74 chapter 2 ■ Sculpting in ZBrush
- Using the Inflate and Standard brushes, refine the shape of the anti-
helix, as shown in Figure 2.94. - If you find in the process of editing the ear that the underlying edges
are spread apart or flowing off in another direction that interferes
with the form you are trying to make, you can easily correct this.
ZBrush has a tool called Reproject Higher Subdiv (Figure 2.95).
This tool allows you to let ZBrush relax the edges of your under-
lying subdivision levels while retaining the higher-resolution sculpting
you have already applied. This is useful when you are pulling large
protruding forms from the mesh—you can reduce artifacts by redis-
tributing the edges in a more efficient manner. To use Reproject Higher
Subdiv, first mask out the area you want to correct at the highest subdi-
vision level. Step down a couple of levels and smooth the surface gently
with the softSmooth brush or a smooth brush with a low ZIntensity.
The idea is to gently relax the edges without destroying all the form. - Select Tool → Geometry → Reproject Higher Subdiv, and ZBrush
will reproject the detail onto this new subdivision level, retaining
your work while taking advantage of the new edge distribution.
Figure 2.96 shows these steps in action. Notice how the last wire-
frame shows edges that are evenly spaced and not spread apart as in
the first wire.
Figure 2.96 Reprojecting higher subdivision levels- You can deepen the furrow between the helix and antihelix by
masking into this area and inverting the mask. Use the Standard
brush with ZSub on to press in, thus creating the necessary draft. - Using the Pinch brush with LazyMouse on and BrushMod set to
10, you can finesse the planes between the ear’s parts. Adding these
touches helps reduce the lumpiness of the ear and gives it that struc-
tural cartilaginous quality (Figure 2.97).
Figure 2.94 Antihelix and tragus
Figure 2.95 You
can find the
Reproject Higher
Subdiv command
in the Tool →
Geometry menu.
Figure 2.97 The ear in progress
- After a few more passes with the Pinch brush, the ear is complete.
If you have X Symmetry turned on, the changes are mirrored to
the other ear as well. While it is easier to create the depth and draft
on actual protruding geometry rather than pulling it from the sur-
face of a sphere, it is important to know how much is possible with
just very basic geometry. There may be times you want to sculpt an