Hello. I am creating a video game character and I wanted to know how professional games artists would apply tiny details to a final game model. I saw some training videos by the artist Michael Pavlovich and I believe he said that he does not sculpt in fine details like stitching to the clothing, he just applies those details when he is texturing.
I was wondering which is the best way or the most professional way to apply details like stitching in clothing and pores in the skin? Should I sculpt these details into my sculpture or should I apply them later using Photoshop or Substance Painter? Or is there another way that I do not even know about? Thank you for your help.
I am also interested in this field and would like to be answered by a professional designer
Thanks for ask this question
It really depends on the artist and end result that is needed.
I personally put my stitching in my sculpts but I do it as a mesh, not as an alpha. But it depends again on the end result. Small stitching is easier to put in the textures in Painter, big stitching is easier to manage in zbrush.
Now, if a character is going to end up being 3d printed, or used for Marketing, Cinematics, etc then you might not be able to just add in the details to the textures. They might need to be modeled for some other reason, etc.
Basically, long and short of it, it all depends 