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chapter 02
Page 14 | Mammal-Man
chapter 03
Page 22 | Aquatic-Man
chapter 04
Page 36 | Amphibian Man
chapter 05
Page 46 | Insect-Man
chapter 06
Page 58 | Reptilian-Man
- Free MatCap
- Free Movies
- Free Base Mesh
Bird-Man
Created In:
ZBrush, 3ds Max & Photoshop
Introduction
Im going to kick this brand new Manimal
series off this chapter by sculpting and texturing
a bird-man. I will need to sculpt a creature
with some aspects of both a bird and a man,
and then texture it to complete the tutorial. Ill
walk you through my creative process and my
workflow, discuss those things that are most
important, and explain some tips and tricks that I
use when creating characters in ZBrush. So lets
get started!
Concept
One of the most common mistakes that I see
people make is starting to work without first
thinking about what it is theyre doing they just
open ZBrush and start to sculpt. When I start
a new project, I like to do some research for
references, information, inspiration, or simply
look for something that will help me to find an
interesting idea based on my theme or brief.
This way, I can start my sculpting work with
more objectivity.
objective
is simply
to find some good shapes with desirable
features (Fig.05). I sculpt in some fake
eyes too, just for a rapid guide its easier
to make adjustments to the entire sculpt
without many SubTools. Later on, I will use
some spheres as eyes.
I make use of a mask for the nails, too. I draw a mask in the desired
form for the nails and then invert it. I use the Move and Standard brush
to pull off all the nails, and with the Smooth brush I soften the shape
before inverting the mask again. With the Inflat brush I can then work on
achieving some great volume (Fig.10).
Im using Smart ReSym again now, but this before you perform this kind of task on your with alphas (Alpha 01, for example). To make
time Im working with more details. I always model (Fig.11). the final details I start to use more skin alphas
start using Smart ReSym at the lowest levels of (human skin, reptile, pores, etc.) over the entire
subdivision and will use it again for each level For the final details, I use the Standard brush sculpt but not as a sculpting tool; I use masks
of subdivision ahead, but its important to be with a thin alpha (like Alpha 39), sometimes with over some parts (Fig.12) and I can then sculpt
careful because its very common for crashes Lazy Mouse turned on, for laying down some over with different intensities and brushes
and errors to happen. So always save your work wrinkles, as well as the Inflat and Clay brushes (Standard for all details, and then a little bit of
Texturing
I usually use MatCap White to begin my texture
work, starting my texturing job with Polypainting.
I make a rough base colour over the entire
sculpt (Menu > Colour > Fill Object) and define
some warm tones (like the ears, and thin skin,
and so on) (Fig.14).
Rendering &
Compositing
I use GW_Skincore as the main final shader
(which can be downloaded at www.pixologic.
com, thanks to Grant Warwick), two Toy
Plastic shaders (with some adjustments made
in Material > Modifiers to show only specular,
and in SpecularCurve), one for a more open
specular, and another for a thin specular, as
shown in the example (Fig.19a), a Reflected
Mat Material for fake reflections, and a custom
shader for SSS (Sub Surface Scattering)
(Fig.19b).
Bruno Melo
For more from this artist please his website:
http://bmelo.cgsociety.org/gallery/
or contact him at:
bmmsouza@gmail.com
Mammal-Man
Created In: ZBrush
Introduction
When I was asked to create something for this
Manimal series of tutorials, I snatched up the
Mammal-Man option and thought I had a really
nice opportunity to design and create something
really cool. But when I started thinking about
which kind of mammal to base it from, I was
really torn. I mean all I have to do is create
a human body and stick on some random
mammals head and call it a day, right? Wrong!
I have to think about the expression, the pose,
the character itself There has to be a reason
why I choose with a certain kind. So I decided
the best bet would be to create something that
isnt anything specific at all, and so Im going
with the idea of doing a hybrid. Deer and cows
came to mind as my foundation because I know
that they get spooked, or get caught in the
headlights which may lend to a fun pose of
being spooked and recoiling!
Sculpting
Starting off, I do my usual setup of Polygroups.
To do this, press Shift + Ctrl, and click and drag
to isolate the polys you want included in a group
(i.e. the head and neck). To hide any polys
directly, you can Shift + Ctrl-click and drag,
and then let go of Shift. It sounds complicated
them by going down to the Tools > Polygroups brushes. The Move brush is good for literally
but once your fingers remember the pattern,
rollout and click on Group Visible. Auto Groups transforming polys around based on the brush
its really simple. Youre basically toggling that
will group your model by separate elements so size and Focal Shift. I like to turn up my Focal
Shift key after you click and drag. Once you
thats handy too. So after this I continue on by Shift to get a higher falloff. Its great for getting
have the intended polys isolated, you can group
blocking out major forms of muscle groups. I your low-poly base mesh in the right forms
need to establish the design of the head of the early on. The Clay brush is a good brush for
character early on. I pull out the ears, enlarge slowly building up forms, which is what I do in
the eyes, and draw the snout out in order to the first 2-3 levels of subdivision before moving
make it look a bit more like a deer type animal to fancier details or wrinkles/folds. Its nice
(Fig.01). because it has a nice built in falloff thats real
soft on the edges, but flat in the centre. Clay
I thought itd be fun to give him some hooves Tubes brush is similar to Clay, but its a bit more
on his hands, but only to replace a couple of his rough and excellent for setting up muscle flow.
fingers. I dont want to get too literal or realistic I like to change the alpha to a circular one with
with it, though. At this stage Im just using a tight falloff and turn up the Focal Shift a bit so
Move, Clay, Clay Tubes, and occasionally Inflat its not so harsh. For both Clay and Clay Tubes
completely exposed; the other eye squinting and SW_Wrinkles_02.psd from the Pixologic To start with, I go to the Tool menu and open
and wincing in anticipation. The eyebrows are alpha library (www.pixologic.com/zbrush/ the Texture rollout. I turn on Colorize. Now I can
pulled up with a worried feel; the mouth corners downloadcenter/alpha) (Fig.06). paint on my colours using any of the sculpting
turned down; the nostrils slightly flared out from brushes. When youre doing this, just be sure
breathing in sharply. Later on, the detail I add To do the hair, I use the SnakeHook brush with to turn off ZAdd; its also usually a good idea
will be to support the pose of the face: wrinkles a pores alpha, a large brush size, and at full to work at a low RGB level, but thatll depend
above the eyebrow, bulging around the corner RGB intensity I methodically lay the hair effects on what youre doing. I like to tear off the Color
of the mouth, folds for ear connections, and so in (Fig.07 08). menu and dock it to the right so I can pick
on (Fig.05). colours easily as I go. You can either select
Texturing colour by dragging into the colour picker area,
After getting the basic look for the face sorted, I For texturing, I do it entirely by Polypainting, clicking on the modifiers tab and having a lot
go back to sculpting the rest of the body. Since with no texture maps. To set up for Polypainting, of different kinds of swatches, or by clicking
Ive posed out the character, I can no longer run your model needs to be at the highest on the main colour square and dragging
regular symmetry, so I have to turn on Poseable subdivision because it will be assigning an RGB anywhere on the screen to pick a
Symmetry. Ill turn it off every now and then to value for every poly the more polys, the better colour. Also remember that you can
do some asymmetrical work in areas that need the resolution of your painting. For this tutorial, use the Shift key to
independent attention because of the pose. So I I could subdivide my model one more time, blend and blur your
continue to define out the forms and cut in areas but this would put me at 5 million polys and Polypainting
to express the nature of the muscles, bones, my laptop gets a little shaky at this kind of poly (Fig.09).
tendons and skin, now that I have a set pose. I count. So for the sake of my sanity doing this
also add some skin texture effects by using the tutorial, Im working with the 1.25 million poly The first thing
Standard brush, DragRect, ZIntensity 10-20, model and painting that. I want to paint
Jesse Sandifer
For more from this artist visit
http://www.jessesandifer.com
or contact
jessesandifer@gmail.com
Aquatic-Man
Software Used: ZBrush
Introduction
I was asked to create a character for this tutorial
article under the heading of Aquatic-Man,
to show how ZBrush can be utilized to sculpt
and texture such an extraordinary creature,
thought up from the depths of my imagination by
crossing human elements with those of aquatic
beings. Heres how well go about creating such
an amalgamation in this second part of the
Manimal tutorial series.
Base Mesh
I decide to work straight from the offset by
sculpting directly in ZBrush from the base mesh
provided (Fig.01 02 you can download the
same base mesh with this tutorial look out
for the Free Resources logo), without creating
a concept before starting. I find ZBrush is a
pretty cool tool that enables you to figure out
good designs directly in 3D, without the need for
preliminary drawings on every occasion.
Sculpting in ZBrush
So to start, I choose a material for the base
mesh that I think most suitable and that will
help in this initial sculpting stage. You can try
different materials by clicking on the sphere
on the left-hand side of the screen. Using
Transpose I manipulate the character into a
pose closer to what I imagine the final character
will be in something like that of a creature
moving through the current of water (Fig.03
05). To use Transpose, youll see at the top of
the screen the Move, Scale and Rotate buttons in this case Im using
the Rotate function. To make a mask in order to move individual elements
of the model, you simply hold down Ctrl and drag your cursor over the
model. You then simply need to draw a line from the rotation point to the
point that you need in order to successfully move your model.
I decide to add some skin plates and scales to the character to give him
a fishy look, also pulling the jaw out quite a lot as you can see in some
deep sea fish creatures all the while checking the silhouette is working
and the design is strong (Fig.08 11). Im still working in the third level of
add some accents throughout my models now at some points and add some final detail to
designs in order to achieve this. finish up work on the head (Fig.44 48). You
can activate or deactivate Symmetry using the
Because organic creatures are not perfectly X shortcut key. Again, Im using the Clay brush
symmetrical, Im going to break up the symmetry to give the skins surface a nice organic feel,
Texturing in ZBrush
Right then, its time to start texturing in ZBrush
now. I always use a fast shader for textures
and avoid using colored shaders for this part of
the process. So simply change the color to one
that you prefer and fill the object (Fig.58 59).
Simply choose the material from the Material
palette (remember its the sphere on the left-
hand side of the screen), and then go to Color >
Fill Object.
can simply take your photo into Photoshop and I can also use the DragRect stroke to apply
follow the afore-mentioned procedure. After some color, remembering to turn off ZAdd for
youve imported it into your Alpha palette you this part of the texturing process (Fig.64 66).
can then paint using the Alpha as a brush. If you change the stroke to DragRect, youll be
Rendering
When youre happy with the coloring of your
ZBrush creation you can then go on and render
it. You can find lots of great MatCaps at the
ZBrush Download Center: www.pixologic.com/
zbrush/downloadcenter. Theres plenty of good
stuff there, including some nice plugins and
videos which are always very helpful.
around with all the different light settings, in fog using the sliders. As usual, play around with
order to better understand what each is used for the settings to increase your understanding of
and what it can achieve. what they do. When ready, click on the Best
button to render.
With your lighting setup ready to go, you need
to render. So go to Menu > Render there youll To create a final image of my character I render
find the render options. You can turn on the Fog out the following render passes in ZBrush:
and Depth Cue functions, and youll also find a
slider to change the intensity and range of the Lighting a fast shader with no textures
depth of field. If you open up the Fog menu (you Mask using Flat Color will allow us to
can find it right below in the Depth Cue menu) separate the character from the background
you can change the color of the first and forth Constant Diffuse using Flat Color with
quads to a darker color (I usually use a very textures you can get back some of the
dark gray and a dark bluish gray). Once again, texture detail lost after rendering, as well as
you can change the intensity and range of the getting better contrast over the final image
Conclusion
I found the workflow that I employed for
this piece quite successful, although I do
recommend that you come up with a more
exact idea of what you want to model before
you start a new character design, as Im sure I
could have come up with a much better design
for this creature, in hindsight, if I had done
some preliminary sketches at the beginning.
Another nice process that can improve character
creation is to retopologize your model, make a
UVW map and export the maps (displacement,
normal and diffuse) in order to then render your
image in other 3D software for better results.
This is particularly a good, quick workflow for
animation production.
Diego Maia
For more from this artist visit
http://maia3d.blogspot.com/
or contact
maia3d@gmail.com
chapter 4
Manimal ZBrush Character Creation eBook Part 4 - Amphibian Man
Amphibian Man
Software Used: ZBrush & Photoshop
Introduction
This chapter Im going to be sculpting and
texturing an amphibian-man, so I will need to
sculpt a mutant with aspects of both amphibians
and humans, and then proceed to texture it in
the final stages of this tutorial. Ill be taking you
through my creative process when creating
characters in ZBrush, guiding you through the
stages, enabling you to create your very own
amphibian-man. Youll hopefully pick up some
tips and tricks along the way as well, so lets
begin without further ado! creatures, allowing me to work out in my mind With the overall form established, Ive decided
the kind of features my guy is going to adopt. to go for an open-mouthed character, as this
Concept gives him much better expression. To do this,
Whenever I start a new project I begin by Ive chosen to combine the characteristics of a I subdivide again, to level 3 this time, and I
doing research on the brief that I have been toad with that of the human, but I want to keep rework the mouth area using the Standard,
given, looking for references, information, and a lot of the male anatomy in my creature this Move and Clay brushes (Standard is used for
inspiration anything that will help me to come time and concentrate on adding the primary the overall sculpting, the Move brush helps to
up with an interesting concept. amphibious design to his head, focusing on the move the geometry, and the Clay brush can
mouth, as well detailing the skin texture of the achieve a better shape, for example on the lips).
With this I mind, I begin my amphibian-man whole design to give it that toad-like feel. In this case, its better to rework the mouth area,
project by searching for photographic references because if I try to open up the mouth, using
of different types of amphibians mostly toads Blocking-In something like Transpose or the Move brush,
and frogs to familiarize myself with some Im looking for a more stylized creature with this Ill end up with a low mesh resolution inside
classic characteristics of these amphibious design: strong in build, perhaps with a crazy the mouth, which can of course be a problem
expression going on to define a personality and because with a low resolution mesh (to check
give him some character. if you have a low number of polygons in areas,
turn on the Wireframe for a better view) I wont
So with the concept forming in my mind, the have a good enough amount of polygons for
first thing I want to do is to start the model the detail work in the last level of subdivision
off by taking the base mesh (free with this (Fig.02).
tutorial click on the Free Resources icon to
download), turning the symmetry on (Transform Sculpting
> Activate Symmetry), and blocking in the main Satisfied with the basic form of my character
shapes and forms (subdivision levels 1-2) whilst after the block-in, I continue work at subdivision
remembering that I want to build a tough guy level 3 with the Standard, Clay and Inflat
with muscles and a strong body. I use the Clay brushes. This time, I start by using the Inflat
and Standard brushes for this work these brush to get nice muscle definition, and then
are great for building up the volumes, and then continue to define the main muscles and
the Move brush is particularly useful when it adjust the overall volumes (Fig.03). Im still not
comes to working out the correct proportions. worrying about the details yet, as we should
Im working in the first level of subdivision here remember that our goal is to work out good
(Fig.01). shapes and volumes before detailing the
detailing comes later!
Texturing
Moving onto the texturing work now, I make a
rough base color over the entire sculpt (Menu >
Color > Fill Object), and then define some of the
warmer tones, such as on the chest. To illustrate
the thin skin, for example, just change your
desired color and give it a lower RGB Intensity.
Using the Standard brush with FreeHand stroke
I can complete this initial stage without any
problems (Fig.15a).
Rendering &
Compositing
I use this stage of the design process to make
my work pop, using passes, blending modes, The second step is to configure the main I want to make some adjustments now by going
and masks. I shall try now to talk you through shader which will be used as the base shader. to Materials > Modifiers these adjustments
my rendering and compositing workflow using I use GW_Skincore by Grant Warwick as the are different for each shader, and are made
ZBrush and Photoshop. main final shader (which can be downloaded according to the light (Fig.19b).
by clicking on the Free Resources icon, or by
The first step is to configure the light, which is going to www.pixologic.com), but other shaders The third step is to configure the shadows. For
basically just a case of positioning it however can be used as well, such as MatCap Skin 04, this character design I just make some simple
you require by clicking and moving the little for example. shadows adjustments to achieve a harder
orange highlighted box (Fig.19a). shadow (see Fig.19a).
dumbbells. Layer blend mode: Lighten/Color For this example I use Hue/Saturation to
(Fig.20b) make it more reddish, and use it to achieve
a nice skin tone on the chest. Layer blend
Color pass Flat Color Material With this mode: Color/Lighten (Fig.20c)
pass I have more color control in Photoshop.
Conclusion
Hopefully I have succeeded in walking you
through my workflow, and have explained the
process in enough detail for you to now create
Bruno Melo
For more from this artist visit
http://bmelo.cgsociety.org/gallery/
or contact
bmmsouza@gmail.com
Insect-Man
Software Used: ZBrush and 3ds Max
Introduction
The idea of a hybrid mutation from human to
insect was really exciting to me right from the
beginning of this project. The possibilities,
design-wise, are immense, and because the
world of insects is so complex and varied it
forced me to do lots of research before starting,
since its not a subject I have had experience
with in the past.
Concept
I began with some research, and obviously the
first real problem to solve was how to mutate
an endoskeletal being into an exoskeletal
one. This was something that really worried
me, and at first I was stuck at this phase for
quite some time. I tried to get inspiration from
sculptures by great artists, and slowly started
to understand what I liked and didnt like, and
what was plausible and not so. There is a fine
line between what is plausible and what is
cool, and you have to be very careful where
this is concerned and aim to get a good balance
between the two; finding the right balance is
completely up to you though, depending on your something like this, but at the same time too much of the skull structure; I want to retain
own style and artistic intentions. wanting to take some inspiration from it, the idea that this creature was once actually a
what I imagined was an evolution where the human. Im going to focus most on the mouth,
First of all, I had to see if something that blends outer surface of the body is morphed into since this area is crucial in my design concept,
an exoskeleton with an endoskeleton could a net of fluid-filled cavities that hardens the and will be really eye-catching. The top gums
actually really exist outer structure. Not as rigid as a chitin based and top lip will be fused into the insects labrum;
exoskeleton, but something that somehow can the mandible will be cut at the front to become
Turtles have both endoskeleton and exoskeleton adapt to movement with an internal pressure the new mandible, and I will add an extra
characteristics, but I was looking for something system. This concept was enough to give me an structure, the maxilla, which is a newly formed
different: a mix of both, not coexistence. The idea of the look of this mutation. part from the mutation. The tongue and bottom
closest thing I have found is a hydrostatic lip will also become the labium.
skeleton, which Wikipedia says is a structure So with the concept in mind, I needed to think
found in many cold-blooded organisms and soft- about which human features could best mutate At this point I took advantage of the newly
bodied animals consisting of a fluid-filled cavity, into insect characteristics. And so, keeping in released plugin from Pixologic, PaintStop (www.
the coelom, surrounded by muscles. mind the balance I mentioned before, I chose pixologic.com/zbrush/features/PaintStop/), to
to work with human limbs, because I felt these rough out a concept to help me visualize the
Hmm, interesting! would work best. figure (Fig.01). PaintStop is really handy and
easy to use, and has a lot of potential. You dont
Without being too rigid and technical, since I The facial structure is a particularly fun part need to be a painter to use it, just draw and have
dont have the knowledge to fully understand to work with, because I dont want to change fun!
Concept Refinement
Id like to just mention now something that
happened during the sculpting process.
Sometimes viewing things in 3D really shows
whats working and whats not working in your
design. Right in the middle of the sculpting
session I realized that what I was creating
was too similar to a suit, rather than a hybrid
creature. This really bothered me, I didnt like
it and I felt I had to find a solution to fix it. This
was perhaps the hardest part of the creation
process for me, because for the first time I
had to face the mutation phenomena in a very
different way: I started to think about what
mutation would mean for a human being; how
the character would feel about it. I had to think
about him, and not just about the design.
So whilst sculpting, I changed my initial concept him that reveals his humanity, his feelings, and or not I had to go on and focus on doing it right.
to something more repugnant, something which allows you to get a little closer to the design. Ill now take you through my ZBrush sculpting
going on in the image, rather than just looking For this part of the concept I looked mainly for
at it and moving on. I introduced the human side references concerning the molting (obviously At level 0 it is really hard to find the right shapes;
of the creature to the concept, the portion of I had to keep in mind that I was using a base I push and pull vertices around to find the best
mesh, so I couldnt expect to be able to do positions, mainly working on proportions using
something like actually perform molting on the Move brush and the Transpose function
the model; it would need to be sculpted to (Fig.02).
appear that way) and started to think about the
transition between the two stages Stepping up a subdivision level, I work with
Transpose again to mask and adapt better the
ZBrush silhouette to my concept, and use the Standard
The given base mesh was unfortunately not the and Inflat brushes to sculpt the main volumes
easiest thing to adapt to my concept, but tricky (Fig.03 04).
Once I get to subdivision level 3 or 4, I started working with them; they help you to get rid of For the eyes I temporarily place some ZBrush
using mostly the Clay Tubes and Clay brushes, the bulginess from the lower levels, averaging Sphere primitives to hold the shape (I will come
since I find myself being very comfortable out forms and consolidating the major volumes back to these later on).
(Fig.05 06).
Once Ive imported the newly created .obj, Ive
Additional Objects got everything I need and I can start working on
At this stage I use 3ds Max to create some very the object as a whole, trying to sculpt everything
simple geometry to use as base meshes for the at the same level without leaving parts too
mandibles and maxillae. As you can see, they roughly sculpted (Fig.08). This is important
are just standard cubes scaled and subdivided a because you want to have a good general
few times, and just for the mandibles Ive made understanding of what is going on in the model
an extrusion to better conform the shape I have to be able to judge what is working the way you
in mind (Fig.07). want it, and what needs adjustments.
Adjusting the Sculpt for the New Concept because your progress is very slow, but its very
As I mentioned earlier, during the sculpting important to always remember the meaning of
process I changed my mind, deciding to break what youre doing: you have very good reasons
up the insect mutation to reveal human portions to go through this process and the result will be
to the character. Here is how: much better than what you had previously. So,
put your favorite music on the playlist and relax!
I step back to the lowest subdivision level and
smooth and reconstruct from there the human I focus on the anatomy being in the process
features I want to see (Fig.14). of mutation, which is reflected in the sculpt on
the other side of the face/body, so everything
Im not afraid at all about erasing all of what Ive we know from human anatomy will be more
previously done, because I am very confident recognizable on this side of the character, giving
about the new concept. At first the work seems the appearance that the process is already
massive, and its easy to get a bit stressed taking place (Fig.15).
I had a few problems with antennae. I first In order to make the antennae curved the way I
used ZSpheres to create a rough base mesh want them to, I create a Spline with the desired
for them, appended them as a SubTool, and curvature and then deform the cylinder using a
sculpted. I wasnt satisfied with this version Path Deform (WSM) modifier, with the spline as
though; the antennae were too distracting for the path (Fig.26).
me and I didnt like the shape too much (Fig.24).
Polypainting and
Texturing
I collect all the references I can about insects
for this part of the process, as this is perhaps
the most important part of texturing its not just
about colors, but also being able to understand
and recreate how nature works as closely as
you can.
that its very difficult to adapt bright colors to Colorize from the Texture sub palette in the Tool
my concept, even though they are the most menu, and have the RGB value set to 100) with
interesting ones. I think the main problem with a bright green color this will be my base color
this is that they look too fake when painted. for the insect half of the character (Fig.28).
The first thing I do to begin the Polypainting To keep things looking interesting, I use mostly
process is to fill the object (remember to turn on the Color Spray stroke to get some variations
rather of realizing in the middle of the texturing not only using the Standard brush, but also
process you dont have high enough resolution). the ability to use all the Pixol tools, such as the
Then, with the body SubTool selected, I turn Sharpen, Blur, Intensity and Contrast brushes,
off Colorize from the texture sub palette, go and so on.
down to level zero in my geometry subdivisions,
set 100 for the RGB value, apply an AUV tiles The first step is to enforce the depth of my
mapping, and finally hit the Col > Txr button to texture by dimming the cavity areas and
transfer all my polypainted data onto the texture lightening the elevated ones. To do this I mostly
(Fig.31). use the Standard brush with falloff alphas like
Alpha 01 or Alpha 37, to get a nice gradient
So far so good! between the two tonal values, also with the help
Now I have a lot more possibilities painting wise; of the Intensity brush (Fig.32).
use). I use some human skin and insect photos will be handy for a depth of field effect later on in Material, and I adjust the specular curve as I
to create some custom MatCaps this process Photoshop. To do this, go to the Alpha palette, need to in order to get wet-looking highlights, or
is well explained in the ZBrush Documentation press (at the very bottom) the GrabDoc button, glossy specular (Fig.38a b).
you can already find online. and export it.
In Photoshop youre free to experiment,
For the shadows and Ambient Occlusion, I use Other custom materials are used for the adjusting the Brightness/Contrast and/or the
a custom-made MatCap that mimics the effect. specular: I fill all the SubTools with black Color Balance, using masks to differentiate the
Im also sure to render out a ZDepth pass that and use the Basic Material or the Toy Plastic shading or even doing some paintover work
if you need to. For example, I have added a
bit of smoke to the bottom to better blend the
character with the background (Fig.39).
Conclusion
This was an extraordinary project, not only
because I was free to develop my own
interpretation of the subject but also because I
have learned so much about the insect world,
as well as about sculpting and texturing. Every
project needs you to find solutions to achieve
the desired results, and every time its a great
challenge. What I can suggest is for you to work
hard to get to where you want to be, and if you
cant get there, well youll have to work harder,
defeat the problems and find solutions; think in a
different way and enjoy what youre doing. This
is the fundamental point to all this!
Federico Scarbini
For more from this artist visit
http://www.federicoscarbini.com
or contact
fede@federicoscarbini.com
chapter 6
Manimal ZBrush Character Creation eBook Chapter 06 - Reptilian-Man
Reptilian-Man
Software Used: ZBrush and Photoshop
Introduction
In this tutorial Ill try to teach you my workflow
while creating a reptilian-man from simple
base mesh in ZBrush. Ill aim to show
you through the whole process from the
basic development of proportions, through
retopologizing in ZBrush, to rendering, and
finally post-production in Photoshop.
Sculpting
I start this new character in the same way as all
the other artists of this series have done before
me, with a simple human base mesh (which is
available for download with this tutorial).
Retopologizing
After playing with details and sharpening up
edges, Ive decided to retopologize my model.
It isnt absolutely necessary, but Ive noticed
some geometry stretching in the lower parts of
the body which could lead to problems in later
stages of sculpting especially as Ill be working
with scales.
Pose
To pose my character I use the Transpose
Master plugin (http://www.pixologic.com/zbrush/
downloadcenter/zplugins/) (Fig.20). Its simple
to use: just click the TPoseMesh button in the
plugin menu and it creates a low version of the
model with all SubTools merged together.
to the original model, including all SubTools. reptile photos in my paint program and load
Finally, I use a couple of strokes of the Inflat and them onto a ZBrush canvas using the Image
Standard brushes to make the posed muscles Plane plugin (http://www.pixologic.com/zbrush/
look much more natural (Fig.21). downloadcenter/zplugins/) (Fig.23). I can now
select colors from my palette just by clicking
PolyPainting on the ZBrush color selector and dragging it to
Before I start painting, I change the material to the right color in my palette on the canvas. You
MatCap White. I also use a modified FastShader could do the same thing with a photo rather than
(Fig.22) and Flat Color materials to check the a palette, to sample real colors from it.
look of my texture from time to time.
Im now going to turn off ZAdd on my Standard
I dont like ZBrushs color selection too much, brush, turn RGB on, and fill the model with a
so I prepare a couple of color palettes from base color (Color > Fill Object). I add some color
variation with the Color Spray stroke with a low the Free Resources icon). Three versions of
RGB intensity, with a couple of different alphas. basic materials are setup to show only specular
I continue painting with a very low RGB intensity highlights with different specular curve settings
(around 3-6) with different color variations, trying (Fig.26); white MatCap is used as an ambient
to make recessed parts of the model darker, and occlusion pass for compositing; and I make a
adding small details with skin alphas and the Flat Color render just to be safe (in case I need
DragRect stroke. Finally, I use cavity masking to to make some color corrections later).
select cracks between the scales and I fill them
with a dark, almost black color (still using a low I also use Alpha > Grab Doc to create a ZDepth
RGB intensity), just to make them more visible pass, plus a flat color render with the various
(Fig.24 25). SubTools filled with different colors to use as a
mask in Photoshop (Fig.27).
Rendering
For the final render I use Grant Warwicks I make some changes now to the standard light
GW_SkinCore material as the base shader (free settings (Fig.28) where I set Super Sample to 2
to download with this tutorial simply click on in the Render > Antialiasing menu. I then make
Compositing
And now its time for a little post-production
in Photoshop. The final refinement in your 2D
application of choice is one of most important
parts of creating a good image. My basic render
from ZBrush doesnt look too encouraging (Fig.
29), but then even the best Mental Ray renders
sometimes need some help from Photoshop!
So first of all I create a new Photoshop
I can now take care of the reptilian figure. I use Hue/Saturation and Brightness/Contrast are also
some different layer compositing options and particularly effective to help you get your desired
opacity values for my render passes: Color Burn results (Fig.31).
for my flat color pass, Overlay for my ambient
occlusion one, and Screen and Lighten for To finish the post-production work, Ive decided
different specular passes. I also use a Layer to add a little drool effect to his mouth. I was a
Mask for some of the passes and make some bit too lazy to paint all the tiny highlights in his
hand corrections to them. This part of the work saliva by hand, so I simply use a new layer with
is mostly about experimentation with different couple of blending options like Drop Shadow,
blending modes and opacity levels. I find that Outer/Inner Glow, and Bevel and Emboss
using a couple of adjustment layers like Levels, (Fig.32). With these blending effects set I can
Conclusion
Im pretty happy with how my final image has turned out. It may not be
photo realistic, but I like the results and what Ive achieved. This was my
first work completely rendered in ZBrush (I normally use Mental Ray to
Tomasz Kwiecinski
For more from this artist contact them at:
mafida@neostrada.pl
In this series we will be working our way through the basic process of creating a creature bust, then taking
it to completion by the last chapter. We will be starting with a basic Zsphere base mesh that we will create
ourselves and well use this as our starting point for sculpturing and finally adding texture to. The tutorial series
is split into 7 chapters so that we can take it at a beginners pace and cover as much ground as possible for
people totally new to Zbrush. (Plus youll end up with a finished digital sculpt that will give you the confidence to
approach you own projects in a similar manner.)
Original Author: 3DTotal.com Ltd | Platform: ZBrush | Format: DOWNLOAD ONLY PDF | Pages: 52
Downloadable Tutorial EBook
Introduction:
The original character of the Swordmaster
was created by Seong-wha Jeong and we
had 3DTotals in-house 3d artist Richard
Tilbury, re-create the character in 3dsmax
as well as create the textures in Photoshop,
in our new precise, step-by-step tutorial for
highly polished, low polygon game character
with detailed texturing for real-time render-
ing. We have also converted the tutorials into
Cinema 4D, Maya, Lightwave and Softimage
platforms. Even if you are not a user of one of
them, the principles should be easily followed
in nearly all other 3D applications.
The series is split into 6 chapters and will endeavour to give you an insight into how a fully realised 3D scene
may be arrived at from beginning to end. The tutorials will attempt to address the key issues and techniques
appropriate in achieving this, from concept sketches through to building the 3D scene, mapping and
unwrapping, texturing and eventually to lighting and rendering, culminating in a final render. The emphasis over
the course of the series will be on the texturing and principally the aging and wear of materials.
Original Author: 3DTotal.com Ltd | Platform: 3ds max, Cinema 4d, LightWave, Maya and Softimage XSI
Format: DOWNLOAD ONLY PDF | Pages: 38+
3DTOTAL.COM
Visit 3DTotal.com to see our full range of training products
Zbrush Character Creation is a comprehensive look at the techniques and tools used to sculpt a variety of
physical characteristics specific to several character types. The lessons on offer show how to transform a
general base mesh into a definitive character class and explains the tools used to not only create the details
and unique facial features, but also how to manipulate the overall proportions and head shapes. There are
nine chapters in all, five of which cover the human condition and four of which cover creatures with human
characteristics including zombie, werewolf and Frankensteins monster.
Original Author: 3DTotal.com Ltd | Platform: ZBrush | Format: DOWNLOAD ONLY PDF | Pages: 091
Introduction:
Michel Rogers famous Joan of Arc
tutorial re-written for Maya by Taylor
Kingston, Cinema 4D by Giuseppe
Guglielmucci & Nikki Bartucci,
Lightwave by Vojislav Milanovich and
Softimage by Luciano Iurino and
3DCreative Magazine.com.
This e-book provides a detailed account of building, texturing and lighting the interior of a Gothic Church based
upon a concept painting. The ebook is available in five different platforms. Chapter two however is dedicated to
creating a gargoyle in Zbrush the focal point in our scene. Here the author will start by creating a rough body
form using ZSpheres and move through the numerous sculpting phases and modeling the details for each part
of the character, highlighting the various brushes and tools used throughout.
Original Author: 3DTotal.com Ltd | Platforms: 3ds max, Cinema 4d, LightWave, Maya and Modo.
Format: DOWNLOAD ONLY PDF | Pages: 47+
3DTOTAL.COM
Visit 3DTotal.com to see our full range of training products
The tutorial eBook will begin by creating and applying materials for the various parts of the car, such as glass,
chrome and tyres, as well as texturing some simple geometry that will make up a scene. It will then move onto
lighting where the focus will be on setting up a lighting rig and the various parameters connected to this. Finally
the series will culminate with a section on rendering, where the aim will be to finish with a polished image.
Original Author: 3DTotal.com Ltd | Platform: 3ds max, Cinema 4d, LightWave, Maya and Softimage XSI
Format: DOWNLOAD ONLY PDF | Pages: 44+
3DTOTAL.COM
Visit 3DTotal.com to see our full range of training products
This series of ZBrush tutorials orientates around speed and efficiency and how to achieve detailed sculpts
within a few hours. Each of the ten chapters focuses on a different character topic ranging from mythical
creatures such as the Minotaur and Cyclops to Pirates and monsters. With over seven hours of video
footage and covering ninety seven pages this e-book provides an insight into the working methods of eleven
professional artists. Each individual showcases their particular approach to the subject and treats us to an
exhibition of both their artistic and technical skills that form the backbone of their creative process.
Original Author: 3DTotal.com Ltd | Platforms: ZBrush | Format: DOWNLOAD ONLY PDF | Pages: 97