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Modelling Exercises: Organic

If you are looking to get into organic modelling but wondering what you should model, here are some ideas from the very basic to more complex shapes and forms.

Overview

Exercise 1006: Model a Hand

  • Task: Model and UV your hand (and wrist) in a neutral pose.
  • Learning Outcome: Modelling tools, clean topology and edge flow suitable for animation. Clean and well organised UVs
  • Tip: Use your own hand as reference. Measure your fingers and thubs, work to scale.
  • Deliverable: Greyscale model turntable, close up stills and contact sheet (references)

Exercise 1007: Sculpt your Head

  • Task: Using an application such as ZBrush or Mudbox, create a sculpt of your head from a sphere.
  • Learning Outcome: Gaining an understanding of anatomy, shape and form.
  • Tip: Use your own head as reference. Measure your fingers and thubs, work to scale. Feel your own face, grab a mirror. Practice on smaller forms first.
  • Deliverable: Greyscale model turntable, close up stills and contact sheet (references)

Exercise 1008: Retopologise your Head

  • Task: Retopologise your head sculpt and create a topology suitable for rigging and animation and UVs suitable for texturing and groom. Apply your high res sculpt details to your topology mesh as a displacement map.
  • Learning Outcome: Creating animation friendly edge flow and topolopy.
  • Tip: Study the wrinkles, skeleton and muscles of your own face.
  • Deliverable: Greyscale model turntable, close up stills and contact sheet (references)

Exercise 1009: Sculpt and Retopologise a Body

  • Task: Create the full body to go with your head and hand model. This includes a sculpt, topology model and UVs.
  • Learning Outcome: Create animation friendly topology for your body and UVs suitable for texturing and groom.
  • Tip: Test your mesh for deformation as you go. Add a basic rig to do this.
  • Deliverable: Greyscale model turntable, close up stills and contact sheet (references)

Exercise 1010: Model a Costume

  • Task: Model the costume for your character. The model should be simulation friendly. This could be a standard everyday costume or a superhero costume, or anything else. But it has to be realistic.
  • Learning Outcome: Create simulation friendly topology. Gain an understanding of real-world tailoring process (pattern making).
  • Tip: Test your mesh for deformation as you go. Run a quick sim to see how things react.
  • Deliverable: Greyscale model turntable, close up stills and contact sheet (references)

Exercise 1011: Sculpt and Retopologise an Animal

  • Task: Model a real-world creature. This includes creating the sculpt, topology and UVs fit for rigging, animation and surfacing. You should apply your high res details as displacement to your topology model.
  • Learning Outcome: Gain an understanding of animal anatomy and ability to create topology and UVs fit for rigging, animation and surfacing.
  • Tip: Don’t just look at animal anatomy, study it thoroughly.
  • Deliverable: Greyscale model turntable, close up stills and contact sheet (references)

Exercise 1012: Sculpt and Retopologise a Fantasy Creature

  • Task: From a 2D concept (not your own), model a fantasy creature. This includes creating the sculpt, topology and UVs fit for rigging, animation and surfacing. You should apply your high res details as displacement to your topology model.
  • Learning Outcome: Ability to use real-world animal anatomy to create a fantasy creature, and ability to create topology and UVs fit for rigging, animation and surfacing.
  • Tip: Animal and real-world reference is still key. Don’t forgot to look at the world around you. Even your cat and dog or hamster can help inform your decision making process.
  • Deliverable: Greyscale model turntable, close up stills and contact sheet (references)

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