Digital Sculpting Journeys, Views, Discussion

[Rainbow Sculptor 3543]

@GHarris As a point of clarification, I'm not teaching Composition this year (although I did last year). There were only spaces for two classes so I'm teaching Character Design and Painting the Hoard (a speedpainting class for getting tabletop ready figures). I am happy to go over any composition things you wanna discuss while we're there but I wanted to make sure you knew in case you want to alter your class schedule. 

The issue of body strain for traditional sculpting is certainly real and a contributing factor for production timelines. I hadn't mentioned that specifically but you're absolutely right. I have been dealing with similar issues in my temporary dining room studio and needing quite a bit of stretching everyday to compensate for the poor ergonomics of my current setup. The size issue of the Cintiq is something I thought would only be advantageous but your experience has certainly gotten me to reconsider. Thanks for sharing your insights!

[GHarris 612]

Ah, yes you are right. It is Character Design that I signed up for. Basically I want to hear your thoughts about designing characters so Character Design seems like a good place to start!

 

Regarding Cintiqs, I think everyone can agree that they are blatently overpriced. But they may be worth it depending on your work habits, how you prefer to sculpt, possible portability, and so on. The thing you have to ask is how you are going to use it. If you aren't planning on regularly sculpting on the go, or you are worried about ergonomics, and you don't feel artistically boxed in by having to use a small tablet it may be worth it to just buy a new laptop/desktop or upgrade the one you have. You'll save a lot of money!

 

[GreenBeams 206]

Just want to weigh in on the matter of Cintiques. I bought the Mobile Studio Pro so i could comfortably sculpt on my lunchtime at work. I found that my neck started to hurt from looking down but i soon went pro with the mins and started to work from home. I have only had it out of the box once since then because i tend to be glued to my normal PC setup. 

The only reason i haven't sold it is because technology depreciates so significantly and it's a tank that can handle ZBrush, Photoshop and Maya without breaking a sweat. So if my main PC breaks and i'm caught in a deadline, i have a backup.

I haven't tried getting a stand and special lead to connect it to my PC yet as it feels a little like a price gouge but i would advocate anyone considering buying one, whether or not they would use it.

i realise that this is just the mobile version so having a stationary version where you could access your keyboard may be a ton better.

 

[TaleSpinner 42968]

On 8/10/2019 at 2:24 PM, GHarris said:

 

I can appreciate your view on working in the round! That's something that I often mention to people when they hear that I am an artist so they assume I am good at drawing. I'm not. I am taking your class about composition at Reapercon, if drawing is involved you can see my lack of skill first hand! Basically I can fake it and put down a general idea, but I think of things in the round- I am used to turning pieces that I am working on! Basically I don't have to learn how to make faces in 3/4 view or how to do perspectives or foreshortening because I am making things that are viewed from multiple angles. That's not to say that learning to draw better wouldn't help me, it's just a skill that I haven't had to really sharpen.

 

That's me too.  I've been sketching my whole life, but have never gotten better than mediocre.  When I started sculpting it all made sense suddenly.  I think in 3D and really, really struggle to convert it to 2D.

 

 

Quote

Regarding Cintiqs, I am actually in the process of returning a brand new 24 inch Cintiq Pro Studio with the upgraded Pro Engine. I could totally see it being great for drawing on with its large surface area but it is totally not portable, and all the drawing area that I actually need is covered by a small Wacom stylus pad (I think it is an Intuos of some sort?). The bigger screen actually makes me work harder because I have to move my arm around more, and I can use better body ergonomics with a monitor and separate stylus pad. I literally have spent two weeks using a stylus pad with my Cintiq simply because it was more practical! Basically for what I am doing I can get a much more powerful desktop for far less money, and I am planning on using the extra money saved to go to New Orleans after Reapercon.

 

Quick caveat, I use a mouse and a keyboard while sculpting. A mouse is great for scaling as well as using ZModeler. I tried the Wacom remote but promptly ditched it. As you are probably aware you can end up juggling up to four keys at once in ZBrush- that is far easier to do on my Bluetooth keyboard than it is using the buttons on the remote, especially if you have carpal tunnel in your left hand. Also, typing is obviously easier with a keyboard vs tapping on a screen.

 

Basically YMMV when it comes to how "necessary" a Cintiq is.

 

I love my Cintiq 16. It feels so much more natural to me than using a tablet. That said, I can't imagine going any larger. The 16 is just perfect for use with my arm cradle. Any larger and I'd wear my elbow/shoulder out reaching for the brushes.

 

That said, I might have to get a small tablet for travel sculpting, as it is a PTA to break down and pack up the Cintiq, so I am not lunch sculpting anymore.

[Morihalda 33447]

Spoiler for an off my chest moment:

Spoiler

I can't think of any way to phrase this without me looking like a spoiled scaredy cat.

 

I guess it's 'cause I was.

 

My husband is the best person ever. A few years ago, I decided to face my past and my fears so I could learn art and he jumped in wholeheartedly. He saved money for months and surprised me with a Cintiq 22HD that Christmas.

 

It basically broke me. The extreme version of that stress you get when you're confronted with a blank page.

Like giving an 8 year old a 2 million dollar car.

It was way more than what I needed, I didn't know how to use it, it was so much money, and I felt awful because I didn't know what to do with a super thoughtful gift.

 

We talked about it and ultimately decided to keep it until I was ready. Tech gets better so fast and we were concerned that we'd lose money in the long run when something better for much cheaper would come up. But we would lose money for sure if we returned it with electronic restocking fees and we weren't sure how our financial situation would be later. It was a monitor and not a full PC/tablet so we figured we'd be safe for a while anyways. And when I could finally afford art classes, would I be able to afford any sort of tablet, either? (The answer to that is a definite no. We made the right choice because we just paid for the classes and a week later drama at his job came up. Not great.)

 

 

l finally started using my 22HD last week when I started Paintable to learn Photoshop before my art classes started in the fall.

 

It's huuuuuuuge, which makes it absolutely incredible for drawing. I'm not so sure that's all necessary for sculpting, as I feel a 16" surface would be sufficient amount of space for most drawing purposes and likely sculpting.

[Doug Sundseth 55261]

On 8/11/2019 at 2:40 AM, GHarris said:

Regarding Cintiqs, I think everyone can agree that they are blatently overpriced.

 

I'm not convinced that they're overpriced, just that they're painfully expensive. There's a reason people use them instead of whatever else might be available in that space.

[DelarnTheBard 15]

Sculpting in 3d and printing.

Mostly PLA at 0.08mm layers with a 0.3mm nozzle.

I am also making puzzlelock tiles system. ;)

[MedusaMiniatures 203]

I've only sculpted digitally - the hardest thing to adjust to is trying to make -miniatures- while seeing the sculpt on my screen always 8" high. It's so easy to put too much fine detail in, that will get completely lost, or make shafts/cloaks/blades far too thin.  Quite often I will zoom out and look at what I'm doing at more or less the right scale. Zbrush is a powerful program - with the least standard interface I've ever encountered. It's hard to learn -> you can't really just muck about and expect to figure it out (...like you could with Mudbox) Pixologic have decent tutorial videos on their website, that's a good place to start. I would love to have a 3d printer, but I've no space  for one, so use Shapeways for 3d resin prints. They're not that expensive, and their resin printers use wax supports which they just wash off, so there are no marks at all from the supports. Pluses about digital:  fast, re-use and re-posing of parts and base models, some crazy tools allow for expressive art.  If you see digital that looks "digital" in a bad way - that has more to do with the artist than the tools. 

 

Cintiqs - I've used a few, and can take them or leave them.  22HD is the most manageable imo - it doesn't weigh a ton or completely dominate your space and leaves room for you keyboard. Some old beaten up ebay purchased wacom tablet will do just fine though....

[TaleSpinner 42968]

Gene pointed me at an excellent video series for mini sculpting by Michael Pavlovich. He also has more advanced stuff.  I strongly recommend his channel. Here is a link to the start of his very comprehensive Intro to ZBrush class.

 

So, I'm still struggling with the ergonomics and portability of the digital system.  I've been getting neck issues looking down at the Cintiq.  I discussed it with my physical therapist and we decided I needed it tilted up and slightly elevated, so I ordered one of these which should come today:

 

Spoiler

 

I also used the birthday money I got from my parents and in-laws to get a refurbished tablet so I can sculpt away from home without having to break down and travel with the Cintiq (ReaperCon, I'm looking at you).

 

Spoiler

 

[CivilDungeoneer 45]

 

On 8/16/2019 at 8:31 AM, TaleSpinner said:

Gene pointed me at an excellent video series for mini sculpting by Michael Pavlovich. He also has moreadvanced stuff.  I strongly recommend his channel. Here is a link to the start of his very comprehensive Intro to ZBrush class.

 

So, I'm still struggling with the ergonomics and portability of the digital system.  I've been getting neck issues looking down at the Cintiq.  I discussed it with my physical therapist and we decided I needed it tilted up and slightly elevated, so I ordered one of these which should come today:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

I also used the birthday money I got from my parents and in-laws to get a refurbished tablet so I can sculpt away from home without having to break down and travel with the Cintiq (ReaperCon, I'm looking at you).

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

(Dang, anyone have any insight on how to remove quotes like this from a reply on mobile? Nothing seems to work!)

 

Really interested to hear how that adjustable stand works out @TaleSpinner. I've been thinking about one for my Surface and a review from a real person always beats out.

[TaleSpinner 42968]

10 minutes ago, CivilDungeoneer said:

 

Really interested to hear how that adjustable stand works out @TaleSpinner. I've been thinking about one for my Surface and a review from a real person always beats out.

 

It's fantastic!  I was a bit surprised that the legs were plastic, and was worried that they'd be flimsy and unsturdy, but they aren't  It holds my Cintiq just fine.  I really like all the adjustments you can do on it to get just the perfect angle.  Totally worth the price.

[TaleSpinner 42968]

I have completed the sculpting on my first model (if you were at ReaperCon you probably know what it is; but I can't show the details at this time; it should be in Bones V).  I can say I really do like digital sculpting, much more than I thought I would.  I now have to prepare the model for printing and will be learning that process tonight.

 

Outside of that, I also sculpted the setting for my son's engagement ring:

 

 

 

And with a stone analog I downloaded from a jewelry maker's website in it (I haven't yet figured out how to have the stone be a different color yet):

 

 

 

This will be printed out, cast in 18K gold and then soldered onto the white gold band.  The stone will be a teal sapphire.

 

I may have the prongs too thin to support the stone once done at scale; I might need to inflate them a bit.

[MojoBob 3590]

 

This is something I did for our AD&D campaign — one of the characters has an Ebony Fly, one of the Figurines of Wondrous Power. The fly is a model from Thingiverse, while the rider I built myself.

 

I started with a mannequin from Poser, and imported that into Blender for sculpting, but I had to do so much work to make it 3d printable that I might as well have just started from scratch in Blender, it would have been less trouble. I plan to build a low-detail rigged humanoid mannequin in Blender that I can import and pose as needed, but somehow I never seem to remember about that project until I actually need one, and end up scrabbling around in a big rush.

 

It's been designed so that the rider is compatible in scale with Reaper's 28-32mm stuff. Here's how it looks after printing on my Ender 3, and with a quick splash-&-wash paint job:

 

[Rainbow Sculptor 3543]

On 9/16/2019 at 1:34 PM, TaleSpinner said:

And with a stone analog I downloaded from a jewelry maker's website in it (I haven't yet figured out how to have the stone be a different color yet)

 Polypaint

http://docs.pixologic.com/user-guide/3d-modeling/painting-your-model/polypaint/

[rintintin 36]

Hi,

First time poster on the forums  Please forgive if this isn't the right place to post my images.
I created these after I recently got a 3d printer and was amazed at the quality it printed out. Since then I have been trying to master the art of 28mm minis. The over sizing of detail has been challenging to say the least but I shall keep trying.
Crits and comments most welcome as its the only way to get better.

 

hI

Edited September 27, 2019 by rintintin