Anatomy of the Face for Artists

Volume 1: Sculpting the Skull

Anatomy of the Human Face

by Ryan Kingslien
with Nicholas Breslow

by Ryan Kingslien 1 YOUSCULPT

Anatomy of the Face for Artists
Volume 1: Sculpting the Skull

2
Cover design by Ryan Kingslien
Book design by Ryan Kingslien and Nicholas Breslow
Compiled by Nicholas Berslow from a ZBrushWorkshops Lecture
Development Editing by Nicholas Breslow
Production Editing by Sonia Prasad

Copyright 2011 by Ryan Kingslien

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including infor-
mation storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a
reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

Ryan Kingslien
Visit my website at www.ZBrushWorkshops.com

3
Acknowledgements
Sculpting the face is one of the hardest things to do. Its unyieldingly frustrating but
its always an amazing challenge. What little understanding I have of the face has its origins in my time with Al
Gury, chair of the Painting Department at PAFA. As always, Ofer Alon and Jaime Labelle continue to be guid-
ing lights in their work with ZBrush and bringing digital sculpting to the masses. Also, this book would not be
possible without the support and hard work of my wife Sonia Kingslien

I would like to call special attention out to Nicholas Breslow who compiled the bulk of this document from one
of my workshops at ZBrushWorkshops. He did a fantastic and thorough job.

4
About the Author
Ryan Kingslien is the founder of www.ZBrushWorkshops.com. He attended the Pennsylvania Academy
of Fine Art and the Gnomon School of Visual Effects. He was the first product manager for ZBrush at Pixolog-
ic, where he combined the efforts of programmers and artists to help create some of the revolutionary tools in
ZBrush. He also created the first industry-standard curriculum and documentation that helped bring ZBrush to
companies such as Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Sony Pictures Imageworks, and Electronic Arts (EA).

5
Table of Contents
The Beginnings 7
Overview 7
Landmarks 8
Skull: Proportions 9
Mapping the Proportions of the Skull 9
Skull: Basic Shape 13
Skull: Facial Grid 19
Using Transpose as a Measuring Tool 20
Mapping the Facial Grid Using PolyPaint 21
Skull: Sculpting the Facial Grid 23
Skull: Cranial Block-in 26
Skull: Detours on Way to Orbit of Eye 31
Detour #1: Supraorbital Margin and Infraorbital Margin 32
Detour #2: Planes of the Orbit of the Eye 33
Skull: Four Quadrants of the Inside Corner of the eye 34
Skull: Defining the Maxilla 38
Skull: Defining the Upper Brow 42
Skull: Frontosphenoidal Process of the Zygomatic 44
Skull: Defining the Back of the Skull 46
Skull: Corrections 50
Skull: Defining the Mandible 52
Sculpting the Teeth Plate, (Alveolar) 55
Refining the Jaw 56
Reference Check 58
Sculpting the Teeth 60
Mapping the Teeth Using PolyPaint 60
Creating Teeth 62
Molar Template 63
Positioning Teeth 63
Refining Individual Teeth 64
Mirroring Teeth 65
Mandible Refinement to Accommodate the Teeth 67
Final Progress Check 68

6
The Beginnings
Overview

Welcome to the Anatomy of the Face Volume 1, The Skull. The goal of this
book is to be a companion to the workshop at ZBrushWorkshops that goes
by the same name. However, it can also be enjoyed separately is contains
almost all of the steps the workshops does.

The layout of the face relies more on the bones of the skull and face than
the muscles. Which is why we start this series with a book on the skull.
Once you master the skull you are better prepared to tackle the face and
handle all of its complexity.

I do my best to guide you each step of the way with schematic drawings and
step by step sculpting instructions in ZBrush. I hope you enjoy!

7
Landmarks

Lets start by looking at some landmarks. These will be the guide posts we
see as we race around doing our best sculpting the face.

- Overhang at corner of eye (supraorbital margin)

- Glabella, located below the superciliary arch
- Nasal ridge
- Zygomatic on cheek
- Chin
- Angle of jaw
- Frontal eminence
- Temporal Line
- Step down between the frontal Eminence and the temporal line and the
side of the face.
- Frontal Process of the Maxilla
- Lacrimal Bone
- Palpebral Ligament (Eyelid)

8
Skull: Proportions
Lets analyze some reference and see if we can find
common units of measurements. In this case we are
going to look for halfs, thirds and eigths.

Mapping the Proportions of the Skull

1. Enable Spotlight using Hotkey SHIFT+Z. Select

Texture\Import and load reference images into
the texture palette. Select the reference image in
the palette and click the Add to Spotlight icon.
Spotlight will open and the controller ring along
with the image will be visible in the viewport.
Hotkey Z toggles the Spotlight Controller ON/OFF.
Use Hotkey SHIFT+Z to toggle Spotlight ON/OFF.

2. Establish the halfway point of the face lengthwise

and widthwise. The widthwise marker will be the
Eye Line.

3. Encapsulate head in a box. Use the high point of the

skull to establish the left & right sides.

4. The Eye Line is positioned at the head marker.

Divide the Eye Line into 8 equal sections.

Note: In the front view, proper perspective on

the depth of the top of the head in relation to
the chin is lost. This may make the Eye Line
appear out of place. Often, the side view will
give a better indication of the actual Eye Line.
Use a reference image taken with a long focal
length lens to minimize perspective distortion.

9
5. Extend the first 1/8th marker in from the side of
the head up along the outer margin of the orbital
cavity on the zygomatic bone, up to the sphenoidal
process. This marks the start of the supraorbital
margin which is characterized by a distinct overhang
of the orbital cavity.

6. Divide both middle 1/8th markers and establish a

center space between the orbits of the eyes 1/8th
wide.

Note: The red line indicates the actual inner

border of the orbit and the 1/8th measurement
is not entirely accurate. However, it is a sufficient
starting point and an easy adjustment to make
later.

7. The top of the orbit is located 1/8th above the Eye

Line, while the bottom of the orbit is located 1/8th
below. The 1/8th used to establish the top & bottom
is the same measurement as the 1/8th created when
dividing the Eye Line in Step 3.

8. The resulting rectangle shape is refined when taking

into account the surrounding bones.

10
9. The top of the nasal opening is located at the way
point of the head along the Eye Line. The bottom of
the nasal opening is located 1/8th of a head below
bottom of orbit of the eye and falls in line with the
cheek bone (not perfect alignment, but close). The
nasal opening width total is (1/8 on each side of
the center line).

10. The teeth meet at the distance between the

bottom of the nostril opening and the chin. This is
not to be confused with the level where lips part,
which is higher.

11. The width of the mouth is variable depending on the

individual. Typical measure places the side of the
mouth in line with the center of the eye.

12. The width of the mouth can be determined by

examining the plane break that occurs where the
teeth go back in space.

11
13. The canine teeth are a good indicator of where the
plane break occurs. They mark the turning point
of the mouth where it heads off to the side. This is
variable from person to person.

14. Using the canine teeth as reference, the position of

the lips can be extrapolated. The side of the lips are
just beyond these teeth at the way level of the
teeth, the top/bottom of the lower lip curves equally
above/below the side (1/2 marker for the teeth). The
upper lip is established after the lower lip.

15. Using 1/8

increments
derived from
dividing the Eye
Line we have
established the
proportions of
the skull that will
assist in base
mesh creation.

12
Skull: Basic Shape

Follow the steps below to begin.

1. Create a PolySphere on the canvas and enter Edit

Mode Hotkey T. Snap the viewport to a side view by
SHIFT+Click-Drag on the canvas. Toggle Perspective
OFF Hotkey P and enable Floor Hotkey SHIFT+P
visibility in the X-dimension.
2. CTRL+Click-Drag a rectangle mask over of lower
back quadrant of the polysphere and CTRL+Click the
canvas to invert the mask.

3. Use the Move Brush to push in the unmasked

section of the sphere and lightly apply the Smooth
Brush to refine edges.

4. CTRL+Click-Drag a rectangle mask over the lower

front quadrant leaving a small, unmasked space in
front of the rear lower quadrant.

5. CTRL+Click the canvas to invert the mask and

enter Rotate Mode Hotkey R. SHIFT+ Click-Drag a
transpose line horizontally from the front middle
back, extending well past the sphere.

13
6. Pull the handle that extends past the model by its
center ring and rotate to establish the front plane of
the face.

7. Consider the type of head being created and rotate

the jaw accordingly.

Ex. Jaw that pulls back from brow.

Ex. Jaw that pulls forward from brow.

8. Once the jaw line has been established, the excess

will need to be clipped. You can do this with the
Trim Dynamic brush, Trim Front or the Clip Brushes.

9. A topology refinement is needed due to stretching

the geometry while rotating.

14
10. Press SHIFT+F to enable PolyFrame visibility.
Press SHIFT+D until the geometry is at its lowest
subdivision level and use the Smooth Brush to even
out the topology.

11. Select Tool\Subtool\Reproject Higher Subdiv to

regain the detail lost when smoothing and retain the
even topology.

To the left is our improved topology. This is a

great way to quickly even out topology. and can
be used at any stage of your sculpting.

12. Snap the viewport to a front view by SHIFT+Click-

Drag on the canvas. Use the TrimFront Brush to
remove the front excess. Start the stroke above the
bulge and gesture downward.

13. Snap the viewport to a side view by SHIFT+Click-

Drag on the canvas. The jaw line needs revision.

15
Current jaw line:

Current plane break:

14. Revise the jaw line using the Move Brush.

Note: Males and Females have distinctly different

jaw lines.

Females have a softer jaw line transition, especially at

the angle of the mandible:

Males have a more pronounced jawline with a bulkier

angle:

16
15. Snap the viewport to a front view by SHIFT+Click-
Drag on the canvas. The width of the head needs to
be adjusted from 1 to .75 units.

16. Enter Move Mode Hotkey W and SHIFT+Click-Drag

a transpose line from top middle of the head down,
extending off the model.

17. Pull the handle that extends past the model by its
outer ring back up to the bottom edge of the head.

18. The measure of the transpose line is recorded in

units based on an internal scale. The head is 2.32
units which is a difficult number to use when laying
out proportions.

19. To achieve a round number, which will be easier

to work with, set Preferences\Transpose Units\
Calibration Distance to 2.

17
By doubling values and using 2 vs. 1 it becomes easier
to measure proportions. SHIFT+Click-Drag a transpose
line from the center middle of the face out .75 units to
establish the width of the head.

20. Holding SHIFT, pull the handle at the .75 marker by

its outer ring horizontally toward the center until
the width of the head is set. The action line stays in
place acting as a measuring stick, keeping the .75.

21. With the high point of the head established, visualize

what needs to be trimmed to create the wedge of
the face.

22. SHIFT+D to lower the subdivision level one level.

Hotkey Q to enter Draw Mode and CTRL+Click-Drag
the canvas with a rectangular mask covering slightly
more than the top half of the head.

23. Blur the mask by holding CTRL and clicking directly

on the model. Return to Move Mode Hotkey W and
pull the handle at the side of the head by its outer
ring horizontally toward the center until the width of
the chin is set.

18
24. Now its time to Relax the mesh and remove any
stretched polygons.Set the model to its highest
subdivision level and then set Tool\Deformation\
Relax with a moderate value of 20 to make the
topology easier to work with.

25. Apply Trim Dynamic and Smooth Brush to create

clean transitions between the basic forms.

26. Snap into side view and evaluate the chin for
repositioning.

27. My goal at this point is a simple form that I can build

on. I am not trying to do too much but I also dont
want to do too little. Its important that all of the
foundation of present and that the form, simple as it
may be, also lends itself well to its future complexity.

19
Skull: Facial Grid
Using Transpose as a Measuring Tool

A transpose line can be used as a calibration tool when

setting up the facial grid to ensure proper proportion.

1. Select Tool\Deformation\Unify to modify the world

scale for the model and make it easier to work with.
This conforms its height to the ZBrush grid.

2. Transpose needs to be calibrated to use in horizontal

measurement. Also, it must be setup to show ticks
1/8th apart to construct the facial grid properly. This
will be done under Preferences\Transpose Units.

3. SHIFT+Click-Drag a transpose line horizontally

from the center out past the side of the model and
release the click.

4. Drag the outer ring of the handle back in so it lines

up with the outside edge of the face.

20
5. Set Preferences\Transpose Units\Calibration
Distance to 1. Set Preferences\Transpose Units\
Minor Ticks to 4.

Mapping the Facial Grid Using PolyPaint

1. Press CTRL+D to subdivide the model until the

polygon count is around 400k.

2. Prepare to PolyPaint using the Standard Brush. Turn

RGB ON and Zadd OFF. Enable the Brush Icon next
to the thumbnail of the head subtool in the Tool\
SubTool list.

3. Select a color to use for the guidelines (Black) and

hold SHIFT while stroking to sketch a straight line
across model that will be the Eye Line.

4. Toggle between Move Mode Hotkey W and Draw

Mode Hotkey Q to use the ticks on the Transpose
Line as a guide to layout the 1/8th markers across the
Eye Line.

21
5. Mark the inner boundaries for the orbit of the eyes
by dividing the inner 1/8th on both sides in half.

6. Continue to use Transpose as a guide to establish the

top and bottom of the orbit.

7. Mark the bottom of the nose.

8. Divide the space between the bottom of the nose

and the chin in half to get the line of the teeth.
Indicate the part of the lips slightly higher.

9. Mark the top ridge of the nasal opening.

22
10. Refine the orbital box by indicating how the corners
are lopped off by the surrounding bony structures
and sketch in the shape of the nasal cavity.

11. Expand the mark indicating the bottom of the nasal

cavity out horizontally to indicate the level of the
cheek bone.

12. Indicate the form outside the orbital cavity.

13. Sketch in the temporal line, frontal process, glabella

and superciliary arch on the upper part of the head.
Sketch in the maxilla, teeth and jaw on the lower
part of the head. When the PolyPaint guides are
complete turn RGB OFF.

23
Skull: Sculpting the Facial Grid

Overview

My goal here is to establish the orbit of the eye, the

muzzle of the mouth and the general shape of the
maxilla bone. Follow the steps below.

1. Hold CTRL and carefully mask out the orbit of the

eye using Mask Pen. CTRL+Click the canvas to invert
the mask.

2. SHIFT+Click-Drag on the canvas to snap into Side

View. Evaluate the depth of the orbit of the eye
(use a Transpose Line if needed). It should be
approximately 1/8 units deep.

3. Enter Move Mode Hotkey W and pull a horizontal

Transpose Line while holding SHIFT from the outer
edge of the orbit of the eye past the edge of the
model.

4. Pull the inner circle on the outer handle of the

Transpose Line back toward the head to create the
orbital cavity.

24
5. Enable Perspective Hotkey P and disable the Floor
SHIFT+P. Evaluate the depth of the orbital cavity.

6. Use Move Brush to refine the shape of the orbit of

the eye and begin to establish the profile of the nose
and mouth.

Sculpt the inward curve of the bridge of the nose.

Rough in the muzzle of the maxilla, which is shaped
similarly to a cylinder.

Note: Not everyone has an indented bridge to

their nose.

7. Use the Trim Dynamic Brush with RGB OFF to further

define the profile planes of the skull.

Progress Check

25
Skull: Cranial Block-in
Think about the skull as two separate
parts:

1. Cranial (white)

2. Mandible (red)

Specific bones of the cranial section:

Frontal bone
Parietal bone
Parietal eminence
Occipital bone
Temporal bone
Sphenoidal bone
Zygomatic bone
Maxilla and teeth
Nasal bone

The brow consists of the following

shapes that we want to be aware of:

Glabella
Supercillary Arch
Overhand
Supraorbital Margin

26
First we will define the cheekbone by separating it from
the mandible. Follow the steps below to continue.

1. Lets begin by establishing a plane change at the

nasal bone using the Trim Dynamic Brush. The
image at the left illustrates the plane youll want to
make sure exists.

Note: The area where the cheek connects with

the nose is one of the least understood parts of
the face and will be covered in-depth in a future
chapter.

2. Turn Perspective OFF Hotkey P and CTRL+Click-Drag

a Mask Rectangle across the entire skull roughly
where the cheekbone is located.

3. The curve of the cheekbone will be created in

simplified form (white) first. It will then be sculpted
to a more complex form (red) later.

4. Hold CTRL+ALT and erase using Mask Pen along the

contour of the simplified cheekbone.

27
5. The jaw will sit inside the cheekbone. Pull the jaw in
using the Move Brush. Catch some of the area above
the mask to define the temporal bone.

6. In its simplest form the jaw will resemble a wedge.

Ultimately it will be more of a horseshoe shape.

7. The wedge is defined at its narrowest end by the

canines, which are the point of the muzzle of the
jaw where the teeth turn and go back. The wedge
is defined at its widest end by the angle of the jaw,
also known as the ramus. The bottom edges of the
mandible define the overall shape of the wedge.

8. CTRL+Click-Drag on the canvas to clear the mask and

toggle Perspective ON Hotkey P. Evaluate the cheek
separation using the PolyPaint guidelines.

28
9. The frontal sphenoidal process of the zygomatic
is the little column of bone coming up from the
t-form of the cheekbone that connects to the brow.
It meets the brow near the overhang on the top
outside corner of the orbital cavity.

10. Toggle Perspective OFF Hotkey P. CTRL+Click-Drag a

mask rectangle along the side of the head above the
cheekbone, and up to the frontal sphenoidal process
of the zygomatic.

11. CTRL+Click the canvas to invert the mask. Use the

Move Brush and push the temporal area toward the
front of the head inward.

12. Clean up the form along the jawline using Trim

Dynamic and Smooth Brush. Refine the plane that
runs from the ramus, along Jawline, to the canine.
Use Trim Dynamic Brush & ALT to build up form, and
without ALT to refine plane.

13. Evaluate progress so far.

29
14. Using the Trim Dynamic Brush, cut a notch to
establish a better transition of the temporal line into
the overhang along the brow

15. Do not alter the brow and maintain a consistent

slope all the way across the front of the face.

16. The glabella may be altered depending on the

gender/character of the model at a later stage.
However its backward slope should be maintained.

17. Continue to refine the temporal line using the Trim

Dynamic Brush to shape the upper portion of the
side of the head.

18. There is a visible brow to cheek step pattern which

is common among most people. Some have a brow
to cheek transition that is either a straight line or a
more rounded form.

Use the Move Brush to slightly tilt in the top outside

corner of the orbital border.

30
Skull: Detours on Way to Orbit of Eye

The Inner Corner of the Eye is the key to creating realistic eyes.
However, its not easy to understand. There are a lot of complex curves and
the form can be misleading.

To help understand it we will look at the four different quadrants of the

inner corner and look at each in-depth. This makes it easier to understand
and break down the form into simple and easy to reproduce structures.

Before we do that, though, I want to take two detours to make sure we are
familiar with the supraorbital margin, the infraorbital margin and the planes
of the face.

31
Detour #1: Supraorbital Margin and Infraorbital Margin

While our goal here is to define the four quadrants of the orbit of the eye,
I want to start that process by examining the supraorbital margin and the
infraorbital margin. These are the lines that run above the eye and below
the eye.
Use the illustration below to locate each margin. Remember, these terms
are just guides. Use the guide below to learn what each part of the word
means.
I often use these lines as part of my mental checklist when sculpting the
eyes. I will look at the model from below and from above and make sure
these lines are clean and consistent. No bumps or wavering form.

Supraorbital Margin Infraorbital Margin

- Supra Above, higher level - Infra Below, lower level
- Orbital Orbit of the eye - Orbital Orbit of the eye
- Margin Rim - Margin Rim

32
Detour #2: Planes of the Orbit of the Eye
Just one more detour before we get to the four quadrants of the eye. Below
is an illustration of the essential structure of the orbit of the eye as well as a
list of the significant plane changes.
Its a great idea to keep these in mind and try to memorize them.

List of Planes to Consider

- Plane break at cheek where the

zygomatic goes back in space.
- Inferior orbital margin forms a
triangular plane as it goes toward the
nose.
- Front and side planes of the nose.
- Front facing and side planes of the
glabella.
- Plane of the brow.
- Inside of the eye plane.

33
Skull: Four Quadrants of the Inside Corner of the eye
These quadrants are essential to understanding the inside corner of the
infraorbital margin.
1) Side of the nose.
2) The triangle of the inferior orbital margin that sits above the frontal
process of the maxilla.
3) The lacrimal bone and how it relates to the corner of the eye and the
caruncula. It is not always visible on females and is most visible in
people with sunken eyes.
4) The inside portion of the glabella.

Notice how the inferior orbital margin flows right up to the glabella. It fans
out to form the two triangular sections, then the rectangular sections.

34
Follow the steps below to begin sculpting the orbit of
the eye

1. Visualize the inferior orbital margin and its path to

all the way up to the glabella.

Side View:

2. Toggle Perspective OFF Hotkey P and Shift+Click-

Drag to a side view. Mask out the front of the nasal
cavity to prevent it from shifting while altering the
inferior orbital margin using the Move Brush.

There should be a clear separation between the

zygomatic and the maxilla, and space to account
for the nasal bone and its side plane.

3. Using the Trim Dynamic Brush, establish the side and

front planes of nasal bone. Round off the transition
between the two planes.

Result:

4. Use Clay Brush to build up a triangular form to

account for the frontal process of the maxilla.

35
5. Leave a tiny lip on the inside of the triangle.

6. Refine frontal process of the maxilla using the Trim

Dynamic Brush, adding a slight curve to top of
triangle.

7. Clean up stretched topology using Tools\

Deformation\Relax with values in the 30-35 range.
Fix any artifacts that appear using the Clay, Smooth,
and Trim Dynamic Brushes.

After:

36
8. Subdivide Hotkey CTRL+D the mesh once to increase
sculpting resolution. The lacrimal groove is located
beside the inferior orbital margin and contains the
tear duct. The depth of the groove will also serve to
further define the inferior orbital margin. Carve the
neighboring groove and duct using Clay Brush with
ALT.

9. Refine the lacrimal groove as it transitions into the

bone using Trim Dynamic and Clay Brush.

Contour:

Planar transitions:

10. Reduce the inside corner of the glabella to a

downward facing plane using the Trim Dynamic
Brush.

37
11. The downward facing plane of the inside corner of
the glabella becomes the inside of the eye as it lines
up slightly inward of the lacrimal bone.

12. Refine the area using the Clay and Trim Dynamic
Brushes to adjust the glabella so it lines up slightly
inward of the lacrimal bone.

38
Skull: Defining the Maxilla
The maxilla is probably one of the most important
elements of the face when it comes to determining
ethnicity and character yet you dont find a lot of
information about it in anatomy books.

We start our look at the maxilla with the frontal process

of the maxilla. That was my first major brush with the
maxilla and it was the key to improving my sculpting of
the eyes.

The zygomatic process of the maxilla connects to the

barrel of the teeth pulling straight down and becoming
an arch. This is a similar fashion to the glabella and its
capital arch form.

The arch (white) tilts backwards in space. Safe zones

(red) that arent influenced immediately by this form are
the frontal process of the maxilla, infra orbital margin,
the zygomatic bone itself, the barrel of the mouth and
the ramus.

39
Follow the steps below to begin.

1. Use the Trim Dynamic Brush to shape the curve of

the arch.

Front View:

2. The Canine Teeth mark the plane change from the

front to the side of the mouth. The arch form of
the frontal process of the maxilla flows downward
toward this plane change.

3. Refine the column, or barrel of the mouth using

the Trim Dynamic Brush. Maintain the specificity of
form and plane change.

4. There is a triangular divot beside the lower corner

of the nasal cavity, below the nasal labial fold and
above the mouth/lips. The triangle is actually a
recessed form in the skull itself. Ultimately this small
depression results in a visible change in form on the
surface.

View:

40
5. Dig in with the Clay Brush holding ALT to create the
triangular depression.

6. Use the Trim Dynamic Brush to establish clean

upward and downward facing planes. Smooth the
transition between the two.

7. In a side view, pull the bottom corner of the nasal

cavity down and back using the Move Brush.

After:

8. In a front view, pull the bottom corners of the nasal

cavity out using the Move Brush.

41
Skull: Defining the Upper Brow
Separate elements along the supraorbital margin by
isolating the glabella and the superciliary arch from the
brow itself (overhang).
Scientifically speaking, the skull alone cant always be
used to tell the difference between male and female.
Typically, the skull and pelvis are required for gender
verification. Both males and females have the same
features frontal eminence, temporal line, superciliary
arch. The difference is usually apparent by how soft
these features are. For example, the glabella can be
larger, more cro-magnon in males or smaller, more
rounded in females.

Follow the steps below to begin.

1. Use the Trim Dynamic Brush, stroking in a diagonally
downward fashion to separate the glabella.

2. Apply the Clay Brush holding ALT to create a defined

step.

3. Separate the superciliary arch from the frontal

eminence by carving out a box using the Clay Brush
holding ALT.

42
4. Bevel the edges of the box using the Trim Dynamic
Brush.

5. The temporal line is variable and can have different

descending slopes depending on gender and the
individual. The slope in males tends to travel more
inward while females have a straighter slope.

6. Adjust the slope of the forehead using the Move

Brush.

43
Skull: Frontosphenoidal Process of the Zygomatic

The connection between the zygomatic to the frontal

bone above, and the sphenoidal bone to the side, is
made by the frontosphenoidal process of the zygomatic.

This form is very important to the eye and is often

missed or incorrect.

Simplified side view:

44
Follow the steps below to begin sculpting the
frontosphenodial process.

1. The fronto sphenoidal process of the zygomatic is

pulled backward and has an angle in the side view.
Use Move Brush to adjust its position.

2. It is important to remember that the frontal bone

at the supraorbital margin is called the overhang
because it hangs over the fronto sphenoidal process
of the zygomatic. Adjust the fronto sphenoidal
process of the zygomatic using the Move Brush to
make sure there is a clear step up to the overhang
and a step down to the cheek.

3. Add volume to the overhang, the fronto sphenoidal

process of the zygomatic and the cheekbone using
the Clay Buildup Brush.

4. Sculpt the added volume into planes using the Trim

Dynamic Brush.

45
Skull: Defining the Back of the Skull
Overview
The back of the skull has a few surprises for us such
as the nucal line. We often skip this part of the skull
because we are so enamored with the face but if we
do our sculpt will suffer and could even look like it is
suffering! Best to get it right. :)

Elements of the back of the skull to remember

- Mastoid Process
- Occipital Bone
- Occipital Protuberance
- Parietal Bone
- Superior Nucle
- Inferior Nucle
- Halfway point ( Side View) is the hold for the ear and
jaw.

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Follow the steps below to continue sculpting.

1. Create the mastoid process below the tail of the

zygomatic bone on the base of the skull using the
Clay Brush.

Side View:

2. A diagonal line coming straight out and back from

the mastoid process roughly indicates the border of
the occipital bone and the parietal bone.

The superior nucle line comes around the back of

the head from the mastoid process and is where the
trapezius inserts into the skull.

The inferior nucle line is located just below the

superior nucle. Both lines denote a plane change
(red).

Use the Trim Dynamic Brush to define the superior

nucle line, then the inferior nucle line.

Result of sulpt:

3. Fill in the excess space on the bottom of skull using

the Clay Brush.

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4. Apply the Trim Front Brush to create a smooth plane
for the base of the skull.

5. Sculpt a plane from the bottom of the mastoid

process that flows into the base of the skull using the
Trim Dynamic Brush.

6. Continue to refine the mastoid process using the

Trim Dynamic Brush so its side plane progresses
seamlessly into the back planes of the skull.

7. Refine its shape using the Move Brush.

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8. Check the angles of the back of the skull.

In the illustration to the left we follow the inferior

and the superior nucal line and make note of their
possible angle. There is, of course, lots of variation
but its always good to have a guideline.

9. Buildup a stalk where spine will attach to skull using

the Clay Brush.

10. Use the Trim Front Brush to flatten the base of the
stalk.

11. The major planes of the back of the skull are

established by the superior and inferior nucle line
(white) and the circular plane of the stalk (red),
where the spine meets the skull.

12. Visualize the neck and spine attaching to the base of

the skull.

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13. Now lets get the occipital protuberance. The
occipital protuberance is a notch on the back of
the head. It is more visible in males than females.
Separate out the occipital protuberance by building
up a notch using the Clay Brush and refining it using
the Trim Dynamic Brush.

14. Create a minor plane change at the back of the skull

using the Trim Dynamic Brush to separate the area
of the occipital protuberance from the area of the
mastoid process.

Skull: Corrections
Its time to do some corrections. I always take a moment
to correct my work and build that into my workflow.

1. With Perspective on evaluate the position of

the cheek bone relative to the brow. Use the
Move Brush to properly position the cheekbone
(European) in a side view.

Cheekbone more in-line with the brow is typical of a

person of Asian descent:

Cheekbone further back from the brow is typical of a

person of European descent:

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2. Check the position of the brow in a view. Use
the Move Brush to bring it back if it became too
exaggerated while establishing the overhang of the
brow.

3. Viewed from a low angle, the consistent curved-

plane of the brow may have become distorted
when making adjustments. Use the Move Brush to
bring the overhang back in place and re-establish a
consistent brow plane.

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Skull: Defining the Mandible
Overview

Let define the terms that we will use for the mandible.
Once youve defined these terms it becomes easier for
you and I to converse about them and it also becomes
easier for you to remember them.

- Ramus (Red) is the area that ascends into the cheek.

- Angle (Blue) is the transition between the body of
the mandible and the ramus. A rounder angle is
typical of a female, while a sharper angle is typical of
a male.
- Body of mandible (White) is the part of the jaw that
goes forward from the angle toward the mental
protuberance (chin).
- Mental Protuberance is also known as the chin.
- Mandible is the term used to describe the entire jaw.
- Head of the mandible is the area where the jaw
connects to the cranial portion of the skull.
- Coronoid process of the mandible is a thin triangular
eminence projecting from the anterior portion of the
upper border of the ramus.

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Follow the steps below to get started sculpting the jaw.

1. Visualize the shape of the jaw before extraction.

2. Using the Move Brush, refine the overall form of the

jaw to prepare for extraction.

view:

3. Holding CTRL, mask out the shape of the jaw in a

side view using the Mask Pen Brush. Indicate the
bottom teeth and align where they end with the
cheekbone.

To aid in drawing the mask you may want to

disable Render\Shadows and/or enable Render/
Flat.

4. Ensure that there is no masking on the turnaround

or the bottom of the mesh as the ZBrush Extract
functionality will not operate as expected.

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5. Set Tool\SubTool\Thick value to -.3 and then select
Tool\SubTool\Extract.

Note: Extraction using a positive value for

Thick results in the mesh extruding outward
while using a negative value results in an inward
extrusion.

Note: By default ZBrush creates a mask upon

extraction. Clear the mask on new extractions to
resume sculpting.

6. Duplicate the skull by pressing Tool\SubTool\

Duplicate or using Hotkey CTRL+SHIFT+D. Rename
the original subtool Skull_Orig to preserve it for
use later in the process. Rename the copied subtool
Cranium and the extracted subtool Mandible.
Save progress.

7. Select Cranium as the active subtool and hide

Mandible and Skull_Orig. Hold CTRL and mask out
the entire jaw using the Mask Pen Brush. Be sure to
include the bottom of the skull.

8. CTRL+Click in viewport to invert the mask and press

SHIFT+D to lower the subdivision level one time.

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9. Reduce the jaw (unmasked section) completely
using either the Trim Dynamic Brush or Clip Brushes.

10. Set the Mandible visible and evaluate the result.

Sculpting the Teeth Plate, (Alveolar)

Lets get in and really sculpt the part of the maxilla that
connects with the teeth, the alveolar.

1. Set the Cranium as the active subtool and hide the

Mandible. Apply the Clay Brush to build up the
form for the plate that houses the upper teeth.

2. Refine the teeth plate using the Trim Dynamic Brush.

55
The forms of the temporalis and zygomatic overlap and
connect with the barrel shape of the teeth:

Refining the Jaw

Lets refine the mandible now and get all its essential
form intact.

1. Select the Mandible and enter Solo Mode Hotkey

-. With Symmetry Enabled Hotkey X, smooth the
edges of the extracted mesh. Use the Move Elastic
Brush to bring the Coronoid Process inward.

2. Enable Brush\Auto Masking\BackfaceMasking and

sculpt the head of the mandible using the Clay
Brush.

3. The head of the mandible is shaped like a cylinder.

It connects to the neck of the mandible and then
flows down to the angle of the jaw.

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4. The bottom teeth reside on a plate in a similar
fashion to the upper teeth. The plane of this plate
travels backward to the inside of the ramus.

5. Use the Clay Buildup Brush to add form to the inside

of the coronoid process. Also, add form around the
jaw by the teeth, thickening the area.

6. Smooth the form and add refine the planes of the

jaw using the Trim Dynamic Brush in a top view.

Define the alveolar section (bottom teeth plate)

which has a horseshoe shape that transitions inside
the coronoid process as it travel back.

Define the oblique line which indicates the plane

change where the transition to the alveolar section
takes place.

7. Continue to define the oblique line as it flows

toward the front of the jaw and the mental
protuberance. Build up the mental protuberance
using the Clay Brush and shape it with the Trim
Dynamic Brush (make sure to enable Brush\Auto
Masking\BackFaceMasking for these brushes when
working with them on this area).

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8. Adjust the alveolar section so it clearly travels
behind the coronoid process.

9. Add more form inside the alveolar section of the jaw

to accommodate the teeth.

Reference Check
Time to check the sculpt against the reference. to do
this I use Spotlight.

1. Enable Spotlight using Hotkey SHIFT+Z. Select the

side view of the skull as a reference image and
position it in the viewport at roughly the same scale
and position as the model.

Use the Spotlight Controller to lower the reference

image opacity by clicking the Opacity Icon and
dragging it counter clockwise around the ring.

2. Use the reference image to make adjustments to

the model. Be as faithful to reference as necessary,
taking into account potential unknowns like gender
and ethnicity.

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3. Make sure there is enough space for the teeth. Rely
on the initial 1/8 measurement scale established
when mapping out the facial grid.

At this stage we are setting up to add the teeth as

separate SubTools. It might look weird now butjust
keep going or read ahead if you want to see where
we end up

One note, in these images perspective is turned off

so it looks a bit different.

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Sculpting the Teeth

Overview
Humans have the same number of teeth on the top and
bottom of their mouths. Each row consists of:
- 4 Incisors (front teeth)
- 2 Canines (located next to the incisors, the
transition point where the plane of the mouth goes
back in space)
- 4 Premolars (located in between the canines and
molars)
- 6 Molars (located next to the premolars at the back
of the mouth)
For sculpting purposes it is only necessary to create
half of the top row of teeth and then mirror them to
the opposite side. This complete top row can then be
mirrored again to form a complete set of bottom teeth.
Once all of the teeth are in place, top and bottom, they
can be refined individually.

Mapping the Teeth Using PolyPaint

1. Select Skull_Orig as the active subtool and hide all

other parts of the model.

The original jaw shape will be used to extract a

rectangular ringed guide piece that will be helpful in
creating the teeth.

Set Tool\SubTool\Thick value to -.3 and then select

Tool\SubTool\Extract.

Name the new subtool teethGuide.

Results:

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2. With the teethGuide as the active subtool, select
white as the foreground color in the Color menu.

Select Color\Fill Object to fill teethGuide with

white, removing the original PolyPaint guidelines.

Enable PolyPaint visibility on the Mandible and

Cranium subtools and start painting straight lines
to separate teeth as shown in the illustration to the
left. Note, the lower teeth are slightly smaller.

3. Map out the canines using the edge of the nasal

cavity as a reference point. The edge of the nasal
cavity falls in line with the center of the canines.
Allocate tooth width appropriately, taking into
account the 2 incisors that will be created next.

4. Divide the front space in half for the incisors.

5. 5 teeth will fit into the remaining space. Take into

account that the premolars are smaller than the
molars. Map the two premolars first, next to the
canines.

6. Divide the remaining space into thirds for the 3

molars.

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7. The layout for the bottom row of teeth is similar to
the top except that the teeth vary in size a bit from
their upper counterparts. Indicate the bottom teeth
by staggering the distribution a bit to differentiate it
from the top.

Creating Teeth
ShadowBox will be used to create an incisor-like and a
molar-like template from which to sculpt all of the teeth.
Open Lightbox Hotkey , and load the Tool \Shadowbox
28.ZTL file. Draw the shadowbox in the viewport and
enter Edit Mode Hotkey T. Disable Perspective Hotkey
P and snap the viewport to the Back view of the
shadowbox template.

Incisor Template
1. Create the incisor template first. Set the Mask
Stroke to Rectangle and CTRL+Drag a basic rectangle
mask.

2. Snap the viewport to the Right view of the

shadowbox template and mask another rectangle.
Toggle Tools\SubTool\ShadowBox to see the
resulting geometry.

3. The incisor is more knife-like at its front. Use the

Trim Dynamic Brush to carve the blade in on the
back side of the template.

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4. Create a slight curve to the front of the template
using the Trim Dynamic Brush.

5. Teeth pull in slightly in their middle as they connect

with their roots. Use the Move Brush in a front view
to bring the tooth in slightly.

Side view:

Molar Template

1. Create the molar template second using the same

techniques used to make the incisor version. Sculpt
the molar to resemble the image to the left.

Positioning Teeth

1. Return to the working file containing the skull

and jaw and enable Transparency. Tools\SubTool\
Append both templates to the working file. Resize
them one at a time using Deformation\Size with a
value of -100 (twice) to bring them to approximately
the correct size in relation to the skull.

2. With the tooth guide visible, Enter Move Mode

Hotkey W and use a transpose line to position the
molar template. Select the middle handle, inner
circle, of the transpose line to drag the template into
place.

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3. Enter Rotate Mode Hotkey R and rotate the molar to
match the gum line.

4. Position the incisor template in a similar fashion to

the method used for positioning the molar.

5. Using Subtool\Duplicate, make enough copies to fill

in one side of the upper row of teeth.

Move and rotate each tooth into position. Make

sure to duplicate and position the appropriate
template.

Teeth with guide

hidden:

Refining Individual Teeth

1. In the Tools\Subtool list, select the top tooth in

the list and make sure the rest of the teeth (and
only teeth) are below it. Reorder, if necessary, so a
consecutive list of teeth is at the bottom of the list.

Select Tools\SubTool\Merge Down to consolidate all

of the teeth into one subtool.

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2. Select Tools\Polygroups\Auto Groups.

3. Set Brush\Auto Masking\Mask By Polygroups to

100 to allow transposing individual teeth without
affecting any others.

Individually adjust teeth, refining spacing, etc. using

Move mode.

4. Conitnue, making any necessary adjustments and

complete one half-set.

Mirroring Teeth

1. Mirror this half-set over to the other side using

ZPlugin\SubTool Master.

2. Select Mirror in the SubTool Master operation list.

3. Set the Mirror options to Merge into one SubTool

and X Axis (left to right) and select OK.

Result:

4. Using SubTool Master, mirror the teeth again. This

time set the Mirror options to Append as new
SubTool and Y axis (top to bottom) and select OK.

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5. The bottom teeth need to be positioned properly.
Reset Brush\Auto Masking\Mask By Polygroups
to 0 so the entire bottom row of teeth can be
moved together. Enter Move Mode Hotkey W and
transpose the back molar so it aligns with the back
bottom gum line.

6. Enter Rotate Mode Hotkey R and use the back molar

as a pivot for the transpose line. Rotate the bottom
row of teeth until the front incisors are aligned with
the front of the bottom gum line.

7. Make sure that Symmetry Hotkey X is enabled and

enter Scale Mode Hotkey E. Slightly reduce the set
proportionally. Now enter Move Mode Hotkey W
and slightly non-proportionately scale and refine the
final position.

8. Use the Inflate Brush to bring the teeth closer

together and add a more natural appearance.

9. With Symmetry OFF Hotkey X, selectively use the

H-Polish Brush in spots to add more naturalism.

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Mandible Refinement to Accommodate
the Teeth
1. The alveolar section of the mandible may need more
bulk in the rear to cover the roots of the teeth.

2. Enable Brush\Auto Masking\BackfaceMasking and

add form using the Clay Brush.

3. Adjust the gums to give the impression that they

are conforming to the teeth as they are inserting
into the bone. Buildup small channels using the
Clay Brush. The gum-line by the molars form a small
ledge.

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Final Progress Check
Cleanup the skull using Trim Dynamic, Clay, Smooth and
hPolish Brushes. Apply them in a fluid manner without
perfecting form and use reference to make sure the
basic elements are solid.

Since we are dealing with bone remember to keep your

strokes on the hard side of things. Emphasis edges
when you can and accentuate corners.

Try overdoing it a few times just to see how far you can
take it.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this companion to our

Anatomy of the Face workshop at ZBrushWorkshops. I
hope you learned something and you feel ready to get in
and tackle the face with a whole new set of tools.

Thank you so much for reading this and good luck with
all your sculpting endeavours.

Ryan Kingslien

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