A small update :

- Major changes to the stork, feet, wings ,beak
- Added the "Staff of balloons"
- Changed the saddle to a saddle-branch.
- Updated the hippo teeth, mouth and tongue.

Been thinking about soap media , so doodled a simple soap bar, i think i´ll arrange several hanging on the side soap-on-a-rope/bunch-of-balloons style.

In the meantime a preview of the model:

Stork basic model done, but there is room for a lot more improvement.Here are the pics:

Made a quick sketch of a stork , maybe it´s nicer than the chicken :) ? 

I´ll try to model it next with lowpoly  geometry :

Been updating several thingys : 

• divided the saddle  into 3 layers , added 2 strapping belts with metal holders for the wooden soap container, and a lower belly strap
• Small teak on the front toenails, also added  a small tail.
• Added some more detail to the ears, made them lean a bit further
• Thinking of adding on the opposite side of the hippo some cans of detergent for refill :P
• Not sure what kind of bird to use as shooter, instead of the chicken maybe a stork ?

Been studying the soap recipient and decided to go for a wooden look (even if I had second thoughts to go for a metal one as  written in the sketch). The problem meanwhile is how to strap it to the hippo, so after some browsing for horses saddles images and sketching i came up with this:

Next the saddle will have to gain more shape, need to add leather strips , seat , buckles and so forth , before i can start texturing. (the chicken is only to give it a sense of  wrong scale.

First sketches

Decisions not fully taken :

- Begin drawing base shape and also deciding locomotion methods ( Flying is one possibility ).
- Character is able to shoot soap bubbles. Why ? i don´t have a clue, but sounded nice though. How to shoot ; equipment to shoot with ; type of containers for the watery soap and how they are strapped .

Also decided that the hippopotamus will have a feathered colleague responsible to shoot.A chicken maybe?

Hippopotamus project started!

Today i finally set foot on starting this blog, one  that will cover my efforts to pursue better knowledge of  3d tools and techniques.
Because i needed a goal to keep me focused on this main objective , i chose  to use an hippopotamus as the main character. I will use it as a means to enhance 3d model skills, texturing etc.

The final goal would be to use it for a small game.

Main tools are Blender , Guimp and maybe Inkscape - basically will use anything that is opensource - both because economical reasons, and to try to add merit to these already wonderful software packages.

And so the adventure begins...