LogInSergio Khazov told us about creating a 3D sculpture of Eros, mixing classical and modern takes on the character, and discussed his approach to modeling hair and wings.
Introduction
Hi! I’m Serghaz, a 3D character artist focused on sculptural storytelling. Since our last conversation, my work and style have evolved significantly — I’ve been shifting my focus more and more toward artistic sculptures, with a stronger emphasis on emotion, anatomy, and mood rather than strictly game or cinematic-ready assets. I’ve also been more present in livestreams, sharing my process and connecting with the community while exploring new personal pieces.
Eros
The idea for Eros started pretty organically. I was browsing Pinterest during one of my Twitch streams and began collecting visual references that resonated with a classical but slightly modern take on the mythological character. I wasn’t aiming for a literal representation – I wanted to sculpt my own interpretation, with strong emotion in the pose and gaze.
When I sculpt projects like this, it usually takes me a few sketches before I lock in the final form. That’s because these pieces aren’t created with commercialization in mind — the main goal is pure artistic expression. I allow myself more freedom in proportions, shapes, and rhythm, just to explore what feels right for the character and the message I want to convey.
Modeling
My sculpting workflow in ZBrush is actually pretty straightforward. I mostly use classic brushes like ClayBuildup, Move, and SnakeHook, and I always keep Sculptris Pro active for the early stages – it helps a lot when sketching out volumes freely. I try to stay very intuitive in this phase, blocking out big shapes quickly and letting the design evolve naturally.
The hair took a considerable amount of time, and it’s one of my favorite parts to work on. A simple but powerful tip I like to give is: never keep your hair strands straight. Always apply curves to every lock – it brings rhythm and life to the sculpture. I used SnakeHook and Move brushes a lot, sculpting everything by hand instead of using hair cards or insert brushes.
The wings were a bit more design-oriented. I kept the forms simple and expressive rather than overly realistic, aiming for silhouette and balance in the composition. As for time-saving tricks, I often duplicate and mirror certain mesh parts, but only when it doesn’t compromise the organic flow. I also use polygroups and masking a lot to isolate areas quickly during refinement.
For the face, I focused on a strong yet innocent expression – I wanted Eros to feel intense and angelic at the same time. The facial proportions were adjusted several times throughout the process, especially the eyes and mouth, to enhance his stare. Regarding the body, I sculpted it manually from a simple sphere, refining the anatomy with constant reference to real-life models and sculptures. My goal was to create a mix of realism and stylization that feels timeless.
For this project, I didn’t create detailed textures. The "painted" look you see is part of my sculpt render style – I used a polypaint base mainly to help with the visual read during sculpting. The final look was achieved through lighting and rendering inside ZBrush, with a soft skin tone and subtle variation, similar to what I did in my Little Red Riding Hood piece.
Conclusion
One of the main challenges was managing the hair – it took a lot of patience to get the flow and volume right. But in the end, that was also the part I enjoyed the most. Sculpting hair is a meditative process for me.
In terms of tutorials, I always recommend going back to basics. Learning to observe real life, studying classical sculptures, and mastering the core ZBrush brushes will take you further than any quick tip. That said, artists like Rafa Souza and Simon Lee have deeply influenced how I think about sculpting.
As for future plans, I’m considering turning Eros into a 3D print-ready piece – but only if I feel it aligns with the original vision. For now, it remains a passion project that represents where I am in my artistic journey.