Zbrush; Death Star & Gluteus Maximus

Using new software (such as Maya and Zbrush) is like playing a highly technical advanced video game (blindfolded), with a controller that makes the Death Star look like a beach ball - and the game is to figure out which buttons make your character jump, crawl, spin and ultimately level up...and once you figure it out, accidently click a button you didn't know existed and jump into a completely new game/world/scene; freeze your software, loose your tools/emblems/wands/gems/coins and watch your Death Star incinerate....

Not today Zbrush!

Ice man creation....

Import Turbosquid model as an .obj file

Use the sculpt tools (clay build up, move, smooth and Dam Standard) to apply the muscular structure....remembering everything that was taught in Elizabeth Hammond's life drawing anatomy classes at Medway College of Art & Design (Kent Institute)....particularly the structure of Gluteus Maximus

Zbrush Retopolising for export into Maya

Zbrush Retopology Class - creating a low poly head using ZRemesher

Duplicated low poly head below; orange/black dotted lines indicate the 'ZRemesher Guides Brush'.

Using symmetry mode 'X' I drew on the guides (around the eyes, mouth, nose and neck)

Setting the Target Polycount to 2 - Quad count was around 7000

Setting the Target Polycount to 1 - Quad count was around 3000

Generating 'dummy' head geometry for retopologising

Duplicate the highpoly head - rename to 'Decimated_head' > Zplugin>Decimation Master>Pre-process current (NOT ALL!)> set percentage of decimation (e.g 10%) > press Decimation Current.

Export Decimated_head subtool as an obj file

Save!!!

Preparation for retopologising in Maya

Quad Draw tool does not support the 'X' symmetry function, so we have to delete half the head, work on that and then duplicate, mirror and merge

Using the quad draw tool, to draw live 'magnetic' quads onto the head.

We deleted most of the quads around the eyes, mouth and nose, as these areas are the ones that are likely to have most deformation when it comes to animation.

Quad draw and 'CTRL' then allow for multi-cuts and additions of edge loops to create good details

'Generation Game Challenge - Sculpt a 3D self portrait in Zbrush!

Friday's 3D class...
The 'Generation Game Challenge' - Sculpt a 3D self portrait in Zbrush!
Using import Maps, 3D editable spheres, clay build up, move and dam standard brushes, smooth tools and Dynamesh to increase the polygon count....

Sean's 'Watch and Learn' demonstration was superb....brilliantly observed, great knowledge of anatomy and he made it look wonderfully effortless...

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So after lunch, our turn.
If this were a cake decorating challenge, this is the equivalent of what I hoped to produce, versus
reality....

My basic model, so far at the end of day one...I'll aim to work on this over the next couple of weeks....
Practice, practice, practice....