Introduction to Digital Sculpting using ZBrush

ZBrush has become the industry standard software for creating highly detailed models for a huge range of industries, with its approach to digital clay giving artists the freedom to create sculptures that push boundaries far beyond what was previously possible.

The aim of this introductory course is to introduce you to the fundamentals of the software and allow you to create a finished sculpt of a multi-part organic creature with hard surface, painted and textured elements. By the end of the course, you have will gained an insight and practical skills in the basic use of ZBrush, to create a simple creature using the major elements and features of the software.

In this first section of the course, you will explore the ZBrush interface, tools, workspace layout, how the program works, its uses and applications. Through demonstrations of the program in action, you will model a base sculpting mesh in which to lay the foundation of your learning and use as a sculpting model throughout your course. You will become familiar with the tools interface and understand the design choices available to you, your tutor will explain and discuss the various types of modelling possible and demonstrate the software usage and its applications.

Your tutor will assist you in creating the base meshes that is used to create your sculpture, as well as utilizing sub tools and subdivision levels to add progressive detail to your sculpts. You will learn the various ways to create geometry to begin and refine models.

You will be introduced to Dynameshes and Zspheres that will form the understructure of your final sculpture. Here you will explore both digital sculpting, and traditional sculpting techniques, and how they apply to using ZBrush, whilst introducing texturing elements, and refining our organic forms.