Aquila, a semi-realistic pilot

I blocked out the main shapes and then refined the details. I gave her an elven look, with exaggerated pointed ears and an athletic build; the eyes are somewhat stylized but close to real proportions.

I did it by hand to make texturing and rigging easier, with a moderate polycount that keeps the sculpt’s details and works in real time.

I pictured her as an independent pilot in a modern world with touches of fantasy. The hair is made of curves with a custom bevel to get an anime cut.

In Substance Painter I aimed for a realistic finish: worn leather with an embroidered patch of my own design, ripped denim done only with textures, and skin with tone variations so it doesn’t look like plastic.

I rigged her with Rigify, adjusted the weight painting and used shape keys to fix the bandages, clothes and zipper so they wouldn’t clip when she moves.

I posed the character, modeled the teeth to allow more freedom in her expressions, and rendered in Blender with three-point lighting.