3dcreative Freeissue

+plus
Creating striking designs daily

The sketchbook of James Suret
Modeling mechs in SketchUp
Create a forest scene in Vue
Model a stylized female character
and much more!
Art blogger Gleb Alexandrov

discusses his passion for
lighting, Blender, and
social media
122
Issue 122 | October 2015
3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | ISSUE 122
KEEP UP TO DATE
WITH 3DTOTAL!
Editors letter
Welcome to 3dcreative issue 122!

Welcome to another issue of 3dcreative! This month we
get to know two brilliant and unconventional artists Mike
Winkelmann, aka beeple, and Gleb Alexandrov of Creative
Shrimp and learn about their inspirations, careers, and
impressive work ethics. We also take a look behind the scenes
of some inspiring ZBrush work with James Suret, Marco
Plouffe and Aram Hakze.
MARISA LEWIS
Junior Editor
Our in-depth tutorials cover character sculpting, Vue

environments, and even SketchUp modeling for the 3D
designer on a shoestring. Along with an inspiring gallery of
our favorite images, we hope this issue motivates you to
make some fantastic 3D artwork of your own!
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Contributors
MIKE WINKELMANN
Mike Beeple Winkelmann is a freelance motion designer,
graphic designer and 3D artist from Wisconsin, USA. In
the latest issue, he shares his CINEMA 4D workflow and
inspiring artwork.
GLEB ALEXANDROV
Gleb Alexandrov is a digital artist, blogger, and founder
of educational website Creative Shrimp. He believes
every artist can make a living doing what they love, and
manages Creative Shrimp to help artists manage that.
JESSICA TC LEE
Jessica TC Lee is an experienced concept artist and
award-winning illustrator working in a game studio as
the leading concept artist, and is currently residing in
San Francisco.
DREA HORVATH
Drea Horvath is an environment artist, owner and
co-founder of D&D Creations, a studio specializing in 3D
Visualization and Audio Production. She creates matte
painting, animation and games environments.
MARIO ANGER
Mario Anger is an animator and learned his craft
traditionally with clay, stone, and pencil on paper. He
has worked in the film VFX business and currently works
as a modeler at Double Negative, London.
ROUMEN FILIPOV
Roumen Filipov is a 3D generalist born in Bulgaria,
currently living in Brazil. His specialty is making 3D
characters for film and the advertising agency. Here, he
sculpts a fun sci-fi character.
ARAM HAKZE
Aram Hakze is a visual effects artist from The Netherlands
who specializes in creating high-end 3D assets for feature
films, animations and games. He most recently worked
on The Jungle Book and Terminator: Genisys.
MARCO PLOUFFE
Marc-Olivier Marco Plouffe is a Montreal-based character
artist and co-founder of Keos Masons. He has worked
previously for THQ, BioWare, Eidos and other companies
in the entertainment industry.
JAMES SURET
James Suret is currently a full-time web developer and
freelance 3D artist, focused on creating detailed character
and creature sculptures. He also enjoys creating
illustrations and concept art from 3D renders.
SAMO KRAMBERGER
Samo Kramberger is a multi-talented freelance artist
from Slovenia, working as a designer, illustrator and
sculptor. In the latest issue, he shares his dark, clay
creations with us.
Junior Editor
Marisa Lewis
marisa@3dtotal.com
Sub-editor
Adam Smith
Graphic Designers
Matthew Lewis
Aryan Pishneshin
Advertising Manager
George Lucas
george@3dtotal.com
Studio Manager
Simon Morse
simon@3dtotal.com
Managing Director
Tom Greenway
Advertising
Media pack and rates are
available upon request.
Contact George Lucas:
george@3dtotal.com
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Disclaimer
All artwork, unless otherwise
stated, is copyright 2013
3dtotal.com Ltd. Artwork that
is not copyright 3dtotal.com
Ltd is marked accordingly.
Every effort has been made
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060
Contents Issue 122

006_ Art Gallery
10 of the most inspiring 3D images from the world of

CG, hand-picked just for you!
024_ Mastering artistic lighting
Art blogger Gleb Alexandrov discusses his passion for

lighting, Blender, and social media
034_ Creating striking designs daily
Mike Beeple Winkelmann shares his inspiring CINEMA

4D artwork
046_ The sketchbook of James Suret
Freelance artist James Suret shares a sample of his

sinister ZBrush monsters and mechs
054_ Sculpting in polymer clay
Discover the dark clay creations of sculptor and

illustrator, Samo Kramberger
060_ Model a stylized female character
Learn how to sculpt a fun sci-fi character in ZBrush with

Roumen Filipov
070_ Create a forest scene in Vue
Improve your Vue landscape skills with Drea Horvaths

helpful tutorial
082_ How to portray facial expressions
Mario Anger walks us through the facial muscles and

portraying emotion
092_ Modeling mechs in SketchUp
Jessica TC Lee shares her expertise in SketchUp and

mech design
104_ Mysterious monster designs with ZBrush

Discover how Aram Hakze created his haunting sci-fi
image, Nautilus
110_ Sculpt a detailed ZBrush mech
Learn helpful ZBrush sculpting tricks from pro artist

Marco Plouffe
122_ Digital Art Master: Soldier
Learn how Hasan Bajramovic crafted his stunning 3D

masterpiece, Soldier
4 | 3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
046

122
034
070
006
104
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3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | Art Gallery
Each issue the 3dcreative team selects 10 of the best digital images from around the world. Enjoy!
Submit your images! Simply email: marisa@3dtotal.com
Opening the Dark Portal

Guilherme Henrique
Year created: 2015
Software used:
Blender, Mudbox, Photoshop
Web: sepultura.artstation.com
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
Migration
Alexander Gluhachev
Year created: 2015
Software used: Blender, Photoshop
Web: artstation.com/artist/slir
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
Make Believe
Daniel Ocean
Year created: 2015
Software used: Blender
Web: cgcookie.com/u/bpeders1
11
Desert Horse
Field Leisner
Year created: 2015
Software used:
ZBrush, KeyShot
Web: leizner.com
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
13
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
Azid
Mohammad Hossein Attaran
Year created: 2015
Software used: ZBrush, Photoshop
Web: mhattaran.com
Sea Creature
Gary Foo Boon How
Year created: 2015
Software used: Maya, V-Ray, Photoshop, ZBrush
Web: graxious.deviantart.com
15
Infiltrator
Igor Sobolevsky
Year created: 2015
Software used:
ZBrush, KeyShot, Photoshop
Web: igoq.artstation.com
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
17
Eleanor
Peyman Mokaram
Year created: 2015
Software used:
Maya, ZBrush, MARI, V-Ray, Photoshop
Web: peymanmokaram.com
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
19
Toad
Romain Lavoine
Year created: 2015
Software used:
Maya, MARI, Arnold,
Photoshop, NUKE
Web: lavoineromain.com
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
21
Nadia
Rodrigo Paulicchi
Year created: 2015
Software used:
ZBrush, 3ds Max,
V-Ray, Photoshop
Web: rpaulicchi.wordpress.com
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3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | Mastering artistic lighting
Mastering
artistic lighting
Gleb Alexandrov, lighting enthusiast and founder of Creative
Shrimp, shares his immersive images and advice for artists
stepping out into the online world
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
The Artist
Gleb Alexandrov
Owner of Creative
Shrimp blog
creativeshrimp.com
Interviewed by:
Marisa Lewis
Gleb Alexandrov is a digital
artist, blogger, and the
founder of educational
website Creative Shrimp.
25
Gleb Alexandrov is the digital artist and

blogger behind the Creative Shrimp blog,
the place where artists go to get ahead in
computer graphics and art. He actively
participates in Blender community by sharing
tutorials and experience.
3dcreative: Hello, Gleb! Please could you
introduce yourself to our readers: who are you,
where are you, and what do you do?
Gleb Alexandrov: Hey everybody! Im a digital
artist and a blogger. I run the Creative Shrimp
educational blog, where artists learn tips and
tricks about computer graphics and art. I love
sharing the knowledge and experience with
people online, and that is the most important
thing in my life.
Basically, I believe that every artist can make a
living by creating what she or he really wants. On
my blog Im showing how to do it. Im showing
how to become a better artist and how to think
out of the box. And thats super exciting for me.
I live in Belarus and I feel mentally connected
to many other places (todays world is a global
village indeed). I have friends, contacts and
readers from all around the world including the
UK, Australia, USA, Germany, Malaysia, Poland,
Netherlands and many other countries. So Im a
kind of a global nerd.
Artist history
Gleb Alexandrovs career
up to this point...
2013: Won first place in the Her
Majestys Air Fleet competition.
2013: Created a blog and started
recording tutorials for artists.
2014: Won a Render of the Year
award on BlenderNews.org.
2014: Artwork published in the
Digital Mayhem: 3D Machines
Techniques book.
2015: Participated in creation of
Pro-Lighting: Skies trailer for
Blender Guru.
2015: YouTube channel reached 1.5
million views.
2015: Invited to Blender Conference
2015 as a speaker.
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
The Brushes This was Glebs

attempt to push himself (and
Blender) to the limit and make
a hyperreal image
Her Majestys Zeppelins Glebs first image in Blender, and possibly his most popular one.
Its featured in books and magazines and won an award on Blender News last year
3dc: What first inspired you to get into 3D, and

what inspires you now?
GA: When I was a kid, I played videogames like a
maniac. But everything changed when I stumbled
across 3D games like Half-Life, Quake (and even
pre-rendered panoramic adventures like Myst).

I was 12-years-old and it impressed me like
nothing else on Earth.
Computer graphics blew my childish mind and
in an instant I knew that this was my thing. I
knew that I wanted to make virtual worlds for

the rest of my life. Before that moment, I was just
playing. After that shift, I started to learn how to
create computer graphics. That was my biggest
obsession, and I tried every piece of software that
I could install on my lousy computer.
27
Personality of a Lamp Gleb believes that every

lamp has its own personality, which very much
influences how we perceive its light
Warm and Cold The pleasure of drinking a hot cup of

Costa Rican coffee while watching cold rain blasting
the street. The rain is chilling, but the coffee is hot
Not to say I wasnt lazy I was probably the laziest

person when it came to learning. But still, that
urge to actually create, it made all the difference.
3dc: What software and tools do you use for your
artwork, and why?
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
GA: For my artwork I use mainly Blender,

because this open-source content-creation
tool complements my way of thinking. I love
sharing stuff with people and Im a huge fan of
open-source movements, free knowledge and
community-driven projects.
Honestly, I have never seen such an active

and amazing community before. There is an
ecosystem of people that communicate with each
other in Blender community, share tools and
create tutorials. That is a crazy mix of democracy,
smart crowds and Web 2.0 trends.
Big City Sensory Overland It took Gleb nearly a month to get from the initial idea to the final image, and he was caffeinated the whole time
29
The Fog All-devouring fog is actually a good thing. It helps you to create awesome ambient lighting!
Besides Blender I use ZBrush, After Effects,

Photoshop, Audition, 3ds Max, Unity, Unreal
Engine, PhotoScan and who knows what else
for my artwork. And thats my recommendation
to every artist: experiment often. Experiment
and always search for new things. You will be
surprised how many crucial things youll find
while conducting your experiments.
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
3dc: Could you describe your general 3D

workflow for us?
because it always pays off in the future. After that,

just draw the rest of the owl, you know?
GA: It all starts with the reference. Finding the

great reference is a sure way to push your project
in the right direction. So I usually spend some
time surfing Pixabay and Flickr and saving cool
photos in my Top 100 Inspiring Photos folder,
For me it means modeling stuff in Blender,

visualizing in Cycles and post-processing in
Photoshop. Thats the backbone of my general
3D workflow. Oh, and I drink a cup of Costa Rican
coffee somewhere in the process.
I also think that sharing works in progress with

others is a super important part of my workflow. I
dont trust my own eyes too much, you know. Ask
other people! To really drive the point home and
persuade other people that critique is important,
I run an honest critique session every month
on Creative Shrimp. The last one amassed an
astonishing 690 comments.
3dc: You have a very active online presence,

creating podcasts, tutorials and YouTube vlogs.
Not many 3D artists present web content in this
way what motivated you to take this approach?
GA: I am my narrative, and I am my own online
presence, though it may sound weird. Creating
tutorials, podcasts and communicating with my
readers is the biggest motivation for me. Nothing

stands close to it.
Getting feedback from people, and seeing
how they are getting ahead in art by watching
tutorials is the best motivation for me. So if you
are hearing it, you guys are keeping me afloat.
Highest of fives!
31
Without you I wouldnt have started Creative

Shrimp, and I wouldnt create anything, because
I love to share my knowledge. Its like a drug and I
can only make my dose higher and higher. I call it
gonzo blogging (like gonzo journalism, invented
by Hunter S. Thompson), but instead of heavy
stuff I drink coffee.
3dc: What have you learned from the experience
of setting up and maintaining Creative Shrimp?
GA: Here is what I learned from setting up
Creative Shrimp. Set up your blog, if you havent
done it already. Just do it and before the end
of the month you will be amazed by your newly
found productivity, I guarantee. In todays world,
its not enough to create art. What you really need
to do is learn how to make your voice heard.
The Winter Morning Sometimes you hurry to make a photo, only to discover later
that it didnt capture subtle color nuances of the ice. In 3D, you are in control
You need to learn how to share your art. How to

show your personality to other people. Potential
clients, if you are freelancer. Readers, if you run
a blog.
After setting up Creative Shrimp I almost instantly
started to see the difference. I could draw
more eyes to what I do, and I could establish
meaningful connections to artists and Blender
enthusiasts all around the world. Now it is
transforming into my income.
3dc: Tell us about your Open Lighting Book.
What subjects do you cover, and whats the
feedback been like?
GA: The Open Lighting Book is all about (re)
discovering lighting as an aesthetic experience.
I deeply believe that to create awesome lighting
in computer graphics, you need to forget about
computer graphics completely.
Were used to talk about lighting in terms of
shaders, light sources and their parameters. We
are so focused on the technical side of things.
Its fine while youre learning the basics of the
software, but if you want to create something
really stunning, something weird, something
outside the box... that approach sucks.
Really awesome lighting isnt created with light
sources. Really awesome lighting is created with
your eyes. Its your aesthetic experience that you
translate to your 3D work. Its your life, and your
artistic sensitivity.
For example, to create really immersive night
city lighting (like in Big City Sensory Overload),
you need to feel that sensory overstimulation.
You cant interpret this Blade Runner-esque scene
in terms of lighting schemes. The overwhelming
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
The Ghost Gleb created this image for CGCookies Halloween

Competition 2013 and the picture was awarded with first place
amount of light coming from different angles

renders obsolete such things as light placement,
softness and direction.
But we can describe this lighting scenario in terms

of aesthetic experience. Once I stumbled across
the article on a mental health talk website, where
Complexity of Light You notice the dazzling complexity of the lighting. You stop. And the whole world stops
some person described her overstimulation while

visiting a mall. She said it was like taking LSD.
Then my visual perception would shift and it
was like everything within my visual range was
reaching toward me. Its what Susan Sontag
called an erotics of art, noting that in place of a
hermeneutics we need an erotics of art.
For me, the format of open project is the only
way to write a book. I share every new chapter
for free with my readers and Im getting awesome
feedback. Im very excited to sit down and
continue writing this book for you guys.
3dc: What is one key piece of advice that youd
pass on to other artists?
Glebs workspace
GA: Dont be afraid to show your personality. You

are your own brand, so start building the narrative
using your blog and social media. In the end, to
be visible, its not enough to create artworks and
wait till someone sees it.
Speak with other artists, post your artworks to
every online gallery that you can find. ArtStation,
CGSociety, 3dtotal, Blender Artists and so on.
If you wish, ask other artists for a critique. After
taking that leap, youll never want to return into
your comfort zone.
Steve Jobs once said: All dreams are outside of
our comfort zone. Leaving that comfort zone is a
price we must pay to achieve them.
3dc: Finally, and most importantly: what do you

like to do in your spare time?
of what I am. I heard somewhere that its called

self-awareness, and I like how it sounds.
GA: Im a coffee monster, so I drink lots and lots

of espresso.
Thank you so much and come visit me at

Creative Shrimp.
When Im not creating weird images, I spend my

time with my wife. But honestly, I dont think that
my life consists of a work time and spare time
separation. My work is my life, because I create
the projects that are super interesting to me. And
that is so satisfying.
3dc: Thank you very much for speaking to

3dcreative today!
The Artist
Gleb Alexandrov
creativeshrimp.com
The blog, the book, the tutorials, the art: I try to

make sure that everything I do fits into the vision
33
3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | Creating striking designs daily
Creating striking
designs daily
Multi-talented designer Mike Winkelmann has finished an

image a day for over 3000 days, with no sign of stopping! We
chat to him about his creative workflow and various projects
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
The Artist
Mike Winkelmann
Motion Designer at Beeple

beeple-crap.com
Interviewed by:
Marisa Lewis
Mike Winkelmann is a
freelance motion designer,
graphic designer and 3D
artist from Wisconsin, USA.
35
Mike Winkelmann is a graphic designer from

Appleton, Wisconsin, USA. His short films have
screened at onedotzero, Prix Ars Electronica,
the Sydney Biennale, Ann Arbor Film Festival
and many others. He has also released a
series of Creative Commons live visuals that
have been used by electronic acts such as
deadmau5, Skrillex, Avicii, Zedd, Taio Cruz,
Tisto, Amon Tobin, Wolfgang Gartner, Flying
Lotus and many others. He currently releases
work on Flying Lotus Brainfeeder imprint.
GOBWONG Trying out a gobo technique

where you project an image using lights
3dcreative: Hello, Mike! Please could you tell us a

little about yourself: who you are, where you are,
and what you do?
Mike Winkelmann: Im a graphic designer living
in Neenah, WI, USA. Im 34, married and have
a two-year-old daughter with another baby on
the way. I work as a freelance motion designer,
primarily working with clients to create concert
visuals. Before venturing out as a freelance artist
I worked for a small company near my home as a
graphic designer. Aside from commissioned work
I am also interested in creating short films, VJ
clips, and my daily everyday project has kept me
busy for over eight years.
3dc: Could you tell us about your creative
background? How did you find your way into 3D?
MW: Ive always been interested in film and
design, although I have a degree in Computer
Science from Purdue University. Out of college
I took a job as a graphic designer at a small
B-CRYS Some fractals and crystals!
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
company near my home. I worked there for 10

years. Having a 9-5 job allowed me to work on
personal projects in my spare time. I started my
everyday project which led me to a number of
freelance opportunities. I started making short

VJ clips that evolved into concert visuals. My
everydays and personal projects challenged me
to improve and gain skills working in CINEMA 4D.
BREATH CONTROL This image used a plugin called x-particles for CINEMA 4D
to make a bunch of glowy strands going through a frosted sphere
3dc: Who or what are your biggest creative

inspirations at the moment?
fit for me in terms of 3D software. Ive used it as a

focus for a number of my everyday rounds.
MW: Right now, my biggest inspirations are

GMUNK, Ash Thorp, David OReilly, Aaron Beck,
Greg Broadmore and Vitaly Bulgarov.
3dc: Could you describe your general 3D

workflow for us?
3dc: What software and tools do you use for your

artwork, and why?
MW: I work primarily in CINEMA 4D, After Effects,
and Photoshop. CINEMA 4D seemed like a good
MW: I usually start out with a general idea for a

look for the day. I start my work in CINEMA 4D
and really just jump in and start creating. Each
day is different. Sometimes I am able to get a few
hours of work done in a stretch and other times
I have to work on it slowly throughout the day.
Once Im happy with my work (which isnt that

often) or I run out of time (which is usually the
case), I render it out in Octane Render and do all
the post-work in Photoshop. Then I do it all over
again the next day.
3dc: Tell us about your everyday project. When
and why did you start it, and how has it changed
your work?
MW: I started my everydays in May 2007. At the
time I just wanted to work on drawing. I saw Tom
37
Judd do a drawing a day and the progress he had

made and thought Id give it a try. It was a real
challenge at first, and of course continues to be. I
needed to make time every day no matter what.
It didnt take long for me to see the impact the
everydays were having on my work. I was learning
a lot and applying what I learned each day. It
stopped being a matter of if I could get it done,
but when could I make time to get it done.
I do feel a little overwhelmed at times knowing
I have so much more to learn about so many
different kinds of software. But I try not to let it
get to me. Theres always another day. Im getting
incrementally better and thats the whole point.
As an artist, you need to be okay putting stuff out
and realizing that it may not be your absolute

best work, but youll have another chance to do it
better next time.
designer to work as a freelance artist and that has

freed up some time for me to explore more of the
things Id like to learn more about.
3dc: Youre interested in a lot of media: video,

audio, graphic design, 3D... Is it difficult to
prioritize what to do or learn next?
3dc: You release a lot of Creative Commons

videos and resources for other artists to use.
What has the response been like, and what cool
projects have your visuals ended up in?
MW: I have a pretty solid workflow that allows me

to do a little of everything. My everydays start with
a focus/goal each year. I always have a personal
video that Im working on in my spare time which
gives me a chance to play with video and audio. It
can be hard at times because I like being a part of
the entire project. That just means I tend to have
long days. I just recently left my job as a graphic
GAUSSIAN HARVEST In this image, Mike imagined a weird sci-fi future in which people harvest giant glass balls
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
MW: I love hearing how and where people are

using my stuff. There are so many cool projects
people have sent me links to over the years. The
coolest experience was probably when I was in
Hong Kong with my wife, brother, and his wife.
We just happened to go to a night club, which we
never do, and while waiting to get in the club we
BOXXX-3W Just a simple sci-fi box that can float over people
39
BUTT SMOOTH For this image, Mike wanted to make

something peaceful and smooth
GHOST JACKED An image with some fractals as a

displacement map with some spheres thrown in
CHILI CHEESE DOG Here, Mike was playing around with a CINEMA 4D plugin called DEM Earth, and some lasers
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
TINCT FORMATION DISCOVERY The large shard formation in this scene was modeled with ZBrush
noticed my visuals playing on the outside of the

club as well as on screens once we got in. What
made it so cool was that we werent expecting it.
What are the chances Id see my stuff being used
that far from home?
MW: Haha! Spare time!? I spend most of my

time at a computer, so when I do get some free
time I like to spend it outside with my family. My
daughter is almost two and she keeps my wife
and I pretty busy.
3dc: What is one key piece of advice that youd

pass on to other artists?
MW: Start an everyday project and put your work
out there. Be patient and stick with it.
Shes a little sponge so just doing simple things

like taking walks or going swimming are pretty
entertaining. I enjoy running when the weather is
nice, which in Wisconsin is pretty hit or miss, and I
really enjoy a good nap.
3dc: Finally, and most importantly: what do you

like to do in your spare time?
3dc: Thank you very much for speaking to

3dcreative today!
Read on to find out about

Mikes recently released
short film, ZERO-DAY
41
3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | Mike Winkelmann ZERO-DAY
Mike Winkelmann recently released a new

short film, ZERO-DAY, a 3-minute video created
in CINEMA 4D, with instrumental music by
fellow everyday enthusiast, standingwave.
You can watch ZERO-DAY here and see its
process video here. We ask Mike more about
the film and how it was created.
ZERO DAY still
3dc: What inspired the themes and visuals of the

film, ZERO DAY?
MW: This video is actually the eleventh video in
the instrumental video series that I have been
working on for about 10 years. The last ones were
IV.10 and IV.9 which, as you can see, really laid
the groundwork for this film. This series is about
animating every single instrument in a piece of
music so that the visuals and audio are super
tightly synced.
In terms of the actual look and design of the
piece, I was extremely inspired by the amazing
work of people like Vitaly Bulgarov, Aaron Beck,
Greg Broadmore, Fausto De Martini, Ben Mauro,
etc. Those guys are absolute design and modeling
legends and I would be insanely happy to one day
be half as good as them.
3dc: How long did it take you to make ZERO-DAY,
from early concept to final piece?
MW: I officially started in January of last year, so
about a year and a half. But some of the models
in the piece were made even before that. A lot
of the assets that were used came from my
everydays, a lot of which were made with the
film in mind. So one day I might model a little
machine or a bunch of wiring or a wall panel as
my everyday, and then these assets were used in
the final film.
3dc: What came first the subject matter, the
visuals, the music, or did you work it out as you
went along?
MW: The modeling of all the instruments came
first. From there I worked very closely with
the standingwave to make sounds for each
instrument. Then we took all of those sounds
and made a piece of music from it. Then it got
handed back to me for 6 months of key-framing
to make sure the visuals matched up to each
individual snare hit, hi-hat, and kick drum. As you
can probably assume, this is a painfully long and
boring process!
ZERO DAY still
The Artist
Mike Winkelmann
beeple-crap.com
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
ZERO DAY still
ZERO DAY still
43
IMAGE LORENZO ZITTA
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Sketchbook of Damir G Martin
The Artist
The sketchbook of
James Suret
Freelance artist James Suret shares a sample
of his sinister ZBrush monsters and mechs
3DCreativemag.com
James Suret
artstation.com/artist/zerojs
Software used: ZBrush
James Suret is currently a full-time
web developer and freelance 3D
artist, focused on creating detailed
character and creature sculptures.
He also enjoys creating illustrations
and concept art from 3D renders.
Meet James Surets fascinating

ZBrush creations
A vehicle and character for the tabletop miniature game

The Edge created by Awaken Realms (awakenrealms.com)
I have used pencil, paint and clay in the past

to attempt to express my creativity in the
physical world. However, there was always
something that constrained the creative
process; something that stopped me bringing
my imagination to life. Then I found ZBrush,
and the creative freedom it allows is fantastic.
As soon as I learned to use ZBrush I was
amazed at the speed at which I could create
a 3D model of what was in my mind. It is
perfect for sketching out ideas on a 3D canvas.
I actually find it easier to work this way rather
than drawing in 2D first.
Inspiration and ideas
I started sketching in pencil and ink when I was
very young; my main source of inspiration was
manga and anime film. As I got older I found
inspiration in sci-fi and fantasy films. Without a
doubt the artist that inspired the biggest change
in me artistically was H.R. Giger. His work showed
me that art can be dark, twisted and provoke fear
as well as joy. I stared at Gigers original designs
for Alien for many hours thinking how beautiful it
was, but at the same time disturbing.
A bust of a ferocious primeval
vampire character
47
3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | The sketchbook of James Suret
Toolkit
I used to generate the basic 3D form of a model
in traditional 3D modeling software and then
import into ZBrush for sculpting, but now I can
work from start to finish in ZBrush thanks to
the many improvements that have been made.
I sometimes use KeyShot for ZBrush to create
quick professional quality renders; other times I
create several renders in ZBrush and composite
them in Photoshop.
Sketching workflow
When I am creating a character based on human
anatomy, I start from a pre-made base mesh
and then change the proportions and add to the
form. However, if I am creating a character from
my imagination I start by creating a ZSphere
skeleton, then pull out the rough form using the
Move and Inflate brushes. From there I mostly use
the Clay and Dam_Standard brush to build up the
definition, separation and form of the character.
During this process I use DynaMesh to re-create
the mesh and increase the polygon count. After
posing the character using the Transpose tools,
I then use several Alpha materials to add finer
surface details such as wrinkles and pores.
A scene showing an alien creature
tending to her newborn baby
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
A fantasy-style female necromancer

equipped with a staff and spellbook
An angel corrupted into

a twisted demonic form,
inspired by Dead Space
and The Thing
49
TOP TIP
Tell a story
When sculpting a character
or creature, its important to
create a pose that brings it to
life. Try to imagine what the
character would look like if it
was in a game or movie and
how it would move or stand.
Try creating a pedestal base for
the sculpture that incorporates
the environment the character
would be set in.
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
A robotic alien invasion

force created using
DynaMesh and kit-bashing 51
The Artist
James Suret
artstation.com/artist/zerojs
An insect-inspired alien creature in a defensive pose
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
A twisted abomination of Serqet, the

ancient Egyptian goddess of scorpions
Would you like to see your sketches

featured in 3dcreative magazine?
Were always on the lookout for talented artists
and their artwork to adorn the pages of our
magazines. If you think you have what it takes,
please get in touch!
All you need to do is email
marisa@3dtotal.com with a link to your
portfolio and some information about you.
We look forward to hearing from you!
IG
HT
3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | Sculpting in polymer clay
T
AR
S
ST
L
T
O
The Artist
Sculpting in
polymer clay
Freelance artist and sculptor Samo Kramberger
shares a selection of his traditional clay works
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
Samo Kramberger
samokramberger.com
Software or media used:

Polymer clay
Samo Kramberger is a
multi-talented freelance
artist from Slovenia,
working as a designer,
illustrator and sculptor.
Discover the dark clay

creations of sculptor and
illustrator, Samo Kramberger...
Space 1/6 scale, mixed media
3dcreative: Hello Samo, thank you for speaking

to us! Firstly, could you tell us a bit about
yourself? Who are you, where are you from, and
what do you do?
Samo Kramberger: Im 43 years old, married, and
I have two wonderful daughters. By education
Im an art teacher. Ive worked as a designer in
many studios and today Im a self-employed
freelance artist. Im specialized in website design,
application design and book illustrations, and
in the last few years Ive been designing casino
games. I devote my spare time to sculpting.
3dc: What first inspired you to get into sculpting,
and what inspires you today?
SK: Ive been drawing and sculpting since I can
remember. I realized that I could reproduce my
favorite characters from movies and comics in
clay. My first sculpture (in elementary school)
was a life-sized Yoda in papier mch I never
finished it, but I still have it in my basement.
Today, after years of being a serious artist, I still
find joy and inspiration in the fantasy and pop
culture universe.
3dc: What tools and materials do you use for your
sculptures, and why?
SK: The majority of my sculpting is done in
polymer clay. I use Super Sculpey and Sculpey
Firm. It allows me to sculpt with my hands or I
can use sculpting tools when I need the detail.
The final product is durable when its baked. But
I dont limit myself with one material; I also like
to use a mixed media approach and combine all
sorts of materials.
55
3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | Sculpting in polymer clay
1/6 scale, mixed media
Warrior 1/6 scale, mixed media
Vampire 1/6 scale polymer clay and resin
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
War Horse 1/6 scale, mixed media
3dc: Could you describe your typical creative

process for us both the planning and the
practical sides?
SK: Sometimes (especially when Im doing fan
art) Im very thorough; Im studying my subject,
doing sketches, proportional sheets and so on,
but I still leave room for my own interpretations.
always combining different things (used parts)

and creating new forms out of them. If I take a
walk with my wife, shes enjoying the sunset while
Im checking the bushes next to the road to see
if there are any thrown-away used lighters lying
around. The parts from the disassembled lighters
become my sculpting material!
My approach is to sculpt in color clay. The figure

is still painted with acrylic, but sometimes a light
color wash and a bit of dry brush is all it needs.
3dc: What are the advantages of being able to

work with different digital, traditional, 2D and 3D
techniques? How do they influence each other in
your artwork?
When Im sculpting my own subjects, I dont plan

anything ahead. I especially like to kitbash Im
SK: I have my cycles of interests that are all

spinning around art. Sometimes my focus is on
watercolors, then its sculpting, then Im building

wooden ships and then Im completely digital
for months. So all I do is in some way connected
through art. But I do think that being a traditional
artist first has helped me with my digital art work.
3dc: Lastly, what are you working on right now?
Anything we should particularly look out for in the
very near future?
SK: Currently Im working on a personal project
called Death and the Maiden. Its a 1/6 scale
sculpture of Death and a maiden on a horse. Im
really enjoying this one its dark, it has power
and is a bit of a pin-up.
57
1/6 scale, mixed media
The Artist
Samo Kramberger
samokramberger.com
3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | Model a stylized female character
The Artist
Roumen Filipov
roumenfilipov.com
Software Used:
ZBrush
Roumen Filipov is a 3D
generalist born in Bulgaria,
currently living in Brazil.
His specialty is making 3D
characters for film and the
advertising agency.
Model a stylized
female character
by Roumen Filipov
Roumen Filipov shares his modeling expertise in this new tutorial

series, sculpting a plucky steampunk-inspired character in ZBrush.
In this part, learn how to model a character from scratch, with
useful techniques for creating clothing and adding accessories
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
Improve your ZBrush workflow

by following Roumen Filipovs
tutorial advice
Head sculpt progress
This is the first of a series of four tutorials

covering the production of a stylized 3D
character using ZBrush and 3ds Max, from the
initial blocking to the final render and postproduction. In this first phase, we will look at
the creation and blocking of a full character in
ZBrush without worrying about mesh topology
and integrity.
During the process, Ill be showing techniques
for organic and hard-surface modeling using
ZBrushs internal tools like DynaMesh and
ZRemesher, smart ways to use the primitive
geometries to create accessories and details
in the clothes, and also some tricks to deform
the mesh without hours of sculpting and
polishing. The aim is to define the forms
and proportions of the character as quickly
as possible, just to use as reference for
subsequent production in another software,
like 3ds Max, where the mesh will be ready for
texturing, rendering and posing.
The character will be a steampunk pest
exterminator girl with an athletic figure and
all her equipment ready for the job. Now, lets
have fun!
The process of sculpting the ears
01
Sculpting the head and eyes from

primitive spheres: Every time I sculpt
a character, I prefer starting with the head since I
consider it to be the most significant and difficult
part of sculpting. Its no use having a body with
perfect anatomy and all the details in place if
the face is not the most expressive part and
as pleasant as possible. I usually start with a
primitive Sphere3D in ZBrush and, with the help
of DynaMesh, sculpt each facial detail to achieve
a shape that suits me. For the eyes, I usually
use two primitive spheres with the pupil subtly
marked to help position the eyelids.
Building up the body
02
Adding the ears: Some of the most

delicate parts of the body, such as ears
and fingers, are easier to sculpt separately and
then merge with the main mesh using DynaMesh.
In the case of the ear, I generally start with a
sphere, scale it in the Y axis using the Transpose
tool, planify one side by dragging the first axis of
the Transpose, and then sculpt the basic shape
and position of the ear to the head. Once properly
positioned, I merge the ears and body SubTools
and turn on DynaMesh, causing the contact
zone between the two objects to join and form
one continuous mesh. Finally, I give some final
touches to remove the intersection mark.
03
Sculpting the body: To sculpt the

body I generally use a structure formed
by ZSpheres and converted to a mesh. I start by
creating a ZSphere at the base of the neck and
then creating all the body parts from it. After
creating the structure in a pleasing proportion,
I convert the ZSpheres to a mesh by pressing
A and then Make Polymesh3D in the Tools

tab. Then I start sculpting until I reach the final
form shown in the image. To join the head with
the body, I merge both the SubTools and apply
the DynaMesh with a reasonable amount of
subdivision so I dont lose any of the details from
any part.
61
04
Sculpting the hair: Every time I make

a character, I usually sculpt geometry
to block out the hairstyle, even if it is completely
thrown away later to create it from scratch using
hair and fur tools. Hair blocking is important
because it helps define the silhouette of the head
and the characters face. To sculpt the hairstyle,
I add a SubTool with a primitive sphere and start
adding DynaMesh divisions, then refining until
I get a nice result. Some artists prefer to use
ZBrushs FiberMesh to create the hair, but I stick
with the geometry because of the speed with
which you can get the desired result.
Hair sculpting steps
05
Extracting the cloth mesh: Now that

the body is finished, its time to start
creating the base mesh to sculpt the clothes.
Some clothes can be sculpted directly onto the
body, such as the shirt, though some others that
are not as close to the skin should be sculpted
into separate SubTools. To create new meshes
without using primitives, I usually create a mask
over the portion of the body that the clothes will
cover, then use the Extract tool (in the SubTools
tab) with S Smt set to 0 and Thick set to 0.01 as
a base. Finally, I apply some final sculpting to the
extracted mesh to mimic the natural behavior of
the garment.
06
Finishing the cloth piece: The problem

with using the Extract tool to create
multiple garments is that after some time, your
file will be quite slow and heavy. It will be very
difficult to work with and will consume a lot of
hard disk space. To resolve this issue I usually
use the ZBrushs automatic retopology tool,
ZRemesher. Simply select the desired SubTool
and click the ZRemesher button, then repeat
the process to reach a reasonable polygon
count, while of course keeping the volume and
silhouette of the original mesh.
07
Boot modeling: For hard-surface

or hybrid objects its easier to take
advantage of the various primitive geometries
that ZBrush offers. To model the boot, for
example, I select the Cylinder3D tool and edit the
settings in the Initialize tab to get a good mesh to
start sculpting. Then I click on Make Polymesh3D
and start sculpting the boot, adding DynaMesh
subdivisions. Remember that the Initialize tab
disappears if you add the primitive as new
SubTool; therefore, configure what you need in a
new tool and then add the mesh as a SubTool in
the main ZTool.
08
Other uses for primitives: Another

example of how to use primitives is in
the case of objects formed by closed pieces like
rings and chains. There are several ways to create
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
The mesh extracting process
ZRemesher configuration
Modeling the boots
Modeling extra clothing accessories
this type of object. You could draw the shape

as a mask on a 3D plane and extract it as a new
SubTool, as was done with some of the clothes.
However, in this case, I prefer to use the Ring3D
primitive and deform it with the Move brush until
I achieve the desired shape. After its finished, I
just position the object with the Transpose tool,
duplicate the SubTool and press the Mirror option
in the Deformations tab.
63
09
Cloth detailing: To help define the look

of the character a little better, always
add the essential detail to distinguish between
different types of material such as skin, metals
and fabrics. To model the shirt underneath the
overalls, I draw a mask where the clothing covers
the body and use the Inflate deformation to
extrude the edges. To finish the details, I usually
use the Clay Buildup, Slash3, Standard, Inflate
Examples of deformations
Hard-surface blocking technique
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
and Clay brushes. It is important to always keep

a ZTool saved with the original characters body;
it will be essential later for the correct retopology
and modeling of other objects close to it.
10
Blocking the spray tank: At this

stage, ZBrush primitives are used to
block the spray tank that the character carries.
Analyzing some steampunk references, I notice
the presence of gas tanks with various tubes

and valves, so I decide to make a large, heavy
tank with some smoking rusty pipes and various
screws and welded metal. To create the pipes, I
use masks and the Transpose tool to get them
in the desired form, applying DynaMesh for finer
details. The main tank is basically made of a
cylinder with the ends inflated and smoothed
using the Smooth brush.
Refining tools for the spray tank
Extracting the exterminators gas mask
11
Finishing the spray tank: After finishing

the blocking of the basic parts, I use
some techniques and additional primitives to
finalize the spray tank. At the blocking step,
remember that what matters is the volume and
silhouette of the character and its accessories;
theres no need to add time-consuming details
such as handles and screws yet. In the case of
the tank, I just use masks to inflate some details,
and test out features such as welding in the pump
part using Clay Buildup.
12
Making the gas mask: To model the

characters gas mask, I decide to use
the same technique used to extract the clothes,
this time masking the covered region of her face
and extracting it with the same configuration
as before. When this is done, I sculpt into the
extracted mesh the volumes of the lenses and
filter, and then apply DynaMesh to reconfigure
the mesh. One thing that eases the process is to
sculpt the inner and outer parts of the mask to
prevent DynaMesh from creating holes due to
mesh intersections.
65
13
Finishing the gas mask: As the mask

is a hybrid object with both organic
and hard-surface forms, it may require a little
more detail, mostly because its an object that
can create a totally different tone depending
on whether the character is wearing it or not.
Following the steampunk style, I decide to sculpt
a few divisions as if it was made of metal plates,
with exaggerated screws joining them together.
Sometimes its easier to create hard-surface
details through alphas using the DragRect brush
mode (for the breathing filter, for example). I use
both DragRect with alphas and sculpting to create
the mask.
14
Blocking the utility belt: This

accessory is important because its made
of several smaller pieces forming a utility belt. In
addition to the spray tank, it might be interesting
for the character to have formulas and portable
insecticides for more precise work.
For this, I decide to model three tools separately
from primitives: tubes with poisons, an
insecticide can and pockets for other related stuff.
After that, I extract a belt mesh from the body
and insert the objects as new SubTools, finishing
by using the Transpose tool to rearrange them in
scale and position.
15
Adding color and basic materials:

Now that we have the blocking of
the model finished, its time to create a color
palette and basic materials that can guide the
texturing and render later. I use a triad of colors
with shades of yellow, blue and pink. To plot
Belt accessories modeled separately
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
Techniques and tools used to finish the mask
out the materials, I use a slightly reflective metal

simulating bronze; SkinShade4 for parts like skin,
eyes and hair; MatCap gray for inorganic parts like
clothes, and SoftPlastic for less reflective parts
like the gloves and belt. A good tip is to never

use 100% saturated and vibrant colors, except
in extreme cases like a magical stone in the
characters armor.
Painting and materials details inside ZBrush
The Artist
Roumen Filipov
roumenfilipov.com
NEXT ISSUE
Join Roumen as he
continues modeling
and UVing in
3ds Max
67
+plus
Creating striking designs daily

The sketchbook of James Suret
Modeling mechs in SketchUp
Create a forest scene in Vue
Model a stylized female character
and much more!
Art blogger Gleb Alexandrov

discusses his passion for
lighting, Blender, and
social media
122
Issue 122 | October 2015
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3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | Create a forest scene in Vue
Scene files
Create a forest
scene in Vue
by Drea Horvath
Vue pro Drea Horvath shares the in-depth step-by-step

process behind this enchanting woodland scene
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
The Artist
Drea Horvath
dreahorvath.eu
ddcreations.eu
Software Used:
Vue, Photoshop, Filter Forge
Drea Horvath is an
environment artist,
owner and co-founder
of D&D Creations, a
studio specializing in 3D
Visualization and Audio
Production. She also
creates environments for
matte painting, animation
and games.
71
Discover how Drea Horvath

created this summery forest
Forest scenes have always been popular
among landscape artists. Lush, lively
woodlands look amazing in every season, at
any time of the day, and we often get inspired
to create our own natural environments. With
its highly advanced and powerful features to
generate complex ecosystems, Vue is a perfect
choice to build our virtual forests.
In this article, I illustrate the creation process
of my scene titled Summery Woodlands. This
tutorial covers every key step of the workflow,
from making a path, all the way to the postprocessing after final rendering.
The steps include exporting and importing
terrains, manipulating height and material
distribution in Photoshop combined with
Vue, creating complex mixed materials and
multi-layered ecosystems, achieving realistic
lighting and depth, rendering and enhancing
our final image in Photoshop and Filter Forge.
Exporting the height map of the basic (path) terrain in TIFF image format in Vues Terrain Editor
Before getting started, Ill highlight some

settings that have been applied right from the
start: a shadow softness of 5.00 is enabled
to get smooth shadows without making the
edges too hard, the camera focal is set to
25mm, the input and output gamma is set to
2.2, and auto-exposure is disabled in the Post
Render Options.
This tutorial is intended for Vue artists with
basic general knowledge of the software
and its functions. If you have any questions
regarding these settings or any step in the
tutorial, dont hesitate to contact me at drea@
dreahorvath.com or drea@ddcreations.eu,
and I will be happy to assist you.
I choose an old method for

making a path over the newer
material painting function
01
Creating the basic terrain: As the first

step of the process, I create the main,
basic terrain with the path. Due to the complexity
of the materials I am about to create, I choose
an old method for making a path over the newer
material painting function.
I generate a simple heightfield terrain, increase
its resolution to 512 x 512 in the Terrain Editor,
then export the terrain as a TIFF image file. This
generates a grayscale height map of the terrain.
I load the height map in Photoshop (if you dont
have Photoshop, GIMP can be a good alternative).
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
Top: Setting up the path terrains height and material distribution maps in Photoshop
Bottom: Importing the height map into Vues Terrain Editor
02
Drawing the path: After loading the

terrain height map in Photoshop, I add
a solid white layer for the distribution map, and
another, transparent layer for drawing the path. I
hide the solid white layer, and on the top layer, I

draw the path with a simple smooth black brush.
I decrease the path layers opacity to 30%. This
will result in a slightly lowered path on the terrain.
I save the image as the new height map (TIFF).

I make the white (middle) layer visible again,
increase the path layers opacity to 80%, and then
save this image as the material distribution map
(as a JPEG).
03
The distribution map created in Photoshop, connected to the Distribution

output node in the Function Editor as a Projected Texture Map
Applying the distribution map: Back

in Vue, I reset my terrain and load the
new height map with the lowered path. After that,
I reset the material on the terrain, then enter the
Material Editor and switch to Mixed Material. I
highlight both materials, giving the first one (that
is about to become the path) a brown color, and
the second one a green color as the basis for
the surrounding forest. Under Distribution of
Materials, I enter the Function Editor (right click >
Edit Function), add a Projected Texture Map node,
and load the distribution map. I click OK and set
the mapping to Object Parametric.
04
Mixing bitmapped texture with procedural material, using a Grainy Fractal

node connected to the Distribution output node in Vues Function Editor
Making a complex ground material

(path): After setting up the paths
material distribution, I move on to creating its
texture. I double-click on the first material from
Step 3, and switch to Mixed Material. Under
Distribution of Materials, I enter the Function
Editor, and connect a Grainy Fractal to the
Distribution output node. After double-clicking on
Material 1, I change the coloring mode to Mapped
Picture and load a 4k bitmap ground texture I
made previously in Filter Forge. I switch to the
Basic Material Editor and load its bump map as
well. As Material 2, I load a procedural texture I
tweaked from the Wet Stones material from the
Landscapes library.
05
Twigs and pebbles: After setting up

the mixed material of the path, I switch
from Mixed Material to Ecosystem/Particles,
and add three variations of twigs I previously
created by tweaking and drastically re-scaling
Vues leafless trees. In the Density tab, I enable
Variable Density, then I enter the Function Editor
and connect a Grainy Fractal node to the Density
output node. I set the Overall Density to 75%, and
the Offset from surface to -19% (Proportional),
so the bottoms of the instances are buried in
the ground. I add a second ecosystem layer with
Natural Pebbles (from Vues library), and apply the
same steps. The paths material is included in the
downloadable resources.
06
Top: general settings of the twigs ecosystem layer (left) and density
settings of the pebbles (right). Bottom: Variable density of the twigs
Lush ground cover: The next step

is creating the lush ground cover
ecosystem of the forest surrounding the path.
Since Im about to make a dense ecosystem, a
simple procedural ground material is enough. For
our original Material 2, I load Simple Grass from
Vues Material Layers library and give it a brownish
tone (RGB 48, 42, 32). After that, I add five layers
73
of ecosystem. The lowest layer, groundcover,

includes Small Grassfield Plant 1, 2 and 3 from
Vues Grasses Plants. The density is set to 86%,
and in Scaling & Orientation, I tick Shrink at
low densities, so the scale of the instances gets
smaller as they appear closer to the path.
07
Grass and flowers: For the next layer,

grass, I add Long Grass and Dry Weeds
from Grasses Plants. I set a Density of 83%,
and enable Clumping with an amount of 71%
and a size of 1m. I also enable Variable Scaling,
connecting a Grainy Fractal node to the Scaling
output node in the Function Editor. I set the
maximum size variation to 2 (X), and enable
Shrink at low densities. As the third layer, I add a
sparse population of flowers: Small Blue Flowers,
White Flowers and Yellow Flower, also shipped
with Vue. I set the Density to 26%, then enable
Clumping (87%, 4m) and Variable Density with the
same method as before.
08
Adding high-quality bushes: For the

fourth ecosystem layer, I want to add
some bushes. Since the SolidGrowth bushes
shipping with Vue are not realistic enough due
to their flat leaves and twigs, I choose three
bushes/small trees (EU43 young, FR16 young,
SH03 3) from Xfrogs free samples, available on
their website. I set the Density to 21%, and to
bury their roots under the ground, I set the Offset
from surface to -15% (Proportional). I decrease
the overall scaling to 0.517, set Maximum size
variation to 2 (X), and enable Shrink at low
densities. Variable Scaling is enabled, connected
to a Grainy Fractal.
General settings of the ground cover ecosystem layer, including the relative presence of the species
09
Alders and tall pine trees: I pick two

ways of adding trees to the forest: the
first step is adding a fifth layer with SolidGrowth
(Vue) trees to my multilayer ecosystem, and the
second step is manually placing high-quality
Xfrog trees closer to the path and the camera.
For the tree ecosystem layer, I select the Tall Pine
Tree and Alder Late Spring trees. This is a simple
ecosystem just to fill the forest, so no variable
density or scaling is needed. I set the Overall
Density to 64%. After populating the terrain, I
open up the Ecosystem Painter (by clicking on
Paint), and erase the instances that are too close
to the camera.
10
Adding trees manually: Focusing on

getting a detailed forest scene, I pick
some tree models from Xfrogs free samples,
import them and add them to both sides of the
path. I load multiple variations of Chestnut Trees,
European Hackberries, European Beech and
Bishop Pines. After loading the trees, I optimize
each model for faster rendering by disabling
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
Top: variable distribution and scaling of the grass layer

Bottom: test render of the path with the surrounding ground cover
Top: the three Xfrog bushes I used in the ecosystem

Bottom: test render of the current stage of the process
Test render of the current stage with the alders and

tall pine trees added as a new ecosystem layer
Manually adding high-quality trees makes a big difference,

and the rabbit and butterflies bring the scene to life
Side view of the scene with the largest background terrain highlighted, demonstrating the actual scale of the scene
TOP TIP
Basic rules of composition
Even with perfect lighting
and excellent render quality,
bad composition can ruin
the overall perception of
an image. One of the most
important guidelines is
the rule of thirds, which
means positioning the main
element(s) in the scene offcenter. If you look at my render, the path is positioned a bit near the right side instead of the
center. Leading lines are also easily recognizable on the image; instead of a straight path, the
path naturally leads your eyes from the left to the right, then back to the center. The third rule
I would highlight is framing; notice how I place firm trees to each side to form a natural frame.
Demonstrating the rule of thirds; the image is divided into nine
equal segments. The blue dot indicates the position of the path
caustics on the leaves and resetting the bump

map on the branches of the more distant trees. I
also add some leafless trees from Vues library. To
avoid hard, unrealistic edges on the branches, I
double their resolution in the Plant Editor. I also
modify the gnarl, diameter and angle.
11
Background terrains: I add three

background terrains behind the path.
Two of them are flattened terrains with a simple
material and ecosystem; I load Simple Grass
as the ground material, and I add a layer of
Alder and Large European Ash trees. I set the
Density to 64% and leave all the other settings
untouched. As the third background terrain, I
load a heightfield terrain, double its resolution
in the Terrain Editor, and tilt it a bit to the left
and towards the camera, making it look like a
steep cliff. I load the Colorado material from Vues
Landscapes library, and use the same trees as
ecosystem. I set the Slope Influence to 100%, so
fewer trees are populated on steep slopes.
75
12
Photometric lighting and radiosity:

When all elements in the scene are put
in place, its time to set up the lighting, based
on the photometric spectral lighting model that
was introduced in Vue 2014. After finding a good
custom Sun location, I open the Atmosphere
Editor and, in the Light tab, I increase Shadow
Smoothing to 66%, and drop the Quality Boost to
-1.5. These steps increase the rendering process,
and in combination with the settings in the
next step the image can be rendered without
virtual quality loss. There is also an option to
override photometric settings, but if you plan to
load the scene integrated in another application,
I do not recommend it, because it would cause a
mismatch in lighting.
13
Sky, Fog & Haze: In the Sky, Fog

& Haze tab, I leave the Sky settings
untouched, and I modify the Fog & Haze and
Global settings to achieve a slightly foggy forest
TOP TIP
Bringing the scene into life
I have seen several perfectly realistic
and high-quality environment
renders, but in some cases I still
couldnt help feeling that something
was missing. Realism can be a good
challenge, but if you want your
render to leave a bigger impact on
the viewers, triggering emotions, I
highly suggest adding an object or
two that brings the scene to life. I add
a rabbit I downloaded from http://
tf3dm.com/3d-models/animals,
and some butterflies by my fellow
artist and modeler Oli Lucianus
Pfeiffer. Without these extra models,
the scene would look empty, and
probably wouldnt leave as much of
an impression.
Before rendering the scene, I added this

rabbit and some butterflies near the
path to bring some life into the forest
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
Lighting settings in Vues Atmosphere Editor. Since overriding

photometric settings is disabled, some settings cannot be modified
Tweaked fog, haze and global settings in Vues Atmosphere Editor. With
these settings I created a mildly foggy landscape with more depth
with nice depth. I set the haze color to RGB 11,

12, 14, ground density to 9% and mean altitude
to 1.2km. I increase the Fog ground density to
92%, but decrease its mean altitude to 28m. I set
the Fog color to RGB 90, 103, 121. I increase the
Glow intensity to 100% and set the Scattering
anisotropy to 0.57, so the light is scattered more
near the Suns direction. To add more depth, I
increase the Aerial perspective to 3, and boost the
quality to 12.
14
Screenshot of my render settings and anti-aliasing settings for large
resolution soft AA strategy and advanced effects quality boost
Rendering in high resolution: After

setting up the atmosphere, the scene
is ready to render. When it comes to rendering
in Vue, I have a rule of thumb: do not use any
render presets, since they may have unnecessary
settings enabled. So I switch to User Settings
and customize everything specifically for this
scene, according to my own system. Since I
gave the atmosphere a high quality boost, I
leave Optimize volumetric lights enabled. I
increase the Advanced Effects quality to 55%. I
use Energy Conservative Anti-aliasing with Soft
strategy. Subrays per pixel is set to min. 8, max.
16, Contrast at 80%. Texture filtering and Texture
anti-aliasing are disabled.
15
Top: Adjusting colors, highlights, contrast, clarity and vibrance in Photoshops Camera Raw Filter
Bottom: Final enhancement in Filter Forge
TOP TIP
Effective resource handling
If you work with heavy meshes or
relatively large-scale ecosystems,
you might eventually get a warning
that your system is about to run
out of resources, and you will
notice Vue not working smoothly.
To prevent this, it helps if you
change the display option of
small-scale ecosystem instances
to None. You can also put large,
populated background terrains
and less important objects on a
separate layer, and hide the entire
layer in the viewport. Another
effective solution is to change the
display mode of heavy objects to
Wireframe Box after placing them
in the scene.
Post-work in Camera Raw Filter:

After rendering the image at high
resolution, I saved it as a PNG image, and load
it in Photoshop. First, I convert the image layer
into a Smart Object (right-click > Convert to
Smart Object), so I can perform non-destructive
editing on the render, making corrections without
losing the original image data. For corrections, I
use the Camera Raw Filter from the Filter menu.
CRF enables you to adjust basically everything
in the image in one place, from color corrections
to highlights, clarity, vibrance, saturation, noise
reduction, split toning and many more. As the
finishing touch, I open the render in Filter Forge
and apply the Dreamy filter to further enhance the
highlights and shadows.
The Artist
Drea Horvath
There are several options to display the ecosystem
population in the viewport. By selecting None, the
instances appear as dots
dreahorvath.eu
ddcreations.eu
77
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
79
3dtotal presents the new issue of 2dartist

magazine, a downloadable monthly
magazine for digital artists for only 2.99
(approx. $4.79/3.69).
Visit www.2dartistmag.com to see a full preview of the latest
issue, subscription offers, and to purchase back issues.
117
Issue 117 | September 2015
The Art
of Loish
We interview Loish, a.k.a.

Lois van Baarle about her
first art book and Kickstarter
campaign
+plus
10 of the best digital images

Captivating Bungie environments
Design an alien power source
and much more!
The popular Digital Painting Techniques series returns in its seventh

spectacular installment to once again showcase the latest digital
painting trends and techniques from talented experts, including Rene
Chio and Cris Delara.
In Digital Painting Techniques: Volume 7 you will discover a variety of artists methods
for creating perfect pin-ups, impressive vehicles, breathtaking environments,
magnificent mythological creatures, and much more! Plus you will learn how to craft
matte paintings using Cinema 4D and brush up on your speed painting techniques.
Browse for inspiration and to pick up top tips or follow project workflows in more
detail with the step-by-step tutorials either way, youll open up the book and
find something valuable to take away. Useful for intermediate digital artists and
professionals, this title is another must-have for any digital artists bookshelf!
ONLY 29.99 (APPROX 49.99) | 288 PAGES | ISBN: 978-1-9094142-0-4
3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | How to portray facial expressions
The Artist
Mario Anger
marioanger.com
Software Used:
ZBrush
Mario Anger is an animator
and learned his craft
traditionally with clay,
stone, and pencil on paper.
He has worked in the film
VFX business and currently
works as a modeler at Double
Negative, London.
How to portray
facial expressions
by Mario Anger
Join character artist Mario Anger as he studies the female

face and creates believable expressions
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
Take your faces to the next

level with Mario Angers help
Locating the muscle on the neck during lateral bending
In this article we will look at the female face

and neck and show these body parts posed in
conjunction with one another. Well also look
at single elements like the eyes and mouth,
and discuss how they can be portrayed in
different extremes to convey a feeling, and
how the muscles can alter their shape. Finally,
the expressions of the face will be examined
further and well describe how this interplay of
underlying facial muscles creates a coherent
look on the surface.
01
Lateral bending of the neck: Here the

head is rotated, flexed, extended and
bent by the muscles of the neck. Its called lateral
bending when the ear leans toward the shoulder
while looking straight ahead.
In the average person, the head is able to bend
halfway between the mid-line of the body and
the position of the shoulder. The muscles are
activated on the side of the head where the ear
leans towards the shoulder. They get thicker
because their anchor points are moved towards
each other. On the other side, the muscles get
stretched and thinned out. Towards the clavicles
you can even spot tendons on the surface.
The sternocleidomastoid (yellow), trapezius

(aqua), levator scapulae (orange), scalene
muscles (purple), omohyoideus (teal),
clavicles (red)
02
Muscles in the lateral bend: Here you

can see the extent to which muscles
can thicken or thin out when they pull on their
anchor points. Bending the head is a functional
interaction of muscles that grab mostly on the
mastoid process (a pointed bump behind the ear)
and the occipital bone of the head. They then try
to bring these parts closer to their insertion points
at the clavicle, scapula or acromion.
In this view you can also see the splenius
capitis at the back of the head (light green),
acromion (green by clavicle) and scapula
(shoulder blade)
Turning the head reveals new

contours around the neck
03
Rotating the neck: The neck is able

to turn the head to the right and the
left quite a bit. Its maximum range is about
80-degrees so that the chin is almost pointing to
the shoulders.
Muscles will rotate the neck and head around the

longitudinal axis of the cervical vertebrae (the
neck bones of the spine). This axis inserts at a
joint just below the skull, in line with the ear from
a side view.
83
04
Rotation of the neck: Not just one

muscle is responsible for turning the
head, but on the surface the sternocleidomastoid
is the most prominent one. It tries to shorten the
distance between the mastoid process and its
insertion points at the sternum and clavicle on
one side of the head. At this region two tendons
pop out right under the skin. A more convex
round mass becomes visible at the upper part
towards the head.
The sternocleidomastoid (yellow),

clavicle (purple), and sternum (pink)
05
The neck: flexion/extension: Bending

the joints of the cervical vertebrae (neck
bones of the spine) towards the chest is called
flexion. The angle relative to the mid-line of
the body decreases. Normally the chin is able
to touch the chest. So the change of angle is
something like 60 degrees maximum.
Tilting the head back is called extension. The

eyes are able to look straight up in an extreme
pose, which is a 70-degree bend from the midline of the body. The head is moved at a point
right below the skull by the bones of the cervical
vertebrae, which act like a bent chain.
06
The neck: flexion/extension muscles:

The extension stretches and flares out
the muscles below the chin. It also shortens and
thickens the muscles on the back of the neck like
the trapezius or splenius capitis, coming from the
upper back of the torso.
Anterior fibers of the sternocleidomastoid give
an additional pull to the rear part of the head.
Beneath the hyoid bone the two protrusions of
the cricoid and thyroid cartilage show up on the
surface quite prominently.
The neck muscles are almost reversed while
flexing. The back muscles of the neck are relaxed
and stretched, the front muscles are active. The
posterior fibers of the sternocleidomastoid have a
small influence too.
07
Muscles of the face: When muscles

beneath the skin of the face are
activated in certain relation to each other,
they create expressions. As a part of nonverbal
communication, they help to transfer information
between humans.
Facial muscles are different to skeletal muscles;
they originate near the bone and dont create
any considerable shapes on the surface. Its a
fine mask on top of the skull, and subtle folds
that occur when muscles pull skin together are
important for reading a persons countenance.
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
Representing the flexion

and extension movements
The mylohoideus (red), digastricus (green), sternocleidomastoid

(blue), trapezius (pink) and various cartilages of the throat
The neutral expression is the

default base for all expressions
The trapezius (green), splenius capitis (blue), levator scapulae (pink),

sternocleidomastoid (yellow) and scalene muscles (red)
The frontalis (yellow), corrugators (aqua), orbicularis oculi (red) and

orbicularis oris (purple around mouth) are major facial muscles
The neutral position is the base of all expressions.

To identify an emotion, the brain puts it in
relation to this muscle setup.
08
Deformation of the eyes: Eyes are not

just simple balls lying in the eye sockets;
they are in fact imperfect-shaped spheres that
can appear shorter or longer from the side view.
At the front they become flatter where they are
surrounded by the eyelids. In the middle of the
shape, a small tip sticks out this is the cornea.
The typical shape of the eye and placement of the cornea
When the eyes rotate, this protrusion moves

under the skin, so it actually creates a convex
plane change on the surface. When rolling to the
sides or up and down, the eyebrows most often
follow the movement to clear a path of sight for
the eyes.
85
The muscles surrounding the

mouth are able to create a rich
assortment of poses
The eyebrows help move the skin around the eye
09
Deformation of the mouth: The

muscles surrounding the mouth are
able to create a rich assortment of poses. The
orbicularis oris contracts or widens the opening
of the mouth, and can also pucker the lips. The
muscles attaching to this circular shape create
additional expressions.
The jaw bone opens or closes with the help of the
masseter muscles. A big flat superficial muscle,
the platysma, is connected to the mouth area on
the sides and the bottom of the chin. It can help
to depress the jaw or pull down the lower lip or
angle of the mouth.
10
Facial expressions happiness: The

psychologist Paul Ekman created a
whole atlas of emotion, a set of thousands of
expressions that a face could potentially display.
In simple terms, these can be broken down to a
model of six basic emotions: disgust, happiness,
anger, fear, surprise and sadness.
Happiness or smiling, for example, have their
active areas around the mouth and eyes, though
eyebrows can also emphasize this range of
emotion. Crows feet wrinkles appear when the
ring muscle that orbits the eye contracts.
A variety of expressions of the mouth
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
11
Facial expressions happiness: The

zygomaticus major and the orbicularis
oculi primarily create a happy face. The lower lid
of the eyes is pushed up to create a smiling eye.
The corners of the mouth are pulled back and
up so that the upper row of teeth begins to show
itself. The space between the eyes and mouth has

been compressed so that the cheeks get pushed
up and become more convex. Because of the
contraction of muscles, folds can appear not only
around the eyes and mouth, but sometimes even
on the cheeks.
A smiling face actively uses mouth and eye muscles
The orbicularis oculi (blue), zygomaticus major (green) and risorius (yellow) used for smiling
87
A shocked or fearful expression pulls the muscles of the face back
The frontalis (yellow), depressor anguli oris (green) and platysma (blue)
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
Expressing anger uses muscles

around the eyes, nose and mouth
12
Facial expressions shock, fear:

Shock, fear or surprise usually generates
a wide open expression. Fear forces the eyes
open with raised upper eyelids and a tension in
the lower eyelids. This can cause wrinkles in that
area. In fear, the eyebrows are also raised and
pulled together a little. Lips start to retract and
get slightly stretched horizontally back to the
ears. Sometimes the jaw begins to fall and the
mouth opens.
13
Facial expressions shock, fear: On

the forehead, the frontalis muscle raises
the eyebrows. It also helps to create the folds on
the forehead.
The cheek area flares out a little when the opened
jaw stretches muscles between the mouth and
eyes. The wrinkles of the mouth are pulled back
and downwards caused by the depressor anguli
oris and the platysma muscle. This muscle is
often activated with negative emotions like fear
or fright.
14
The corrugator (red), levator palpebrae superioris (yellow),
levator labii superioris (green) and orbicularis oris (blue)
Facial expressions anger: Anger

is expressed with the eyes, nose and
mouth. The eyes are wide open and glaring, the
nostrils are raised and lips become compressed
or pulled down. Deep folds can appear around
the nose if it is wrinkled. Again, eyebrows help to
express the extremity of the expression by bulging
towards to the middle.
15
Facial expressions anger: The

corrugator is responsible for the sunken
eyebrows, and it creates frown wrinkles on the
forehead. The levator palpebrae superioris on the
other hand raises the upper eyelid. As a result, the
space between the eyebrow and the eye seems to
get smaller.
The lifting of the upper lip by the levator labii
superioris shows teeth as an aggressive sign.
The orbicularis oris also tenses so that the lips
become tight. The corners of the mouth are
pulled down.
The Artist
Mario Anger
marioanger.com
89
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3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | Modeling mechs in SketchUp
Scene file
Modeling mechs
in SketchUp
by Jessica TC Lee
Jessica TC Lee shows us how to get the most out

of SketchUps free edition with this comprehensive
walkthrough of her sci-fi image, No hazard found
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
The Artist
Jessica TC Lee
jessicatcl.com
artstation.com/artist/j03150315
Software Used:
SketchUp, KeyShot,
Photoshop
Jessica TC Lee is an experienced
concept artist and awardwinning illustrator working in
a game studio as the leading
concept artist, and is currently
residing in San Francisco.
Click here
to download
SketchUp Make
for free
Create detailed mechs with the

free SketchUp Make software
In this tutorial, we will learn how to complete
a portfolio piece of a mech design in SketchUp,
KeyShot and Photoshop. Well talk about the
process of designing the mech, developing
thumbnails into a detailed sketch. Youll be
introduced to essential SketchUp plugin tools
needed for following the tutorial, examples
of how to use them, important modeling
tricks and demonstrations of how to achieve
certain shape results. In the next article, well
take the completed model into KeyShot to
add materials, make a render, and then finish
the image in Photoshop using basic photocompositing techniques.
Testing out design ideas with thumbnails
Before I even start making thumbnails,

I usually research online for inspiration,
especially when I dont have a specific idea in
mind. I look into references that have a lot of
mechanical parts. I sometimes just draw from
references to build an almost subconscious
awareness of how the mechanical parts
distribute, and are concealed and exposed.
To name a few good references: DARPA robots
and drones, car assembly machines, sand
buggies, garden machinery, generators, streetcleaning machines, and so on.
I also pay attention to where the power source
might be located and how big it has to be to
move the machine, and what elements such
vents, wires, hydraulics, rivets, joints, handles
and sensors look like and where theyre
located. Collecting this information is like
preparing all the carving tools and materials
when sculpting. I know where to put what,
so the design not only looks cool but makes
sense, without me having to stop too often
from the creative process to go back to look up
things that I might be able to use.
Developing our chosen thumbnail into something more complete
01
Thumbnails: The point of thumbnailing

is to figure out an interesting and
exciting silhouette which will define the general
shape of the final design. Since we are designing
something mechanical, there are a few things we
should ask when doing thumbnails. Is this mech
bipedal or quadrupedal? How does it move? Does
it use weapons? What is it for?
These basic questions define how the big chunks
of the silhouettes are arranged and proportioned.
When I am doing mine, I like to think about if its
an attack mech; where the weapons might go
and what kind of weapons they are; I like to think
about how the head, body and legs would
co-ordinate in order for the mech to move. Try to
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
Some useful plugins recommended for this tutorial
think about the mech in motion to get a better

grasp on the overall arrangement and proportion
of all the parts. A useful tip to keep in mind is the
common rule for proportioning the overall look
of the parts. I always have big, middle-sized, and

small parts. As my mentor told me, treat it like the
proportion of the layers of a cake. The final touch
will be the tiny cherry decorations! In a mech
The basic block-out of the mech design
Dont forget to make shapes

unique as you go along!
Saving shapes to your component

library will save time later
design, the cherries can be lights, rivets, pipes,

wires or handles.
02
Detailed sketch: After I finish the

thumbnails, I move on to interpret
the chosen one as a perspective drawing. The
method I use allows me to gradually flesh out all
the details with layered thinking.
In #1, I rough out the general shape of the design
in perspective and some ideas of the overall
structure. In order to translate the design from
the thumbnails, I think about the big chunks in
perspective, such as the big rectangular shape on
its back. I also mirror the legs.
I pay attention to how the joints are connected
and use circles to indicate them. I also roughly
think about how Id like the head or the front
part of the mech to look, since it will be the focal
point of the design.
In #2, I further define and develop the look
of the big parts and important joints, such as
subdividing or cutting out the shapes and editing
cut lines. I also start to think about the decorative
cherry parts, such as where to put handles, wires
and rivets.
In #3 and #4, I use a new paper and start to

really define all the details. After I am satisfied, I
add some basic shadow to see how the overall
shapes will feel in 3D. For the mechanisms of
the joints, aside from following the thumbnails,
I sometimes experiment with ideas by drawing
simple cylinders and boxes to see what other
possibilities are.
03
Important SketchUp plugins

and customized interface: Id
like to mention a few necessary plugins for
accomplishing this tutorial. All the plugins I
mention can be found on SketchUcation, a free
online SketchUp plugin community.
I install their Plugin Store tool so I can easily
find and directly install plugins to SketchUp
without having to go through the process of
manually installing and downloading them from
the web. The SketchUcation Plugin Store tool
can now be found under the Extensions tab. The
essential plugins for this tutorial are FredoScale,
JointPushPull, Round Corner, and BoolTools.
All the above plugins are free except for
BoolTools, which is released by smustard.com
and costs ten bucks. However, its worth having.
After installing all the essential plugins, its time

to customize the interface by going to View
> Toolbars. Except for the above-mentioned
plugins, I usually also turn on Shadows,
Measurements, Construction, Drawing, Solid
Tools, Styles, Views, and Warehouse.
Since I like to model in Parallel Projection mode
(found under the Camera tab), its convenient
to have the Views tool on, so I can change to
different views to check my design. Having the
Styles tool on is handy too, because sometimes
I need to adjust geometries or components that
are hidden. With the Styles tool on, I can switch
between shaded mode and X-Ray mode.
In addition, since I use SketchUp Make instead of
SketchUp Pro, I cant export models to OBJ files
with the default options, so I get SketchUcations
OBJ Exporter plugin in order to do so.
04
Blocking in: I start to block in the big

chunks of the design. I overlook all the
details or subdivided shapes at this point and
just try to get the proportion of the design the
way I want. I save a cube and a cylinder to my
component library (fig.04b) so I can simply drag
them into the scene, scale and rotate them for
95
blocking in. This way, the work process will be

much faster and easier, and the components
wont stick to each other (if the geometries
are not components or in groups, SketchUp
automatically merges any connected parts). I
carve out the big general shape of the head part,
which is the focal point, to get a good feeling of
how the overall silhouette of the model would
look. I mimic what other 3D programs have and
make components on both sides by flipping one
side to mirror it on the other.
After finishing the initial blocking-in, I make the
cubes and cylinders unique in order to further
detail the shapes of the different parts without
changing the shapes of the others (fig.04c).
This is a very important action that I need to
constantly remember to do. Without it, if I modify
one component, I would then affect the other
components which are recognized by SketchUp
as being its duplicates.
Adding more detail to key areas
Duplicating a piece and moving it out for ease of editing
05
Starting to add details: After

establishing the general proportion and
shapes, I start to dig into the focal point, which is
the head and front area. At this point, I still dont
get too detailed with tiny rivets or handles, but
pay more attention to the subdivided shapes
of each big chunk. The advantage of making
different parts into components comes in again,
because I can still easily modify each part, even
when it is hidden by other parts, by duplicating it
and dragging it to an empty area and modifying
on the duplicate (fig.05b).
Using FredoScale to make slanted areas
I use the Tapering tool in the FredoScale plugin to

make a component slant without messing up the
geometries (fig.05c). The same tool can be used
to taper a component as the name says (fig.05d).
The power of the FredoScale plugin is to modify
the general shape of a selected area without
messing up with the geometries, in most cases,
and can achieve results very fast.
06
Adding further details: I also use the

technique of intersecting faces to carve
out certain shapes while not messing up the
geometry of the component. I first put in the
shape of the part that I want to cut out from the
shape that is in the component. I then select
them all and right-click to find the Intersect
Faces option. I choose with Selection to cut the
geometries. However, since I am editing inside
the component, it doesnt really matter which
option I choose. They will all do the same thing.
However, if I am editing outside a component,
then the result will be only the cut lines of the
intersecting components instead of really cutting
the geometries (fig.06a). I then remove the part
that I dont want and seal the geometry (fig.06b).
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
A way of cutting geometries outside of

components or groups is by using the BoolTools
plugin. Here I use the Difference tool to cut out
the shape I dont want (fig.06c). The icons of
the BoolTool clearly show the function of each
subtool. After getting to a certain degree of

detailing, I change to a side view to make sure
that the upper-front part of the mech wont
cut into the parts on the sides when its turning
around (fig.06d).
Using FredoScales Tapering tool
Cutting up some geometry
Removing unwanted geometry
Cutting geometry with BoolTools
Checking how the mech looks in profile
97
07
Creating handles and arched panels:

This step is more about showing a
couple of tricks and techniques that help me get
certain shapes that I want. For creating handles,
I first draw a circle, then find its center and draw
the path along which I want my handle to follow,
and then use the Follow Me tool to finish the tube
(fig.07b). I finish the handle in an empty area
so I can see better, then make it a component
before bringing it back to the model. All the wires,
handles, tubes and pipes can be achieved using
this technique.
Adding handle and arch details to the mech
Sometimes I want a covering panel slightly

above the body but with exactly the same arch
or shape. In order to achieve that, I first duplicate
the face which has the arch I want, and elongate
it (fig.07c). After that, the powerful plugin
JointPushPull comes in to help me thicken the
surface. It allows me to push/pull a surface that is
not flat (fig.07d).
However, I decide to tweak the shape a little bit,
again using the Tapering tool in FredoScale. I
want the axes to follow the slant degree of the
panel, so I click on an edge that has a similar slant
degree to redefine the scaling axes (fig.07e).
08
Further detailing and mechanism

logic: I further detail the front part and
the middle body with other techniques. Here I
use the Arch tool to connect arches with different
degrees to create the result I want (fig.08b). Here
I also use a technique to create the thickness
of certain portions of a handle. I first use the
Intersect tool to create cut lines, and then use
JointPushPull to create the thickness. (fig.08c)
I also want to create an indentation on a slanted
surface with the same slanting degree. I first use
the Follow Me tool to create the indentation
(fig.08d). I then use the Intersect Faces tool to cut
the geometries and delete any unwanted bits that
I dont want (fig.08e).
Creating handles with the Follow Me tool
Duplicating and enlarging an existing face to create the arch piece
An important thing to keep in mind when

interpreting a 2D mech design into a 3D model
is how different parts are connected, and if they
can move without cutting into each other. When I
design and model, I mentally assign certain parts
to certain groups, such as the thigh group, the
joint group and the leg group, to make sure
that theyre connected in a way that can move,
no matter how complex the structures are. Once
things are broken down into different groups,
I know that I can pay more attention to how to
make the joint groups functional and have more
fun with the shapes of the other parts.
Using the JointPushPull plugin to thicken the arch
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
Adjusting the scaling axes of a slanted piece
Taking the details even further
Connecting arches with the Arch tool
JointPushPull in action again
Creating indentations with the Follow Me tool
Cutting and deleting unwanted geometry
99
Modeling more detailed joints
Using Intersection Faces to add bevel detail
The mechs detail level at this stage
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
09
Hidden joints: After finishing most parts of the front portion of the
mech, I start to think about the joints between the main body and
the front legs. These joints are hidden from a three-quarter view beauty shot,
but are essential to the mechanism of the front legs.
I block in some cylinders and boxes to settle the mechanism, which should
allow the legs to move both up and down, left and right. Then I detail the
shapes of the parts to make them more than just primary shapes (fig.09a). A
small trick I use here to get a bevel corner on an irregular shape is by using
the Intersection Faces tool and sealing the holes later (fig.09b).
10
Back legs: Its time to get to the back legs. There is a lot of fine
tweaking to the model and I dont follow exactly how the original
sketch looks, especially with the ankle parts. I rearrange how the panels are
overlapping each other, so I can get a look as close to the sketch as possible
while not making the legs too thin and narrow. This is a situation I often
encounter when interpreting 2D design to 3D; the width of a part of a sketch
on paper is often not really the same case when its modeled.
I adjust the proportion of the back legs because I imagine this mech has a
strong jumping mechanism that resembles a hunting animal. I start to have
a rough idea about the exact usage of this mech; more for scouting in a small
area. In many cases, a design that mimics a function in nature is usually
appealing because of its relatability.
11
Back legs, continued: I use a couple of tricks to get certain shapes.

For the small panel extruding from the joints, I first draw a rectangle,
and then cut out the shape on the rectangle (fig.11a). I finish the panel by
pushing out the thickness.
Top to bottom: drawing construction lines, finding the

pink line, and connecting the points to create faces
I also want to create an offset continuation on an irregular and slanted

surface. Therefore, I first use the Offset tool to offset the edges I want, and
then I draw the construction lines from the points. In order to connect the
construction lines, I draw along the line I already have and find the pink
indicating line, which means the new portion of the line is on the same path.
Eventually, I connect all the points and create faces (fig.11b).
101
12
Wrapping up details: Here I like to

mention a few tricks and a plugin that
are useful for adding the cherries on top, or
the details such as rivets, small and repetitive
indentations, bevels on an irregular shape, and
smooth bevels on edges. I created and saved
a rivet to my component library right at the
beginning, so now I simply drag and drop it every
time I need it.
To create repetitive indentations with the
same intervals, I first draw the shape of the first
indentation, and then duplicate it by holding Ctrl
while using the Move tool. Right after duplication,
I type in 3/ to create two duplicates in between
(fig.12b). 3/ means divide the interval by three.
We can also duplicate right next to the original
and type in 3X, which means make three
duplicates from the original. I then finish the
indentation by using the Push/Pull tool.
13
Refining edges with bevels: To create

a bevel on an irregular surface, instead of
using Follow Me as if it was on a straight edge, I
use the Intersection Faces tool (fig.13a).
The plugin I use to create smooth and
sophisticated narrow bevels on edges is called
RoundCorner. It is simply for mimicking how, in
reality, most edges of an object are not really that
sharp (fig.13b).
Finally, its time to check if the four legs can move
without obstruction, and can allow the mech
a reasonably smooth movement and ability to
turn (fig.13c). Next time, well look at ID-labeling,
adding materials and rendering with KeyShot,
and creating a background to finish the image!
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
Duplicating a piece to create repeating patterns
Creating bevel edge detail with Intersection Faces
NEXT ISSUE
Jessica finishes the
mech with KeyShot
and Photoshop
Creating smoother bevels with RoundCorner
Testing whether the limbs can move unobstructed
The Artist
Jessica TC Lee
jessicatcl.com
artstation.com/artist/j03150315
103
3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | Mysterious monster designs with ZBrush
The Artist
Aram Hakze
aramhakze.com
Software Used:
ZBrush
Aram Hakze is a visual
effects artist from The
Netherlands. He most
recently worked on
The Jungle Book and
Terminator: Genisys.
Mysterious monster
designs with ZBrush
Visual effects artist Aram Hakze reveals the process
behind his towering Lovecraftian horror, Nautilus
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
See how Aram Hakze crafted

this eerie scene
01
Photographic inspiration: I tend

to draw a lot of inspiration from my
surroundings and took a couple of photos during
a visit to the beach when inspiration struck. My
idea was to create a Lovecraftian creature that
would feel very alien and have some ambiguous
features. I liked the idea of a giant creature
lumbering over the beach and quickly combined
a couple of photos to create a frame. I wanted the
focus of the image to be on the creature, and so
use an interesting stage or narrative to present
the design.
02
Starting to sculpt: This was an exercise

in design for me and I wanted to focus
most of my attention on the creature. What
made this stage fun was improvisation and being
creative. I wanted to create something alien but
also tried to think of functionality when creating
new shapes. Its important to start working in
broad strokes and make harsh decisions early on.
Keep a camera handy for when inspiration strikes
As you progress you can add subdivisions and

start to refine your model. I used ZBrushs UV
Master to create the UVs.
03
Skin texture: Even though MARI is my

main tool for texture painting, mainly
for of its non-destructive workflow and highresolution texture capabilities, for efficiency
purposes I decided to quickly lay in the base of
the creature using Spotlight in ZBrush. When
Use the Move, Snakehook and Curve Tube brushes a lot in the beginning stages
The creatures skin is textured after the pattern found on a nautilus
105
Isolation maps created using cavity masking in ZBrush
Editing an HDRI using the HDRI editor
creating a color map its important that values

relate to the albedo of the object in real life.
Albedo is essentially the reflective power of a
surface; for example, something thats white
reflects a lot of light and should have higher
values than something thats dark. For physical
accuracy its important to keep values between
0 and 1.
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
04
Different surfaces: I created various

masks because I wanted to control the
different surface aspects of the crevices. Dirt
usually collects in crevices, making them more
diffuse, whereas exposed parts may be glossier.
This is also useful for layering on top of your
initial color map. Subsurface scattering (SSS) can
drown out a lot of the detail and I find it helpful
to enhance that in my color map. For control

purposes, this can also be of great help when
using specular and displacement maps.
05
Adding an HDRI: KeyShots progressive

render capabilites are perfect to make
on the fly decisions regarding surface light
interaction. I knew what the environment was like
Various material and lighting passes
where I shot my plate so I chose one of KeyShots

out of the box HDRIs and used HDRI editor to
crudely match the light direction. Because I had
already established a specific look earlier I knew
exactly which material attributes to render. I
used a 35mm lens on my camera and made
sure I rendered out ground reflections since the
creature would be standing in the water.
06
Render passes: After loading my

model and textures in KeyShot I created
a couple of shaders, and rendered these out
using various settings in passes. By layering the
passes in Photoshop I established the final look
of the creature. Because my final result would be
presented as a still I didnt worry too much about
the shader. In an asset production environment
you would spend a lot more time on this because
it needs to hold up in motion. By painting
isolation masks to control different aspects in a
shader or even layering shaders using masks to
control material attributes.
07
Bring everything together: When

matching CG to a live action plate try
to breakdown whats happening in real life as
light travels through a camera. Mimicking effects
like lens distortion, chromatic aberration and
matching grain will help sell the believability of
Working on the integration of the creature with the background
your image. Always refer back to the original plate

for focus and shadow values.
I duplicated the creatures alpha channel and set
the top layer to dissolve, merged them and did
a slight blur to get some edge breakup so that it
matched better with the plate. I also added a bit
of fog and graded the lighting passes.
08
The final image: Even though this is

a concept piece I wanted the image to
have a certain believability. To create a narrative

and to give the image a sense of scale, I placed a
character and crash-landed space capsule in the
frame using various photo references.
The idea was that an astronaut had just returned
to find the Earth in a ravaged state, and devoid of
all modern communication. He has managed to
get to shore safely, only to be left in a maddened
state shortly after an encounter with one of
Earths new denizens.
107
The Artist
Aram Hakze
aramhakze.com
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
Bringing you practical tuition and advice from an experienced 3D Trainer,

this invaluable book offers a comprehensive guide to character creation in
Autodesks very popular 3D software, Maya.
Beginners Guide to Character Creation in Maya continues 3dtotals tradition of offering helpful
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3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | Sculpt a detailed ZBrush mech
The Artist
Marco Plouffe
marcoplouffe.com
keosmasons.com
Software Used:
ZBrush
Marc-Olivier Marco
Plouffe is a Montrealbased character artist
and co-founder of Keos
Masons. He has worked
previously for THQ,
BioWare, Eidos and
other companies in the
entertainment industry.
Sculpt a detailed
ZBrush mech
Marco Plouffe gives us an insight into his dynamic mech
design, W.A.S.P., made with ZBrush, KeyShot and Photoshop
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
Enhance your ZBrush modeling

with Marco Plouffe
01
Blocking: Blocking is the first stage of

the modeling process, since it is when I
begin to conceptualize my model. Itll be followed

by the polishing phase next, then posing, and
finally the rendering in KeyShot. I start the
blocking from anything (ZSphere, sphere, base
mesh, and so on) whatever takes my fancy
and I explore the shapes until I find a theme or a

visual language that I want to replicate all over
the model. I dont put much detail into it or polish
at this point, and I use very few brushes. Its about
exploring the idea.
Blocking out the basic forms, without too much detail
111
Use more SubTools in complex focal areas like the face
Cutting the model into pieces and starting the polishing phase
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
You can see that the tibia is only one piece

blocked roughly, then polished
02
ZTools and SubTool management:

I work with many different ZTools
(see colors pictured) for smoother navigation
in ZBrush. I temporarily decimate completed
meshes while working on other ZTools. I
reassemble the undecimated ZTools at the end
before the posing phase. I sometimes may even
merge many SubTools together, even if it destroys
all the subdivs.
In each ZTool, I work with many SubTools, so
when Im working on an area that will be focused
on (like the head) itll be easier to polish. Still,
most of my SubTools are DynaMeshes. In areas
with less focus, I tend to use fewer SubTools. For
example, the head has many SubTools, the arms
less, and the legs even less.
Working on some
smaller parts
separately
I work on some smaller parts individually and in

an Orthographic view. Once finished, I place them
around the character, like the thruster (Fig.2d) for
example. I tend to work this way when I will be
reusing a part all over a model.
Sculpting further details and placing IMMs
113
Posing and preparing the model for KeyShot
03
Posing and separating materials:

Once finished, I assemble all my ZTools
together and I pose the result with Transpose
Master. Then I merge every piece that I know for
sure will share a common material (see pictured).
Sometimes I may decimate the model before
exporting it, but KeyShot is pretty good with
heavy meshes.
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
04
Setting up in KeyShot: I import my

meshes into KeyShot and test the
materials on them.
I dont change the materials much. I use a
common HDRI and tweak some settings around,
rotating the lighting until I find one that makes my
volumes easily readable. (If I need more lights, like
a rim light, Ill add them in later passes.) I choose

a suitable backplate if possible (pictured in the
lower-right corner). I try to find a background at
this early stage because it helps me to integrate
the model into the scene. In the Camera tab, I will
simply save my various camera angles, apply a
depth of field and choose a field of view that I feel
works best.
Importing and setting up the model in KeyShot
Examples of render passes these took 6-10 minutes each without Area or Object Lights
115
The various render passes used for this image
Layer setup in Photoshop
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
and its done!
05
Render passes: AO (ambient occlusion)

pass: choose the All white HDRI, pick a
white diffuse material, and set Gamma to 1.
Rim light pass: choose the velvet material; this
pass will let you mask your own rim light when
inside Photoshop.
Clown pass: enable the Clown pass in the
Render settings.
Curvature pass, choose Curvature in any
Material Texture slot; this pass lets you apply
scratches and rust in Photoshop using the Color
Range selector or Magic Wand tool.
Finally, I usually render my area (physical) light
passes since they require more sampling.
06
Setup in Photoshop: The final image

is assembled in Photoshop using the
render passes. Color adjustments, textures and
glow effects are added to tie the piece together.
117
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
The Artist
Marco Plouffe
marcoplouffe.com
keosmasons.com
119
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new book focuses on the design and creation of a variety of character
and creature sculpts by world-class artists including Mariano
Steiner, Maarten Verhoeven, Caio Csar, and Kurt Papstein.
Topics covered by the panel of industry experts
include alien concepts, quadruped designs,
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taking you from concept to
completion across a variety
of imaginative projects.
NEXT MONTH
Model and UV a character in 3ds Max
Hard-surface sci-fi designs
Informative new interviews
Inspiring ZBrush sketches
10 of the best 3D images from
around the world
Plus much more!
3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | Digital Art Master: Hasan Bajramovic
20% OFF
Discount code: damv920
DIGITAL ART MASTER:
Soldier
by Hasan Bajramovic
Discover the processes behind a stunning 3D masterpiece with a sneak-peek look
inside the pages of Digital Art Masters: Volume 9. Learn how Hasan Bajramovic crafted
his fantastic character in, ZBrush, MARI, 3ds Max, BonesPro, Ornatrix, V-Ray
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
The Artist
Hasan Bajramovi
hbajramovic.cgsociety.org
Software Used:
3ds Max
Hasan Bajramovi is a
freelance 3D artist specializing
in high resolution modeling
for cinematics and games.
His skills include texturing,
lighting and rendering.
I really wanted to create a soldier character

that didnt fall into the typical alpha male
category. I went with a more natural look for a
realistic presentation of a soldier inspired by a
couple of photos from the Vietnam war that I
found online.
Head sculpting and detailing
It was definitely a great experience working on

this one. I learned a lot during the process and
I introduced new software to my pipeline.
I used ZBrush for all my sculpting and
modeling needs, MARI for texturing, and 3ds
Max and V-Ray for rendering. Hair was done
using Ornatrix. I am very satisfied with the
final results and the image was well received.
Sculpting & modeling
I started by modeling the head for the character
and once I was happy with the look I began
adding subtle details like skin wrinkles, pores
and imperfections. I used morph targets to blend
between different stages of detailing. Layers are
a great option for this but they tend to increase
file size.
Once I was happy with the head I started working
on the rest of the body. Cloth was one of the
hardest things to do on this character. I really took
my time doing it. Once I got the basic proportions
right, I converted it to DynaMesh and slowly
started to add major folds on the shirt and pants.
Finer details were added using alpha maps and
NoiseMaker. For the boots I started off with a
simple sphere that was moved and stretched
The final character sculpt with all details
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
around until I was happy. I mostly used brushes

like TrimDynamic and Standard throughout the
entire process. Finally, I used ZRemesher on all of
the SubTools with custom curves where needed
(Fig.01 02).
Texturing & materials
For this project I really wanted to try MARI. I was
amazed by how good the learning curve is for the
software. In no time I was able to pick it up and
create great-looking textures.
I used images from www.3d.sk and www.
cgtextures.com as references and for projection
painting inside MARI. I also used the maps like
cavity and displacement that I exported from
ZBrush. Once I was happy with these maps I
imported my model and all the textures to 3ds

Max. For skin shading I used the VRayFastSSS2
material which was incorporated together with
VRayMtl inside VRayBlendMtl. VRayBlendMtl
allowed me to get some really nice reflections on
the characters skin.
The cloth material was also pretty easy to set up
thanks to the textures that I exported from MARI.
All I had to do was set up a Fresnel falloff on
the diffuse. I also did some blending between
different textures to create wet and dirty looking
cloth procedurally.
For the hair, beard, eyebrows and subtle fuzz on
the cloth I used Ornatrix which is an amazing
plug-in for 3ds Max (Fig.03 04).
Texturing the face with MARI
Skin material settings
Creating the rig and posing the character
Posing & lighting

After Darijan Kalauzovic, a good friend of mine,
created a rig for me I did all of the skinning using
BonesPro. Thanks to this plug-in, skinning didnt
take too long and I was able to pose the character
in no time. I already had an idea on how I wanted
this to look so it really wasnt hard.
For lighting I created three lights in the scene. One
key light was placed on the right side, and one
right above the character with a very low intensity
to just fill in the blacks. I also created a very low
intensity light behind the character for a very
subtle rim light effect. To get some light bouncing
in the scene I created a cyclorama studio setup
(Fig.05 06).
Rendering & compositing
For rendering I used V-Ray with Global
Illumination where Brute force was used for
primary bounces in combination with Light cache
for the secondary bounce. I always use linear
workflow to get better results and more light
in the scene. I also did a few tests to optimize
the render times by rendering separate render
elements like VRaySampleRate to see how antialiasing (AA) was affecting the scene. This was
necessary because initially I was using very high
DMC values to avoid the noise that hair geometry
was producing.
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
Simple lightning setup
Once I was happy, I set my final resolution and

waited for V-Ray to finish rendering. Finally, I
imported my final render into Photoshop and
added a Brightness/Contrast adjustment and
Gradient Fill layer on top of my image.
I was satisfied with the beauty render so there
was no need to do any more compositing as I felt
it would only take away from the final look of the
image (Fig.07 08).
Feedback
Throughout the process of creating this image I
introduced new software to my pipeline as well as
new texturing techniques. Im definitely looking
forward to using and applying these techniques
on my next project.
It was really helpful to receive input from many
different artists during the making of this image.
I always post some WIP images either on one of
the forums or my Facebook profile to see what
people think and whether I should fix something.
I dont think I would be here right now if it wasnt
for them. Thats one of the most important things
I learned over the years. Listen to all the input and
try to correct your mistakes.
V-Ray render settings used for final render
Simple compositing on the final image to adjust the contrast and brightness
Hasan Bajramovi
3DCREATIVEMAG.COM
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Creating striking designs daily

Art blogger Gleb Alexandrov

Issue 122 | October 2015

3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | ISSUE 122

Welcome to 3dcreative issue 122!

Our in-depth tutorials cover character sculpting, Vue

3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | ISSUE 122

Get the most out of it!

Top tips for viewing

Whenever you see this symbol, be sure to click it to

For lots more tutorials and exclusive articles, visit:

Special thanks to 3DHype,

Contents Issue 122

10 of the most inspiring 3D images from the world of

024_ Mastering artistic lighting

Art blogger Gleb Alexandrov discusses his passion for

034_ Creating striking designs daily

Mike Beeple Winkelmann shares his inspiring CINEMA

046_ The sketchbook of James Suret

Freelance artist James Suret shares a sample of his

054_ Sculpting in polymer clay

Discover the dark clay creations of sculptor and

060_ Model a stylized female character

Learn how to sculpt a fun sci-fi character in ZBrush with

070_ Create a forest scene in Vue

Improve your Vue landscape skills with Drea Horvaths

082_ How to portray facial expressions

Mario Anger walks us through the facial muscles and

092_ Modeling mechs in SketchUp

Jessica TC Lee shares her expertise in SketchUp and

104_ Mysterious monster designs with ZBrush

110_ Sculpt a detailed ZBrush mech

Learn helpful ZBrush sculpting tricks from pro artist

122_ Digital Art Master: Soldier

Learn how Hasan Bajramovic crafted his stunning 3D

3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | ISSUE 113

Go to page 068 for details

3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | Art Gallery

3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | ISSUE 122

Submit your images! Simply email: marisa@3dtotal.com

Opening the Dark Portal

3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | Art Gallery

3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | ISSUE 122

3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | Art Gallery

3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | ISSUE 122

3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | ISSUE 122

3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | Art Gallery

3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | ISSUE 122

3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | ISSUE 122

3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | Art Gallery

3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | ISSUE 122

3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | Art Gallery

3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | ISSUE 122

The 3D Animation Software that Every Artist can Master

Free 90 day trial of iClone 6 Pro

3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | Mastering artistic lighting

3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | ISSUE 122

3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | Mastering artistic lighting

Gleb Alexandrov is the digital artist and

The Brushes This was Glebs

3DCREATIVE MAGAZINE | ISSUE 122

3dc: What first inspired you to get into 3D, and