Learning Anatomy
polycounter lvl 11
So im really starting to get interested in anatomy so i can sculpt more accurately and much more realistically. Once i get the sculpting process down i will start using that to create better characters. Im expecting to learn alot form this, so why not get some criticism?
I plan to learn in this order:
Head
Torso
Arms
Hands
Legs
Feet
To help my learning process i will be sculpting these on separated chunks of my full character base mesh.
First, so i have a record of where im starting from, here is my most recent head sculpt:
After some CC, i built up a reference sheet mostly composed of work from someone i very much look up to, Selwy. I used this because his work seems to show the forms of the face perfectly, where as its hard to find pictures that do this.
While i was putting together that collage, i went into my fathers library and found a 2 inch thick book on all of Leonardo Da Vinci's notebooks, which i was so happy to find because this should cut down the constant searching on the internet.
So im off to attempt a new head, this time actually looking at a reference as i sculpt. Feel free to CC how i treated my subdivisions and main face form on the head above.
I plan to learn in this order:
Head
Torso
Arms
Hands
Legs
Feet
To help my learning process i will be sculpting these on separated chunks of my full character base mesh.
First, so i have a record of where im starting from, here is my most recent head sculpt:
After some CC, i built up a reference sheet mostly composed of work from someone i very much look up to, Selwy. I used this because his work seems to show the forms of the face perfectly, where as its hard to find pictures that do this.
While i was putting together that collage, i went into my fathers library and found a 2 inch thick book on all of Leonardo Da Vinci's notebooks, which i was so happy to find because this should cut down the constant searching on the internet.
So im off to attempt a new head, this time actually looking at a reference as i sculpt. Feel free to CC how i treated my subdivisions and main face form on the head above.
Replies
Also, the ears on your models are sprouting out of the head in quite a peculiar manner. Compare how the ears in your references are attached to the head to the ears on your models and hopefully you'll see what I mean.
@Psyk0, was actually drawing skulls today. Ill try to sculpt a scull out of a sphere/cube in ZBrush, but im not good doing things 100% in Zbrush. I always use some sort of base mesh. I suppose i could cut the ears off and just turn it into a skull. We'll see how it goes.
http://www.theartofanatomy.com/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=3&sid=573733027bd9a73da0cd7b81e544786c
thats a pretty good ear! It looks like the top got dented.
Paper
Seriously
That third description was pretty funny. So basically do different types of faces and get used to the way all the forms act? Im curious as to how id go about doing this, if by one subdivision level you mean stay at the lowest? Or do you mean mid-level and get as much detail as i can?
Its just a matter of time..:) Im glad you made your own post frell lol I was actually getting worried FrozenThrone would never come back T-T
Draw more in perspective, such as 3/4ths and any angle between to better understand the forms.
If you draw direct front or profile you'll tend to rely on the iconography that you learned since you were a child, instead of how these organic forms really look.
Start with simple shapes, get those ingrained, then add detail. Good examples of simplified shapes are Andrew Loomis's "planes of the head" and "the asaro head" made by John Asaro:
The sketch-angle of that skull helps alot, thanks.
Tired of drawing for now. Going to attempt one of DKK's head suggestions and ill work up more sketches tomorrow.
Prior: Holy Sh**!
If anyone hasn't seen this: http://www.pioroberson.com/
1. Draw from your reference. ANALYZE what you are drawing ... don't just copy it.
2. Now, take tracing paper and trace your same reference (loomis, bridgeman, whatever) DON'T SKIP THIS!.
3. Now, repeat #1.
4. Look at the instant improvement you just made.
For my studies I spent about 45 minutes to an hour and a half on each one.
Now, do this once a day focusing on one subject at a time for a period of at least a month. I guarantee you will improve and stuff will sink in quicker.
Good luck, and keep it up!
and Thanx to everyone else contributing
Im going to have to fix up my base mesh a bit, you'll see where i had alot of trouble moving it and dealing with it.
Also about the black dudes face : try to not look at it as a face - just read the outlines, the hills and cracks, and so on. Basically unplug your social brain telling you "hey it's a person!". Then observe the profile line very carefully for instance. Heres one easy mistake to fix : the region between the lower part of the nose and the upper lip (the moustache zone basically) in profile is supposed to be convex on that guy (bulging out), not concave. But on your sculpt I can tell that you thought, 'hey, heres the upper lip, its gotta stick out, because my memory and my own personal projection tell me so!'.
Now there is indeed a little hook sticking out on that guy (riiight on the edge) BUT this is way smaller than your sculpt res. That means, you shouldnt put it in your sculpt! Thats why this exercise is good - it filters out details.
Good luck!
Thats good to know! thx pior
That is who i based this off of, i followed his face pretty well up until about the 4-5th subdivision when i added the cigar and expression and it changed quite a bit. His upper lip looks like it has a bit more of an outward bulge than people normally do, you can see it under the bottom lip also. I had this image side by side to ZBrush through the entire sculpt and i tried not to 'guess' on anything :P Thanks though.
Ive never tried mudbox, but i know alot of good zbrush artists dont like it for some reason, not sure why. Maybe ill try it eventually.
What exactly do you mean by hook?
Not trying to argue, but i dont want to seem completely ignorant to the subject :poly122:
Mudbox vs Zbrush isn't a huge deal. I've used both and the core functionality for each program is solid. I'll admit Zbrush's interface and naming convention can be a little twisted, but if you're familiar with it, it's a non issue. Mudbox doesn't have the same array of sculpting tools that zbrush has, but it's still a very solid program and does excellent texture painting.
http://philippefaraut.com/store/books-dvds/portrait-sculpting-anatomy-and-expression-in-clay.html
http://philippefaraut.com/store/books-dvds/mastering-portraiture-sculpting-book.html
And if those are too much $$$ at the very least I'd look into Modelling-Sculpting-Figure-Edouard-Lanteri [ame]http://www.amazon.com/Modelling-Sculpting-Figure-Edouard-Lanteri/dp/0486250067/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1[/ame]
Keep it up!
This was... ehh....
Ill be back! Until then, give me key points where my problems show and ill address them in the next posting.
Im having problems getting nice crisp creases that are nice and puffy like from the nose to the mouth, i usually use the clay and standard brush to try and get a nice 'dip'.
Alright, i spent about 2 good hours on this head. I myself feel like i am satisfied with my progress and i'd like to move onto the torso, but i'd rather take everyone elses opinions.
Hair is half-assed just for the head.
i suggest u fix this by repositioning the ear , properly define his jaw line, and making sure that muscle goes behind the ear, and doesn't stick out from his face like it does now .
other than that, it pops in my view that the skin/muscle tissue between his upper nose and his cheeks and at the sides of his mouth look just alot like a huge clay brush stroke that isn't cleaned up.
the eyes are pretty nice, the mouth looks more like a crease.
keep it up, ur making huge procces