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Ian Wright
Art Creation
Stylizing Historical Cavalry
The subject of my thesis was transforming a historically accurate character into stylized variants resembling characters created by comic book artists Mike Mignola and Dan Brereton . The pillars of this project revolved around historical accuracy , style matching , and stylized visual effects ( VFX ).
The goal of this artifact was to create a historically accurate British World War I cavalry and stylized variants while reusing the same base mesh . This meant that I had to rely on other tools beyond creating bespoke characters to achieve the two styles . I explored the use of shaders , texture swaps , and morphs to reach the end result . To create the VFX , I employed fluid simulations and Niagara systems to get dynamic , stylized effects .
I chose this project because I ’ ve always been interested in character design and breaking down what rules make a style such as Mike Mignola ’ s so unique . The historical element is also a reflection of my interest in the Great War , which has fascinated me since I was a kid .
Throughout this year-long project , I learned a lot about character pipelines , Unreal Engine , shaders , and Niagara systems . However , I think I learned the most from problem solving . I was often challenged to do things in new and creative ways rather than sticking to what was already known .
30 ART CREATION