Sketchbook: cgBrad
polycounter lvl 5
I've recently taken up 3D Modeling and Sculpting. I've spent the better part of the last 6 weeks testing out various packages including Blender, Modo 901, 3D-Coat, Mudbox, and ZBrush.
Although I have a certain love for 3D-Coat, it is obvious after some use that it is not as good of a sculpting program as ZBrush, despite the much better interface.
Blender feels too basic, I don't really see the advantages. I've seen some solid work come out of blender, but most of the really good stuff is Blender + ZBrush or something like that.
Mudbox for me was just too basic, although I theory craft that 3D-Coat to create your base meshes and then Mudbox to detail sculpt could really work as a poor mans ZBrush. As you could get 3D-Coat Educational license for $100 and then $10/mo for Mudbox.
If only there where more educational videos. I don't have enough knowledge in the field so that leaves ZBrush. I've worked though a number of tutorials to learn the basics and was ready to start learning more advanced stuff.
I've used Digital Tutors for a lot of the basic ZBrush stuff, but felt like, they where really lacking in character sculpting. After digging around the Polycount forum I found a sweet thread filled with links to Gumroad tutorials, one that really stood out was Redbeard's set of tutorials. Although a bit pricey I thought, what the fuck lets do it, so I got the advanced ZBrush and character design tutorial.
Not totally ready for it, and flying partly from the seat of my pants. The tutorial assumes you have some understanding of how ZBrush works. So there has been a bit of time learning some of the things he glosses over.
The following is my progress through the first 5 videos (2.5-3 hours), which has taken me in real time probably like 12-15 hours.
Critiques welcome, but I am a noob.
I am working on a Wacom Cintiq 21UX.
You can view the entire album here.
Tutorial concept
Start to form the body using ZSpheres in to very low poly object.
ZSpehres in to very low poly object. Very basic shaping of head.
Starting to subdivide and shape the head.
Learning techniques of using curve tubes to create the flesh around the eye.
More modeling including nose, eyes, and lips / mouth. The big thing in this show is the ears though as I spent a ton of time on them and still feel they are shit. But the goal is to learn techniques not necessary have everything be A+ my first time out.
Side view, see next image description.
Front view.
End of video 5, head block-out. Includes Dynameshing the ears and all other details together. Using ZRemesher to create a whole new set of low poly geometry and then subdividing up and re-sculpting some details. Also lots of tweaking, and closing the mouth.
Needs some more work around the eye but fuck it, time to move on.
Although I have a certain love for 3D-Coat, it is obvious after some use that it is not as good of a sculpting program as ZBrush, despite the much better interface.
Blender feels too basic, I don't really see the advantages. I've seen some solid work come out of blender, but most of the really good stuff is Blender + ZBrush or something like that.
Mudbox for me was just too basic, although I theory craft that 3D-Coat to create your base meshes and then Mudbox to detail sculpt could really work as a poor mans ZBrush. As you could get 3D-Coat Educational license for $100 and then $10/mo for Mudbox.
If only there where more educational videos. I don't have enough knowledge in the field so that leaves ZBrush. I've worked though a number of tutorials to learn the basics and was ready to start learning more advanced stuff.
I've used Digital Tutors for a lot of the basic ZBrush stuff, but felt like, they where really lacking in character sculpting. After digging around the Polycount forum I found a sweet thread filled with links to Gumroad tutorials, one that really stood out was Redbeard's set of tutorials. Although a bit pricey I thought, what the fuck lets do it, so I got the advanced ZBrush and character design tutorial.
Not totally ready for it, and flying partly from the seat of my pants. The tutorial assumes you have some understanding of how ZBrush works. So there has been a bit of time learning some of the things he glosses over.
The following is my progress through the first 5 videos (2.5-3 hours), which has taken me in real time probably like 12-15 hours.
Critiques welcome, but I am a noob.
I am working on a Wacom Cintiq 21UX.
You can view the entire album here.
Tutorial concept
Start to form the body using ZSpheres in to very low poly object.
ZSpehres in to very low poly object. Very basic shaping of head.
Starting to subdivide and shape the head.
Learning techniques of using curve tubes to create the flesh around the eye.
More modeling including nose, eyes, and lips / mouth. The big thing in this show is the ears though as I spent a ton of time on them and still feel they are shit. But the goal is to learn techniques not necessary have everything be A+ my first time out.
Side view, see next image description.
Front view.
End of video 5, head block-out. Includes Dynameshing the ears and all other details together. Using ZRemesher to create a whole new set of low poly geometry and then subdividing up and re-sculpting some details. Also lots of tweaking, and closing the mouth.
Needs some more work around the eye but fuck it, time to move on.
Replies
Subscribed to see your progress as I find myself in a similar position skill-wise (I am a 2d animator trying to make the transition into the CG world) and am also trying to learn new modeling techniques. I noticed through your album that the mouth was first modeled open, and then closed later on. -Was this remodeled, or does this implore a technique, in which the topology exists on the inside of the mouth- perhaps to allow for blend shapes/rigging in the future? (I haven't had a chance to watch the tutorials yet).
Also, have you ever modeled hard surface- base meshes is another program like maya first and zbrushed later? I have not tried that zsphere base mesh method, but every attempt I've made to base mesh in zbrush leaves me with a jumbled, organic messh (see what I did there?) which makes it very hard to model proportionately, and organized, with a good sense of design down the road. Just wondering what your (or anyone's) experiences are with that.
If I have any advice for you as a 2D visual artist, is that everything you do artistically is approached from broad strokes to finer details. The ears really stand out in the design, so it's really easy to get hung up in the details of them, but your rough block-in is most important in terms of over all design and proportion, and will dictate the appeal of the finished piece. The base mesh looks quite dense from the beginning (Again, going back to my problem with zbrush base meshes) and makes it very hard to play with, and push around basic shapes and proportions.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B38fCPr-UUaPaC13eFY1cm82amc/view?usp=sharing
I sketched out a very rough thumbnail to illustrate the concept (Excuse my shitty drawing, I'm at work and only have flash to work with). The drawing in red roughly shows the proportions of your model, compared to my perception of the design you are working off of. Notice the dynamic range of the basic's shapes sizes?
I realize this is a technical skill building exercise however, and think it's looking great!
As a small tip, you should use the spheres of the eyes to your advantage. When your eyelids are cutting into them like they are at the corners, try going to a lower subdivision and using the move brush, with a radius about the size of the offending area, and gently push the mesh forward. One nice trick with the move brush is holding Alt, and then the move brush will push the mesh towards or away from the camera.
So this is I think video 6, where we are just going in and doing some more sculpting on the body and subdividing a bit in preparation of doing the hands.
Tutorial uses ZModeler to create the hand, after playing with Zmodeler I kind of hated it. It's just not intuitive for ploy modeling of any complexity, great for basic edits and stuff.
So I jumped in to Blender and did the basic hand shape. Did I save any time? Don't know, would probably still do it this way though.
I import the hand in to ZBrush and then subdivide a few times, start adding some details, rearrange some stuff.
I mean, not A+ shit or anything but looks like a hand. Good enough for tutorial purpose me thinks. I would like to rotate the thumb a bit, but transpose master is a cunt. Down with transpose master!
Video 8 is all about attaching all your current subtools together. Our head, body, and hands are all their own tool. So you learn how to stitch everything together with the CurveBridge tool.
You also focus on projecting all the detail back on to the low polys you just combined.
Same of video 8. Just 3/4 view.
Video 9 is all about doing clothes block in. In this first section we use a ZSphere technique to create the pants.
Video 9 continued. He teaches you 3 ways to do clothing pieces. The pants with ZSpheres, the under shirt with the topology tool, and the jacket which is just copy your body, selected parts of it and then delete the rest, then inflate. Pretty basic stuff. I totally fucked up the under shirt around the shoulder area, lesson learned, you'll never see it, so I guess saving grace.
Dont worry about the clothes form, we'll go back and refine that stuff later.
This was all taught in the video. It is indeed modeled open at first. There was a small opening for the mouth at one point, we then put a "mouth bag" in the mouth (which really fills out the mouth and some of the throat area) as it's for animation purpose. He then teaches you how to actually close the mouth and resculpt the area around it.
This guy you must understand works for Disney and lots of the stuff he shows you has to do with creating clean topology and animation friendly mesh.
You will see in my latest updates I did my base hands in Blender, so yes, you totally can. ZBrush also has basic poly modeling functionality with ZModeler if you want to use that. I like using a traditional poly modeling program though because I like to be able to grab my verts, edges, and faces in a sane manner. I'm no pro obviously, so whatever works for you.
Redbeard also goes though using ZSpheres for the head, and then doing like low poly blockout work with it. You should not fear the ZSphere.
Yeah I find one of the hardest parts of this tutorial is that he doesn't necessarily follow the concept. Good or bad I guess. It feels like he's simply trying to teach you more than follow the concept, and hell maybe we come back to the ear or whatever and so something to it later. But he is fond of at least doing something one way, then totally changing it later. I wish I didn't focus so much on certain parts, because that's not how I would do my own.
Detailing the pants
Add belt out and belt buckle with ZModeler.
Model he belt buckle pin with ZModeler.
Add the actuall belt part that goes through the buckle with the curve straps tool.
End of video 10. Added some holes in the belt, belt loops, and some refinements. Still needs some work on smoothing the transition between the two belt pieces.
Back view. No belt loops on the side or back, they wont be seen because of the coat he'll be wearing.
Adjusting the shirt, adding some folds. Added a button to the shirt. He shows you how to model a button from scratch, but ain't no one got time for that. Googled a shirt button and imported it, add the thread to it manually with curve tubes.
Back.
Anyways, WIP shots
And a quick render with subd on, with default settings, I don't know really how the rending stuff works at all.
Render
3/4
Side
Following the tutorial here: https://gumroad.com/vling
Using MODO 901 Indie. Boolean modeling, texturing, and rendering in MODO.