ZBrushCentral

Egyptian Jewelry Front Piece - ZBrush 4R7 to Keyshot video series

Egyptian Front Piece rendered in KeyShot

What began as an exercise in using the ZModeler Brush ended up being a full-fledged project in ancient jewelry design using ZBrush 4R7 and KeyShot. Then the challenge became, how fast could I do such a complicated piece? Since my husband and I adopted 3 young kids just 8 months ago… time is not something I have much of anymore… but I’m determined to keep learning ZBrush so I can use it to illustrate our children’s stories. I needed a big dose of inspiration and needed to get up to speed on the new features of 4R7. So I picked out a favorite historical piece and set out to see if I could complete it.
The first issue was choosing what method to create the metal base? I went a couple of wrong directions and then went with the ZModeler and a Qcube to start with. Unfortunately, I did have a computer crash and lost some of the first steps being recorded. At some point I deleted all the of the cube sides except the top plane so that I could move the points around quickly and get my pattern shape. Things progressed quickly and I knew I could get all of my patterns worked out and use the ZModeler Brush to go back and add thickness and raise the edges. I’ve recorded the process from here so that I can remember the journey of this piece. There may be better ways to do some parts, but I keep going till the end and complete the piece. It took about 1 week of time spread out over 3 weeks. Kids do keep us busy!

PART 1 VIDEO
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I use a plane just behind my model with my reference image applied. It’s easy to turn off and always stays just where I need it.

Basic steps to creating a metal base for stones/jewels:

PART 2 VIDEO
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All the metal bases complete

PART 3 VIDEO
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Somewhere along the way I remembered you can ALT click on a ZBrush part to select it so you could work on it. Soooo much faster than searching through the pallet!

Attachments

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PART 4 VIDEO
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I can’t help but imagine the original artist working on this piece as I re-build each piece myself. I took metal working class in college and have some basic knowledge of how the piece might have been put together. But imagine working 1000 years ago with only basic tools. There are a LOT of stones in this piece! Each one would have to be shaped and fitted. It must have taken months. Duplicate seems like a word of magic…. And here I sit shaping stones and fitting them into place in digital form. I do hope the original artist approves of my efforts!

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PART 5 VIDEO
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I copy the inner base plate polys to start the stones for each section.

PART 6 VIDEO

My own ZBrush story began back in 2006 when I modeled an Egyptian Scarab Bracelet. I really loved that piece… Saddly, I lost the files because of a computer virus. Luckily, I had made some videos back then and a few renders to remember it by.

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PART 7 VIDEO
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I struggle with getting the snake head right. I sculpt it and smooth it out several times.

PART 8 VIDEO
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Around this point I’m beginning to wonder about my decision to model every single stone! It will make me a better artist. It will make me a better artist… I keep telling myself.

PART 9 VIDEO
<iframe src=“https://www.youtube.com/embed/G-QmYaxCC_g” allowfullscreen="" frameborder=“0” height=“315” width=“420”></iframe>

Polygroups in ZBrush with Dynamic SubD used on most parts here.
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PART 10 VIDEO
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I turn off all the parts I’m not working with around this point. Starting along the bottom row, I polypaint one lotus and see what steps and colors I work best. Then I turn on the next piece and begin again. Test rendering in KeyShot begins! It’s so fast…. And inspiring! I of course start imagining all sorts of future jewelry/object projects being rendered using cloisonné.

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PART 11 VIDEO
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I wasn’t sure whether to leave some stones attached to same part or to separate them. I do both. If I want to apply a separate material in Keyshot it is easier to apply as a separate object. I can also add a blend color to tweak the look in Keyshot. Not all the same color stones were exactly the same looking. I think it looks more realistic to have a random stone tinted a different color.

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PART 12 VIDEO
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I can so see this as a 3d print someday! I’d have to rework some areas and add in all the keys, but think about the possibilities of printing it at any size! It would look cool printed out in different colors and assembled or hand-painted to look like a movie prop.

PART 13 VIDEO
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Grunging up the metal and stone edges is always fun and adds just the right effect once rendered. Plus it helps give it a more hand-made feel.


PART 14 VIDEO
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I have to keep my finger off the Divide button… but I want more detail! I argue with myself – just how close will you really see each and every dent, bump, scratch? Back off and look at it before you end up with 20 million polys! A woman can never have too many polys can she?

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PART 15 VIDEO
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Ahhh… KeyShot take me away! I want to see perfectly rendered bubbles floating past and gold as ancient as the sea…. How you spoil me so!

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PART 16 VIDEO
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I’m not really a gold and jewels sort of gal… but I do love history, grungy, patinaed details, and art. If I 3d print this one day, I’ll have to either model each wing stone or figure out how to sandwich gold and stone parts together.

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PART 17 VIDEO
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So close to finishing! I’ve saved the best for last. Should I do a new scarab or a broken one? I really want both.
I so hope one of our kids is ZBrush inclined. I’ll have so much to teach them one day. ZBrush Version 10 will be so awesome I can’t even imagine what it will be like for them in the distant digital future! I’m sure one of them will be designing ZBrush flying cars and 3d printing them out in the garage. Make us proud!

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PART 18 VIDEO
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In the end I have 217 zbrush objects and I did come in at just under 7 million polys once I started applying the dynamic SubD and adding in more details. For me that is pretty good. Took a few minutes to send to KeyShot, but not bad once it was there.

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PART 19 VIDEO
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In KeyShot I only use 3 materials over my polypaint. I love being able to save camera angles and the renders are so quick! I try out nearly every single backdrop and environment with this piece. The winning environment is pixologic_barcelona_church.hdr. It really makes the gold work seem just the right color. I could certainly keep going with adding more ZBrush cracks and playing with renders… but it is time to move on for now.
Remember kids…. One day you will look back on your mother’s work. Don’t laugh. I may not be designing flying cars or making movie monsters, but I was thinking of you when I put in all these late night hours to learn a program, become a better artist, and inspire your future artistic creations!

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Ooh lovely Lynne. I look forward to viewing them from the comfort of my chaise longue .

Thanks! I can take a long breath now and rest!

The first thing I notice when looking at your video tutorials is the artistic character of your approach. You are not an engineer but an artist. Just like the craftsmen who created the originals did not care whether every circle was perfect or not.
The second thing I notice is the originality of your approach. You know where you want to go to and you devise ways to get there.

So yes, I really like the result and I am immensely grateful for your series of videos. Not only they are a pleasure to watch but they free the viewer from unspoken rules-to-abide.

Thanks!
(no, I am not yet at number 19)

Thanks! I can take a long breath now and rest!

Absolutely - quite a task you have undertaken.
Rest thee well and thanks.

Thanks so much! It was a study in patience.

Hi!
I am a fan of your original Egyptian jewelry work and tutorials! So wonderful for sharing your new work!!!
Thanks.

very cool…thank you for sharing

Thanks everyone! Now I can do something completely different now that is out of my system. It was a nice challenge. Glad to share.