Anatomy R4: Sculpting Through Your Model

ZBrush 4R4 is an amazing tool.  The new features in ZBrush have made it, in my opinion, the fastest and most direct way to learn anatomy.  Faster than clay.  Faster than drawing.  Faster than anything, really...

Features like Shadowbox & Dynamesh are just some of the things that are unique about working inside of ZBrush but its not just features that make ZBrush the best tool to learn anatomy with.

What makes it the best tool, then?  Well, besides the undo history & symmetry, I'd say that ability to "work through the clay" is the single most important feature that makes learning artistic anatomy inside of ZBrush the fastest & most efficient.

What do I mean by "work through the clay"?  I mean, you can place muscles, add muscles on top of them and then take the muscles off...

For example, take this shoulder demonstration I did below...


Or this bicep demonstration:

You can't do this in clay, not this easily...  but in ZBrush you can do this with the entire figure...  with every muscle!

In our case we don't even have to use SubTools, we can just use CurveTubes to quickly place muscles from their insertion to their origin and then sculpt them to suit.

Personally, I'm one happy anatomy teacher to have a grasp of this program and to have found these workflows for teaching it.  It makes short work of what is a very complex and difficult subject.

So, Anatomy R4 registration is now open but it ends this week.  So make sure to click the link below to see the tour and sign up.

New Maquette Sculpting Workflow in ZBrush 4R4 (4 of 4)

This last video is the longest of the series and walks through some of the tweaking of the model.

Special attention is paid to how that one simple proportional trick can help me correct errors such as where the neck should be coming out from and how long the hip bone should be.

After all, understanding Artistic Anatomy is all about these little tricks and tools of the trade...

I hope you enjoyed the process and check out more work at Visualarium and ZBrushWorkshops

New Maquette Sculpting Workflow in ZBrush 4R4 (3 of 4)

This video talks about how you can use a simple proportional trick to keep your models correct even in dynamic poses.

But it also shows you how to get in and quickly sculpt something  by understanding its essential forms BUT let me put in a word of caution...

Anatomy is not "essential forms".
 
Anatomy is the study of muscles and bones.

Artistic Anatomy, though, is the study of essential forms.

As artists we do not learn anatomy to be able to deliver babies and perform outpatient surgeries even though we may be called upon to do that during zombie apocalypses or driving up the 405...

As artists we learn anatomy so we don't have to think about it all the darn time and look it up in books and track down that one image that we can't quite recall.

We learn Artistic Anatomy so we can quickly create form and then quickly get into creating a dynamic sense of movement and life in our sculpts.

New Maquette Sculpting Workflow in ZBrush 4R4 (2 of 4)

Hey there.  This second video lays out the very simple process of sculpting a maquette.  I cover it very simply and without posing the character to keep the tools used to a minimum.

Basically, we look at how ZSpheres and InsertSphere work together as a team to quickly sculpt form...

I've tried literally hundreds of workflows inside of ZBrush and this is the fastest most direct way of sculpting something from start to finish that I can think of.

ZSpheres are great.  Box Modeling in Maya is great (actually, no, not really).  DynaMesh with CurveTubes is great....

BUT this workflow is in my opinion the coolest when it comes to creating a dynamic figure sculpt...

AND that is something you'll see in part 3!

New Maquette Sculpting Workflow in ZBrush 4R4 (1 of 4)

Well, the new ZBrush is out and its pretty cool!  For one, the changes to Transpose are pretty awesome...  Just having that axis there is great and how it automatically conforms to the normal of the object is pretty cool...

They have some really cool new features like Replacement Parts and a new Insert Multi Mesh brush that is awesome.  Make sure to check out the clothing one.

But I decided to go old school for this version of ZBrush...

I've been fascinated with this new maquette sculpting workflow recently and, well, its just really simple...  Just some ZSpheres, some DynaMesh and some InsertSphere brushes.

Of course, with a maquette sculpting workflow you WANT a simple process.  Its about the sculpt.  Not the tool, right.

So, I hope you enjoy the first of four videos on this new maquette sculpting workflow!

Anatomy Of A Centaur & Other Multi-Limbed Characters

Hey there.  We are starting a new class that I am really looking forward to: Advanced Creature Anatomy With Scott Hartman.  

Who Is Scott Hartman?

If you don't know Scott Hartman then check out his site: www.skeletaldrawing.com.  He has some great anatomy primers there and some dinosaur anatomy vocabulary lessons.

I met Scott during a dinosaur sculpting class that David Krentz put on. Once we got talking it wasn't long before he mentioned this idea of an Advanced Creature Anatomy class that examines things not only from a design perspective but an actual functional perspective.

What is great about this class?

First, Scott is a paleontologist and an expert in functional morphology.  That is geek for he studies dinosaurs and the evolution of skeletal and muscular structures through out history.  Maybe that makes him a historical anatomist...

Second, its a joint class between Scott and I.  He does the lectures and knowledge part.  I do the ZBrush and creature part.

Third, you explore, virtually dissect, evolve and frankenstein your own creatures from the inside out...

So, to give you a sense of what that means, I put together a 30 minute tutorial on the different ways we can use the scapula to create multi-limbed creatures and even the original Centaurs.  Check out the lecture below.

Evolving The Scapula Tutorial

So, are you sculpting a centaur?  This video shows you one way to connect the human torso to the horse torso.

Sculpting a creature with two arms?  This video shows you three different ways to connect more arms with your skeleton...

This is just the tip of the iceberg, too.  There are so many things to explore and so many ways we can play with our anatomy...

Check it out here:

Here are some images from the process:

Scapula Anatomy

Triceratops at the LA Natural History Museum 

Two arms on two scapulas

Two arms on one scapula

Other places to add limbs

Places to stay in Los Angeles during Sculpt|Con 2012

So, I've gotten quite a few questions about where to stay in Los Angeles during Sculpt|Con 2012 so here is a brief breakdown of possibilities.

SculptCon 2012 (Link)

To Have A Car Or To Not Have A Car

The first decision is whether you want to rent a car or not.  If you are going to rent a car then you have more options and can get settled outside of downtown LA more easily.

If you don't have a car our studio is close to Little Tokyo and there are a few hotels near by.

• Kyoto Grand. This is actually within walking distance to the studio and not far from Wurstkuche and my favorite place for low key sangria and sidewalk snacking, Spitz.  Mmm, those streetcart fries are sooooo good. 
• Miyako.  Another walking distance hotel and close to Little Tokyo and a fantastic noodle place Hakata Ramen.    

If you do have a car here are some other downtown hotels.

• The Standard.  This hotel has an amazing roof-top bar.  You can't beat its view but you also don't have to stay here to enjoy the view.  Consider this place for a nice early evening martini while you watch the sunset reflected from all the skyscrapers around you.
• The J.W. Marriott.  This is located near LA live.  Movie theatres, restaurants, The Staple Center, Nokia Theatre and more. 
• The Omni.  Located near the California Plaza this is close to Disney Concert Hall and museums.
• Westin Bonaventure.  The area around here is quiet at night but the building is amazing.

Outside of Downtown Los Angeles

Now, lets look outside of downtown and see what we can find...  Two areas that are pretty interesting are Silverlake and Echo Park.

There isn't a ton of things around these hotels but since you'll have a car you are only a short ride from Intelligentsia where you can enjoy LA Hipster-ism at its finest.

• Super 8 Motel.  
• Best Value Inn
• Comfort Inn
• Los Feliz Lodge

Going Hollywood Style

If you want to branch out here are a few other options.  These aren't inexpensive, though, but then, neither are you.  Pamper yourself. :)

• Roosevelt
• Sofitel

So, there are a few options for places to stay.  If you have any of your own suggestions just leave them in the comments below. :)

Ryan