[Asking for Critique] First sculpting of male head - Stage 1

viperex76

Hello everyone!

I'm done for today. I'm after few hours of sculpting male head (human head overall) first time and I feel like it is a time for review and fixing before jumping into details. I haven't been using any reference images or pictures. I sculpt using mouse.I know already that ears and eyes need much work still but I'm curious about overall feel and propotions. Does the head looks believable? What can I do better?

I don't know if it is right place for such a questions or the forum is intended to show more advanced works, so if it is not a place for newbii problems let me know :-)

Brian "Panda" Choi

You're in the right place.

Are you intentionally giving this guy an expression?

Drocho

Good start, but something funky is going on with his mouth, particularly the top lip. His cheeks also might be a little too pronounced, but fixing the lips might sort that out. I really like the eyes, but I'd probably also flatten down the middle of the eyebrows, it looks a little cartoonish. I would advise using some reference, it makes all the difference.

viperex76

Thank you for answers! Expression has not been intentional but 'oversized' cheeks yes. I'm treating this sculpt as a lesson and I wanted all the male head fetures like squared jaw eyebrows cheek bones to be seen clearly. If it is right place then I'm going show the progress soon :-)

viperex76

Okay, I did research on how things looks and fixed a bit of everything eyes, ears, lips and made eyebrows smaller but I'm not sure I'm happy with that still. Also I used Zremesher to make low poly version so I could take him to Substance Painter where I plan work on skin details and texturing. It came out not so best so I'm not showing it yet. Critique welcomed as always :-)

Brian "Panda" Choi

Additional Notes:

The peaks of your philtrum (the valley above the nose) is too sharp.  Soften them.

Your nose lacks the planar forms it needs.  Look at this and recreate it: https://myshadesofgray.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/nose_tutorial_by_masterss.jpg

Your sternocledoid mastoid muscle is not making a line from your sternum to the base of the ears.  Fix that and make it exist properly.

There's no form accounting for the masseter muscles of the mouth.  Add mass there; jowls end generally at that point when they move away from the front of the face.

Stop using this particular matcap, use something that's more neutral like a grey clay mat cap.

viperex76

Hello, here I am again. At first thank you so much for really helpful constructive critique! I have hope I took a lesson from it and my last attempt to fix him made things better not worse. So I have redone eyebrows and eyelids, nose, space under eyes, chin and jaw line, also tried add face muscles. How about now? Anything better? :-)

Brian "Panda" Choi

Looking better.  You're grabbing a lot more of the subtle forms and muscles that lie underneath the skin of the face.

The eyelids still don't seem thick enough.  There needs to be space made for the eyelashes.

Slightly soften the rim of your lips.

His eyes should not be that wide open when you're at rest.

You still forgot about the sternocleidoid mastoid muscle on the sides of the neck.  Put that in and shape it out.

Look at your own face at rest, and other people's  Your top eyelid takes off a third top of the iris if you're starting straight forward.

This is contributing to the "expression" I keep mentioning: eyes wide open, brow that's raised, etc.  If you're plan is to have this at a neutral expression, you need to relax his face.  Right now, he looks pepectually surprised.  Was that your intention, or did you want it to be at neutral?

viperex76

Hello and big thanks again! Nothing with the look has been intentional. All I wanted starting the sculpt was a try if I can sculpt without pen and tablet as I have to live without it because of health reason. So I started sculpting without any reference images and came out with what you can see. Indeed he look a bit suprised it was not intentionally but I have nothing against keeping this expression as I think it make him look more 'alive'. This time I have redone eyebrows and eyelids, lips a little and tried add muscles on the neck. How about now? :-) Already my goal is to make him look good enough to put him into my future portfolio without shame. 

Brian "Panda" Choi

It looks better, but I'd recommend being intentional about this "alive" expression and 200% lean into it.  Open mouth, stretched muscles and creases, the whole shebang and then some.  Show that you know how to capture the expressions of a persons face for your portfolio.

I am impressed you did this with mouse.

viperex76

Well, I'm impressed watching your portfolio :-) Exactly I didn't make it with mouse, I did it with this: https://naturalpoint.com/smartnav/ and connection of voice control software and on-screen keyboard. It is the way I use computer. I know that pen and tablet is a must for everyone who thinks about CG seriously but in my case it is unavailable. The point is I want reach the point where you will be impressed with my sculpt not because it is sculpted with mouse. I'm not sure it is in my range or not but that's what I'm trying :-) Thank you again, I don't know if I feel like opening his mouts but I'll report the progress soon!