This 2-disc set takes an in-depth look at the design and creation of a detailed character head using Pixologic’s ground breaking software ZBrush. In over eight hours of lecture, Alex Alvarez sculpts a head from scratch using Zspheres and ZBrush’s arsenal of sculpting and detailing tools. Beginning with primitive shapes derived from Zspheres, the primary forms of the head are quickly blocked out to determine general proportion and design. Alex then refines the eyes, ears, nose, mouth and horn regions before moving into Projection Master to create surface details. Once the geometry is complete, the use of ZBrush as a texturing tool is demonstrated in the creation of high-resolution bump, color and specular maps. The creation of custom tileable Alpha libraries with ZBrush and Photoshop is also demonstrated. In conclusion, Alex shows how to integrate geometry, displacements and textures using Maya's native renderer and Mental Ray. Every step of the process is shown using real-time and timelapse video.

• Zspheres
  
• Standard, Inflate, Pinch Brush
  
• Edgeloops
  
• Working with SDiv levels
  
• Symmetry Techniques
  
• Stencils
  
• Projection Master
  
• UVs and Texture Creation
  
• BumpViewer Material
  
• Exporting Geo and Displacement
  
• Rendering w/ Maya and
  
• Mental Ray

Chapters: Disk One
1. Introduction
   
2. Getting Started with Zspheres and Defining Forms
   
3. Eyelid Edgeloops and Initial Symmetry
   
4. Refining Forms with the Standard Brush
   
5. Refining the Ears and Nose
   
6. Refining the mouth and Neck
   
7. Adding Horns and Inserting Edgeloops
   
8. Refining the Eyes
   
9. Getting Started with Projection Master
   
10. Detailing the Face
    
11. Using Inflate and Pinch
    
12. Detailing the Neck

Chapters: Disk Two
1. Refining the Horn
   
2. Reestablishing Symmetry with Resym/Smart Resym
   
3. Adding Symmetry
   
4. Creating UVs and Using the BumpMaterial
   
5. Bumptools Overview / Creating Custom Alphas
   
6. Painting the Bump Map, Part One
   
7. Painting the Bump Map, Part Two
   
8. Specular Map
   
9. Color Map
   
10. Exporting Displacements and Geometry
    
11. Refining and Preparing Textures in Photoshop
    
12. Bringing it All Together in Maya

• Product Code: AAL01
• ISBN:
• UPC:
• Duration: 515 minutes
• Formats: DVD-ROM

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Alex Alvarez

Founder, Director The Gnomon Workshop
Gnomon School of Visual Effects

Alex is founder and director of The Gnomon Workshop and of the Gnomon School of Visual Effects in Hollywood. Having dedicated the last decade to educating students and professional artists around the world, Alex has helped change the face of computer graphics and design education. He has been published in industry magazines, websites and books - plus he has taught courses at several major trade conferences. Alex is president of the Los Angeles Maya Users Group and sits on the Advisory Boards for Highend3D.com and CGsociety. He continues to work on personal and professional projects, recently as a creature development artist on the James Cameron film Avatar. Prior to Gnomon, Alex worked for Alias|Wavefront as a consultant and trainer for studios in the Los Angeles area. Alex is an alumnus of the Art Center College of Design and the University of Pennsylvania.