The Gnomon Workshop has released Character Modeling for Production, an insider’s guide to character-creation workflows for visual effects, recorded by Krystal Sae Eua, modelling and texturing lead at The Mill.
An essential guide to character-creation workflows in ZBrush, Maya and Marvelous Designer
In the video, which lasts for over four hours, Krystal reveals her personal workflows for creating a clean, production-ready character suitable for texturing and rigging.
The tutorial explains the format in which a character asset should be delivered in a modern visual effects production pipeline, and explores a range of time-saving techniques.
Software used includes ZBrush, for sculpting the high-res character model; Marvelous Designer, for modeling clothing; and Maya, for assembling the final low-res, render-ready asset.
During the tutorial, Krystal discusses key technical issues including how to retopologise the high-res ZBrush sculpt; how to set up UVs for the low-res Maya model; and how to add fine details like skin pores back in to the low-res asset, using displacement maps baked from the original high-res sculpt.
The result is a detailed character that remains quick to manipulate or edit, ready for rendering in Arnold.
About the artist
Originally trained as a 3D generalist, Krystal Sae Eua is currently modeling and texturing lead at The Mill.
She has worked on a range of movies, commmercials, game cinematics and theme park experiences, including Avatar, The Avengers, 2012, Fast and Furious 6, and the Call of Duty: Ghosts cinematic trailer.
Pricing and availability
Character Modeling for Production is available via an online subscription to The Gnomon Workshop, giving access to over 300 detailed tutorials. Subscriptions cost $49/month or $499/year, and there is a free trial.
Read more Character Modeling for Production on The Gnomon Workshop’s website
Full disclosure: CG Channel is owned by the Gnomon School of Visual Effects.
Tags: anatomy, Arnold, character, character modeling, Character Modeling for Production, character sculpting, displacement, Gnomon, Krystal Sae Eua, Marvelous Designer, Maya, modeling, production ready, retopology, sculpting, The Gnomon Workshop, The Mill, Training, tutorial, vfx, video, visual effects, workflow, ZBrush
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