ZBrushCentral

My anatomy study blog

ZBrush Artworks
#1

I have been working on an anatomy study, sculpting the bones and muscles, for my university dissertation. I created a blog to log my progress and this study has helped me so much with my art, so I thought I would share the link on here:

So far, I have the skeletal system sculpted and polypainted, the muscular system sculpted (however, only the surface muscles) and half painted. I’ve been using medical resources for research, like dissections and CT scans, etc.

I plan to paint the muscles and then do a the integumentary system (I will do this with just a polypainted skin layer), and possibly adapt it into different body types. I am attempting a fairly natural build at the moment, not too ripped or anything.

Any crits or any knowledge on the subject that I have missed would be greatly appreciated.

Attachments

J9006711_PLAHA_Pavan_Brochure_Product_Image.jpg

1 Like
#2

Nice work!

The bodies exhibit might give you an idea of the coloring for muscles. Though they also might not be dark enough. The main thing with muscle texture is to make it look like strands. Some muscles blend into others, usually near their insertion and origin points. The main thing with bones is to make sure you get all the important landmarks.

#3

One of the nicer ecorshe sculpts I’ve seen. Good job.

#4

Thanks everyone.

I have just finished a first pass of painting. I am not entirely sure what the best way to render this thing will be when its finished… but for now, I have a ‘best’ render from zbrush.

Mentalfrog: I have been looking at Gunther’s work for reference throughout, but I’m not sure on the colour of it. It looks like the plasticination process changes the colour of the muscle and the way it reflects light, so I probably won’t try to copy it at all (but the dryness of it is great for understanding how its made up). For this, I have been looking at a load of different sources to decide how to paint it… (Gunther’s work, dissection videos, various meat, etc)

It’s still a WIP, but please crit, thanks

Attachments

7509481169-orig.jpg

#5

Wow! awesome poly paint. Loved it! :+1:

#6

Fantastic anatomy study and the anatomy blog is great aswell :> I am following it buddy
Looking forward seeing more from you.
All the best and happy sculpting,

  • Kenny:)
#7

Thanks alot :smiley:

#8

An update to the muscle textures… having a hhhaard time rendering this without it crashing, at a fairly normal resolution aswell:muscletexture wip.jpgAlso, heres a basemesh WIP for the integumentary system. I am trying to make it good enough to re-use.8408423325-orig.jpg

#9

Looking good so far, like the muscles. I think the back looks flat from 3/4 view, you should have a volume from the ribcage there. Also seems that you’ve been in a hurry with the detailing of the bones, especially phalanges of hands and feet, clavicle (but you did the muscles fine). Good work, keep it up, making such studies is always good idea.

#10

stunning work! Well done!

I’d be tempted to look into a 3D print of this model.

shapeways.com has always been good to me over the years, so I will happily recommend them. :smiley:

#11

thanks for the replies :smiley:

dustbin1_uk - a 3d print? sounds awesome, I haven’t looked into it yet, but I don’t know if it will work as each muscle is a different subtool, with some things overlapping and a few gaps? Will defiinately go for it though if its not tooooo expensive haha

/idkfa - Thank you for your criticisms, I haven’t got around to changing it though, but will take it all into account. Just to clarify though, by the detailing of the bones, do you mean the colour or the form? or both?

I now have my basemesh ready, which I will be sculpting over the next few weeks while doing other assignments, tried to make as it evenly squared as possible. I think there are only 2 triangles in there (where the ears attach):

8706293876-orig.jpg

#12

Nice looking basemesh. Might I suggest though some groups and group-loops around the shoulders, neckline, above and below the hip, and maybe at the ankles and wrists. Think clothing seams, female parts, and some extra geometry in areas expected to bend like the shoulders and knees. A few extra loops now wont hurt your base polycount too badly (looks about 3-5k) and will help tremendously later if you decide to Morph, Animate, and/or Dress your Character.

#13

Hey, thanks for the crits. But this basemesh was mainly for sculpting, I would retopo for anything past that. I think its better to have a squarier mesh, so that it subdivides smoothly. For example, imagine having rectangle pixels in photoshop. I know dynamesh does essentially the same thing as what I have done, but mines a little more defined and id probably use it more than once anyway. Saying that though, the shoulders polys do look a little bigger than the rest.

#14

great study, a lot of knowledge you put in there! What are you main anatomy reference? did you follow Ryan Kingslien tutorial, get a particular anatomy book,…? i want to learn anatomy as soon as i can, but i am a bit lost and i dont know where start. thanks in advance!

#15

I used quite a load of sources as reference actually… mainly medical stuff, like anatomy books, dissections, 3d CT scans, X-Rays… Anything I could get my hands on for free. Some art-anatomy books too though, because they outline the actual form of everything rather than just where and what.

Check out Acland’s video atlas of human anatomy for dissection reference (it really REALLY helped me).
Bammes has great books aswell

I haven’t seen any seminars from Ryan Kingslien, although I really want to. I watched some clips of him on Youtube and learnt a load of things just from that.

If you want to learn anatomy as fast as you can, I would recommend making one these, it has really helped and it commits so much more to memory than just studying out of a book. I mean, you don’t even have to put in as much detail as I am going for (I’m doing it to put on my portfolio), you will learn as it all comes together; it did for me at least. I guess alternatively, you could focus on sections of the body instead of doing the entire thing, or draw it out.

I can’t say that I now know anatomy 100%, but I definitely have a MUCH greater understanding of it. Once you’ve got an understanding of the human anatomy, you can adapt it to pretty much any mammal and most other animals too.

#16

/idkfa - I changed the curvature of the back in this skin layer I am working on. Is this more correct? If it is, I will change it on the bones and muscles aswell.

Thanks for the critiques so far, keep them coming. I am going for a fairly realistic and natural looking body. Here is a WIP:

9210094214-orig.jpg

#17

Looks very natural so far :+1:, I do think the hands need some attention though. Keep it up.

#18

love the anatomy!

#19

I appreciate the comments.

Admittedly, I still haven’t paid much attention to the hands or feet, but here is an update. The main changes are in the back; I have pulled the ribs, scapula and muscles out a bit based on idkfa’s crits. I also made the face a bit more bearable to look at.

Still a WIP:

Untitled-1.jpg

… And to show how everything wraps around the muscles:

Untitled-2.jpg

#20

Another iteration. As I have only got two weeks left, I probably should just accept this and move on, to complete the thing… But I’m learning so damn much!

I have changed the back again, and the legs. I also edited the underlying anatomy to match up…Still haven’t paid much attention to the hands or feet, I will probably do that last.

Untitled-1.jpg

Crits greatly appreciated, aiming for a very natural looking body with a bit of body fat and around 30 or 40 years old.