by JR Cook - 10 years ago     show comments

Art Director Chris Robinson is back to reveal a new Artcraft; this one showcases the female tauren.

Like other recent posts in the series (see our handy index below) this one is light on new information about the process and allows the images to do most of the talking. All told, this is probably my personal favorite for Most Improved Model so far.

Read the full post below.

 

We’re here with a brand-new Artcraft! I’m your host, Chris Robinson, senior art director on World of Warcraft, and today we’re showing you where we’re at with the female Tauren.

The original female Tauren had a lot of issues with too-angular geometry and stretched-out textures. It’s not her fault—it’s just what we had available to us at the time. Our new process has allowed us to add a lot of detail to her hair, fur, horns, and hooves, to build a far more detailed and expressive face, and to add a lot of definition to her musculature (while retaining her shape and silhouette).

One other change of note: Warcraft character design is commonly known for its stylized long arms, large hands, and big feet, but the female Tauren’s hands were just completely out of control. We brought them down to a more consistent size with the other updated models, and were also able to add a ton more detail and dexterity in the process.

We hope you enjoy her new look—let us know what you think in the comments!

In case you missed any of the previous entries in the Artcraft series, here’s a handy index:

• Player Model Updates
  • Female Human
  • Female Orc
  • Male Tauren
  • Female Draenei
  • Female Night Elf
  • Male Human
  • Male Draenei 
• Zone Previews
  • Spires of Arak 
• Animation & Art Assets
  • Garrison Artwork
  • Animation Process
  • Character Accessories