Sculpting Digital Characters - Week 04: RETOPOLOGY HELL!

So I spent two weeks drawing squares on this guy, my first atempt at retopology, and I must say it took me to the edge!

After 10 days solid working at day retop at night - bashing away at trying to get all those lines to match up across the figure, I entered a twilight zone of my own. Every time I closed my eyes I could see topology mesh covering what I had just been staring at. I'd shut my eyes and the room walls and furniture would be there, all mapped up perfectly like architectural frame models, the Kitchen sink and taps... covered in lines, peoples faces....... pristine topology! Like being in the Matrix... but without the super powers - just the crushing reality of all thoses squares staring me down...aaaaaahhhhh!, It was exhausting work and my mind was just taunting me.

Here's what I ended up with:

first up the retop'ed model (with the original model just visible underneath).

The second figure is the adaptive skin from the recreated topology (the Level 1 skin, which will be used to make UV maps later)

...And third we have the new mesh with the details of form the original sculpt projected onto it this is at density Level 3. This is the model I will take forward and add the real detail too using ZBrush HD geometry tools.

The second image, below, shows a turnaround of the new topology on the model at a lower density of 2