ZBrushCentral

Kieffen, the broken gold (dragon)

ZBrush Artworks
#1

hello all!

Here I start a new dragon, trying to make it fully in Zspheres.

Kieffen is a dragon I use in a PHP role playing game. he is a great (weack! XD) golden dragon, rather wonderful to see even if build for killing.

I made some quick pictures, illustrating the proud and violent size of the character. this is really uncomplete ta show the character’s personality but it shows a global idea of what he’s head looks like. I still didn’t fix horns design.

[attach=124876]1.jpg[/attach]
here hje have no horns becaus I didn’t know what will they look like… this should be the more built image of Kieffen.

and some RP speed paintings:
[attach=124878]2.jpg[/attach]
[attach=124879]3.jpg[/attach]
[attach=124880]4.jpg[/attach]
[attach=124881]5.jpg[/attach]

but concerning wing, I still didn’t found explicit doc on the forum. I just guess magnets are used but I’m certainly wrong cause result is just bad, or there is tips I don’t know.

whatever, here is the start:

[attach=124882]6.jpg[/attach]

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#2

Hahaha, nice start. In my signature, follow the ‘Origins’ link… :wink:

#3

OK, so this is really magnet using… ye I often saw this thread in my researches!

just have to experiment how it functions!^^

and no way to raise up base resolution?

Just sorry for the short post? it was late! I just go to upload it! (and perhaps I’m not good at english but not enough to forget a word, I should fix the missing “me” in my signature!)

#4

Base resolution for zspheres can be controlled in several ways. Overall, by setting Adaptive Skin>Density higher. You can then use Density to adjust up and down the resolution. You can also set the specifics of a zsphere on the x,y,z axis or variations (look for people doing hands/feet), probably best done with the script available on the forum. Reference to the script can be found in the Eternal Zsphere Thread along with examples. Lots of reference to these things throughout the forum and the Help docs and the Pixologic classroom files.

If you are using the latest Zbrush, you have far more options. You can just use Zspheres to rough out a shape, then convert to mesh, work, retopo, add the zsphere structure back in and or use Transpose or combine all and not necessarily in the order stated. :wink:

#5

Yeaaa!

so I can make membranes with another object! I wonder who I can transpose it after, but i should be a cool solution!

#6

Well, you can, doesn’t mean it will be easier. Transpose works on subtools, not sure what version or OS your using for Zbrush, so you’ll have to do some looking around. You can of course, combine all the meshes and use a simple zsphere rig to pose with a little Transpose as needed, or… ROFL, the options are rather endless. I prefer the Zsphere approach, it forces you to think things through and be clean. Then you have a solid structure to go crazy from. :wink: However some people model whole characters from a single box, now that is really weird!

#7

lol, I do this! ^^

then, my matter with magnets wings is that membrane resolution is relativly much less important that in other parts, and details on membranes are very compared to arms ect…

but I’ll already test some magnet configs and decide next.

#8

OK, I made some tests and here is a rather nice result:

[attach=125092]1.jpg[/attach]
[attach=125093]2.jpg[/attach]
[attach=125094]3.jpg[/attach]

I think I like horns like this, parhaps I will add more 3D in it. for wings I’m just glad to have obtained 4 fingers. geometry is very awfull but I’ll fix it manually.

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#9

Better, but your missing key info. You can go and tweak polys until the cows come home, or just look at the dragon setup in the Origins thread. Everything you need to fix yours is in those first few images and then expanded upon later. Mostly, your zspheres are just too large to make a nice membrane. Look at post #11 in that thread, and say #42 to see the resulting difference. You mention awful geometry, but it isn’t, you just haven’t got the settings right and the position of zspheres/magnets and related sizes set. No matter what you model and with nurbs, zspheres, poly boxes, whatever, it is important to get your base correct.

Here is one of my all time favorite threads, anything is possible, if you take a little time ti understand the tools. :wink:

http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/showthread.php?t=9904

#10

So glad that people help!!!:smiley:

OK, just needed to read txice but it’s all understood (moreover that’s images I needed to reread! XD)

I was just going at the opposite way!:o :stuck_out_tongue:
so not fear to make big variations in zsphere scales and positions and use a lot of Zspheres! ^^

here is a rework, I still have some matters:
[attach=125096]1.jpg[/attach]

here it’s the wing forearm magnet wich push the “arm” in both ways, and the wrong one, arm should’nt go toward head…

and then I have some difficulties to reach the foot shape I want:
[attach=125097]2.jpg[/attach]

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#11

If you do similar improvements down the wing as you have done at the top, right to where it joins the back, I think most will be solved. Go for the rough shape, not exact with zsphere’s, you will need to do some sculpting no matter what. Just like any approach. You can also retopo later, after the sculpting is done and you really know what will improve things. Also I think you may be focusing on things that are not really an issue, unless you care to explain why you circled the area on the wing… :wink:

#12

woooooffffff!!

have a headake

OK… I’m not sure having understood the very linkwordfull end of you’r post…

but I circled it because I don’t like how wing arm goes toward the head, but of course I can fix that in sculpting/tweaking…

but you just saythat I should have a good shape and that I should tweack as less than possible…

#13

here is an update:

sounds much more good to me! =)

#14

That looks good. The attachment of wing to body is still too thick. Lots of other issues, but you are progressing. Note: I hope you stored the morph BEFORE you did any sculpting or you will have a terrible mess in no time. :wink:

#15

I dodn’t do any sculpting!

so thanks for the tip, even if I never understoode morph (dunno, it looks like layers to me) I’ll try to find more explaination on that.

#16

ok, this is just a “status record” but can it be like “history” brush in photoshop?

#17

here is more work on the head:

[attach=125990]1.jpg[/attach]
[attach=125991]2.jpg[/attach]
there is a hole back the head but I have difficulties to fix it…

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#18

OK, so I guess I can start to sculpt