Introduction -
Greetings! First of all I wanted to thank CGArena! for the opportunity to present this making and releasing online. In this making off I am going to summarize the steps that I followed and to name the techniques of the process which, I hope that It’ll be useful.
Initial Idea -
Basically I began with the illusion of a pre-established idea, a project that I wanted to include in my demo reel like modeled practice of and sculpture in Zbrush that represented a warrior of traditional Japanese samurai/ninja style knowing very clearly would be a project of Zbrush, a base mesh with a good topology and good Uv's texturing and make displace maps. In this case I searched for references on the Internet about ninjas, samurais, video game characters such as Ninja Gaiden or Onimusha, Japanese culture, clothing of the epoque…
Basemesh Modeling -
With a folder full of images and references, I started to model the basemesh for export from 3ds Max. This mesh contains basically a model of around 6500 POLYS that becomes a good basemesh for cinematic or video games on which they would apply the maps like detail, displaced or normal maps.
Sometimes artists begin a model in Zbrush with a box or with a very basic model for export and work in zbrush the idea and proportions, then make a retopology and finally import it to do the uv's and remake the detail or leaving it like a zbrush exercice only.
Any method is good and depending the case (a model for production or simply for practice busts or pure diversión) I do one thing or another, but for this one in particular, I wanted to start with a clear idea of the character in 3Ds Max, modeling a right topology, then composed the piece suit and armor and proceed to unwrap to make the UV's before export. In this way the export to Zbrush is less abrupt, and you have a clear idea to begin sculpting detail and you knows that the initial topology is good.
When the basemesh is completed it is time to export to. Obj model to import into Zbrush. It is highly advisable to make sure everything in the model sculpt in quads. It is very easy that a hidden triangle in a model destroys the uv's at the time of exporting in quads and the maps that you do in zbrush will not serve. By experience, in zbrush the triangles are not good companions as much at the time of subdividing as to make masks or to make the textures and maps. Work in quads is cleanest, if it is a video game charácter, you will be able to optimize it to triangles after take the textures nad normals from the model in quads, cause the uv's are the same.
ZBrush Time
First step, be very careful with imports. It is very easy to import a model and tañed by the illusion to begin the detail. The first step is always to verify that the model is correct. Pass the "UV Check" tool is a “must to do” step. This tool allows you to see if your model has been exported Ok from the 3D program (the subject of the triangles that destroy the uv's previously mentioned) and also to see if there are areas of the uv's that have overlapping polygons with others, something that it indicates to us that the coordinates of the polygons in red are unfolded and the maps that we’ve got in zbrush will not Ok.
The next step I use is the polygroups tool to divide the object in subtools and begin the process of sculpting the volume and detail, giving a couple of subdivisions to the model for more general details such as the definition of arms, legs, torso and face with the Standard brush or Clay Tubes, and controlling the proportions with brushes as the Move, these three brushes are for me the most useful.
Once the desired proportions I used the option Extract Subtool to create the chainmail based on the volumes of the torso and the brush called SnakeHook to create the broken seams of the suit.
Giving a few more subdivisions I create the smallest detail as porosity, veins, the rings of the coat, eyebrows and all that needs a large number of subdivision, this would require small Alphas and the use of the Lazy Mouse for more control.
Finally, using a tool Zbrush, called Transpose Master, I made the pose of action helped by masks and, with brush Standard or the Move, I gave the final details as the wrinkles of the clothes adapted to the position or the adjustment of the volumes.
