The Other End

Figure 1.29 Click for larger view

Figure 1.30 Click for larger view

Figure 1.31 Click for larger view

Figure 1.32 Click for larger view

Figure 1.33 Click for larger view

Figure 1.34 Click for larger view

Now to add a tail to the lizard. From the reference material we can see that the tail is rather stubby and stout. This can be easily created with yet another sphere and our good friend connect.

Create a small sphere, convert it to an editable mesh and delete the upper half of the faces. Convert the body shape to an editable mesh and delete the faces where the tail is to meet the body. Figure 1.29 shows the tail sphere with the necessary faces deleted and the faces on the body to be deleted. Now connect the two objects together; then use Blend followed by FFDs to get the desired shape (see Figure 1.30).

Something to stand on Well, the legs sure do look like large pillars. So let's start the leg with a cylinder. Give the cylinder enough height segments (around 30) to allow for the detail necessary to create the desired bulges and dips. Then apply a cylindrical FFD and move the control points around in the front view until you get a good approximation of the leg (Figure 1.31). Do the same thing in the left viewport (Figure 1.32). Remember to start with a lower resolution FFD and then add another FFD with more control points to get the desired level of detail (Figure 1.33).

Now might be a good time to add the toes to the leg. I decided to add my toes after each leg had been attached to the body. There were several reasons for this decision; foremost were:

• 1) I wanted each leg to have unique toes (i.e., bigger ones on the back leg than on the front leg) and
• 2) I wanted to wait until each leg was finished before adding the toes (I really wouldn't know when a leg was done until I saw how it looked attached to the body).

So, I waited until after the legs were connected to the body. But, if you're doing a simpler character or don't want to have to add toes twice (once for the foreleg and once for the aft leg), add them now (see Phalangeal Amalgamation for details).

Once you have the front leg shaped. Clone it to make the back one. You can then apply more FFDs to this back leg to modify and massage it into shape (given the back leg's shape, you'll need to increase the number of height segments of the cylinder to get it conform correctly). You might also want to round out the top of the leg to make the transition into the body more subtle; it is, however, possible to wait until the leg is attached to the body and then make whatever modifications you feel are necessary.

Once the back leg is done (Figure 1.34) it's time to connect the legs to the body. So, it's another good time to save.

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