Two words: PHOTO REALISTIC 
The critiques on this forum focus almost entirely on technical issues. This is natural since ZBrush is a very technical program and we have to navigate through it to make our art. But I feel thereās not enough attention paid to aesthetic issues. Iām not talking about form and color and composition, etc. I mean value judgments about what subject matter and content is worthy of such skill and the time required to do it. Weāve all been at this long enough that aesthetic development should be equally reviewed and encouraged just as much as the technical side.
In my opinion, this piece is evidence that technique and craft can be taught, but aesthetic judgment (read taste) is a much more difficult thing to acquire. It makes me wonder why anyone with such obvious skill would ever choose to spend their time to make this. It perfectly illustrates the huge chasm between BRILLIANT technical skill and a horrendous aesthetic sensibility.
Technically, this piece is nearly flawless in every sense. The execution is awe inspiring. But it is also one of the most hideous examples of personal taste Iāve ever seen on this forum.
I somewhat agree.
A bodybuilder is not something imaginative or new, but it is a great test of skill. This person clearly has tons of talent, and was able to capture the anatomy, pose, and likeness of a person almost perfectly. It may not be a beautiful landscape but it sure shows how much detail and craftsmanship this artist puts into their work.
I wish xjgd4321 had created a fully painted 3D body builder.
I donāt see the point of taking a 2D photo and turning it into half painted 3D model in order to produce a 2D photo. 
Still, I suppose it shows that it may be technically possible to use a photo to produce a photo realistic model thatās dynamically lit. Although itās always gonna be difficult to judge the realism from just a 2D photo.
Finish him, xjgd4321! and put him in Unity! Let us see him in 3D glory! 
YOU CAN DO IT!
ooohā¦ you touch on a very difficult subject thereā¦ i donāt regard the piece made here a very aesthetic oneā¦ but neither do i like the extreme bodybuilders go for in their sport. nevertheless they consider it aesthetic and the community around them is huge. so there are a lot of people who share that taste.
in my eyes taste can not be discussed at all. it is simply a matter of personal preference and those preferences cannot really be subject of a factual discussion.
i actually consider your comment pretty rude and i feel sorry for the artist to have to read something like that. but he has been reading very aggressive statements about his piece for a while now, so i am sure he can cope.
the only thing where ātasteā should come into play is your own work. you choose to draw / sculpt / photograph things your way. the way you feel it pleases you. someone else might not agree or may even be offended by your choicesā¦ cāest la vie.
there simply are no rules for tastefulness. it cannot be taught. as a matter of fact it is even bordering on fascism if it would be forced on people.
Clearly good taste wasnāt what was intended by boozkaās remark.
I simply say, better to say nothing if you havenāt something positive to add. Quite frankly, rude behavior is banned from this forum. Please be constructive in your criticism.
I am impressed by the photo realism shown in this workā¦that being the holy grail for many working in the film industry, especially when matching plate photography and live actors.
Kudos, Brilliant work!
First off, I feel I should apologize for my aggressive sounding statements. After reading over them again I see I went too far and crossed the line into personal criticism. It certainly wasnāt fair, and definitely not helpful.
I just had a strong reaction to the image, which upon further thought is actually a very good thing. Itās much better to have some kind of reaction to a piece of art than none at all. Weāve all seen artwork that is so forgettable as to be nearly wallpaper. This piece, in contrast, cannot be forgotten. This piece is all about POWER! And not just in the choice of subject, but the clear and precise focus and discipline spent in capturing the detail is in itself another manifestation of power. Meaning, the ability of the artist to contol ZBrush to the extent he does to achieve this photo-real result. Donāt get me wrong, the technique is amazing! I wish I had this much skill at my disposal. But I donāt get the sense that the artist is completely aware of the aesthetic aspect. Being aware of it could make the work stronger still. For example, If this image were on a canvas 20 feet long, I think it would be a prime candidate for a spot in the Whitney Museum. I guarantee no one would ever forget it!
But my question to the artist is, what do you want to do with this ability? Itās obvious you can do anything. Do you want to continue being a brilliant technician, or do you want to let your imagination come into play? This piece is obviously a technical exercise, and itās great for what it is. But letās be honest and admit that in the end all you have a near perfect COPY of an existing photograph. I would love to see you let your imagination free now! Dude, you can do ANYTHING! The technical issues are behind you. Now itās time to do something that is uniquely yours.
Regarding the issue of taste being a taboo subject, I have to disagree with you Gunnahan. We all are constantly making these kinds of judgments all the time. Itās debatable whether taste/ aresthetics can be taught, but it can certainly be encouraged and nurtured. I just feel itās too often ignored in this forum. I understand that itās a deeply personal thing, and feelings run strong because it speaks more of who we are as artists than any kind of technical issue.
But there are some generalizations that can be made. For example, I would argue that most people would agree that āThe Godfatherā is a much better film than āCorky Romanoā (Just picking examples at random). Of course, there will be those who disagree for various reasons. But most people will go with āThe Godfatherā. Now the question you have to ask next is why? Why is āThe Godfatherā better? What makes it so? When we analyze the differences thoughtfully, we get a clearer idea of what aesthetics are all about. This kind of comparing and contrasting is the road to developing taste.
xjgd4321ā¦
This rocks! Thanks for sharing. Iāve been doing 3d for a long time. Yes, your typical logos, mockups, etc with more emphasis on day to day practical use for web and video.
I didnāt believe it was really a zbrush/3d creation until you showed the wire frame pics etc.
Well, done!! Your skill is amazing and you have inspired me to keep at the realism stuff.
Because I have to match 3d with film and video this type of skill is a necessity. Great job xjgd4321!
-Rob
Photorealism. 
xjgd4321 your work is awesome! looks very reallistic and itĀ“s a hard work to make. Thanks you very much for the screens and explanations, everthing is very usefull for me, I really apreciate it 
keep rocking!
I just shart me self a new bunghole:D. This is superb. Great work in all department tasks. I cant see how some may find something to nit pick on with envious critiques, this is photo realistic to the T!
10 / 10ā¦because 5/5 is not enough.
My only comment is not making one earlier.
-C.
Oh yeah, next time model a babe. Maybe Kim Kardashian or Jessica Alba, you my friend are one to pull it off! Then you can show us the naked shotsā¦lol. I can get technical in those aspects for sure. Yes, babe models with your high caliber outcomes should be proper aesthetic to even get the POPE turning his headā¦that didnt sound right but yeah, you know what I mean.
lol. Forgive my lame requestā¦lol. Model Johnny Depp and then you will get my wifeās attention.
Again, great job man. Thank you so much for also providing snap shots of the process, otherwise it would of just looked like a cut and paste image from a magazine.
SICK! 
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top work i frikin love the skin shader and the speculars his face shading is a little off but who im i to crit, its wikid. i cant belive some of the stuff people bitch about. its a wikid model and render. there is only one question that pops into my head and that is why is the tex painted in the same pose as the model?? usualy when i uv a model its well all unwrapped an stuff were as yours is well looks like you have painted it in the same pose as the photo which is weird to me. can you explane why that is so??? still one hell of a good model and render. well done matey 
:o you are a god!
Love the photorealism of the rendering,texturing,sculptingā¦
Too perfect!
ps.just nit picking,maybe the bump is a tad too high?
Can we see some other angles? Itās kind of tough for us amateurs to work out whatās in your great sculpting work and whatās in the textures
Found your breakdowns, sorry for the request after the fact. Astounding!
this just proves actors will one day be absolute and people will be following the animators as if actors except they gonna be following a pretty mundane life style hahaha
I was a bit confused since it really looks more like the camera picture than a 2.5D rendered imageā¦