Garchomp Recreated in Realistic Style Using ZBrush & UE5

Introduction

Hi, my name is Gino Kolling. I'm a 3D Character Artist specialized in creatures working in the entertainment industry. I got into 3D about 17 years ago as a hobby due to my fascination with visual effects and video games. I'm self-taught and have worked on projects like Baldur's Gate 3, Diablo IV, Street Fighter V, and others. Nowadays, I mostly get brought on to productions to set the visual benchmark or develop the look of creatures from concept to the final asset. 

Garchomp was a study based on one of RJ Palmer's Pokémon illustrations, combined with an exploration of substrate materials for skin. Using them helps elevate the realism of creature skin in Unreal Engine. Pokémon, being my first game ever, holds a strong connection to me. It might be partially responsible for my fascination and interest in creatures, among other things. I've always enjoyed bringing them into a more realistic setting.

Modeling

In terms of the modeling, I tried to emulate the original illustration, but also mixed in my own touch. As usual, I made a quick blocking with Sculptris Pro and basic shapes inside ZBrush. I like doing a quick 10-20 min blockout to sort of "mark" the project as started, capturing the core features of the creature. Then it's simply about refining the shape as I go, adjusting what has to be changed to create the feeling I want. 

Sculptris Pro allows me to create a lot of quick complexity in my blockout if needed, which I can then enhance with alphas and some extra sculpting. Working on parts that require a bit more resolution fluidly, without interrupting the sculpting. This allows me to change major shapes without worrying about breaking anything. In this case, he started quite thin, but I felt that I wanted to push it into a more muscular build. I was thinking of big, great white sharks. Something that is terrifying and very powerful.

For the skin details on the high poly, I used a mix of alphas and some of my custom brushes. Using lizards and sharks as the reference. The bumps on the head, arms, and fin were sculpted using Clay brushes for the most part.

Retopology

For personal studies like this, I try not to focus too much on the technical aspects. For topology, I used polygroups based on ZRemeshing, which yields good enough results for my purposes. The UVs are done using Rizom after a quick UV unwrap based on polygroups as well. Making maximum usage of my polygroups speeds things up and keeps things efficient. 

Texturing

I used Substance 3D Painter, referencing real animals like sharks, which allowed me to add details to ground the creature in realism. Knowing that I was going to use tileables and a substrate material for dirt, I kept the textures relatively clean. Apart from a few scars, scratches, and other details that make it feel as though it's lived a life.

For the engine and render, I used the same setup as shown in my Coloso Course, driving tileables with a mask inside of Unreal. This allowed me to create a high amount of detail in real-time. The trick is to blend the areas appropriately and plan for the detail in advance so that I can elevate the sculpted details and supplement them with the right tileable textures. [Engine01.png][Engine02.png]

Lighting & Rendering

The setup is quite simple. Using the Environment Light Mixer and A few area lights to supplement and 'direct' the look of my scene. I wanted to make sure I captured the curves of the model while also not making the sources of light feel artificial. The environment was done with Megascans and using material blending to create a cohesive look.

I also added a few Poké Balls to add more color to the scene here and there.

The rendering itself was done using the Level Sequencer and adjusting console variables to get a good result. Post-processing has to be set to 'unbound' or infinite extent so that it affects the entire level. Then you can choose and direct the scene according to your taste. In my case, I wanted to emphasize the feeling of the desert, but also make Garchomp stand out with its blue-purple skin and features. So I played a bit with the color correction portion of the settings and added some contrast until it stands out appropriately.

Conclusion

There's always a lot to tweak and adjust, at some point, though, the desired effect of the study is achieved, and the project is completed. In this case, it is mostly focused on the skin itself. Once that was done, I tried not to spend too much time circling the project and tweaking things endlessly. I find it more productive to move on to another project and learn new things instead. Practicing decisiveness is beneficial in the long term, in my opinion.

After having tested substrate materials in this project, I'm curious to continue following their development in future iterations of the engine. It definitely yields more realistic results. The dirt lying on top of the skin appropriately is one of those small details that enhance the look of the model. 

In terms of advice to other artists, I would suggest doing what you enjoy doing. Explore themes that are personal to you, follow your interests, and you'll eventually end up doing interesting things that you enjoy.

Gino Kölling, Creature Artist