ZBrushCentral

Pi(x)el's Sketchbook

Hello everyone, long time lurker here… I’ve been dabbling in Zbrush for years yet somehow failed to wrap my head around it until very recently, thanks to this forum and all the great people here whom are far from stingy with their techniques, help and information offered… I’ve still much to learn so please bear with me… So here goes my first WIP post. Comments are welcome of course.

Here is the initial concept sketch and idea…
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Attachments

Comp-2-model-stage-mid.jpg

Daisy-Petting-Zoo-WIP.jpg

That’s a pretty good start. For the eyelid I usually use a Insert brush with a Sphere and cut it in 2 parts. Then you can add a lid etc. but you instantly have a nice geometric shape for the eye this way.
For the hands - It’s always a personal decision if you want to add more details to a cartoony hand - I’m always thinking the way too. I think it depends on the overall level of details of your character - if you stay cartoony on the rest of the clothes and face - then your hand could be looking strange showing much details…so it’s a general decision how detailed your character looks at the end. There are several artists here on ZBC that show high details but keep the style very cartoony.

Yes, initially this piece is intended for a static poster. But why not, It’s better to have the eyes functional, you’re right. :slight_smile: Aside from being good practice for me, heaven knows I need that! :slight_smile:

Great observation on the hands also. I don’t want to leave the ‘cartoony’ arena… I tried adding fingernails, but due to the size of the fingers they look massive and threatening, certainly not good for kids to have a threatening claw in there! :)) Also as soon as I add the nails, oddly enough what looks out of place is the lack of a fourth finger… he basically looks like an amputee!~

hank you for your feedback man I really appreciate it, it helps me sink in the needed and discard the unessential.

Cheers!

~

You’re welcome!
The eyesculpting as described wasn’t for functionality - it was more my workflow as I sculpt this kind of cartoony eyes - to get a nice even shape.

For the hands: I really dig the 4-finger style and use it myself. A fifth finger sometimes just get’s in the way :wink:

Hi Pixel,

Nice start and its good to see more people aiming at cartoonstyle around here.

And also the “beginnerslevel” helpexchange is what I am looking for here as well.

(sidenote to Vise: I just managed to finish my first retopo succsessfully within Z-brush thanks to your valuable remarks)

Looking forward at your progressing

all the best

Jake

Thank you both for the comments and encouragement :slight_smile: Here’s a small update on the details… reworking the shoes… and I know it’s moving away from the cartoony style… I am getting carried away, heh… but it’s more of an excercise at this point also… It may be an interesting fusion though… Hypertoony?.. :slight_smile: CHEERS!~

Great, I like it a lot and it also fits the style I think.

Ahhh… functionality, lets say you want these shoes solo and be able to look inside.
How would you guys make them hollow? and not that clay clump typical for z-brush?

You could use Create Shell, under the Geometry menu.
.Capture.JPG

I’ve been working on the shoes… going way-off cartoony… but I’ll bring it into a hybrid style I use in airbrushing, should work for sculpting too.

Shoe update, just before polypainting…

CharacterStrip.jpg

Attachments

Shoes.jpg

Hello Pi(x)el, just wanted to drop by and and tell you that I am a sucker for cool cartoon styles such as yours. Can’t wait to see how this little fella turns out! Best.

Thanks Dagon, I truly appreciate it man.

OK… I got carried away with the shoes…


Where did u buy them?! … good realistic look! Congrats!

Please give as video tutorial how U made shoes ! :wink:

Holy smokes, those don’t even look like the shoes you were working on! WOW, WOW, the texturing/painting and final render came out AMAZING. All this in ZBrush? Or did you use an external rendering APP? Either way, very nice work!

Thanks man… Yeah I know I totally went off in a tangent with the style of the original piece.
I’m questioning my motives now! :stuck_out_tongue: Not sure if I’ll use these shoes with the character, but we’ll see.

It’s all Zbrush, started from Zspheres and composed in Photoshop.
The only thing not readily rendered in Zbrush in one take, is the specular layer, I did that one separately over a black material with the specularity bumped up to high heaven, then layered it in in PS5.

I am impressed! Great work Pi(x)el. Ya, know what you mean, maybe it’s just a little too much ‘reality’ for what your shooting with for this ‘style’?? Maybe?? But, you can always sclupt with this cartoon style and give it ALL that realistic look? Pixar seems to get that feel at times in their movies. They give objects and charaters a cartoon ‘shape’ but then texture and render things to look ‘realistic’. But, again, it all depends on the artists thoughts about his/her work… what the final result is there going for right?

Since the pair of shoes I modeled didn’t really draw much of a following… LOL… I’m placing “Daisy’s Petting Zoo” (cartoony) on stand-by and going to give the people, what the people want… Namely a CREATURE!!

His name is “Thatorivyn” and will be a lovely female warrior’s battle-buddy… sound familiar?
Thatorivyn shown at 50% modeling stage.