The best ZBrush learning experience
21/11/11 20:09 Filed in: Education
I’m really not doing well on keeping my Blog up to date.
One excuse is that I’m being kept very busy still learning ZBrush. However I’m also learning about anatomy, which is the foundation of sculpting life.
www.ZBrushWorkshops.com in my opinion is by far the best ZBrush learning experience. My introduction to ZBrush Workshops was Sculpting Games: MP5-K, which has been covered earlier in this blog. I was so impressed I joined the ‘Anatomy 2.0’ workshop and have found that a knowledge in anatomy would provide better results in sculpting anatomy.
Half way through this workshop Ryan Kingslien (the originator of ZBW) announced a new workshop, which would include the learning skills of Cesar Dacol jr teaching Creature Designs.
So I didn’t hesitate and joined immediately. We now have 3 weeks left of ten and for me it’s like a dream come true. Being taught by a sculptor who has always inspired me is a wonderful experience.
Every Tuesday night (UK time) we get to watch the master in action. We also get to listen to Cesar’s experienced advise as well as the wise voice of Ryan.
On a Friday night (UK time) Ryan organises a Crit. This is when Cesar provides us with positive advice on how to improve our sculpting skills.
OK it’s not free, but I for one am able to justify the money I have spent for the amount I have learnt. Watching an edited DVD is no comparison to watching a great artist working live in ZBrush. If he makes any mistakes or ZBrush crashes you get to see how he resolves these hurdles and appreciate these things even happen to the professionals.
See my progress below:
‘Rippler’ and ‘Spooner’ where sculpted at the request of Cesar, so he could get a feel of our ability. The most positive feedback he gave me was my creativity ability.
He mentioned that I needed to work on my knowledge of anatomy.
The next project was to create a freak. I got started but then ran out of time. Cesar again brought up my basic knowledge of anatomy, which I needed to improve on.
I had all ready joined the Anatomy 2.0 class, but joined the Creature Design class half way through. There’s no way I could keep up with both so the plan is to return to Anatomy 2.0 and solidify my anatomy knowledge.
The next webinar consisted of Cesar sculpting an insectoid, which we had to follow. ‘CraBeetle’ is what I came up with and Cesar recommended a couple of improvements which I am hoping to carry out soon.
‘FatCow’ was my last sculpt and I felt an improvement in using Cesar’s techniques. Cesar’s crit was to make some anatomical changes, which I will do very soon.
So get your self down to ZBrushWorkshops.com if you’re looking to improve your ZBrush skills.
One excuse is that I’m being kept very busy still learning ZBrush. However I’m also learning about anatomy, which is the foundation of sculpting life.
www.ZBrushWorkshops.com in my opinion is by far the best ZBrush learning experience. My introduction to ZBrush Workshops was Sculpting Games: MP5-K, which has been covered earlier in this blog. I was so impressed I joined the ‘Anatomy 2.0’ workshop and have found that a knowledge in anatomy would provide better results in sculpting anatomy.
Half way through this workshop Ryan Kingslien (the originator of ZBW) announced a new workshop, which would include the learning skills of Cesar Dacol jr teaching Creature Designs.
So I didn’t hesitate and joined immediately. We now have 3 weeks left of ten and for me it’s like a dream come true. Being taught by a sculptor who has always inspired me is a wonderful experience.
Every Tuesday night (UK time) we get to watch the master in action. We also get to listen to Cesar’s experienced advise as well as the wise voice of Ryan.
On a Friday night (UK time) Ryan organises a Crit. This is when Cesar provides us with positive advice on how to improve our sculpting skills.
OK it’s not free, but I for one am able to justify the money I have spent for the amount I have learnt. Watching an edited DVD is no comparison to watching a great artist working live in ZBrush. If he makes any mistakes or ZBrush crashes you get to see how he resolves these hurdles and appreciate these things even happen to the professionals.
See my progress below:
‘Rippler’ and ‘Spooner’ where sculpted at the request of Cesar, so he could get a feel of our ability. The most positive feedback he gave me was my creativity ability.
He mentioned that I needed to work on my knowledge of anatomy.
The next project was to create a freak. I got started but then ran out of time. Cesar again brought up my basic knowledge of anatomy, which I needed to improve on.
I had all ready joined the Anatomy 2.0 class, but joined the Creature Design class half way through. There’s no way I could keep up with both so the plan is to return to Anatomy 2.0 and solidify my anatomy knowledge.
The next webinar consisted of Cesar sculpting an insectoid, which we had to follow. ‘CraBeetle’ is what I came up with and Cesar recommended a couple of improvements which I am hoping to carry out soon.
‘FatCow’ was my last sculpt and I felt an improvement in using Cesar’s techniques. Cesar’s crit was to make some anatomical changes, which I will do very soon.
So get your self down to ZBrushWorkshops.com if you’re looking to improve your ZBrush skills.
Still learning the ZBrush way
02/06/11 15:33 Filed in: Education
So I needed some help, getting my head around the new features of Zbrush 4.
I went on a google search. Whilst there are teasers available regarding the new features of ZBrush 4, I couldn’t find anything with any meat on it. The two books I mentioned in an earlier blog (‘Introducing ZBrush 4’ by Eric Keller and ‘ZBrush Character Creation vol.2’ by Scott Spencer) were answering my questions, but it was a slow process.
I eventually discovered a gem, an article in a 3D magazines providing the answer to my frustration.
I touched on this resource briefly in my last Blog, but I have been spending almost every evening working my way through Ryan Kingslien’s Workshop.
Ryan Kingslien was one of the first to help in the development of ZBrush. So he really knows what he is talking about. His method of teaching is so easy to watch and you get so much more from the Workshops than you initially thought you would.
My choice of Worshops was the ‘MP5-K’, which I felt provided the answers to my questions and boy were they answered.
So what have I learnt:
Spotlight, ShadowBox, Lightbox, Image Plane, Remeshing, Projecting
Clip Brushes, Trim Brushes.
Relax & Polish (under Deformation pallet).
The importance of creating a clean mesh, if there is a need to add detail in a particular area.
Hollowing out a SubTool, using Extract.
A more in-depth understanding of Decimation Master.
Learning from my mistakes and adjusting to correcting something.
and much much more...
Below are a few examples of the model I managed to produce. At this stage I’m not really bothered about accuracy, but what this Workshop has provided is a learning experience I can’t equal.
I went on a google search. Whilst there are teasers available regarding the new features of ZBrush 4, I couldn’t find anything with any meat on it. The two books I mentioned in an earlier blog (‘Introducing ZBrush 4’ by Eric Keller and ‘ZBrush Character Creation vol.2’ by Scott Spencer) were answering my questions, but it was a slow process.
I eventually discovered a gem, an article in a 3D magazines providing the answer to my frustration.
I touched on this resource briefly in my last Blog, but I have been spending almost every evening working my way through Ryan Kingslien’s Workshop.
Ryan Kingslien was one of the first to help in the development of ZBrush. So he really knows what he is talking about. His method of teaching is so easy to watch and you get so much more from the Workshops than you initially thought you would.
My choice of Worshops was the ‘MP5-K’, which I felt provided the answers to my questions and boy were they answered.
So what have I learnt:
Spotlight, ShadowBox, Lightbox, Image Plane, Remeshing, Projecting
Clip Brushes, Trim Brushes.
Relax & Polish (under Deformation pallet).
The importance of creating a clean mesh, if there is a need to add detail in a particular area.
Hollowing out a SubTool, using Extract.
A more in-depth understanding of Decimation Master.
Learning from my mistakes and adjusting to correcting something.
and much much more...
Below are a few examples of the model I managed to produce. At this stage I’m not really bothered about accuracy, but what this Workshop has provided is a learning experience I can’t equal.
I have ingested tutorial books and tutorial DVD, but I have never learnt as much about ZBrush as I have whilst following Ryan Kingslien’s Workshop.
There are a handful of Workshops available and there is a small price to pay, however once you have registered, you have access to the forums and your workshop for 12 months.
I really can’t sing Ryan’s praises enough, so pop over to zbrushworkshops.com to find out for your self.
Another wonderful gem I spotted recently was an article in ‘3D artist’ (issue 29). I currently use the iPad App - 3DArtist to download their monthly issues. However due to the DVD content I went out and bought a copy. On page 80 there is some advice on Rendering in ZBrush, which is something I’ve been searching for since I started using ZBrush. The article covers Rendering in ZBrush 4 and the new BPR feature. The DVD contains a 28min tutorial on the process. So I am really looking forward to running the tutorial.
In the same issue of ‘3DArtist’ is a small article on page 113, detailing a new line of tutorials by thethirdguild.com. I was that impressed I bought and downloaded ‘Characters Made Easy Bundle’. I’ve yet to begin ingesting the tutorial but this is another I’m looking forward to.
What interested me in this particular tutorial was the inclusion of UV Master, which is something else I’ve been desperate to fully understand.
Working smoothly in ZBrush at a comfortable pace is understanding which is the most efficient way to deal with a SubTool before you start.
This means learning ZBrush until it becomes second nature. I for one now feel like I’m getting there, two years down the line.
ZBrush Workshops member
15/05/11 21:18 Filed in: Education
OK, I decided I needed a little help with the new features of ZBrush 4.
As mentioned in a previous blog ‘Introducing ZBrush 4’ by Eric Keller is brilliant and I am slowly making my way through the book. I haven’t had a chance as yet to start reading ‘ ‘ZBrush Character Creation vol.2’ by Scott Spencer, however I will get around to it.
So I took the plunge and registered with www.zbrushworkshops.com, which was originated by Ryan Kingslien. Ryan runs the workshops with an experience in ZBrush which is difficult to equal.
I opted for the ‘MP5-K’ workshop and after simply viewing the introduction I had virtually mastered Spotlight, Lightbox and Shadowbox in one hit. After all he played an important part in the development of Zbrush 3.
Not only am I finding the workshops really useful, the site also provides a support section where you can ask Ryan questions about the workshops, which he answers promptly.
So there you go another resource that provides inspiration to carry on ZBrushing...
As mentioned in a previous blog ‘Introducing ZBrush 4’ by Eric Keller is brilliant and I am slowly making my way through the book. I haven’t had a chance as yet to start reading ‘ ‘ZBrush Character Creation vol.2’ by Scott Spencer, however I will get around to it.
So I took the plunge and registered with www.zbrushworkshops.com, which was originated by Ryan Kingslien. Ryan runs the workshops with an experience in ZBrush which is difficult to equal.
I opted for the ‘MP5-K’ workshop and after simply viewing the introduction I had virtually mastered Spotlight, Lightbox and Shadowbox in one hit. After all he played an important part in the development of Zbrush 3.
Not only am I finding the workshops really useful, the site also provides a support section where you can ask Ryan questions about the workshops, which he answers promptly.
So there you go another resource that provides inspiration to carry on ZBrushing...
Finalizing JawBreaker
05/05/11 17:21 Filed in: Personal Work
I eventually found some time to sit down and add some texture to JawBreaker. I even managed to find some time to pose my model.
As usual I accidentally found a speedy workflow on producing an eyeball, iris and all. If I find time in the next couple of weeks I’ll add a how to on my tutorial page.
JawBreaker’s next adventure is to compose the layers in Photoshop. I’ve all ready exported the passes from ZBrush using BPR.
Hopefully, now I’ve got the bit between my teeth, I’ll have it finished by next week.
I also managed to pick up another video tutorial by Scott Spencer - ‘ZBrush to Photoshop Character Design Tutorial’, worth its weight in Gold.
As usual I accidentally found a speedy workflow on producing an eyeball, iris and all. If I find time in the next couple of weeks I’ll add a how to on my tutorial page.
JawBreaker’s next adventure is to compose the layers in Photoshop. I’ve all ready exported the passes from ZBrush using BPR.
Hopefully, now I’ve got the bit between my teeth, I’ll have it finished by next week.
I also managed to pick up another video tutorial by Scott Spencer - ‘ZBrush to Photoshop Character Design Tutorial’, worth its weight in Gold.
Development of JawBreaker
17/04/11 18:38 Filed in: Personal Work
I thought I’d post some development work on JawBreaker.
I’ve been working on detail (wrinkles) and expression to try and make this guy a little more interesting.
The next step is to apply a pose and include some skin detail.
I then need to decide on colour and start PolyPainting.
I’ve had fun working on JawBreaker, although he was put on hold for a while. I’m in the process of getting my head around ZBrush 4 and all the new features. At the same time I’m trying to work my way through ‘Inner World’, which Jawbreaker will be a part of.
On top of ‘Introducing ZBrush 4’ by Eric Keller, I recently purchased ‘ZBrush Character Creation vol.2’ by Scott Spencer. I decided to opt for the kindle versions for iPad, due to the lack of space on my bookcase. The only down side was that the digital download versions don’t come with the accompanying DVD. So I emailed the publishers and they kindly sent me the DVD for ‘Introducing ZBrush’ in the post. I’m just patiently waiting for Scott’s DVD.
Let’s just hope I can get my head down and work on getting JawBreaker finished in the next couple of weeks.
I’ve been working on detail (wrinkles) and expression to try and make this guy a little more interesting.
The next step is to apply a pose and include some skin detail.
I then need to decide on colour and start PolyPainting.
I’ve had fun working on JawBreaker, although he was put on hold for a while. I’m in the process of getting my head around ZBrush 4 and all the new features. At the same time I’m trying to work my way through ‘Inner World’, which Jawbreaker will be a part of.
On top of ‘Introducing ZBrush 4’ by Eric Keller, I recently purchased ‘ZBrush Character Creation vol.2’ by Scott Spencer. I decided to opt for the kindle versions for iPad, due to the lack of space on my bookcase. The only down side was that the digital download versions don’t come with the accompanying DVD. So I emailed the publishers and they kindly sent me the DVD for ‘Introducing ZBrush’ in the post. I’m just patiently waiting for Scott’s DVD.
Let’s just hope I can get my head down and work on getting JawBreaker finished in the next couple of weeks.