Barreleye Fishman - Emissive Deep Sea Character
The Barreleye Fishman is an original character built around the deep-sea barreleye fish (Macropinna microstoma) — the transparent-headed species with glowing, upward-facing tubular eyes. That anatomy drives the whole design: the luminous domed eyes, the translucent skin, and a body assembled from other abyssal and marine sources — heavy fish-scale plating across the back and shoulders, exposed frilled gill tissue over the chest, and glassy, bioluminescent limbs modeled on jellyfish and glass frogs, with red circulatory veins running visibly beneath the surface.
He reads as a hulking, amphibious figure caught between living organism and salvage — an impression the antique brass diving helmet he carries only reinforces.
Responsible for: Character Design, Modeling, Retopology, UV Unwrapping, Lighting, Rendering
Software: Maya, ZBrush, Substance Painter, Photoshop, Procreate, Premiere Pro
Poly Count: 239000 tris / 119,500 quads
Close-up render focusing on the head, gill detail, and the salvaged diving helmet.
Full-body render on neutral grey, showing the translucent vein-lit arms and scale plating.
Front turnaround render — full character silhouette, from the domed head to the finned feet.
Character turnaround video, showing the design from all angles.
Look development pass — testing materials and lighting in scene.
Lighting turnaround, showing how the translucent limbs and scale texture catch light.
Early animation test, bringing the character into motion.
Concept render exploring facial structure, head fins, and skin tone.
Design sheet — front, side, and back views with color palette and helmet reference.
Isolated turnaround of the design, front, side, and back.
Annotated design sheet, breaking down the anatomy against its deep-sea and marine-life references.