Sculpting Character Armor with Human Face Motifs

Introduction

I am Lana Makhsudyan, a 3D Character Artist currently based in China. Two years ago, after working in different industries, I decided to fully focus on art and creation, which has always been my main passion. I enrolled in the 3D Character Art program at Think Tank Training Centre Online, where I built a strong foundation in character creation.

The process was challenging at first, as 3D art requires both technical and creative skills. Over time, I learned to adapt and grow through consistent practice. I recently graduated from the program, completing "Azreal, the Angel of Death" as my final mentorship project.

I am especially interested in gothic and dark fantasy, as well as post-apocalyptic themes. I enjoy creating armored characters, villains, and complex personalities inspired by films and games. My work is influenced by titles like Dark Souls, Ghost of Tsushima, and Diablo, along with the work of other 3D artists in the industry.

Azreal, the Angel of Death

It has always been a dream of mine to create a character with a strong villain arc — someone dark, alluring, and somewhat somber, yet also misunderstood and stoic. I have long been inspired by mythology, folklore, and biblical stories, particularly the story of Lucifer, a radiant archangel who fell due to pride.

These themes played a key role in shaping my interest in creating a character that embodies the idea of a dark angel. The original 2D concept was created by one of my favorite artists, Ilya Baydin. Throughout the process, I received valuable guidance and feedback from my mentor, Luis Omar, an artist I greatly admire.

Face Sculpting

Since I particularly enjoy working on faces, I began with this key part of the character. I used a MetaHuman base mesh, separated the head, and sculpted it to match my vision.

My goal was to create a face that conveys both beauty and a sense of decay — something that feels noble and striking, yet subtly affected by illness. I spent time researching references, ultimately using Konan Hanbury as a loose reference for the overall face look.

I created several variations of the facial scar and, with guidance from my mentor, selected the final version. I then refined it through multiple sculpting passes, focusing on form, depth, and surface breakup. I used a combination of primary and secondary detailing to define the damaged tissue, followed by finer tertiary details to enhance realism and integrate the scar naturally with the surrounding skin.

I transferred pore detail onto the face using ZWrap, projecting data from several scanned references from the 3D scan store. I then enhanced it with additional manual detailing using custom brushes that I created from XYZ scan data.

For the final step, I exported high-quality normal, base color, and cavity maps from ZBrush to ensure accurate texture integration later in Substance 3D Painter.

The Armor in ZBrush

I created a PureRef board and populated it with references, including real-world armor, 3D assets, gauntlets, as well as leather and fabric materials.

Before starting, I decided whether to closely follow the concept for a more stylized result or to push toward realism. I ultimately chose a more realistic approach, as it aligns with my artistic preferences. I usually create my characters in ZBrush and move to Maya later for retopology.

For the armor, I relied heavily on ZModeler for hard-surface detailing; I find it more convenient working in ZBrush because of the efficient mirroring, duplication, and iteration of individual pieces. I find ZBrush particularly effective for visualizing the final look early in the process compared to other modeling software.

I began with a DynaMesh blockout to establish overall shapes and proportions. Each piece was then ZRemeshed with relatively low topology in order to be able to utilize the pieces for the low poly later on in Maya. Over the following weeks, I iterated on the armor, using Dynamic Subdivision to preview thickness and subdivision levels, while adjusting proportions with Transpose Master.

For the shoulder armor and wing, I needed to incorporate hard-surface human faces emerging from the metal. Using the MetaHuman control rig in Maya, I created several facial variations with different distressed expressions and imported them into ZBrush. I refined the forms to achieve a more rigid, hard-surface appearance, then distributed and integrated them into the shoulder piece through manual sculpting.

I began working on the wing about two weeks later, as it required a more focused and problem-solving-driven approach. I followed a similar workflow to the shoulder piece. The hard-surface feathers were initially modeled and UV unwrapped in Maya. I then imported them into ZBrush, where I duplicated and deformed the meshes to build the wing. To optimize the retopology stage, I reused portions of the base topology in Maya rather than recreating each feather from scratch.

While it would have been possible to construct the wing feathers by duplicating a couple of feathers and assembling them later when making the final scene before rendering, I chose to develop the full structure in ZBrush early on to better visualize the final result and avoid visible texture repetition.

After establishing the primary shapes and completing the base pieces, I moved on to refining the secondary details of the armor. For the finer, intricate elements, I used a set of specialized brushes, including a custom brush I created and applied with curves to achieve more controlled and consistent detailing.

I used the Rope brush to create additional details. Each element was then assigned separate polygroups, allowing for controlled deformation using the Move brush to refine the overall forms.

The goal was to ensure that all secondary elements sat flush against the armor surface, without gaps, as I planned to bake them onto flat geo in Substance 3D Painter. To achieve this, I projected each element onto its target surface without thickness first, and then applied thickness afterward.

Many of the secondary details and engraved patterns were created using displacement maps, generated based on UV layouts derived from the low subdivision levels of the high-poly meshes. I did the rest of the detailing mainly using the Geo Soft Forms brush.

I created the chainmail using MicroPoly in ZBrush, then assigned individual polygroups to each ring. I selectively removed some rings to introduce variation and achieve a more weathered appearance. Since only the central area remained visible beneath the armor, I focused the detailing there. The final result was baked onto a plane geometry created in Maya.

I used a range of metal surface brushes to finalize the armor, adding scratches, dents, and subtle surface wear to enhance the high-poly detail.

Clothing

I used Marvelous Designer for the initial cloth simulation and ZBrush for detailing. I prioritized the neck cloth to ensure the simulation felt natural and visually prominent. I exported my character with the chest armor piece intact into Marvelous Designer to make sure the fabric interacts with the main forms correctly.

To create the torn areas of the scarf in ZBrush, I used the Move brush to deform the edges and achieve an organic, uneven look. I then masked the main body of the scarf, isolated the edges, and deformed the edges even more by applying surface noise. While my initial plan was to bake the hanging fabric threads directly onto the low-poly plane, I ultimately opted to create them using haircards paired with custom textures made in Fibershop. 

Retopology and Game Optimization

The retopology stage was quite fast since I was able to utilize some of the ZBrush pieces at a lower subdivision level. In total, I had six materials. I used Quad Draw for all the faces on the armor, and for a moment, I did regret my decision to make so many of them! The UV maps were created using a mix of manual and automatic techniques; I usually have a lot of fun optimizing the UV space and arranging the shells manually. My goal was to optimize the character for gameplay, so I tried to keep the polycount low, but avoided making it too low since I wanted to achieve cinematic quality.

Texturing

I baked the armor maps in Substance 3D Painter, including an ID map baked from vertex colors. I had previously assigned these colors to the pieces in ZBrush using ZColor, which significantly helped me later on when creating masks via color selection. I typically bake my cavity maps in Marmoset Toolbag.

For the face, I relied on maps exported directly from ZBrush, specifically the base color, normals, and cavity maps. Lastly, I textured the face and the body armor/clothing separately, as I prefer to avoid distractions when focusing on the face texturing. 

For the armor, I used a smart metal material as a base, then built up color variations, spots, edge highlights, scratches, tiny surface details, dirt, and incorporated Grunge maps. I made sure to include plenty of variation in the Roughness map as well, as this gives the metal a more dimensional look.

I also utilized my cavity maps to add depth to the engraved areas. My goal was to achieve a highly realistic, glorious, and weathered armor, while being careful not to overdo the weathering.

Fabric Texturing

I created the leather and fabric materials using similar techniques. My fabric relied heavily on height information, grunge, and folds, and I combined the baked opacity map with hand-painting to give the cloth a highly weathered, torn look. 

Face Texturing

I started the face texturing in Substance 3D Painter by importing my maps from ZBrush. The first layer was the base color map, followed by a few layers where I corrected issues and filled in spots where the base color information was missing or faulty. Since I wanted to give Azreal an unhealthy complexion, I used HSL and Contrast_Luminosity layers to bring the base skin tone to my desired look.

Afterwards, I added dark tones to the undereye area, created layers for veins, and added dark color variations around the nose edges, lips, and eye areas. I also introduced color variations in areas that would be more exposed to the sun. The final stage of the skin color pass was ensuring the scar looked as realistic as possible; for that, I used variations of blue, burgundy, and purple.

One of the brushes I used for the subtle, hand-painted details was the watercolor brush. I utilized different blend modes, typically using Soft Light for the skin color variations and then regulating the opacity values. Finally, I integrated the cavity map from ZBrush into the roughness channel and used it for the scar texturing as well.

Haircards

I created the haircards using the GS CurveTool in Maya and created the hair textures in Fibershop. This was my second time working with haircards, so the process went a bit smoother than my first attempt. I followed an approach I developed after studying numerous references and tutorials: I tried to surround each thick haircard cluster with multiple opaque and flyaway cards. The hair really came together after adding several breakup layers, finally achieving a look fitting for a dark angel.

Rigging and Posing

I rigged Azreal in Character Creator 5. This was my first time using the software, and after a lot of trial and error, I managed to successfully rig and pose my character, as well as apply a short animation sequence provided by CC. The process was quite challenging because the character features tight metal armor pieces worn over underlying cloth sleeves and pants.

Because I wanted to maintain a slender silhouette during the modeling phase, there was virtually no gap between these layers, meaning each piece required a different deformation solution for movement. I resolved this by converting certain pieces into accessories and attaching them directly to the main joints. For the remaining pieces, I kept them bound to the main rig and carefully painted the skin weights to ensure the geometry wouldn't clip or deform at strange angles during animation.

Rendering, Lighting, and Composition

The final and biggest challenge was integrating my character into Unreal Engine and utilizing the MetaHuman pipeline to create the facial animations I had planned beforehand. To get a quick start with the materials, I utilized the MetaHuman face shader and swapped out the default base color and roughness maps for my custom ones.

I created the rest of the materials by building a Master Material based on tutorials by Jared Chavez, subsequently generating material instances that I could easily adjust according to my needs. I was heavily influenced by Claudio Tumiati’s 'Dark Elf' when creating the scene and the lighting. I knew I wanted a somewhat mysterious lighting scheme, and I ultimately ended up creating the main spotlight similar to Rembrandt lighting that I rotated from side to side to test different angles.

After adding the main lights, I introduced rim lights in the back to highlight the outline of my character. I also added a warm-colored light behind the hair to give it a fiery, epic look.

I added a couple of point lights to ensure the metal pieces of my character were well-lit, while still maintaining the dark, noir aesthetic I wanted.

After achieving a solid result with a studio scene in Unreal Engine, I decided that Azreal deserved a more dramatic environment. I spent some time integrating him into different environments from Fab, modifying the layouts, and comparing the results. I ultimately ended up rendering him in the Dark Ruins scene from Quixel Megascans.

For the facial animation, I utilized the MetaHuman pipeline, conforming my custom-sculpted head to the MetaHuman body and rig.

I animated the face using mockup video footage imported into Unreal Engine via Live Link Hub. The tracking had a few errors, so I baked the animation onto the MetaHuman Control Rig and adjusted the keyframes manually. Of course, all of this was accomplished with the help of my friends and the incredible 3D community, who generously share their knowledge through tutorials every day.

Conclusion

Creating Azreal was quite challenging for me, as I had to use several software programs for the first time. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the entire process; every step in the pipeline has its own unique rewards and challenges. I love creating armor, clothing, and faces. My goal was to design a character with elaborate details while keeping the polycount optimized for a real-time game asset.

I learned so much throughout this journey. Learning Unreal Engine, rigging, and creating hyper-realistic shaders for the face, cloth, and armor were definitely the biggest wins for this project. Incorporating animation also brought a lot of life to the character, which was a huge challenge for me since it falls outside of my main specialization.

Looking back, there are many things I could have executed with better efficiency and higher quality, but I suppose that growth will be visible in my next project. I'm happy to be here, and thank you for reading through!

Lana Makhsudyan, Game Character Artist

Interview conducted by Amber Rutherford