Emmett "Swine Breaker" Evolution 2018-2022

Emmett “Swine Breaker” is an ongoing villain-focused character project exploring the evolution of a monster-wrangler antagonist across multiple years of artistic growth. This series showcases Emmett’s transformation—from early 2018 renders in Marmoset Toolbag to more advanced iterations featuring improved anatomy, materials, lighting, storytelling, and overall artistic direction.

Across the project, Emmett is presented as a brutal enforcer who commands grotesque, mutated hog creatures and other monstrous animals. The collection includes horror-themed key art, wireframe comparisons, action vignettes, and cinematic character portraits that track both the character’s lore evolution and the refinement of your technical workflow.My Role

Sole Creator: Responsible for the entire production pipeline of Emmett, his creatures, and all illustrated scenes across the project’s multi-year evolution.

Responsibilities:

Character Concept & Redesign

• Developed Emmett as a menacing, gas-mask-wearing executioner figure whose design evolved with each iteration—improved proportions, better cloth detail, enhanced musculature, and a more intimidating silhouette.

• Expanded his visual identity by refining costume design, props (e.g., axe, shovel), and accessories across various updates.

Creature Design — Hog Monsters & Variants

• Designed, modeled, sculpted, and textured the glowing-eyed mutated hog creatures that serve as Emmett’s companions.

• Built multiple variants and evolutionary stages of the hog monsters to enhance visual variety and storytelling.

Modeling & Sculpting

• Produced all high-poly and low-poly models for Emmett, the hogs, environment props, and large-scale monsters (e.g., the Boar God).

• Iteratively upgraded models over the years with better anatomy, cleaner topology, and improved sculpt detail.

Rigging & Posing

• Rigged Emmett, the hogs, and all associated creatures for animation-ready posing.

• Created dynamic, aggressive stances and horror-inspired character interactions for each illustration.

Texturing & Lookdev

• Painted realistic and stylized textures for fabric, skin, fur shells, leather, and worn metal.

• Experimented with updated shaders and materials to enhance surface richness in later versions.

Lighting & Rendering (Marmoset Toolbag)

• Built dramatic horror-focused lighting setups using rim lights, colored accents, volumetrics, and dense shadows.

• Utilized Marmoset Toolbag for both early and refined render passes, emphasizing mood and menace.

Environment Building

• Created swamps, forests, burning clearings, and night-time environments to ground each scene in narrative context.

• Modeled props like tractors, set dressing, trees, and environmental debris to enhance immersion.

Cinematic Illustration & Visual Storytelling

• Composed action-heavy scenes such as:

  • The Night Hog

  • The Devil in the Pines

  • Commander of the Hellstock

  • The Boar God of Black Hollow

  • The Patrol

• Each piece conveys horror, tension, and the overwhelming presence of Emmett’s monstrous entourage.

Wireframe & Breakdown Imagery

• Provided detailed wireframe overlays to highlight modeling discipline and mesh quality.

• Showcased side-by-side comparisons between raw geometry and final renders.

Compositing & Post-Processing

• Used color grading, bloom, haze, glows, film grain, and atmospheric FX to push each illustration toward a stylized horror aesthetic

Software Used

3DS Max, Maya (Rigging and Posing), Corona Renderer, Marmoset Toolbag3, Substance Painter, TopoGun 2, After Effects, Photoshop