06-Jan Let’s get started! (Part 1/2)
After finally finished my degree in Multimedia Design in Curtin, I’ve finally found some time to do what I really want. Model some stuff, learn more 3D softwares etc etc etc. So I set off by giving myself deadline! 1 Piece Per Week! Time management is key! Not only it helps by reducing procrastination, having a deadline also stops me from concentrating on one part of the creature for too long.
The subject of the week is:
DESIGN A MONSTER
Now that the subject has been decided, the next part of the decision making process is what software to model it in? I’ve been working with
Maya most of the time in Uni, this time round I wanted to try something new. Few months ago I had an opportunity to test out ZBrush for a side project of mine for a while, but never really gotten far into the software. But I like it a lot because of the intuitiveness of the software. So ZBRUSH it is then!
After blocking out the silhouette in photoshop, I automatically opened Maya to build a base mesh before exporting it into Zbrush. Then I paused. What’s wrong with modelling it from scratch in ZBrush? I read that the new ZSphere tool is pretty amazing!
Woo ZSphere!
Using The Making of No More Wine by Simon Blanc as a guide, I rough out the shape of the monster with X Symmetry activated using ZSphere. It takes some getting used to but overall I was very impressed by it. Using the first ZSphere as the torso and slowly extending from there.
Another tutorial that really helped a lot in this stage was Part 1 of The Making of “Birth” by Francois Rimasson. Using some of the ZSphere images as a guide, I managed to get the hands to look like what a pair of hands should look like.
The last part of the base mesh, is to turn the ZSphere into proper mesh. Adaptive skin. Hmmm… This ought to be interesting. The version of ZBrush used in Francois Rimasson’s tutorial slightly differs to mine. But after a bit of trial and error, I think it turns out pretty okay.
======================================================= STAGE TWO| Detailing the “Monster” =======================================================
Detailing the monster
This section onwards, things starting to look familiar to me. I’ve did a bit of sculpting in Zbrush before, not much, but enough to get some shapes going on. Starting with Subdivision 1, slowly sculpting it into the shape I wanted as I subdivide it more. At this point of time, I’m using only a few basic brushes, Standard brush, Damien brush and Smooth.
======================================================= STAGE THREE| Refining the “Monster” =======================================================Adding fine details like lumps, pores or wrinkles make the monster more believable. I try to achieve that using DragRect Stroke with Alpha 04 and some leather alpha from ZBrush download center.
Detailing part 2
Detailing part 2-back
At the point of sculpting this model, I haven’t learn much about ZBrush yet. So I’m having problem going into higher Subdivision to add fine details to some parts of the Monster because of the bad topology planning. My comp is already lagging at this Subdivision, which is pretty obvious in the pic below. Notice the inconsistency in the polygons.
Detailing part 2-Closeup
I later learn that, there are several ways to go around this problem (at least those that I knew of, please do tell if there are others as my knowledge in ZBrush is still pretty basic). Some of them are dividing the monster into several subtools (I find this the easiest), retopologizing the model with ZSphere and using Geometry HD. I haven’t tried Geometry HD yet, because I found that using subtools and retopologizing is enough to accomplish what I need for now.
USEFUL LINKS :
The Making of No More Wine by Simon Blanc – Video tutorials showing how Simon sculpt, step by step.
The Making of “Birth” by Francois Rimasson - Great tutorial on ZBrush workflow. Covers ZSphere, adaptive skin, transposing and much more.
Using Geometry HD - Intro in using Geometry HD by Pixologic
Tags: adaptive skinning, creature, modelling, monster, sculpting, Zsphere