Creating the Mouth

Modeling a Low-Poly Head

Refining the Forehead, Chin, and Cheeks

 

Autodesk 3ds Max Tutorials >  Modeling Tutorials > Modeling a Low-Poly Character > Modeling a Low-Poly Head > 

Creating the Eyes

In this lesson, your character will see the world through the eyes you sculpt. You must first carve the area containing the eye socket and orbicularis oculi muscles, responsible for closing the eyelids and lowering the brows. Then, you progressively shape concentric edge loops to match the eyelids and insert some eyeballs.

Define the eye muscles:

1. Continue working on your file from the previous exercise, or load the file Low_Poly_Head03.max found under \tutorials\low_polygon_modeling.
2. Go into Vertex sub-object level, and then click Cut and create an horizontal division across the eyes starting from the nose bridge.

   

3. Following the same technique, create three continuing edges from the same point of origin.

   These edges roughly limit the extents of the eye muscles.

   

4. Divide the nose root in two to better define the procerus muscles.

   

5. Adjust the vertices around the eyes to encompass part of the brows.

   This is a starting point in delimiting the eyes from the rest of the face. Once they are completed, you will integrate them to the other elements.

   

6. Go into Edge sub-object level, and then select the first edge you created that runs across the eyes.

   

7. On the Edit Edges rollout, click Remove.

Define the eyelids:

1. Go into Polygon sub-object level, and then select the polygon covering the eye surface.

   

2. On the Edit Polygons rollout, click the Inset Settings button. In the Inset Polygons dialog, set Inset Amount to 5. Click OK.

   

3. Go into Vertex sub-object level and adjust the new vertices to roughly match the reference images.

   

4. Go back into Polygon sub-object level, and then on the Edit Geometry rollout, click Repeat Last.

   Another concentric edge loop is created.

   

5. Go into Vertex sub-object level and adjust the vertices so they border the eyelids.

   

6. Go into Polygon sub-object level. The eye polygon should be automatically selected (if not, select it). Click the Bevel Settings button.
7. In the Bevel Polygons dialog, set Height to -1.5 and Outline Amount to -2. Click OK.

   

8. Press the Delete key to remove the eye polygon. You will soon replace it with the actual eyeball.

Insert the eyeballs and refine the upper eyelids:

1. Create a primitive geosphere and place it following the reference images. Adjust its size approximately.
   TipA geosphere has fewer polygons than a standard sphere, making it an useful alternative if you need to optimize your polygon count.

   

2. Adjust the vertices around the eyeball so they surround it without touching. For a natural look, the eyelids should be bordering the eye's iris and pupil.

   

3. Go into Edge sub-object level and select five ring edges shaping the upper eyelids.

   

4. Use the Connect tool to join them together.

   

5. Use the Cut tool to link the new upper eyelid edges to nearby vertices.

   

6. Drag these new edges forward to build some volume in the upper eyelids.

   

7. Go into Vertex sub-object level, and then, to better tuck the lower eyelids under the upper eyelids, use the Target Weld tool to merge two vertices together. This will also eliminate a five-sided polygon.

   

8. Exit sub-object level and select the eyeball itself. Copy its position on the X axis.

   

9. Hold Shift and drag the eyeball to the other socket.

   This creates a duplicate of the object.

10. Paste the original eyeball's X position onto the X field of the duplicated eyeball. You must enter the value as negative because the new eyeball is on the other side of the central axis.
11. Save your file as My_Low_Poly_Head_Eyes.max