The Last of Us Part I: Riley

"We fight for every second we get to spend with each other. Whether it's two minutes, or two days. We don't give that up."

I was given the great opportunity to create Riley for The Last of Us Part I.

Under the art direction of Care Michaud, Ashley Swidowski and Darcy Korch, Riley was a labor of love. The initial characterization for her head was done by Patrick Switzer and blendshapes were done by Mark Orbik. Final sculpting and texturing was done by me on the entire character. I also was responsible for all character damage states.
Her hair alone was one of the most challenging tasks I've undertaken during my career, but I learned a great deal not only about game hair but also human hair in general! Our intention with the hair was to achieve a much more natural feeling that would speak to Riley's personality. In fact, this was the mindset with which I approached her entire costume, thinking of what kinds of trouble she would be getting into which would in turn inform the kinds of wear and tear on her clothing. Her backpack was a particular challenge, as the main part of the pack was fully functional for scenes where it needed to open and close. It was truly a joy to create this character from the ground up while keeping the original by Soa Lee closely in mind. Riley is a special character and it's amazing to see her come to life in a new way.

https://www.artstation.com/dkorch
https://www.artstation.com/aswidowski