Little Red Riding Hood Tale Retold in 3D: A Sculpt in ZBrush & Marmoset

Introduction

I started with 3D when I was 14 years old. I've always been interested in art since I was a child. My story in art started with music. I played the cello for many years; however, when I finished playing, I would always draw. So, I started drawing more than I played a musical instrument. When the pandemic started, I could no longer practice music lessons and began studying digital drawing. In 3D art, one of my first teachers was Rafa Souza. I am grateful to him for the help and teaching he gave me. Today, after four years of dedication, I have accumulated knowledge through several courses with renowned masters in the field.

Inspiration & References

I started the project by looking for pose, composition, and movement. One of the great teachers I had was Simon Lee, who taught me how to feel and interpret his ideas better, so I focused on that. In the beginning, I always focus more on blocking. As soon as I finish blocking, I start refining the face and other things in separate tools in order to put everything together in the end. References always matter a lot in the project. However, in the beginning, I avoid using them so as not to have any attachment with results and get to where I want just by filling. After I completed these steps, I started looking for references of medieval Celtic clothing, original ornaments, forest environment, etc.

One of my main references was the tales of the Brothers Grimm. As the character has both child and adult versions, I decided to create something in between. I got a lot of inspiration from fantasy clothes and book art.

Character Creation

In my projects, I always start with a sphere and sculpt the shapes with the SnakeHook and Sculptis tools. The first thing I try to solve is the pose and composition of the project, and I spend a lot of time on this stage. One of the most important parts of the project is the references. I don't use other artists' works, but I always look for something from real life. I get a lot of inspiration from photographs of clothes, eyes, hair, etc., and try to replicate reality. For the creation of the wolf and surrounding objects, I used one of the brushes, but before that, I tested it with ClayBuildUp to create the desired flow. The mushrooms and soil have been sculpted with attention to detail to ensure a natural appearance.

Texturing & Retopology

In this project, I did not do retopology. I only used ZBrush for modeling and painting. Texturing was based on real photos, including scans and personal references of my skin and eyes. One of the techniques I used in this project was working on the colors in ZBrush. I use a lot of masks such as Ambient Occlusion, Mask by Curvature, and Mask by Normals. This made the painting much more interesting and crafted.

Masks are one of the most important tools, especially in the final stages. I always recommend using them to focus on the final presentation of the project. A good render can help with a bad sculpture, but a bad render with a good sculpture can completely ruin the project, so I always recommend focusing on this part.

Rendering & Post-Production

The rendering process is something that takes time and requires experimentation. I finished this project by rendering in Marmoset Toolbag, using Fog. I used a few light sources to create a more dramatic effect and completed post-production in Photoshop, focusing on rendering and cinematic composition as I always use cinema references for my works.

Conclusion

This project took about two weeks to complete. One of the tips I always give to those starting out is to be unique, have a lot of patience and discipline. Being unique will always bring you great opportunities. Also, focus on the idea, composition, and movement of your character.

Sergio Khazov, 3D Character Artist

Interview conducted by Gloria Levine