Imagining Authentic Buddhist Four Heavenly Kings Statue Using Substance 3D

Louise Melin, the artist behind the breathtaking 3D take on Jacobello Alberegno's Polyptych of the Apocalypse, has returned with a new piece complete with a thorough breakdown, once again crafted with the Substance 3D suite. What began as a masterclass quickly evolved into an amazing long-term project to trace the life stages of a Kamakura-period statue.

Louise has now released the first chapter of this journey, introducing Zōchōten and exploring the artistic and symbolic context in which he might have been sculpted over 800 years ago. She also teased many more chapters in the months ahead, guiding us through every step of this fantastic creation.

This particular statue of Zōchōten, one of the Four Heavenly Kings from Buddhist mythology, was entirely imagined by Louise yet crafted with meticulous attention to historical accuracy. In Japanese tradition, these four guardians, known as the Shitennō, each protect one of the cardinal directions and are commonly found in temples around the central deity.

As for the tools, Louise sculpted the statue in VR with Substance 3D Modeler and finalized it with 3D Designer, 3D Painter, and 3D Stager. Have a look at more renders below:

In her breakdown, Louise also offered a brief historical context, pointing out how Japanese Buddhist art developed its own distinct identity despite strong Chinese influences and highlighting how the Kamakura period sparked a wave of stylistic renewal in sculpture. She provided a brief overview of Zōchōten's features and their meanings as well:

In addition, Louise shared a series of WIP shots from the project and discussed her guiding principles and insights throughout the process, particularly emphasizing texturing.

You can find Louise's tips on creating realistic cracks in Substance 3D Painter, along with the full breakdown, here, and we highly recommend following her ArtStation page to stay updated on chapter two.

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