01 start by blocking in

Before I even get started in Zbrush, I sketch some rough ideas out of what I want the end result to look like. This helps keep me focused on what kind of shape language I want to use, and gives me a clear vision for what I want to model. Though Zbrush is also great for connecting, I’ve always found it useful to have at least a guide for your end vision to hand when sculpting.

Here, I have skipped the simple block in for the main character and face, because for this exercise I would mainly like to focus on hard surface. So using a brush I made called the Rb_qmesh_inserts, which is basically a brush made up of the Mesh Insert primitives, I very quickly block out the rough shape of the arm, focusing only on the silhouette.

06 use Dynamesh and clipping brushes

The third method I use is blocking out shapes with a combination of Dynamesh and the Clipping brushes. This is where I get the general shape and don’t tend to worry about the cleanliness or topology. I then go over the object with the Topology brush.

07 straights Vs curves

Notice the flow of your hard surface. One of the fundamental character design principles is focusing on straights vs curves. As I add more and more detail I am still thinking about how the flow of the arm should match that of the other arm, and I’m keeping straights and curves on opposite sides. This keeps the detail from getting too busy and also helps you keep it relatable with how the rest of the character is designed.

08 play with ideas

For more complex shapes, such as the hand, I start off with a primitive of a hand and sketch in the details with the Dam_standard brush. This way I can quickly play around with several ideas, but also know what I want the overall shape to be in the end.

09 create the fingers

The Qmesh Inserts and the Zmodeler brush are used to create a single finger. Then holding Ctrl I simply draw out more fingers with the Transpose Move tool. I make small adjustments to the length of each finger to give them a bit more personality and an overall flow to the hand.

10 create clean topology

Sometimes I will be working with a sliced up Dynamesh. So before I Zremesh the geometry, I go to Deformation>polish and click on the little dot to make it a doughnut and then drag the slider a little. This cleans up the open edge of the geometry and will produce a cleaner Zremeshed topology.

11 finish the Detailing

I finish off the hard surface detail by kitbashing or using a couple of different Insert brushes I’ve found on Zbrushcentral. Occasionally I will make my own, especially if it’s an important feature in my piece, but for little accents of detail there are some great Insert brushes available.

12 adding accessories

For additions like the gun, I recommend using a reference image and adding it to one of the axis’ planes. You can do this by going to Draw>front-back and importing your image. Now you can sculpt on top to match your model to the reference to get the shape, form and scale closer to the original concept.

13 posing your character

When working with mechanical or hard surface pieces, I always keep in mind actual functionality. Will it bend, rotate or pivot? By keeping things from penetrating, this will enhance the appeal of the character and design, and give life to the piece, so the viewer believes it could actually work in the real world.

14 moving your model

Posing hard surface can be easier than organic, especially if you have thought carefully about your modelling in terms of real functionality. Simply rotate from actual joints by putting the transpose line in the middle of the actual axis. Try to avoid bending or morphing things that should actually be hard and rigged.

15 colour balance

Now that the pose is finished, I again block out colours. I don’t worry about the actual colours too much, as I will be using Keyshot custom materials for the final render. At this stage, I am just getting an idea about colour balance and design for the final render.

16 final keyshot render

When rendering in Keyshot, you can put in your render, choose a few materials to make things shine, and select a preloaded HDRI light set-up. But if you really want to take your renders to the next level, try adding a few real light sources using Keyshot’s light materials. I just stick to using Area lights or Point lights. The difference between the two is that Area lights are for soft shadows and Point lights will have much harder shadows. Then with a few tweaks in Photoshop to the Levels and Values, your character is finally finished!

clean topology After drawing out the topology and tapping anywhere off the model to accept your geometry, change your brush size to 1. This will give you a flat plane. Then use your Zmodeler brush to extrude it and modify the topology the way you want. Always work from big to small. Create the big shapes first, then the small details, and think about how they relate to each other.

Hit save I recommend saving out your image planes or grids. This will keep the same placement for you each time you open up the saved grid file, even after you close Zbrush. take shortcuts I didn’t really model his other hand or spend time with the side not facing the camera. Knowing what your final pose and render will look like helps you to take shortcuts. keep it simple When posing, always think about the line of action. Have a simple, direct idea for your pose, as this gives more life and appeal without making things busy or too complex.