Chapter One

In this chapter we will create a sculpting mesh. This is a very simple blocked-in model to serve as a foundation on which to sculpt the figure. We will look at two different methods of creating a mesh upon which to sculpt our figure. The mesh we create will be a very basic armature, which represents the most basic proportions of the figure. The idea is to create the most versatile base possible to support the sculpting in subsequent chapters. By making a complex base mesh you can lock yourself into certain shapes too early. By taking the approach we use here, which creates an extremely simple blocked-in model, we will be able to sculpt nearly anything we want on the mesh. If your ultimate needs demand more specific topology, Chapter 9 deals with rebuilding the underlying mesh while retaining all your sculpted details. This workflow of sculpting first and remeshing later is the standard approach that I have used professionally for the past several years for multiple clients.

The first section of this chapter addresses a standard polygon modeling approach to generating the mesh. This takes place in Maya and assumes a certain familiarity with Maya's modeling tool set. These tools and approaches are universal and can easily be applied to any polygon modeling package, as the tools utilized are standard between all polygon modeling applications.

The second section offers an interesting alternative to standard polygon modeling. This section is geared toward those users unfamiliar with traditional modeling or who may desire to learn a new approach. In this section we will create our base mesh using ZB