Introduction to Digital Sculpting using ZBrush

This introductory course will introduce you to the fundamentals of the software and allow you to create a finished sculpt of a multi-part organic creature with hard surface, painted and textured elements. By the end of the course, you'll have gained insight and practical skills in the basic use of ZBrush, to create a simple creature using the major elements and features of the software.

In this first section of the course, you'll explore the ZBrush interface, tools, workspace layout, how the program works, its uses and applications. Through demonstrations of the program in action, you'll model a base sculpting mesh in which to lay the foundation of your learning and use as a sculpting model throughout your course. You'll become familiar with the tools interface and understand the design choices available to you, your tutor will explain and discuss the various types of modelling possible and demonstrate the software usage and its applications.

Your tutor will assist you in creating the base meshes that is used to create your sculpture, as well as utilising sub tools and subdivision levels to add progressive detail to your sculpts. You'll learn numerous ways to create geometry to begin and refine models.

You'll be introduced to DynaMesh and ZSpheres that will form the understructure of your final sculpture. Here you'll explore both digital sculpting, and traditional sculpting techniques, and how they apply to using ZBrush, whilst introducing texturing elements, and refining our organic forms.

Upon completion of your form (i.e. human head, bust) you'll add hard surface elements (armor, helmet etc.) and explore several ways of achieving hard surface elements, which will be demoed and then applied to your sculpt.

You'll understand how to build a rig under our sculpture that can used to pose and manipulate our sculpture into a final position, whilst understanding the simpler methods of masking and manipulating within ZBrush.

Using Polypaint features of ZBrush will enable you to paint texture and details onto your finished sculptures, adding depth and shape. Once completed you'll finalise your piece into a finished, painted, digital sculpture. You'll be introduced to the fundamentals of preparing your sculpt for 3D printing, including cutting and keying parts for later assembly, should you wish to turn your sculpt into a physical product at a later point.

• Tutorials to explore the ZBrush interface, including navigating the workspace, menus and tools
• Creating models, adding SubTools, adjusting geometry and adding details with sculpting brushes and hard surface modelling techniques
• Post-sculpting techniques including poly-painting, posing, simple rendering techniques and preparation for 3D printing

• Cover all main topic areas and theory, including different techniques for approaching modelling tasks and the pros and cons of each, with reference to industry practice
• To provide a set of tasks each session in which to practice and consolidate your understanding. You'll be walked through each process to completion
• Give you the confidence to create independently with little input from your tutor within each taught category

• The goal of this course is to give you an understanding and hands-on experience of the core aspects of ZBrush, providing the fundamentals to continue learning after the course
• All students with 100% course attendance will be issued with an official AUB Short Course certificate of attendance. To request your certificate get in touch with the course team at shortcourses@aub.ac.uk

This course is suitable for beginners and no prior knowledge or experience of ZBrush is required. The course will focus on fundamental aspects of modelling in ZBrush. Suitable for creatives aged 18+.

Please note, access to ZBrush outside the course will allow you to practice between sessions and be more ambitious with your projects, but is not essential to achieve the course aims.

• Notebook
• Pen

All course materials are included in the course fee.