Busy Bee...
I have worked as a professional artist for many years, and have shipped my figurative sculptures and paintings to various parts of the Globe including the USA, Australia and Europe. In 2016, I began working on miniature figure commissions, primarily for veterans of the UK Armed Forces. Although at the time working in two part epoxy putties over a wire armature, I later began investing several hundred hours of my time in studying the art of digital character design, and familiarising myself with 3D printing practices.
I now sculpt exclusively in the digital form; a format which reflects my passion for recreating musicians and action figures perfectly. Running a small business means time is of the essence - While sculpting naturally commands alot of time, several other day to day tasks need to be addressed including marketing, invoicing, approving other artists work, shipping and the never ending tasks of post processing and curing 3d prints. All this equates in laymans terms to the scourge of the modern artist... GOOD TIME MANAGEMENT!! 😁
Although I began sculpting digitally using blender, I now sculpt predominantly using Z Brush, which is used for the bulk of my character design. I am also proficient in the use of photoshop, substance designer / painter, character creator and blender.
Depending on the requirements of the subject, I primarily work in two pipelines.
If designing a figure as an asset to be modified and potentially used in games, the figure will need to be rigged for animation purposes. This workflow consists of a zbrush / character creator interaction where the figure can be fully rigged and redesigned / sculpted as required as the sculpt progresses. Attention to detail is required on maintaining good topology throughout, ensuring the project can be imported into alternate software as required. UV mapping is equally important, for example if the subject is be textured using a program such as substance painter.
If designing a figure to reproduced in miniature, this requires a substantially different workflow. From the outset of the sculpt, it is important to know which parts will be 3d printed separately and how they will interact with one another. For example - guitar strings for a 3d printed figure will need to be created differently than that of game asset. (The guitar strings of a 3d game asset would not successfully 3d print - as is the case with many 3d game assets / objects).
While it is equally important to maintain good topology in sculpting for a miniature, the file will invariably end up way too large before being modified in slicing software. It is therefore necessary to decrease the file size before the final parts are exported and prepared for the 3d printing process.
Pose… Is the subject suited to a more relaxed pose or something more dramatic? If the subject is to be created performing a particular action then careful planning will be required to ensure the final design will contain a balance of movement, proportion and excitement, ensuring the limbs are reflected in a realistic manner. Regular studies of anatomy are essential when creating 3d characters.
What level of detail will be required? If the subject is an anime character for example, facial pores will not be necessary. However, if the subject is a bust that is to be recreated in a large scale, a high level of detail will be required such as wrinkles under the eyes, nose pores, textured clothing and much more.
This is just a snapshot - In addition to the above, there are various other elements of designing and sculpting a 3D character that will need to addressed prior to beginning work on the subject.
If you are looking to commission a 3d designer or digital sculptor for a personal or business requirement, Mark will be happy to meet your requirements. You will be sure to receive a warm, professional service and a high level of attention to detail.