Character Asset Creation for Cinematics: Vol. 1

ZBrush, Maya & Marvelous Designer Techniques with Amy Ash

Learn how to create a realistic fantasy character model for animation in this in-depth tutorial covering all stages of the modeling process. Amy Ash takes you through how to creatively and technically create convincing characters, drawing on her 20-plus years of experience in the industry to help give you the tools to elevate your own projects.

This workshop is aimed at anyone looking to learn a professional and efficient way to create compelling and believable character assets. Basic software knowledge is advised, but every process is explained in detail, so artists of any level can follow along. 

Amy will show you how to creatively interpret a concept, build a reference board, and create a blockout in ZBrush for locking down proportions. She’ll then detail how to create the rough head sculpt before moving into Marvelous Designer to create realistic clothing. Amy then heads back into Maya for the retopologizing work, and walks through the process of poly modeling all other parts of the character, before finally returning to ZBrush for the final refinements and detailing. 

Along the way, Any shows you her tips and tricks for navigating various challenges and explains her philosophy for using story to inform the decisions she makes, sharing how this can elevate your own work. By completing this workshop, you will have a better understanding of the entire process of character modeling for cinematics, and how to work within an animation pipeline. 

This workshop uses the Texturing.XYZ VFace pack and 3D Scan Store’s Female Base Mesh.