ZBRUSH: How to fold (if is the correct word) part of a subtool

FrancoArmani54 · Mar 1 2025

Hi, i'm new in the site and new to zbrush. I'm actually sculpting an anthropomorphic character and i'm trying to sculpt the ears like in the reference.

Here is the sculpt:

Here is the reference:

first i tried sculpting adding volume at the border of the upper ear and then add volume towards the inside but was pretty bad and time consuming (i'm a noob). Have you some suggests on other ways to reproduce this?

Neox · Mar 2 2025

I think this would be a prime example for creating a simple basemesh to sculpt from. This shape would be very easy to construct with just a few polygons. You could probably do that in zmodeller if you want to stay inside zbrush

FrancoArmani54 · Mar 2 2025

thanks @Neox, the ZModeler actually is a strange and mysterious tool for me, thanks for the answer and i'll properly learn it sooner or later. So you suggest to make it from a simpler mesh and then merge it with the sculpt of the head? Because the main goal of the sculpt was to sculpt it in zbrush for learning the software then send it to blender for the retopology, rigging etc...

Neox · Mar 2 2025

There are a few ways to get to a sculpt. When you know what you want to create, building a basemesh for that usually is the cleaner and more effective approach. This could also cut down your needed time for the retopo as you already have a base.

But yeah if you wanna dynamesh things for instance, you could build thay ear seperate, then combine and smooth the transition

FrancoArmani54 · Mar 2 2025

yeah, i tought it and yeah it could improve my sculpting time, i just wanted do make it full sculpt for... idk just because i wanted to go full sculpt for inexperience i think, so for the upper side for the ear where at the attach of the head they "fold" i wanted to know if in full sculpting is makeable

@Neox still thanks for the answers and for taking your time

Noren · Mar 2 2025

However you do it, it's easier to do it one-sided and with a low resolution first and then add thickness later.

Yesbird · Mar 3 2025

Combination of masking, rotation, moving and following correction with Move and Smooth brushes can do the trick, but will take more time and effort then the low-poly modelling approach, described above.

iam717 · Mar 6 2025

Video:

if you take some time to learn the clothsim from zbrush (idk what version you are using) this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIH_FHy5i4o

talks about it, though i really did not watch it but the general idea from what i see is there and your ask is simple enough that from just reviewing the img and reference.

c&c:

If you rotated it tip of ear down to floor plane of the application and run the sim you should get probably 100% what you wanted in a few seconds.

guide search tips:

just adding .02'cents & video. if you did not want to use a clothsim, but to learn folds running a search on artstation for folds will turn up some helpful explanations and also the blogg section there was someone if i remember a year or so ago talking about how to do folds and twitch site had a video explanation. If you need it i could try my best to grab the exact one.

ZBRUSH: How to fold (if is the correct word) part of a subtool

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