How to make a werewolf

by | May 3, 2023 | News, PS Animated, Restless Sleep | 0 comments

Curious about how I created the animation of Kate’s werewolf transformation? I’ve made a video that goes over the process I used to make it happen!

If you’re still curious about some of the technical details, and want to learn how to do something like this yourself, here’s some links to the tutorials I used:

  • First off, I used DAZ Studio’s Genesis 8 Female model as a starting point for Kate. Let me underscore that I did *not* model this starting figure. DAZ’s amazing artists did all the heavy lifting by creating that model. Since I had no idea how to create my own character rigs when I started this project, using a pre-rigged figure like Genesis 8 was a logical starting point. What I did need to learn was how to create “morphs” in Blender that could be used on the model.
  • Of course, this meant learning to edit the model in Blender. Now, in this case, I wasn’t starting from scratch. I’m an experienced 3D modeler, and have been working in 3D on and off for over 25 years—just mostly to create sets and architectural models. Character modeling is new to me, and I did have to learn Blender’s interface. This tutorial series from Blender Guru is the one I used to teach me the basics of using Blender’s modeling interface:
  • The key to making the transformations was to make sure all the parts of the model lined up up between forms. For instance, the polygons that made up the nose in the human model had to directly correspond to the polygons that would become the snout. In this case, it was my knowledge of anatomy that was the key skill. Whether you’re learning to draw or learning to model in 3D, there’s no substitute to learning the basics of human—and in this case, canine—anatomy. I had already thought through all this long ago when I designed Kate’s transformation for the comic:

Werewolf Transformation Design (1 of 3)Werewolf Transformation Design (2 of 3)Werewolf Transformation Design (3 of 3)

Full Body Werewolf Transformation Design (1 of 4) Full Body Werewolf Transformation Design (2 of 4) Full Body Werewolf Transformation Design (3 of 4) Full Body Werewolf Transformation Design (4 of 4) Werewolf Design Model Sheet

  • If you want to see more the design of the werewolf transformation, you can find ALL of the sketches, sequences, and details in my art book, The Art of Paradigm Shift. You’ll also find tons of art, sketches, and tutorials in there, too!

The Art of Paradigm Shift (cover spread)