I have been struggling with this for a while, whether to keep going on or to work on something else to teach my students. Here is the latest sample:
I enjoy digital sculpting and ZBrushCoreMini, but I feel like I am not at a level I need to be at for my students. Just need unbiased opinions as those around me are like “wow, yeah that’s great” but I really feel like I’m so far behind especially for how old I am. Been at this for 8 months and almost a year of drawing and Blender, I feel like it’s not what my students need.
Hopefully this community can give me some guidance. Thanks in advance for your advice!!
It would be very sad to quit, particularly if you are enjoying yourself, and if your students, friends and family are enjoying what you are producing. However, learning underlying anatomy might help to get the forms that little bit better still that you might be happier with. I’m sure there will be a great many vdeos on youtube and other video and tutorial sites about anatomy for sculptors or anatomy for artists, and maybe books in your local library on sculpting or sculpture. I’m still totally trying to learn this myself too, so please don’t take that as anything other than encouragement from someone who has fun themself, but I know I’m not the strongest artist, but picking up little tips on tutorial videos, and knowing that each time I learn and sculpt again I’ll get a little better, helps me to keep trying to improve. Even just as a hobiest for my own enjoyment, and not an educator with students.
I’m sure if you looked at your sculpts from 6 month, 4 months and even 2 months ago, you would see aspects where you have improved, and that might also help you see where you want to work on improving next too.
It is of course totally up to you (and your availble time) if you want to continue or not, but if you are enjoying it it would be a shame to give up something you are getting pleasure from.
There are a lot of inspiring artists on the forum here, and many will share their tips, tricks and techniques, even if some things will not be a feature available in Zbrush Core Mini, trying to think about how to create the shapes to start with can be a source of inspiration, and can be agreat learning exersize in it’s own rite.
*Just an edit, but there’s a playlist of Core Mini videos on Pixologics Youtube page that can be found here…
It helped so much as it also helped me understand not only what I need, but what my students will need to be successful. I have some newfound excitement today.
Hey, you’re the inspirational one, helping your students! All anyone here can do is try to help and pass on our own experiences, as I’m sure you do for your students! It can feel easy to be discouraged, and want to give up when things aren’t going exactly as we’d like, or we don’t make as rapid progess as we’d like, but at the end of the day, so what? Enjoy the process and the journey!
For me I bought ZBrush way back at version 2, and have spent over a decade on and off playing, learning bits, as and when I had spare time and could fit it in around other things. I’m not a great artist, and seeing some of the work here I know I’ll never get anywhere near that level, but it doesn’t stop me being inspired, and tring to learn and improve. I was lucky enough that Christmas 2020 my wife bought me a budget 3D printer, and the fact that I can sculpt something digitally, and then actually print it out into a physical item brought on a bit of inspiration and enthusiasm too!
But I think that’s all any of us can do. Learn and share. I’m sure even artists making the top row here, or making films, TV, working in industry using ZBrush to design, we are all here as a community learning. But being a big enough community there are alot of people sharing their knowledge. Some for free, some as paid courses, but the live streams that are done through Zbrush Live will help loads.
Did you get an opportunity to watch the Zbrush Core Mini 2021 release livestream (ZBrushCoreMini 2021 Event Stream - YouTube). Fun and inspiring!
Thank you! I did take a look at the first video in the provided playlist and that was a massive inspiration and help. I quickly found some of the issues with form and learned some better techniques to work with a human figure rather than what I was used to coming from Blender sculpting. I can’t wait to explore the rest! It helped me reflect that I need to share the joy and the basics of the toolset and let my students let their imaginations soar. The tool is so accessible. I will be exploring ZBrushCore more to get some extra tools, I tried ZBrush and I think it’s quite a bit beyond what we need at the high school level.
Thank you for taking the time to review the post and respond. What a great first experience with the community.
