Before there can be any model building, texturing or animating there is a lengthy initial design process. This is the 'pre-production' stage where as many decisions as possible are made.
Valuable time is saved if all elements of the game are first designed on paper.
For Gunlok there were a number of incarnations and interpretations of the character until we felt that the character was 'there'. Not only does Gunlok need to function as a playable character but he also has to be believable within the visualized world. This final design is of a character that not only looks good but also sits well within the backstory created around him. Here we see the mesh complete model of Gunlok, the various limbs are coloured to help differentiate them for animation. The animation is usually completed before any texturing begins.