Head studies

dimosM

Hey all, it's been a while since i last posted on polycount, so i figured its time to change that.

I have been doing some head sculpting recently and i could use some feedback. Goal is to make 1 head per day until i get the main shapes right and then start detailing.

I kind of liked the ones i did the last 2 days, so here we go
Both started from a sphere(192 dynamesh resolution right now).

Yesterday


Today


I am not really using a specific reference , its mostly work from other artists and a couple of handsome dudes i happened to find.
http://imgur.com/uU3PYb5

Edit : Does anybody know whats the deal with the Dynamic Perspective? These 2 screencaps are both with the dynamic option turned off.

JabacOrdof

Hey dimosM. Great idea, getting yourself to do these exercises! Practice is really going to get you familiar with the intricate forms of the face quickly. I think personally you would benefit from using a specific reference and creating a jpeg of an assortment of angles and perspectives of that one face from images off the internet or ones you take yourself. It will also allow you to take a screenshot of your head and pop it into photoshop where you can match the perspective to a reference photo so that you can check the placement of forms and whatnot. Make sure to match up the irises! Do it for a front view and a side view every once and a while and you'll be able to see exactly where your mesh is off by overlaying your screenshot.

Also, I know when I attempted my first head, it was incredibly helpful to use the Asaro head model to see the planes and angles of the head. Try sketching the forms from the Asaro head onto a picture of your reference and you will be able to map out all of the planes of that subject's head. It takes a bit more time but in the end you will subconsciously be aware of the different facing planes of the face while you are sculpting.

Keep going, I'm excited to see how you progress!

[IMG][/img]

dimosM

JabacOrdof: Yeah you are probably right about the reference, it would be better if i used a specific one. As for the Asaro head, i have been looking at it for quite a while now, although i am not sure if i actually get the planes right in my sculpts.

Today's head (again without a specific reference :poly141:):

nickcomeau

The shapes of this head are looking much better. I think that it would do a lot for you if you did use at least SOME kind of reference for the head. It can only help in my opinion. The nose shape seems a bit odd to me right now as well as the ear, I would revisit those sections first.

Anthricus

Good progress so far man! Keep going.

I hope you dont mind but i have done a quick paintover and tried to highlight some of the areas you need to swap around on the profile view.

The red lines where the guides i gave myself when painting over! The main areas for change are where the sternocleidomastoid muscle joins up at the back of the head, and also the double eyelid area where the brow meets the surrounds of the eye. Your individual facial components are improoving rapidly though!

I would recommend using reference of an actor or someone else easily available rather than just working with reference for the planes of the face ( although that is a great image to refer to if you ever have a picture that is slightly skewed or off kilter).

Hope this helps!

dimosM

nickcomeau: Thanks, you are right about the nose and ear. I always say "i will revisit them when i subdivide a little more" but then i decide to start a new head and they stay like that :shifty:

Anthricus: Thanks for the paintover, i appreciate it. I tried to fix these areas in the new head. As for the actor, truth is i am still afraid to approach likeness but i have in mind 1-2 guys i would love to sculpt.

Today's sculpt:

Right now it's sitting at 170k polys, but i want to push this one and start adding some fancy skin details, so i would love any feedback

dimosM

Worked on this a little more, still haven't increased the resolution.

Anthricus

Getting better defaintely can see the improovements coming on!

Few more tips from me :

the head shape at the moment is quite pointy with the centre of the cranium protruding very high. does this match your reference?

Also the neck still needs reigning in a little if this guy is supposed to be thin / muscular in build, currently from the profile view his neck looks a bit fatty/ oversized.

Keep it up dude!

dimosM

Thanks for the feedback, i appreciate it.
Started something a little different this morning, based loosely on this concept
https://www.flickr.com/photos/44399775@N06/6837213480/sizes/o/in/photostream/



I am not sure where i am heading with this though, so any cool ideas for the design are appreciated.

nickcomeau

Interesting start. I think you're having some of the same issues you were having on the last head in terms of anatomy and proportion.

Something I would suggest is doing different kinds of heads, like men vs women, old vs young, white, asian, black, etc. Mix and match really. It will help your understanding the head a lot and will get you out of the habit of recreating the same type of head again and again.

dimosM

nickcomeau: That's a good idea, i should try and get some variation.

As for the last head, i worked a little more on it, render is within zbrush.

I think i could have spent more time polishing it but i wanna get back on sculpting.

dimosM

Today's head :

kanga

Keep working on the structure. The sculpt doesnt have to be smooth if it shows a solid build. Here the eyelids are too thin and the shape is a bit off, likewise the throat from the side view and the mastoid doesnt look like that from the front really. You should put in the part where the throat connects with the top of the sternum.

Keep it up!

dimosM

Thanks, truth is the eyelids are giving me a hard time. I tried to work on them with this sculpt but i think they are still too thin, although the shape may be better. Haven't worked on the neck at all, but i will try and update it tomorrow.

dimosM

Worked more on the last head, trying to get Aaron Eckhart likeness.
Feedback is greatly appreciated.


Main ref :

dimosM

Worked more on the likeness. Still something is throwing it off but since i can't find it i think i will call it done and move on to the next.

nickcomeau

The eyebrows and side profile are throwing it off. The eyebrows don't curve correctly and the side profile looks too flat. The likeness is getting there I see you have some asymmetry in the tertiary/pore detail, but something you should really try to do is get out of asymmetry in the secondary forms. Like the shape of his chin, his jaw height on both sides, his eyes being different shapes, etc. It will help sell the likeness a whole lot more and make it feel more natural.

dimosM

Hey again, my updates will probably get a little slower since i have got my finals coming up this week, but i will make time to work with these.

A sculpt of Vision from Marvel Comics, tried to go really planar with this one, quite enjoyed it.

Gail_Blitzy

very interesting thread - and it really looks like you are improving ^__^

dimosM

Gail_Blitzy : thank you :poly121:

dimosM

Another one :
I am not that happy with the nose and clothes are hard... but overall i think it's ok.

dimosM

Finally i decided to go for a girl
If i don't start something new, i will try and make her a little more interesting tomorrow , by breaking the symmetry and posing.
C&C appreciated.
Hair is a little weird but i got a little tired of them in the end so i just let them be.

dimosM

So i just stumbled upon this awesome concept http://zatransis.deviantart.com/art/Guile-with-a-Smile-154532177 and i just couldn't but give it a try. Shapes are a little exaggerated but so far i really enjoy this.

CharacterCarl

Hey, good job so far. You're getting some variety in there.

Here are some suggestions for your female sculpt. Hope, my scribbles are readable and this actually helps:



The most prominent thing was the circumference of her neck.

I also brought her eyes and nose down. If you wanted it to look like she's looking up she would have needed some more mass on the back of her head, I think.

Made here chin less pronounced.

Eyes were opened up a bit as well.

dimosM

DerRazputin : Thanks i can read it just fine.
Started on the awesome Kronk today, still early wip but i think it's getting there

I will probably leave the hair for last because i am super afraid of them, and lazy :poly142:

dimosM

Slowly working on the guy :

I am not sure about the smile yet but i think it looks better like that.

dimosM

Did some more work with Kronk, i think i am going to call it done.

AGarton

Haha love it, very characterful

nickcomeau

I think the area under Kronk's cheeks is a bit hollow, it's making him look a bit skeleton like. Also, because of the angle of the tip of the nose, it makes it look the bridge area under the nose. If that makes sense >.< lol

dimosM

AGarton,nickcomeau : thanks guys.

Well finals are getting the better part of my days... and like every semester in one of my "i am so bored to study, let's aimlessly browse youtube" journeys i came upon this awesome cartoon called Korgoth of Barbaria (too bad it's just one episode) and decided to make the main character.

It's still a wip but i like it so far.

For those of you that don't know it , that's how this guy looks most the time :

dimosM

Moving on with this, next is hair :

dimosM

So... i got carried away and yes he definitely doesn't look like Korgoth anymore... He is now an one eyed guy with a monk haircut who looks like Abraham Lincoln.

dimosM

So, i decided to take a step back and work to the fundamentals focusing on planes and transitions. Both are at 8k polys, one male, one female. Hopefully it's clear which one is which.

CharacterCarl

Ha, love the Abe monk. Good job!
I think corner of the jaw on your newest female sculpt is too pronounced, though. Also eyes should be lower, like last time:

dimosM

Hey DerRazputin, thanks for the feedback. I actually didn't have access to the internet for some days so i just saw it but i think the new sculpt actually implements it just fine, although the jaw may still be too pronounced.

dimosM

Working on the male , trying out different hair too, still a wip.

dimosM

Working on an Arnold Schwarzenegger likeness. I don't really want to subdivide the face more so i can move to the next one, but i can't really get the upper eyelids right. I either don't have enough resolution (it's currently at 41k) or i am sculpting it wrong. It's probably the latter so i may start them over tomorrow.

dimosM

So i decided to work more on this one. I will polish the body more but i am not sure if i should merge it with the head. I hate going into dynamesh and then having to zremesh again . I am also thinking of going with fibermesh for the hair.

Veezen

Good improve. Keep going forward

dimosM

Thanks Veezen, i will.
So i started a new likeness, this time going for Tyrion Lannister but i have to say i am having a hard time finding some good ref for this guy with shorter hair , so i can take a better look to his forehead.


Andd with so many heads i was actually starting to forget my anatomy to the point where i was looking for muscle origins and insertions again, so i decided to start a couple of anatomy studies too.
A muscular guy which i didn't want to make too muscular to the point where he looks stylized or incorrect.

And a thinner guy which again i didn't want to make too thin, he is not supposed to be starving, just not eating that much.

Any feedback is welcome