0378636_Chika Clarissa Widjaja_Project 1

on

24/09/25 - 15/10/25 (Week 1-Week 4)

Chika Clarissa Widjaja / 0378636

Character Design/ Bachelors Of Design (Creative Media) / Taylor's University

Project 1 Digital Sculpting Basics: Skull & Body Mesh


TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • INSTRUCTIONS
  • TASK
  • FEEDBACK
  • REFLECTION
INSTRUCTIONS

 

This project introduces students to digital sculpting fundamentals in ZBrush by focusing on anatomical accuracy through the creation of a human skull and basic body mesh. The exercise develops observation, proportion control, and digital sculpting workflow, serving as the foundation for more complex character sculpting later in the course. 

 

Project Brief 

 

  • Students are required to sculpt a human skull and body mesh starting from primitive forms (spheres, cylinders, etc.) and gradually refining into detailed structures. This exercise emphasizes blocking, proportion, and anatomy before moving into finer details. 

 

  • Consultation is compulsory. Students must show progress development during designated consultation sessions, failure to show progress may result in mark deduction. Attendance will be taken both digitally and manually by lecturers as a precaution against cheating. 

TASK

Skull Exercise
For this exercise, we need to create a skull from a sphere. When I made this skull, it was my first time using Zbrush, so I only used clay brush that were taught in class. I started with a sphere and shaped it using the move tool. Then, I start to shape out the basic shapes like the jaw and holes for the eyes and then moving to the rest of the details. The hardest part to do was the teeth because I didn't use any other brush than the clay brush.

Fig 1.1 Skull making process

Skull Turnaround


Fig 1.2 Skull Turnaround


Body Mesh
For the body mesh, I first block out the figure and proper silhouette using a sphere using the move brush, and used a cylinder to make the antenas and fingers of the character. At this stage, none of the parts are merged and are seperate subtools.
Fig 1.3 Skull Turnaround

Next, I move on to the blocking details, where I focus on further improving and fixing the body shape, and adding muscles. I gather a lot of reference pictures to help me with the anatomy. I've also started on the face, feet, and chest. I use brushes like clay buildup to build volume and standard brush.

Fig 1.4 Skull Turnaround


Finally, I moved on to the final detailing where I polish everything. I made the muscles more defined and connected, add texture to the shell, and made improvements on the leg , making the quads more longer. I also detailed the face structure and eyes.
Fig 1.4 Skull Turnaround



Video Turnaround



Fig 1.5 Body Mesh VideoTurnaround





REFLECTION
Doing a whole skull as the first exercise on zbrush was hard, especially since we were only taught on really limited stuff. However, when I tried it for the first time, I had fun doing it and I thought it was fun. From there, I get to discover more brushes from youtube and their uses to help me sculpt my body mesh. What I found the most difficult was getting used to the UI of Zbrush. As a beginner, there were a lot of buttons I didn't know which felt a bit overwhelming at first, with how to pan, zoom, and move. But overtime, I got used to it. I really enjoyed making the body mesh. However, I feel like I could have done way better like improving on the anatomy and proportions, and study more on how the muscles connect. I hope in the future I get to learn more about what Zbrush has to offer, and improve my skills in sculpting and anatomy.






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