ZBrush Plaster Cast Study

Instructions

Create a digital version of a plaster cast, matching the original sculpture as closely as possible.
You will need both the physical sculpture as well as reference photographs.
I recommend starting with the Nose, then Mouth, then Eye, then Ear.

Goals

  • Practice a foundational sculpting workflow.
  • Learn how to work with reference images.
  • Create a final render.

Challenges

  1. Match the proportions of the original plaster cast.
  2. Identify anatomical landmarks with the help of references. (Books/web search.)
  3. Analyse the underlying forms. (Spherical, cylindrical, boxy?) Slightly emphasise these architectural forms, demonstrating that you understand this structure.

Step by Step Guide

  1. Launch ZBrush
  2. In Lightbox, double-click DynaMesh064.zpr (a red ball).
  3. Set up a reference image grid.
  4. Use the move or snake hook brush to distort your model and roughly fit it to the big shapes of the front, top, and side views.
  5. Use the clip curve brush to cut away excess material.
  6. Once you have the rough shape of the object, turn off the reference grid. (Press <shift>+P)
  7. Load about 3 reference images into Spotlight.
  8. Go to Brush > Samples and turn OFF Spotlight Projection. (Instructions here)
  9. Sculpt out the cast, working from big forms to small forms. Look at and touch the physical plaster cast while you work.
    1. Use these brushes: Standard, ClayTubes, Dam_Standard, SnakeHook, hPolish, and Move.
  10. Create a final render and in photoshop, place it next to a reference image, showing both from the same angle.

Using Clip Curve with the Reference Grid:

zbr-refgrid-clip