Written by 'House of the Dragon' sculptor Lukas Kutschera, jumpstart your sculpting career and learn how to use the industry's most effective modeling and sculpting tools to create AAA-quality characters, props, and lifelike portraits

Key Features

• Shine in a professional environment with three practical projects and vital design and portfolio tips through this part-color guide
• Explore organic modeling, concept sculpting, and character creation workflows
• Discover tools and techniques employed by professionals from the games, VFX and collectibles industries

Book Description

Embark on a creative journey with ZBrush, the leading software for creating characters, creatures, and props in films, games, and 3D printing. This guide will take you through its powerful yet user-friendly workflows, allowing you to explore its dynamic organic sculpting, painting, and hard-surface modeling tools.

The first part of this book is dedicated to helping you become familiar with ZBrush’s user interface and learning the very basics, from sculpting brushes and painting the model with Polypaint to setting up lights and rendering images. You’ll also create a demon bust with the help of ZBrush’s concept sculpting tool, DynaMesh. In the second part, you’ll get to grips with the creation of a humanoid character that is optimized for 3D printing. Focusing on anatomy, poly-modeling, and preparing the model for 3D printing, you’ll acquire the skills essential for sculptors. The final part delves into portrait sculpting, where you’ll learn everything from basic facial anatomy to hair creation with FiberMesh.

By the end of this book, you'll have developed the expertise necessary to succeed in the ever-evolving world of 3D character modeling, complemented by portfolio and social media tips for showcasing your standout work.

What you will learn

• Enhance your sculpting skills to craft a variety of organic and hard surface objects
• Create humanoid characters, focusing on basic anatomy and proportions
• Explore sculpting techniques for intricate details in human heads and hair
• Sculpt objects such as armor, clothing, and accessories
• Create custom brushes to enhance your sculpting workflow
• Develop skills in detailing and surfacing to add texture and depth to your sculpts
• Use Polypaint and Materials to add color and enhance your sculptures
• Render and export your sculpts to share them with others

Who this book is for

This book is for 3D artists, digital sculptors, modelers, and anyone looking to learn the ZBrush software. It's a valuable resource for professionals switching to ZBrush or looking to broaden their skill set.

While prior ZBrush experience and artistic abilities will prove beneficial, they're not prerequisites to understand the content covered. The book covers common and essential ZBrush workflows, making it ideal for both beginner and intermediate artists looking to explore the extensive capabilities of ZBrush.

Table of Contents

Part 1: The Adventure Begins: Sculpting in ZBrush

Chapter 1: Getting Started with ZBrush

Chapter 2: Sculpting a Demon Bust with DynaMesh

Chapter 3: Exploring the Gizmo, PolyGroups, and Masking

Chapter 4: Exploring Brushes and Alphas

Chapter 5: Creating an Optimized Mesh Using ZRemesher and ZProject

Chapter 6: Texturing Your Sculpture with Materials, Polypaint, and UVs

Chapter 7: Lighting and Rendering Your Model

Part 2: Creating Characters from Scratch: A Comprehensive Guide

Chapter 8: Sculpting Human Anatomy

Chapter 9: Creating Costumes, Armor, and Accessories with Classic Modeling Techniques

Chapter 10: Preparing and Exporting Our Model for 3D Printing

Part 3: Sculpting a Female Head: Tips and Techniques

Chapter 11: Sculpting a Female Head

Chapter 12: Adding Skin Detail, Sculpting Hair, and Using FiberMesh

Chapter 13: Building a Portfolio and Leveraging Social Media

About the Author

Lukas Kutschera is a 3D artist known for his digitally sculpted characters and creatures for high-end clients in the VFX, Games, and Collectibles industries. These clients include Platige Image, Pixomondo, Hot Toys, and many more. He has also earned recognition for his contributions to the Golden Globe-winning TV show House of the Dragon, where he sculpted the shows' largest dragon, Vhagar. Lukas' interest and expertise in anatomy is evident in his personal artwork, featuring digitally sculpted anatomy studies and portraits. Besides his professional work, he inspires and educates future sculptors by sharing his knowledge and techniques with his following on YouTube and Instagram.