214 chapter 6 ■ ZSpheres
At this stage, you could move on to hands or add a few more ZSpheres to increase resolu-
tion and reinforce the curves of the figure. Usually I prefer to keep ZSphere chains as simple as
possible, but adding these next few spheres to establish the rhythms of the body can be help-
ful. If you choose to skip these spheres, that’s fine—you can introduce the same curves in the
sculpting phase.- Add a new ZSphere between the knee and hip spheres. Scale it up slightly and move it
forward to give the thigh its characteristic curve. - Let’s use the same approach for adding curvature to the back of the calf. Move the
sphere back after scaling so the front of the shin is straight while the back is curved
(Figure 6.23). You can improve the transition between the calf and knee by making it
a sharper turn. To do so, add another ZSphere between the knee sphere and the calf
sphere (Figure 6.24). - Add a sphere between the shoulders and elbow to serve as the mass of the upper arm
(Figure 6.25). Also add a sphere on the upper arm close to the elbow to shape the join
and make the arm appear less like a curved tube (Figure 6.26).
Figure 6.20 Creating the legs
Figure 6.21 Placing the elbow and knee joints Figure 6.22 The edits to the ZSphere
chain create a stronger gesture and
adjust proportion.