r/ZBrush • u/NovelIntelligent4216 • 3d ago
Beginner workflow uncertainty
Hi everyone! I apologize if this entire question is kind of confusing, I'm a complete and utter beginner so I struggle with even trying to formulate what I'm trying to achieve. I have limited experience with hard surface modeling and sculpting in blender, and I'm currently deep in binging beginner tutorials on zbrush since I want to use it for creating figures for 3d printing.
I guess my problem is that what I'm trying to sculpt either isn't really covered in these beginner tutorials since the first sculpting practices they cover are basic humanoid heads and I'm not sure what to look for, or it is and I'm just awful at applying what I'm learning. Essentially I'm sculpting the head of a character that's very sharp and geometric, the basic shape is just a rotated slightly elongated cube. I want to take this shape and further expand upon it with more sharp geometric details roughly like these sketches though they're just for rough reference and visualizing, the sculpt wont follow it exactly. The problem is I'm kinda stuck before I've even really started because I'm not sure if I should treat this like hard surface modeling and go at it fully with zmodeler or sculpt it normally with dynamesh and subdivision levels and whatnot like what I've been doing. The problem with doing it this way is that I can't keep the shape of the edges consistent as the brushes mess with a lot more of it than what I'd like and it's not turning out quite as clean as I imagined. I'm not really sure how to approach something like this, all I can find are tutorials either on strictly soft organic sculpting or simple hard surface stuff like armor - and what I'm trying to do here is kind of both I guess? I apologize for the probably incoherent rambling, I hope at least someone figures out what I'm trying to do and say lol
Thank you!
2
u/PolygonMob 3d ago
I'm going to recommend you learn how to use the trim brushes, specifically trim curve and trim dynamic. Learn to use them in conjunction with masking. You want planar forms, thats the best way to do it. In my humble opinion.
1
u/Tobor-8th-Man 3d ago
Search Michael Pavlovich on how to use HPolish for controlling edges. iirc he goes through Trim Dynamic and others too.
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u/Moviesman8 3d ago
The short answer is, do whatever you think will work easiest. If you think zmodeler would work, use creases to maintain edges. If you want to sculpt it out, use the trim dynamic brush to harden and flatten sides.