Just Another Head Sculpt...

pmcgowan

Hail Polycounters!

Long time lurker, first time poster here - I've hardened my skin and am ready to brave this great community's crits.

So I use Max primarily but have just been having too much fun with Sculptris lately. I find Scultpris to be more educational for anatomy studies than max and I figured I should post the obligatory male bust.

I haven't gone into any small detail really I just want to make sure I'm at least on the right track and that the proportions are anatomically correct. I tend to have a hard time getting the cranial volume right as well as difficulty with how the brow ridge transitions into the side of the skull.

A paintover demonstrating what I am doing wrong would be greatly appreciated.

My Photoshare

Thanks!
Pete

PS I didn't use a reference image

BrontoThunder

Why didn't you use a reference?

Permafrost

Always, Always, Always use reference for what you are working on. You can never have enough. The lack of reference clearly shows in this sculpt. You have a good start but just check anatomy reference very often, it's very easy for the smallest detail to throw off an otherwise amazing sculpt.

Just some quick observations on the sculpt, i'm no expert on anatomy though so please correct me if I am wrong, would be that the ears seem too big compared to the rest of the head. The jaw seems a little to pronounced, almost cartoonish in a way, not sure if that is what you were going for or not. Just compare it to some references and you should be fine you have a decent start though.

pmcgowan

BrontoThunder wrote: »

Why didn't you use a reference?

I'm trying to get to the point where I can speed sculpt a head from memory and just know what to fix by looking at it.


@ Permafrost - Thanks for the advice, I see what you're saying about the jaw. As mentioned I am going for anatomically correct, I can't seem to get away from the hero jaw

Yokai

pmcgowan wrote: »

I'm trying to get to the point where I can speed sculpt a head from memory and just know what to fix by looking at it.


@ Permafrost - Thanks for the advice, I see what you're saying about the jaw. As mentioned I am going for anatomically correct, I can't seem to get away from the hero jaw

I believe using references is not only common (even among good artists) but it can also give you better results. There's no reason to handicap yourself by not using references. Eventually the process of modeling a face will be near second-nature, but I wouldn't handicap yourself by ignoring real life in order to do so because it will be much harder.

For not using a reference, it looks like a good start. But honestly, studying real-life subjects seems as though it's really important to getting to the point where you can just do it on a whim. Granted, this doesn't mean you have to copy the figure exactly as you see it, but it will give you a good idea of the common relationships each part of the body and that's the important thing to memorize.

BrontoThunder

pmcgowan wrote: »

I'm trying to get to the point where I can speed sculpt a head from memory and just know what to fix by looking at it.

And the best way to get to that point is by using a lot of reference.

pmcgowan

UPDATE

I've been looking at some anatomy references and here's my progress so far. Nixed the hair because it wasn't making things any easier. Eyebrows are just a block in for reference atm and detail on ears and eyes needs to be fine tuned still.




Still a ways to go so any suggestions would be much appreciated.

MissMaddyTaylor

Can you post the reference you've been using? It'll make it easier for us to critique. Are you going for a realistic head? Stylized? By seeing your reference, we can help with the direction you're going in.

pmcgowan

Well at the suggestion of previous posters I've been using an many varied references such as photographic images and anatomy drawings. Admittedly, to me he still looks comical (this is a bad thing). :poly124:

My end goal is that this dude will look both unique and realistic. I'm not necessarily trying to translate a single reference into a sculpt - its more of a proportion/anatomy study.

Is this the wrong approach? Would it be more beneficial to take one image and lock myself in a room until the sculpt looks exactly like it as practice before trying to create my own "person"? I can understand that the results/success of the former would be more easily measurable.

Previously I modeled a rudimentary head in max using transparent material modelling directly from orthangonal front and side reference photos. Is this possible/advisable in sculptris/zbrush?

I know there's stil alot out of place but I am having problems determining what exactly is off. I want to make sure I'm on the right track for when I next get a chance to work on it.

Permafrost

What I would recommend is to start off with a skull, once you get the shape and proportions of the skull down move on to facial muscles, you will need a good understanding of this in order for any character you are to make have a believable face, and body if you model a body as well. Then once you have a good understanding of that then move on to putting it all together in a sculpt or model whatever you wish.

pmcgowan

Thanks for the advise Permafrost - working my way through the skull. Here`s My progress so far, hopefully my next post will have the beginnings of muscles.

ZacD

woah man, those proportions are still way off, the jaw looks like it needs to be way wider, the front of the face from a side view is concave when it should be convex.

Permafrost

heres some things that I noticed that are a little of to my eye.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Raider

Not trying to be a dick here but that skull is just wrong in pretty much every way and to be honest the best crit i can think to give is a link to human skulls... Better off working from reference, using low SubD to get the forms in and then doing detail.

http://www.google.com.au/search?q=human%20skull&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1680&bih=934