Introducing ZBrush 3rd Edition

Create digital sculptures that break the boundaries of your imagination Get started sculpting realistic human, cartoon, and organic models with ZBrush and the latest edition of this bestselling guide. Hollywood visual effects artist Eric Keller simplifies this complex software and gets you quickly up and running to create your own work. While progressing through the fun exercises, you′ll be well on your way to mastering the ZBrush interface and its tools. Whether you are new to computer graphics or using 3D modeling applications, this guide will help you reach your full potential. Discover the newest ZBrush features, walk through all the tutorials, and achieve amazing results. Use digital clay, sculpting brushes, masks, Parametric 3D objects, and more Push the limits of digital sculpting using ZBrush′s powerful Dynamesh technology Sculpt hard surface objects with the ShadowBox tool, clip brushes, and curve brushes Master ZSpheres for creating and posing character meshes Design your own special polypainting brush presets that suit your own style of working Create and style hair for your characters Blend and mix materials and colors on the surface of your model to create the look of realistic skin, details on hard surfaces, and logos Increase flexibility in your sculpting workflow with surface noise, 3D layers, and the ZBrush timeline VALUABLE COMPANION DVD The DVD includes example files and models to help guide you through each lesson, as well as movies to show you the sculpting techniques used to create many of the digital sculptures. Get step–by–step instructions on how to sculpt your first creature Explore a variety of approaches for hard surface model design Follow up–to–date tutorials on new features such as Fibermesh www.sybex.com/go/introducingzbrush3e

Foreword xvii Introduction xix Chapter 1: Digital Art Basics 1 An Introduction to ZBrush 2 Understanding Digital Images 3 Understanding Resolution 8 Understanding 3D Space 11 Resources 16 Chapter 2: Understanding the ZBrush Interface 19 The Zen of ZBrush 20 Trays and Palettes 42 The Title Bar 58 Summary 59 Chapter 3: Basic Digital Sculpting 61 Digital Clay 62 Working with Dynamic Levels of Subdivision 73 Creating a Sculpting Topology with Dynamesh 77 Masking 83 Insert Brushes 92 Summary 112 Chapter 4: Polymesh Editing 113 Selection Brushes 114 Polygroups 120 Polygroups and Dynamesh 128 Working with Subtools 132 ZSpheres 142 ZSketching with ZSpheres 162 Summary 180 Chapter 5:  ShadowBox and Clip Brushes 181 ShadowBox 182 Create the Car Body in ShadowBox 191 MatchMaker Brush 208 Clip Brushes 211 Summary 234 Chapter 6: Advanced ZSphere Techniques 235 Retopologizing a Character 236 Projection 245 Deforming a Mesh with ZSpheres 249 Mannequins 258 Curve Brushes 266 Summary 276 Chapter 7: Advanced Brush Techniques 277 Brush Customization 278 Designing a Brush 282 Alpha Textures 292 Brush Effects 307 Hard Surface Detail Brushes 312 Chapter 8: Polypainting and SpotLight 325 Polypainting 326 Polypainting Techniques 335 Image Editing with SpotLight 353 SpotLight Projection 363 Painting with Curves 374 Summary 377 Chapter 9: FiberMesh, Materials, and Rendering 379 FiberMesh 380 Rendering Basics 389 Standard Lighting 391 Advanced Lighting with LightCap 399 Material Basics 406 Designing Materials 410 Painting Materials 414 BPR Rendering Techniques 420 ZBrush and Photoshop 433 Summary 438 Chapter 10: Surface Noise, Layers, and the ZBrush Timeline 439 Surface Noise 440 Morph Targets 449 Using 3D Layers 454 Polypaint Layers 461 The ZBrush Timeline 468 Summary 477 Appendix: About the Companion DVD 479 Index 483

Eric Keller has been a visual effects artist since 1998, creating animations for feature films, commercials, motion graphics, and scientific visualizations. He has been teaching digital sculpting at the world–renowned Gnomon School of Visual Effects in Hollywood for over three years and has created video tutorials for Pixologic′s ZClassroom, working directly with the developers of ZBrush. He is the author of Mastering Maya 2011 and Maya Visual Effects: The Innovator′s Guide (Sybex).