Abstract I. Introduction a. Thesis statement: What is the process for modeling a stylized character and how does this differ from a semi-realistic character? b. Expanded thesis statement: The two styles differ from start to finish in a variety of ways. I believe that semi-realistic characters require more source material when drawing and modeling; however stylized characters require a different level of creativity and artistic ability in creation. Modeling semi-realistic characters will be more dependent on source images while stylized characters may require special attention with non-standard texture, style, etc. Rendering techniques will also differ when it goes to presenting the final polished versions with the stylized character focusing on rendering styles that flatten the character while the semi realistic character will require rendering techniques that make it seem more real visually.

The workflow of different game modelling artists is explored, with the goal of creating a melee weapon designed for games. A low polygon weapon was created using the research into the most common components from professional workflows of creating game models. One of the goals for the paper was to obtain a greater understanding of professional workflows when creating models for games. Other goals were to utilize the research and design a finished game model from concept to end product.

The focus of this thesis is on the transition from 2D character design to 3D model design, and how this transition affects the appeal, fluidity, and clarity of the 2D design. The source material for this project was an original screenplay entitled The Birds Work for Bea. Three characters from the material were selected for a process including ideation, research, 2D character and style exploration, 3D sculpting, and 3D printing and finishing. This project serves as a study in all aspects of the character concept development pipeline.

Making 3D models with polygon modeling is the most common technique used for a 3D animated movie production, but there are also other good modeling techniques to work with. The aim of this thesis is to examine which of three chosen modeling technique is most appropriate to use for modeling a chair for a 3D animated movie production. I made three models of the same chair design and compared the results. The modeling technique used is polygon modeling, NURBS modeling and digital sculpting. A few factors were considered when I judged which one of the three techniques that was most suitable: The model's geometry, the workflow and the rendering (material and lightning). The three chairs were rendered in the same scene with the same lightning and settings. The results showed that the model's geometry and how smooth it is to work with the modeling technique matter most for judging which technique is the most appropriate. In addition, the results show that how the light falls and reflects the surface depends on how the geometry was placed on the model rather than which of the other modeling techniques that was used.