Hey Everyone!
Have we got a treat for you! We’ve teamed up with Michael Pavlovich to bring you a series of tutorial videos showing how he created the character for the image below, modeled and rendered in ZBrush 4R3. This five-part series will be released in installments every other day with the first part available right now. A lot of ground is covered, and we hope you enjoy it!
Michael has been in the game industry since graduating from the Ringling School of Art and Design in 2005. Starting as an environment artist, he has worked on several titles for multiple platforms at both Electronic Arts and Sony Online Entertainment. Michael is currently Lead Character Artist at Certain Affinity in Austin, TX. In addition to his “day job” he has also produced 5 video tutorials for Eat 3D.
PART 1. Positioning SubTools
Delve into using ZBrush to create your base mesh. Michael uses DynaMesh to maintain a clean polygon distribution and explains key concepts for how to ensure having the right mesh resolution. Running time: 5 minutes, 28 seconds.
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PART 2. DynaMesh SubTools
Moves into the next phase of DynaMesh use, including mesh Insertion and Subtraction, as well as Projection. Tips for SubTool arrangement and how that plays into merging SubTools are also covered. Running time: 5 minutes, 17 seconds.
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PART 3. Creating a Shell with DynaMesh
See the power of DynaMesh in this video as we discuss the SliceCurve Brush to quickly cut and shape a model. Running time: 8 minutes, 19 seconds.
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PART 4. Trim with CurveTubes Brush
Michael throws a curve at us. Specifically, the Curve Tube brush and the Curve Surface brush. Discover the power of using curves as a sculpting tool! Running time: 6 minutes, 24 seconds.
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PART 5. Accessories with Topology Tools
Covers a lot of ground as the character continues to take shape. We look at altering topology, powerful options with Adaptive Skinning and controlling your surface through the Geometry menu’s Crease and Smooth features. You’ll also learn how to use TransPose to duplicate geometry, the power of the Trim Dynamic and hPolish brushes, along with a little-known ZBrush feature: the alternative smoothing algorithm. Running time: 9 minutes, 4 seconds.
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That’s more than 30 minutes of project-based video instruction! Be sure to keep coming back to this thread over the next 8 days to catch it all!
We also encourage you to post your own creations in this thread, using these techniques. Let’s make it a community learning experience!