Eric

[Ken B]

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1012717045mhk.jpg

This is the last known photograph of Eric Von Steinberg, taken at a K-Mart Portrait Studio located just outside of East Flat Rock, N.C. It was given to his mother as a present.

______________________________________

I decided to make this head in several separate pieces: main head, nose, upper lip, lower lip, ears, and joined together with Multi-marker and made whole with Polymesh. The reason being that I wanted to get some sharper edges around areas such as the nostrils. I probably didn't need to make the mouth separate. The more pieces, the more seams that need to be smoothed out. It worked well for the ears because I could devote a whole sphere to modeling them instead of trying to get all the intricacies out of a section of a mesh.

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1012717184lic.jpg

I was able to work out a way to get a little more control from the fiber brush. First, I exported the head image (sans hair) from ZB into PhotoShop. Then I painted a simple B&W image in another layer that represented the basic hair shape. I then saved out the B&W hair image, and imported it in ZB as an alpha. This was then turned into a stencil (make st.) In the stencil panel, Stretch was pressed, which made the hair alpha fit the image as I had painted it. I then went to town with the fiber brush. The great part was that the hair stencil kept the broad shape of the fibers in the shape I wanted without unwanted fly-away. The same technique was used for the eyebrows.

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1012717246ozu.jpg

Technical issues: several times, when I attempted to make the Multi-marker object, one of the pieces would not show up. Even when I cleared all the markers, and started from scratch, I still had the problem. I turned off all the marker settings, and after a few attempts, it worked. Would anybody have any idea what was going on here?

Also, after making the Polymesh object, it wouldn't take on the properties of a new material selected. Is this inherent in a Polymesh?

(this image is in no way a representation of anybody that lives in the southern United States, so please don't take offense. Or if you do, then don't tell me)

[CGA]

excellent work

[AxE]

Lol, great image. Thanks for posting how you made it :D

[drjjwow]

excellent tip buddy.. good to see you back in motion... this is a awesome image and i think that ill try that tip...thanks...

[s o u t h e r n]

Ken, please please stop posting!!!

Your posts continue to push the bar higher and higher in this fledgling application and I am already spending 25 hours a day using it! You have a knack of teaching us something new with every post and I have to go away for hours and hours to try it out.

In awe, as usual.

Glen

[upham]

This is great!!!
Things I learnt here ...
1. Kmart photos can be rather good (?)
2. creating the face in seperate pieces. Good idea!
3. Stencil & Fiberbrush!! What a great combination!! This will open up the barn doors of possiblities! :tu: :tu: Though you could make the stencil outline in ZBrush and not PhotoShop. So very few people use the stencil tool! I'm glad somebody is takeing up the reigns!
4. And of course this doesn't look anything like a person living southern state side! (no matter what the Ren & Stimpy cartoons tell me!) Heehee, hurck hurck! :D
Great Post Ken!

[juandel]

super tips as usual, mr. Brilliant!!! :tu: :tu: :tu: the hair rocks... and the textures are fantastissimost!!! kudos!

- juandel

[cneofotistos]

hi Ken!

can you say "fantastic?"
:)

I think I have the marker problem sorted out.. it was happening to me a lot when I used to employ multimarkers :)

firstly, I think you know that placing a marker exactly above a previous marker, the latter is replaced, and vanishes.


secondly, consider the fact that the marker is placed exactly at the hotspot of the object.

so, what is probably happening is, the "nose" ztool is multimarked exactly upon the older multimark of, say, the head ztool.

the solution?
in TOOL--> modifiers, find the hotspot on the ztool preview (the red crosshair) and move it soewhere else.

hope this helps..

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> anything that induces emotion, whether positive or negative, is art <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Darksprite - The Art And Design Of Christos Neofotistos (http://www25.brinkster.com/darksprite/)
my renderosity gallery (http://www.renderosity.com/gallery.ez?ByArtist=Yes&Artist=cneofotistos)

[DeeVee]

Thanks for the lesson. It proves again that using ZBrush along with another program produces outstanding work. I myself started doing that , but it was suggested that I try to stick to all Zee images. However, I must add that I do not make a living from my art work, those who do, are compelled to use whatever methods are necessary to get their projects completed in the best methods that are available to them.

[Mentat7]

Ken, Wonderful image! The hair is fantastic (note to self: must try your technique), the lazy eye is perfect and the skin texturing is awesome. I appreciate your sharing with us the method in which you composed this image. I know this is beyond my ability at this time but I shall endeavor to plug away. Excellent! :tu: :tu: :tu:

[Muvlo]

Not only a super pic, but the Stencil/Fiberbrush tip is one that could make a major improvement in many images!Thanks! :)

[Kathy]

Fabualous execution.
Whta a guy! (not you ,him)

I like the claymation way to attacked this piece.

As usual, premium, grade A stuff. :D :tu:

[filament9]

Good tips Ken. Stencils, let alone the fibre brush, is a tool I've not really explored.
Love this guys eyes; looks like how I feel after nightshift!

[Kruzr]

'Morning Ken B. . . :)

To answer both of your "Technical issues":

1st . . . "when I attempted to make the Multi-marker object, one of the pieces would not show up" = In ZBrush, when placing an object Marker on the canvas, you can by mistake as stated in an earlier post, place the new Marker so close to an existing Marker that it replaces the old Marker with the new one. But, there is another reason for one or more of the object parts not to show up, = If a new Marker is placed too close to an existing Marker, ZBrush seems to have a problem seeing or separating the two or more ( very close ) Markers, so when you attempt to use the MultiMarker tool to group all the objects, ZBrush will choose what it thinks is the best choice, or what Markers it can see. So, you will end up with a MultiMarker object with missing parts. The solution, = as instructed in an earlier post, move the little red cross hair in the "Object Preview" window to a new spot, of a good distance away from object center & redraw your object on screen. Basically, you want all your Markers to be located as far as possible from each other, so as not to confuse Zbrush.

2nd . . . "after making the Polymesh object, it wouldn't take on the properties of a new material selected" = When you create a PolyMesh object, using the MultiMarker tool, Zbrush remembers all the colors / materials within the texture map, created during the creation of the PolyMesh object. Basically, Zbrush remembers all information regarding Color & Material, within the newly created Texture when creating a PolyMesh object. The solution, = once you have your new PolyMesh object created, & you also have the new "PolyMesh Texture" created & showing in the texture window, you can clear the canvas of objects & fill the layer with the new PolyMesh Texture. Now you can use the "Simple Brush" to paint a new Material of your choice onto the PolyMesh Texture that is filling the screen, in the areas of your choice. Then you would use the "MRGBZGrabber" tool, with "Modifiers / Shaded RGB & Auto Crop" OFF or unselected, to grab the altered texture. Clear the canvas again. Now you can redraw your PolyMesh object back onto the screen, & while in Edit Object mode, replace the existing texture with the new texture that you just created with the MRGBZGrabber tool. You should now see your new chosen texture applied to your PolyMesh object.

I hope this helps you in understanding more about Markers & PolyMesh Materials? You have a good one Ken, OH . . . . a very nice character you have posted there buddy, I'm sure that I've met him sometime in the past. . . :cool: Mark.

PS: ( One more thing Ken, unfortunately at this time, you cannot use the TextureMaster ZScript on a PolyMesh object. At least with the version that I have loaded on my machine = Rev D. )

[robotalk]

Outstandingly incredible image--so damn funny --Thanks for sharing the way it was done--'I've flown in' -lips and noses before on my faces--but now thanks to you, I know the proper way--plus I got to see one of the craziest images ever,so real "I cant believe it's not Eric" :tu: :tu: :tu: :tu: :tu: :D :D

[Ron Harris]

hella kewlies....
:cool: :cool: :cool: :cool:
Ron

[Ken B]

Thank you y'all
(that's southern lingo for you's all)

I'm happy you like Eric, perhaps you'll see him someday. His mother is worried. I thought I saw him selling oranges off the Western exit on the I5 south in Burbank, but was moving to fast to stop.

Anyway, thank you cneofotistos & Kruzr for the tech info. That sounds like the solutions to the issues and I appreciate the knowledge since I had some hair pulling moments with it... I haven't tried a multimesh with Texture master yet--the latest revision is E.
After I painted the alpha, I realized I could have done it in Zb too. went to PS just out of habit.

[boozy floozie]

From the hair on his head to the blackheads on his nose down to the shaving rash on his neck this guy is my kinda fella.
Truly narrative detailing.
Wonderful

[impending]

Hello Ken B,

While your modeling is top notch and your texturing is superb, where you best succeed is the most important - the ability to imbue your characters with personality :tu: :tu: :tu:

jd

[s o u t h e r n]

Ken,

. Are you having a pop at my accent mate! I think so. I'm not sure but you may be implying that I'm a scouser (person from Liverpool for the un-initiated). If you are, you're wrong. I just live near Liverpool because of the job. :)

Either way up, you are my favorite artist of the moment and I just love your work. This guy is the bees nees and I want to build something out of pieces like you did. Are we allowed to copy your style or did you run down to the Patent office and slap a KB patent on it :)

Yours truly, as ever, a KB fan.

Glen

[The Saint]

Totally DIG this!

...'just the kind of stuff I'd like to see.

[Stonecutter]

Sorry it took so long Ken...In fact, when I see your name on a post, it's a lead-pipe sure thing that it will be a classic!

This is a 'Brilliant' caricature fer sure!!
:tu: :tu: :tu: :cool: :tu: :tu: :tu:

[Pixolator]

Great character, Ken!
Here is another tip about ‘sharp edge’…
You can get sharp edge in a model by using the EDIT MOVE mode with a small-size brush and push/pull polygons toward the edge in order to create a crease. For best result, the edited object should be rotated in order to have the about-to-be-pushed polygons facing you, then… with a small brush, you click and ‘slide’ the polygons, the closer they are to the edge, the sharper the edge will be.
An example…
http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1012863157jhw.jpg
The above head was modeled from a single Sphere3D object with two unmodified spheres as eyes.

-Pixolator

[s o u t h e r n]

H E L L O .....! the bar went up again guys...

G

[Stonecutter]

Way to go, PIX!!!

Yep, that was the almost stratospherically-high bar going up once again! Thanks Pix, and thanks to you, Ken for initiating this discussion with your fine and hilarious image! A tessaract :tu: to both of you!

Now, I remember this technique....
Corner of the mouth...
http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1012866990dqi.jpg

[Ron Harris]

the funny thing is that Pix prolly took just a couple of quick minutes to knock this out....I would be trying to do that level for a wekk...and the green jealousy flag goes back up waving proudly once again... ;)

[DM]

Funny well modelled image.
Dave

[DeeVee]

Pix it is an honor to be on a forum with so many fantastic individuals. When I grow up my only wish Zeewise is to be half as goo as you are. I see a lot of modeling, but no paintings it appears as if the painting section of this program is the poor country cousin of the modeling section. Is that right?

[Mentat7]

Pix-man how about the script for modeling that head for all of us newbies? ;)

DeeVee I don't think many people here post their paintings. Don't know why but hey, with great people like you at the helm I am sure we can change that! :D

[Zoid]

Hey DeeVee, if seeing this kind of amazing stuff doesn't make you want to model something, I can't imagine what would. You're right though, 2D painting is a discpline of the same importance, but I think that modeling uses the same kinds of skills as flat painting. In a way, modeling is just painting in 3 dimentions. You have the skills, and I think that you would be very good at it. No pressure though :)

Thanks to Ken B for more very useful tips and inspiring work
:tu:

[Nikko]

Hey, Pix! I would love to see the script for that head, also---Please?

Ken, Beautiful work! You are an inspiration! I was wondering, do you still use Mirai or Nendo at all? I've seen some of your images done with those programs and they rock, too! You are a fine example of how a good talented professional used to conventional applications can take an innovative product like Zbrush and really run with it.

And you beat me to the punch using multiple pieces effectively for faces. If there wasn't so much post-assembly work involved, like smoothing out the joints between the objects, for example, animating might come into the picture. Right now, that would be a LOT of work!

[Ken B]

I still use the "traditional" 3D creation programs. It's great to have an program like Zbrush in the toolchest too.

DeeVee, I use Zbrush to produce 2D work too. I've recently posted an example of this. ALthough ZB uses many 3D modeling options, I very much consider it a painting tool even when creating an image that looks 3D. there is usually a good deal of "hand painting" that goes into the images, colors, highlights, not just relying on default lights and shadows that appear in the final product.
http://www.pixolator.com/zbc-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=003675

[LWTB]

Pix, could you explain that technique a little more in some more detail? I love the pic by the way. Maybe a script or simple tut would help.

[Stonecutter]

http://www.pixolator.com/zbc-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=003672

This is a Tut I did after I saw PIXs' tip...
It produces this table top I'm using in my Troll King image, and uses the 'sharp modelling' technique he mentioned...
Here's a pic of the resulting object...
http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1013129550fzk.jpg

Hope it helps...

[Mentat7]

Here is another way that you can create sharp lines. I did this using an alpha mask. I think it is pretty self explaining. If anyone has any questions feel free to send me a message and I will explain more in depth.

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1013137020jom.jpg

[DeeVee]

Memtat7, thanks for sharing this information. I can certainly use an easy method of creating sharp lines. I will give this method a try.