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After presenting Aiko Meiko's concept art, developing her turnaround, and experimenting with a pixel art version, it was time to take the character to a new stage: 3D modeling.
The goal of this project is to transform the character originally created in 2D into a three-dimensional model, preserving her visual identity while exploring how she could work as a game character.
The entire process was developed in Blender, involving modeling, UV mapping, textures, materials, outline, and anime-inspired shading.
From Concept Art to 3D
The first step was to use Aiko Meiko's turnaround as the main reference for the modeling process. The different views helped maintain consistent proportions, clothing, accessories, and silhouette from different angles.
The intention was to preserve as much of the appearance established in the concept as possible, making sure the 3D model remained recognizable as the same character.
3D Modeling and Optimization
With the references defined, I began the 3D modeling stage, aiming to balance visual fidelity with the amount of geometry.
For a character intended for games, it is important to consider where geometry actually contributes to the silhouette and visual readability. The model currently has approximately 15,345 vertices and 29,526 triangles.
This stage also reinforces an important consideration when developing characters for games: optimization from the modeling stage.
UV Mapping and Textures
After modeling, I organized the UVs to prepare the model for its textures, aiming to make good use of the available space while preserving details in the most important areas.
One particular aspect of my workflow is creating most of the textures in Photoshop. I then apply the maps in Blender to check how they work on the geometry and make any necessary adjustments.
Outline for an Anime Aesthetic
To bring Aiko closer to an anime aesthetic, I also worked on the outline. For this project, I used the Solidify Modifier to create an extension of the character's surface and apply a dark material to this layer, producing the outline around the model.
Although this technique works well visually, it also increases the amount of geometry. Therefore, it is necessary to find a balance between visual quality and optimization.
Shading and Cel Shading
Another important aspect was working on the shading. I used a Color Ramp with more defined transitions between light and shadow to achieve an appearance closer to cel shading.
The result still needs some refinement, especially to achieve more consistent interaction between the materials and different lighting conditions.
Next Steps
I still plan to explore new ways of controlling the shading, including adjustments to normals and surface vectors, while continuing to work on the character's optimization.
The idea is for the model to be not only visually interesting, but also serve as a foundation for a character that could be used in a game project.
From Concept Art to 3D Character
Aiko Meiko started as a 2D character and went through different stages of development before reaching her 3D version. This project is also a way to study Character Art, 3D modeling, and Game Art, exploring how to maintain a character's identity when bringing it into different mediums.
Check Out Aiko Meiko's 3D Model
Below is the complete presentation of the model, including different views, mesh statistics, UVs, textures, and materials used in the project.
What Do You Think of Aiko Meiko in 3D?
So, what do you think of Aiko Meiko's 3D version? Is there any detail of the model, textures, or shading that you think could be improved? If you have any tips for making the character even closer to an anime aesthetic while keeping her optimized for games, let me know in the comments!
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