ZBrush Character Creation - Advanced Digital Sculpting 2nd Edition

72 chapter 2 ■ Sculpting in ZBrush

Complex compound shapes like ears are easier to dissect and re-create if you break

them into their individual parts (Figure 2.87).We’ll examine the ear and its anatomy, and

through a combination of sculpting and masking, we’ll sculpt the ears on the head.

Figure 2.87 shows a human ear with its parts labeled.

1. If you have sketched in a placeholder ear,
   smooth it out at this point. Using a mask with
   the Standard brush, sketch in the placement of
   the auditory meatus again (Figure 2.88). This
   represents the ear hole and tragus. Finding this
   first helps you place the ear correctly on the
   head. The ear itself lies just behind the midline
   of the head. It sits at an angle roughly equal to
   the angle of the jaw (Figure 2.89). Notice as well
   that the top of the ear is roughly in line with the
   brow bone, while the earlobe is in line with the
   bottom of the nose.


2. Invert the mask and step down a subdivision
   level. Using the Claytubes brush, pull the ear
   out. Take care to make it thicker near the back
   of the head so that it blends off in a wedge shape
   to the side of the head (Figure 2.90).
   Masking behind the ear allows you to pull
   the helix out as well as invert the mask and press
   the back of the ear in creating a draft behind the
   ear (see Figure 2.91).


3. Using Ctrl+Shift-click, draw a show marquee around the ear to hide the rest of the face.
   In Figure 2.92 you can see the ear isolated from the rest of the head. With the mask
   inverted, use the Standard brush with ZSub on to press the internal faces of the ear to
   make room for the antihelix and conch of the ear. The masked helix will remain in place.


4. The helix has an extension that dips down and terminates into the conch, or bowl,
   of the ear. This is called the leg of the helix. Mask out the leg of the helix. Invert the
   mask, and using the Standard brush, sculpt the extension of the helix that sweeps
   down into the conch of the ear.

Helix

Leg of the Helix

Anti-helix

Auditory Meatus

(ear hole)

Tragus

Conch

Anti-tragus

Lobe

Figure 2.87 Ear with labeled parts

Figure 2.88 The auditory meatus Figure 2.89 The angle of the ear