stylized sculpting from real life references in zbrush

Accurately adapting a 2D concept into a 3D character is no easy task! I really had no idea where to start, as I had no experience with sculpting stylized characters, and didn’t know how the sculpting techniques I had learned would fit in with this new aesthetic.

I had a big job ahead of me with this project. So let’s get started! Starting Off – How do you bring a 2D concept into 3D? I’ll take you through the research process I used, the new techniques I learned, and demonstrate how these things improved my sculpt! To create Elauriel in 3D, I had to undertake extensive research on new sculpting techniques. I had already learned about these principles in 2D, but creating them in 3D was an entirely different process. The sculpt had to be simple, appealing and utilize form and proportions correctly to accurately convey her original concept. Elauriel’s stylized design posed a challenge I had never encountered before.

I have previously been sculpting using realistic principles – meaning I focused heavily on anatomy and realistic proportions in past character sculpts. I have discovered so many new sculpting techniques while creating Elauriel in Zbrush, ones that I never even considered using before. Sculpting stylized characters is a completely different process to creating realistic ones.

Stylized sculpting from real life references in zbrush