. As stated by the author, the rig can replicate most major facial movements and includes numerous correctives and intermediate shapes to ensure a cohesive look. In total, there are 122 different shapes, initially blocked out in Maya using various deformers and then refined in ZBrush.
"I've been learning some Python on the side for a couple of months now and used this project to create a handful of little scripts to make the process smoother, such as an easier way to disable deformers, duplicating blendshapes and renaming them automatically, and export tools," commented Vincent.
Besides Maya and ZBrush, the artist also employed Substance 3D Painter, Marmoset Toolbag, and Unreal Engine 5 to set up and render the model, along with assets from the Unreal Engine Marketplace for the background. Stills are illuminated using Path Tracing, while Lumen is utilized for all video clips. As an additional touch, Vincent also made an interactive hairstyle for the character using "a mix of bones, cloth, and groom simulation".
We highly encourage you to visit Vincent Lu's ArtStation page to learn more about this awesome project. Don't forget to join our 80 Level Talent platform and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.