Getting Up-To-Speed with ZBrush!

SteveTalkowski · July 5, 2019, 12:33am

I am on a mission to master this program - it’s now a daily obsession. I try to sneak in a little ZBrush here and there in-between paying gigs and family time. I’m also learning a ton by viewing Ryan’s ZBrushWorkshop tutorials.

The fact that I can crank out these sketches in an hour makes me kick myself that I didn’t devote time to spending the required learning time with the program years ago (old school Maya user here) I’m determined to get ZBrush into my pipeline ASAP.

It also helps that I’m now local in LA, so I can attend these amazing ZBrush User Group Meetings at The Gnomon School.

Thanks for taking a look! I’m going to do my best to be a more regular poster and participant in the forums. I spend a small portion everyday marveling over the incredible amount of work contained within ZBrush Central.

-Steve

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Rykka · July 4, 2019, 12:26am

I love that face! It reminds me of something you would see on MAXX, or one of those other MTV era cartoons. Fantastic!

SteveTalkowski · July 5, 2019, 1:56pm

Thanks. I’m trying to treat these as quick sketches minus any actual reference, but then have a bunch of assets to return to and refine down the road.

Here’s today’s 40 min sketch. Still figuring out how MatCaps and LightCaps work together. Totally different from setting up renders in Maya.

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SteveTalkowski · July 4, 2019, 10:32am

Got a late-night ZBrush session in. First time fooling around with Fibermesh.

SteveTalkowski · July 4, 2019, 10:38am

Got a bunch of lunch doodles and various sketches I thought I’d upload.

My comfort level in ZBrush has greatly improved over the past 2 months, and I’m finding it relatively quick to sketch out volumes now. Favourite brushes are: Clay Buildup, Trim Dynamic, Move and some Dam_Standard.

SteveTalkowski · July 4, 2019, 10:39am

Started another head sculpt this afternoon, and it started to look like Nosferatu. So I dug up some image reference and continued with it. I’ll jump onto his overcoat tomorrow.

Had a hell of a time figuring out how to group/move multiple sub tools. I followed Fabio Bautista’s eye tutorial - which comprises three sub tools. I ended up exporting my two base spheres that were stand-ins from earlier, then resized and positioned each element to match for one eye, then mirrored them, then somehow through a series of multiple saving/importing/appending was able to get all the sub tools together. What is the ZBrush paradigm for grouping and manipulating sub tools efficiently? In Maya, I simply group these together under one node and i’m good to go. For example, how does one go about rotating an individual eye (3 sub tools) along its center pivot? You can’t do it with the transpose tools, cause you have to constantly draw out the line, guess as to the center, rotate, move into position, etc. There’s got to be an easier way?

I really need to paint a custom texture for his face. I fell in love too early with the RS_Sculpy MatCap, and used MatCap Gorilla for the eye sockets and mouth interior.

This is my second attempt with fiber mesh as well. Figuring out the grooming procedures, etc.

-Steve

Dragon · July 4, 2019, 12:36am

Man, where have you been hiding? I love, love, love your work. Great ‘cartoony’ style. Put you in my ‘favorite artists folder’. Best, Dragon.

SteveTalkowski · July 5, 2019, 1:56pm

Thanks Dragon, nice to finally see someone respond!

I’ve been making up for lost time. I’m one of those long-time ZBrush owners, but recent converts and quickly learning my way around the program. I am addicted! When busy, I try to crank out a doodle at least once a day - it’s important to keep those ZBrush muscles current.

Hoping to finish up the Nosferatu test in a few days when I’ve got some down time.

Cheers!

-Steve

Dragon · July 5, 2019, 1:56pm

Hey Steve, I know what you mean. Some times folks respond, some times they don’t. I don’t worry too much if people don’t respond, as I know lots of folks are just too busy doing their day to day things. I don’t think people are being rude, their just being human. And as I pointed out to one of our fellow ZBrushers a while back, more people are looking at our work than we think. The most important thing, just keep creating. But, I know, it feels good to get a good or bad comment anyway, this assures people ARE LOOKING and your (were) getting feed back.

But, I will do my best to drop by whenever I can. But do keep in mind, as I just pointed out, even if ‘I’ don’t respond, I am looking… and as soon as I get the chance and you don’t expect it, there I am commenting at your post-

I too am a long time ZB user (from their first version 10 yrs ago), but at the time it was not doing HS stuff, just organic… so I stopped using it for some time. Then- BAM, now ZB can do HS. So I too am in love with it- (again).

I cannot wait to paint my ‘Mayan’… that should be interesting- I look forward to you finishing ‘the Nosferatu’ I know it’ going to be awsome!

SteveTalkowski · July 4, 2019, 10:48am

Gonna treat this thread as my continuing sketchbook thread I suppose. Got a lot of late-night speed sculpts and doodles to share.

Also had one of my previous sketches printed up on a MakerBot at Siggraph a few weeks ago. The nozzle size has improved with the latest version and i’m seriously considering getting one of these for proof-of-concepting before pulling the trigger with the more expensive Objet prints.

SteveTalkowski · July 4, 2019, 10:52am

Got a few hours in late last night on this one. Will go back and attempt some fibermesh for the eyebrows and facial hair.

Dragon · July 4, 2019, 12:52am

As promised… here I am- I like that last head, cool look and expression. How big was the MakerBot print? Does it hold detail pretty good? Bet it was cool to hold your work in your hands. Best.

SteveTalkowski · July 5, 2019, 1:58pm

Thanks for stopping by Dragon! The MakerBot piece was around 2" high. Incidentally, just today, they announced the MakerBot Replicator 2! Can print at 100 microns. I’m VERY intrigued by this newer model, check it out here:

https://store.makerbot.com/replicator2.html

tonare · July 4, 2019, 12:52am

Nice work! I know what you mean about being obsessed with zb.

SteveTalkowski · July 4, 2019, 11:02am

Taking a cue from my former Blue Sky colleague and buddy Danny Williams, I try to squeeze in a “lunch crunch” here and there. This was today’s results, with a quick Undo recording included for bonus!

SteveTalkowski · July 4, 2019, 11:03am

Got a quick speed sculpt in this afternoon. Loaded up a default dynamesh and started pushing around the clay - er, pixols.

Loving just diving in and carving away with the Clay buildup brush.

SteveTalkowski · July 4, 2019, 11:16am

So, I had just set up a render for a 2-week project last night and was jonesing to get some ZBrush action in before crashing for the evening. Popped on iTunes listening to an old album from Edwyn Collins and fired up a dynamesh sphere and just start noodling around. 45 minutes later I had “Gorgeous George”. I’ll be returning to this chap to finish him up at a later date. Thanks for watching!

SteveTalkowski · July 4, 2019, 11:34am

“Have A Nice Day”

Had a few minutes this afternoon to get some ZBrush time in. Decided to fool around a bit with the HPolish and Trim Dynamics brushes, along with Ryan Kittleson’s sweet Crease brush.

Really had no idea when I started, but now I’m thinking this might be the start of a new character. Stay tuned!

Thanks for watching,

-Steve

SteveTalkowski · July 4, 2019, 11:41am

Updating a few recent Dynamesh studies. This one is a quick mech head test.

SteveTalkowski · July 4, 2019, 11:41am

Here’s a 2-hr late night Dynamesh/Fibermesh study.