ZBrushCentral

1st go at zbrush but i had some questions

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hey everyone, i’m new to zbrush and this is my 1st attempt, it started off as a sphere and then somehow turned into this.

But i’ve got some issues which i would really like some help with, take the lobe of the ear for example, i cant get the mesh to behave correctly, i always end up with weird artifacts, almost feels like the mesh wants to go in a different direction than the direction i want it to. I can subdivide more and smooth the area but my computer would probably blow up as its quite a low spec machine and im already around 3 million points. I’ve read about retopology and have given it a halfhearted attempt but my worry is whether its too late or not and also whether i can retopologise one section instead of the entire head and using some sort of zbrush-magic-tool-of-merging-two-completely-different-meshes-together? (Trust me i’m starting to believe it exists, zbrush has a tool for everything!!!)

Also in really tight areas, like the eyelids and the corners of the eyes i cant get in to the tight spaces to get clean lines, notice the bumpy effect on the upper eyelid, i’d like to say ‘thats the effect i went for’ but no, i wanted a smooth clean line with a slightly bevelled edge where the eyelids turn back in towards the eye. Is that another thing to do with retopologising the mesh?

Attachments

headTest09.jpg

#2

It’s all in the retopo.

The weird artifacts are because, like you said, you don’t have the mesh density at those areas to do what you want. Same goes for the eyes. Right now you’re fighting the topology of your mesh rather than having it work for you.

Once you retopo that mesh, you’ll be able to get down the pour level of detail around 2mill or so.

A ball to start with is great…a ball to finish with, is well, usually bad. Start with a ball, get the form, shape, idea, whatever down, retopo, then detail work once your mesh is working with you.

Great first sculpt by the way!

Hope this helped

#3

Thanks for the reply dude and im also happy you like the model, im going to take your advice on board and turn this thread into a sketchbook thread thingy, Thanks again!!