In Chapter 2, Sculpting the Character's Base Mesh, we sculpted the Gidiosaurus character's features, obtaining a high resolution mesh that we re-topologized in the following Chapter 4, Re-topology of the High Resolution Sculpted Character's Mesh, to have a low resolution mesh for easy rigging and texturing.
Because in the following recipe (Baking the normals of the sculpted mesh on the low resolution one) we are going to bake the normals of the sculpted mesh on the low resolution one, we should now add as much detailing and finishing to the sculpted model.
I'm not going to explain every step in detail, here, because the procedure is the same as already seen in the Chapter 2, Sculpting the Character's Base Mesh, so just a quick tour to show what I've done should be fine.
Let's start by preparing the file:
- Start Blender and load the
Gidiosaurus_painting_BI.blendfile; if necessary, go out of Texture Paint mode back to Object Mode and save the file asGidiosaurus_details_sculpt.blend. - Collapse all the UV/Image Editor windows on the left of the screen and then join them with the 3D viewport (put the mouse pointer on the edge of one of the two windows; as it changes into a two opposite arrows pointer, right-click and in the Area Options pop-up menu, left-select the Join Areas item; then, move the mouse pointer towards the window to be eliminated and left-click to join them).
- Join the Material and Texture windows in the main Properties panel, switch to the Object Data window, and enlarge the 3D viewport as much as possible.
- Click on the File item in the main top header and then select the Append item (or else, directly press the Shift + F1 keys); navigate to the
Gidiosaurus_retopology_02.blendfile, click on it, and then click on the Object item (folder) to select the Gidiosaurus item. - Click on the Append from Library button on the top-right of the screen and then go to the Outliner window to click on the eye and the arrow icon buttons (Restrict view-port visibility and Restrict view-port selection) and enable both the object visibility and selection in the 3D viewport.
- Move the appended high resolution Gidiosaurus mesh to the 14th scene layer (M key):
The appended, sculpted Gidiosaurus mesh
- Press N to call the Properties sidepanel and in the Display subpanel, enable the Only Render item; go down to the Shading subpanel, enable the Matcap item, and then select your favorite matcap type (mine is always the brick red colored Zbrush-like).
- Enable the 12th scene layer to show the Eyes; however, in the Outliner, just to be sure, disable the selection arrow icon button.
- Press N again to hide the Properties sidepanel and then switch to Sculpt Mode and save the file.
The Gidiosaurus object ready for the new sculpting session
We are now ready to sculpt again on the Gidiosaurus mesh; first, let's do some more settings pertinent to the sculpt tools:
- Go to the Dyntopo subpanel under the Tool Shelf and click on the Enable Dyntopo button; set Detail Size to 1.60 px and check the Smooth Shading box.
- Go down to the Symmetry / Lock subpanel to be sure that Mirror is enabled for the x axis.
- Click on the Options tab and go to the Options subpanel to enable the Fast Navigate item (the Threaded Sculpt item should be already enabled by default).
- Go back to the Tools tab and click on the Brush windows; select the Crease brush (press the Shift + C or 5 keys), zoom to the Gidiosaurus's head, and start to add expression folds:
Adding expression folds with the Crease brush
- Move to the throat, in the Tool Shelf panel, switch the effect of the brush from Subtract to Add through the buttons at the bottom of the Brush subpanel (or simply by pressing the Ctrl key while sculpting), and add veins to the area:
Adding veins under the jaw and on the neck by using the Crease brush again, but with inverted effect
- By using the same technique, add veins also on the shoulders and the biceps; then, select the Polish brush (Shift + 4) and refine the elbow a bit:
Adding the veins on the arm muscles and polishing the elbow's bulging muscle
- By using the Clay brush (C or 3 keys) and also the Crease (Shift + C or 5 keys) and Pinch (P or Shift + 3) brushes, refine the shape and the folds of the palm and add details to the back of the fingers. The Clay brush can be used in Subtract mode too, to carve shapes:
Detailing the palm and the fingers of the hand
- Similarly, add details and refine the back of the foot and the sole:
Detailing the feet
- Use the Smooth brush (S or Shift + 7 keys) to gently soften the character's features; when you are done, save the file.
Smoothing the added features
Now, as we have detailed the body of the Gidiosaurus, it would be a good idea to refine the Armor also.
- Switch to the 13th scene layer; select the Armor object and go to the Shape Keys subpanel under the Object Data window.
- Select the Basis shape key and then click on the – icon button to delete it (this leaves the only remaining shape key, Armor_fix, as the base one, so permanently applying the morph to the mesh); then, also select the Armor_fix shape key and delete it.
- Repeat the previous steps for the rivets and the Armor_decorations objects as well.
- Through the Outliner window, Shift-select the rivets, Armor_decorations, and Armor objects; then, press Ctrl + J to join them as a single object.
- Go to the Vertex Groups subpanel and add a new vertex group; rename it as shrinkwrap.
- Enter Edit Mode and select the vertices on the outside of the armor body plates, leaving the inside faces of the plates, the bottom of the spaulders, the decorations, the rivets, and the tiers, unselected; if necessary, use the seams to help you to divide the outer from the inner parts of the mesh. Click on the Assign button at the bottom of the Vertex Groups subpanel:
Selecting the outer parts of the Armor
- Split the 3D view into two windows and change the left one into a UV/Image Editor window.
- Go to the UV Maps subpanel under the Object Data window, click on the + icon button to add a new UV coordinates layer, and rename it as UVMap_norm. Then, click on the camera icon on the right-hand side of the name to make it the active UV layer.
- Put the mouse pointer in the 3D viewport and press U; in the UV Mapping pop-up menu, select the Smart UV Project item; in the pop-up panel, click on the Island Margin value (default = 0.00) and set it to 0.001. Leave the other values as they are and click on the big OK button at the bottom of the panel.
The UVMap_norm UV coordinates layer for the Armor object
- Go out of Edit Mode and minimize the UV/Image Editor window as much as possible; press Shift + D to duplicate the Armor object and move the duplicated one to the 3rd scene layer.
- Enable the 3rd scene layer; go to the Object Modifiers window and delete the Armature and the Subdivision Surface modifiers; in the Outliner, rename the new object (now Armor.001) as Armor_detailing.
- Assign a Multiresolution modifier. Click on the Subdivide button until it reaches level 3; then, check the Optimal Display item and go in Sculpt Mode. Using the same procedure as before, add scrapes, bumps, deformations, and so on, to the armor surface; add some kind of engraving also, for example, on the groinguard.
Sculpting the Armor_detailing object
- Save the file.