Topology in easier to control in other software packages because of the modeling tools involved. Also with proper topology, you have less trouble posing/animating your figures. I’m one to talk though, cuz I have trouble with that stuff anyway! 
What helps more than drawing is experience in make up and masks. That allows control over the skin texture like nothing else. Look at stuff from Monstermaker or Patton. There you got two pro’s who make their work shine with their effects knowledge. And of course… when you can draw you can nicely sketch a scene before you sink 3d time into it and if you can sculpt… then your models look better.
Cheers
Lemo
I create from scratch in Zbrush, mantodea. The end result looks the same to me, but outside of Zbrush I’m sure my meshes might cause problems in other apps, I dunno to be honest, i’m scared stiff of other 3D apps :eek:
Drawing is going to help your basic sculpting a great deal, but you may have a more creative mind than someone who simply has great drawing skills. Some of the best artist can’t even draw! In Zbrush you may discover your own unique technique, or be great with colour/texturing etc, it’s all down to creativity and originality more than simply drawing ability i’d say.
well I have talked to alot of past zbrush artists on this before in a chat room a few times…I was suprised to find that alot of our zbrush artists didnt draw as much or as well as I thought they would…
I like to draw and always have…whether I am any good…hmmm…I dunno…I try to improve and if it doesn’t look right, well that is ok too…the love of drawing is the key for me…
I don’t think it is essential for zbrush, but I am sure it doesn’t hurt.
I think the real life sculptors on the forum have commented that it is an easy transition to zbrushing…
Practice in any area will help you, though. Paying attention to the little things, wrinkles in clothing, different shades in a person’s skin, lighting a subject, expressions on faces and which muscles are affected, scenery and setting a scene, basic anatomy, (all of these things which I still have to desperately work on)…the imperfections in everybody’s appearance which gives them character…those are a few of the things that come to mind that will help in zbrushing or probably any other 3d modeling situation/app…
but simply, yes, I think being able to draw good helps the artist a bit more…
Would loved to have seen Giger or DaVinci with Zbrush for sure :))))))
just my itty bitty 2 cents worth
Ron
Drawing should be mandatory for all artists it is the simplest form of expression their is next to speech. But pre bulit blocks can be manipulated and called art. So no it is not essential only desired in my opinion.
Actually that is just an opinion. Some people find sculpting easier then drawing. Some have a reason they can’t draw effectivly. Like me. I have unsteady hands and when I draw I can never copy a line the way I did before. I also press to hard on the pen/pencil. I prefer to use a more ‘easy to fix’ way to work. my sketches usualy just turn out to be covered in eraser marks and impossible to identify :lol:
ctrl + z is my best friend 
it’s really nice to see all this answers. the main reason why i thought that drawing is essential is because of all those characters that i’ve seen here, who have tons of wrinkles, scars, etc. and by looking them i figure out that in zbrush you need to draw them all, one by one on your character. one more question. what is the “best” material to use in real sculpting? i only know for clay, and i’m interesting what material is good for sculpting, let’s say high detailed faces for example? one more time thanks for all the answers.
pz
IMHO the key to ANYTHING artistic (sculpting, painting) is looking. Really looking.
I can’t remember whether it was Manet speaking of Monet or vice versa, but what was said is what is important.
I think the quote goes:
“Monet is just an eye… but WHAT an eye!”
The esential thing is to have great perception abillities, the rest of it is just a matter of practice and technique. You must be able to see the forms in 3d space either if you’re painting or sculpting. Painting however can be a little more difficult, since you have to translate the 3d form onto a 2d plane, while in sculpting you can concentrate more on the form itself, rather than trying to translate it onto a plane. Contour and shading are the most important technical abilities in drawing (and these can be achivied through practice). However, you must know what you’re doing in both cases, as some of you just said. The rest is hard work and practice.
i had the same question when i wanted to practise with real material.p
obviusly the most artists favorite tool is SUPER SCULPTY.
but its to bad you cant realy find it here in the netherlands 
what i use is pollyster clay dryng on air i wish i had non dryng on air but it seams very hard to find.
what i use now works good but hase some draw backs i do advise you not to buy a big sack of clay (it looks tempting because of the amount) but you cant realy do alot of detail with it.
also dont sculpt real size or big start small its easyr.
Good Drawing, Painting, Scuplting or Digital work is all, in the end, just good seeing. The rest is just different tools. Most people who are very good at drawing can easily move to other methods because of the training in seeing things correctly and in there proper relationship to the whole. Learning to draw (on paper that is) is also easier because you dont have the limitations of processors and memory and computers that don’t do what they’re supposed to. Its also damn fun… Yes I do teach traditional drawing and painting but the priciples apply to any medium.
I am new in Zbrushing. My opinion is: When you draw you can`t probe your drawings in 3D and see if it looks real with proper proportions, forms, detailes. In Zbrush you can do this!!!. You can experiment with forms, with proportions, colors, shadows etc. in the end it can help you to learn how to percept things in 3D and than you gain ability to “see” before you draw.
…I think. By the way…I am amazed what you are doing here int this world of reality :).
As long as you get a good result sculpting who cares if you can draw or not? Drawing does teach you to look at things in detail but that alone doesn’t give you talent to do anything else but observe. As Jason (of Cannedmushrooms fame) says, it takes ‘practice, practice, practice’ to get good at modelling in Zbrush. So I’d say don’t get too hung up on drawing as being necessary to do anything good in Zbrush - just practice different techniques and work out what’s the best method for you.
if you can’t find that material in netherlands i sure will not find it here i guess i’ll try to do something with clay. i hope in near future you will see something of my work here right now i’m really occupied with learning (faculty). anyone else have problem with finding time in life? one more time i’m really glad that you all take time to answer me.
p.s. AhOld
“By the way…I am amazed what you are doing here int this world of reality :)”
i’m not sure that i understood that if it was pointed to me.
I’d say that being good at drawing will help you a lot, but not being good at drawing can hurt you if your sculpts have the same mistakes your drawings would have, because a drawing is just a reflection of what you understand in your head and what you are able to observe and retain. It’s hard to retain reality all at once, so learning to draw over a period of time sorta cements all in, you know? We know that with Z-Brush, the sky is the limit…so you need a solid foundation or you may end up putting all kinds of crazy cool detail into something with messed up anatomy or wack proportions.
An expert modeler can still make basic mistakes with anatomy, form and proportion which might have been worked out by someone who drew 2D for 10 years before touching a 3D program.
Without these skills, it’s just more to learn, which is why when you look at various models and wireframes on public forums, you can spot the experts and the noobs and everyone in between, even if they all have a working knowledge of their 3D program(s).
So, whether one decides to draw or just stick to the 3D world (or both), it’s important to learn the basics, and it does show through in one’s work.
My admiration was pointed to all arts, and artists, and who vants to learn. I dont know if you should know to draw. But I know you should be passionate at it and do it. So happy modelling, drawing, claying, playing.
I think i can summarize what everyone said so far into one simple answer :
You don’t need to be an illustrator to be a good ZBrusher, but every extra medium you learn will make it stronger.
personaly, I don’t think it matters if you can draw or not, to use ZB. But an eye for detail, and a perception to work in 3D. Actually thats not true, because I have seen some great work in this forum from people who don’t use ZB for modeling, just Illustration. So I gues it’s what you want ZB to do for you.
Befor the age of Digital art, I had reasonably good traditional skills in painting and illustration. But then (Must be nearly 20 years ago) I went and brought an Amiga 500, which came with a program called DPaint, and my traditanal skills got neglected, 5 years down the line I tried to go back to to pen and paper and the skills wern’t there. I’m sure if I had persisted they would have returned, but digital was offering far more excitment.
But now that I have a Wacom, and ZB I am finding that my traditional skills are coming back and certainly modeling is helping that as I’m studying form and details again.
I do nock out concept sketches, but they are so rougth, they are crap. So Digital still wins over and my drawing skills still are not what they used to be. But my mind still has the stong ability to create, and ZB is ace for freestyle results. So don’t worry, just creat. I hope this makes some sense:D;)
IMHO - sculpting and drawing, either digital or real, are coming from the same area of the brain. (and i suspect music to )
When I’ve observed 3D artist/sculptors’s websites, the quality of the 2D traditional art posted usually reveals the artist’s overall skill level. Usually, fine draughtmanship equates into good sculpture and concept art, too. Sculpting and drawing require the exact same discipline; observation, measurement, an understanding of form, proportional relationships are required for both.
BTW drawing is one of the best ways to get into a good mood. It’s been PROVEN that artists enter into an altered state when drawing.