Anatomy and Character Sculpture

25/9/2025 - 4/1/2025 / (Week 1 - Week 14)

An Hongzheng / 0378415

Anatomy and Character Sculpture / DST60404

Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media

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TABLE OF CONTENT

1. Instruction
2. Exercise 01: Character Design Concept
3. Project 1: Digital Sulpting Basics
4. Project  2: Outfit & Props Sculpting
5. Project  3: Complete Character Sculpt

6. Final Compilation
7. Reflection

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INSTRUCTIONS

Figure 1.1: Module Information

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Exercise - Character Design Concept

Week 1 

- No class since the emergency from lecturer

Week 2

- Mr. Ibrahim introduced us to the details of the course and the first task. We would need a graphics tablet and to install ZBrush on our computers.

- I collected and organized mood boards and references to prepare for my character concept design.

- The images are sourced from art books for anime and games, as well as photographs of bartenders from around World War I. Most of the images share a common characteristic: the clothing is dated to around the time of World War I.

- I wrote the basic background information for my character.

- After completing the preparatory work, I drew six silhouette designs.

Week 3

- I chose what I thought best described the background setting and made some modifications. Then I further designed the outfits, adding clean lines.

Week 4

- I designed the color scheme for the final design and drew the dynamic poses of the characters.

- Gather all the resources for the first task and prepare to submit the assignment.

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TASK 1 - Digital Sulpting Basics

Week 5

- Start sculpting

- According to Mr. Ibrahim's tutorial, start with a sphere subtool and use the move brush to shape the whole.

- The ClayBuildup brush and move brush were primarily used to sculpt the general outline of the skull.

- Continue with more detailed sculpting. In addition to the ClayBuildup and Move brushes, use the DamStandard brush for more precise sculpting, such as for teeth. In areas requiring smoothing, hold down the "Shift" key to smooth the model.

- I refined it further. Continuously rotate the model, observing the volume created by light and shadow from various angles to confirm the sulpting is correct and the depth is appropriate.

- After ensuring the front view is generally correct, focus on sculpting the sides. (Sculpting should be done on each side simultaneously.)

-In addition to the standard six sides, the sculpt should also be checked from other angles to ensure it is appropriate.

- Final refinement and polishing.

Week 6

- I started sculpting the character I designed myself.

- Start with the chest cavity. Use the Move brush and ClayBuildup brush to roughly shape a sphere

- Create the abdomen using the same technique as creating the chest cavity, and place the two subtools in the appropriate positions.

 - Create a sphere subtool to create female breasts.

- In addition to creating the most basic breast shape, a groove must be carved at the connection between the breast and the chest cavity to realistically simulate the structure of the human body.

- Use the mirror and weld function to create two symmetrical and identical breasts.

- Create the hip area and adjust the position of all parts.

Week 7

- I still use the sphere to create the thighs. First, use the move brush to lengthen the subtool and flatten both the top and bottom surfaces.

- Adjust position.

- Copy the thigh's subtool and adjust it to create a calf.

- Adjust position.

- I added a sphere and a cylinder to create the head and neck.

- Use spheres to create the shoulder blades, creating a more natural connection between the arms and upper body.

- The creation of the hand is extremely complex.

- Besides the palm, I chose to use spheres and cylinders to mimic each joint of the hand, thus requiring a great many subtools to be used in one hand.

- After using the spheres to create the feet, all the body parts are complete. Compare them to my character design and adjust the proportions and positions.

- Merge all subtools together and perform dynamesh, adding subdivision levels. Repair the connections between the original subtools and perform detailed sculpting to add muscle detail.

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TASK 2 - Outfit &Props Sculpting

Week 8

- I'm going to start making the outfit. However I got sick.

- This is my first time trying to use the extract function to create outfits.

Week 9

- I realized that I needed to adjust the original character model to an A-Pose to facilitate my subsequent sculpting.

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- Because the arms and body were previously too close together and the subdivision level was too high, my adjustment process was very difficult.

- After consulting with Gemini, I first duplicated my model, reduced the polygon count using ZRMesher, and then used the projection function to transfer the details of my high-polygon model to my lower-polygon model.

- Then I started using the low-polygon model to convert it to an A-Pose. I still needed to be careful during this process, using the masking tool and Gizmo to adjust it multiple times.

- After the basic setup was complete, I used the Move brush, ClayBuildup brush, and Smooth function to refine the details.

- The head was displayed separately using a selection tool for more detailed sculpting. 、

- Screenshots of the in-game model were used as references.

- Add facial features.

- The eyelashes were created using the CurveTube brush, with adjustments made to the Stroke property.

- The ears were outlined using a mask, then pulled out from the head using the move brush, followed by detailed sculpting.

- The eyebrows were created using the SnackHook brush to simulate the texture of realistic hair.

- Using the selection tool to only display the head for sculpting resulted in a break in the neck from the body.

- Create the hair following an online tutorial, starting with each individual hair section.

- I use the CurveTubeSnap brush and the zmodeler for polygon grouping and adjustments. The Move brush can also be adjusted by toggling the Backfacemask function.

-The first attempt didn't turn out well, so I decided to hold off on working on the hair for now.

-Use masking and extraction features to create each outfit.

- I used the standard brush, adjusting the stroke properties, especially enabling the lazymouse feature, to sculpt the folds in the clothing. The brush alpha was switched to Alpha 38.

- Use DamStandard to sculpt deep seams and sharp edges formed by folds and protrusions.

- After watching more tutorials, I recreated the hair. It was divided into three layers from the inside out, plus the bangs.

Week 10

- Add more details and outfits: ties, shirt buttons, cufflinks, rolled-up sleeves, suspenders, ribbons, shoe buckles, glove buttons, vest collars, and edging for all garments.

- Try using zmodeler to create a more structured collar.

- The mechanical legs were created using multiple subtools and gizmo.

- I'm fixing the hair because, to save time, I had previously made the model of each hair block clip through.

- Enable polyframe to re-touch the hair, re-layer it, and re-sculpt it using the move brush and zmodeler.

- Because there are more than sixty subtools for all the hair, after organizing the model of each hair, I tried to group them using zmodeler. They were divided into three groups: front, middle, and back.

-Add subdivision levels and sculpt some textures.

- Use zmodeler to create a pistol prop.

- Use zmodeler to create a pistol prop.

- Place the props in their positions and inspect the overall model.

Week 11

- Coloring

- The skin material was applied without filling the object before coloring. This caused the black pixel issue when applying materials to other parts. After researching and consulting with Gemini, I changed the skin material back to its original state and filled the object, which resolved the problem.

- During the final rendering test, it was discovered that the wrong channel was used when coloring the eyeball, causing the color to alter part of the eyeball's material.

- In the end, the only solution was to add the eyeball's material and then recolor it.

Week 12

- Try adjusting the lighting and rendering.

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TASK 3 - Complete Character Sculpt

Week 13

- Start to pose my character.

- Using zplugin's transposemaster, combined with masking tools and gizmo, convert an A-Pose into a dynamic pose.

- After posing the model, I began to repair any distortions and damage caused by the posing, especially the hands.

Christamas

- I first conceived the concept art illustrations I wanted to create, and then adjusted the lighting in ZBrush based on the images in my mind. This was to ensure that the rendered image better matched the lighting environment of the concept art I would create later.

- In addition to the standard three-point lighting scheme, I added two more lights: one to enhance the model's outline, and the other, a complementary color of red and yellow, blue, to make the colors in the image richer and more natural.

- Create Concept Art in Photoshop.

- Because my model style is quite realistic, I used a lot of photo bashing techniques when creating the concept art illustrations.

Week 15

-The lighting on the character's face was adjusted based on Mr. Ibrahim's suggestions.

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Final Compilation

A3 Concept Art

A3 Compilation of Project Progress

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REFLECTION

Experience: 

This semester has been extremely challenging yet rewarding for my studies in this module. It was my first attempt at 3D modeling, and the entire process was arduous. I spent a considerable amount of time learning ZBrush, but in the end, I believe everything was worth it.

Mr. Ibrahim's teaching style is extremely meticulous and thorough, which initially caused me significant stress, especially during my illness. However, through prolonged exposure and understanding, I discovered that he is a highly skilled teacher whose teaching methods have their merits. I believe I have grown considerably throughout the entire module, and I have also pushed myself to quickly acquire relevant knowledge. I am deeply grateful to Mr. Ibrahim for his rigorous approach to teaching and his encouragement of me.

Overall, this was a painful yet rewarding experience. I will probably remember this semester forever.

Observation: 

Through continuous learning, I have found that the modeling process in ZBrush is actually very free, and there is no absolute standardized production method. According to different styles of models, the method of scutt will also vary. Regardless of the brush or tool used, the ultimate goal and measurement standard are the quality of the model and whether it looks good or not. Therefore, for character modeling, understanding and aesthetic appreciation of anatomy play a crucial role in modeling.

After I finished making the model for this semester, I continued to learn and increasingly realized that there are many areas where I can improve. For example, wrinkles should not rely on standard brushes for production, but also use pitch brushes, inflat brushes, and so on. My model is not clean and tidy enough, for example, some ribbons and ties, the folds of my model are quite messy, and the edges are not neat enough. I am still not proficient enough in controlling some details.

Findings: 

As my modeling skills continue to grow and my vision expands, I gradually realize that my skills and knowledge are far from enough. Therefore, while I am just feeling a sense of achievement, I am also covered by more anxiety.

Especially when I realized that the model I was creating was just a starting point in the entire industrial game production process, and later I had to consider wiring, topology, UV and other technologies, as well as learn how to use other software. Now I feel tired but also looking forward to it.

I found that learning 3D modeling knowledge solely during my time in school is far from enough. After consulting with Mr. Ibrahim for advice, I realized that I need to constantly practice my 3D modeling skills and prepare my own works in my spare time.

I used to only focus on drawing and didn't understand 3D modeling, but now I understand that it is an essential and important component of modern 3D game production. Even if I am not a professional responsible for modeling, I will use 3D to assist myself in drawing illustrations and designs. This discovery is very helpful to me.

Finally, I believe I will remember the precious experiences of this semester and continue to improve my skills, broaden my horizons, and create good games.