vAbout the Author
Scott Spencer is a digital sculptor and concept designer at Weta Workshop in Wellington, New
Zealand. He uses ZBrush every day as a tool for creating creature and character concept art.
His background is originally physical sculpture for the makeup effects world. Over the years he
has worked in various media, creating digital characters for film, broadcast, and games as well
as physical sculptures for concept design, promotion, and other applications. Over the past few
years Scott has worked on various projects in both film, broadcast, and games, from the remake
of the classic game “Golden Axe” to the Iron Man movie, Pumpkinhead 3, and Species 3, as well
as several collectible figures and statues sold on the commercial market. Today he creates concept
designs for film. Scott says that his most exciting current project is Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit.
In approaching this book I tried to take lessons from the teachers who most influenced my
own education. These two instructors are Bill Johnson and Paul Hudson. Bill Johnson, my first
employer, is the owner of Lone Wolf FX, a makeup effects company. From Bill I learned an enor-
mous amount, not just about sculpting and creature design but also about thinking and seeing
like an artist. I also found in Bill a great friend whom I count as one of my closest to this day.
At Bill’s urging I went to art school at The Savannah (Georgia) College of Art and Design
(SCAD). I studied animation with a minor in drawing and anatomy, and I met my second great
artistic influence. Paul Hudson teaches perspective, anatomy, and illustration; he is an accom-
plished illustrator, painter, sculptor, and general Renaissance man. Paul teaches his students by
example to be passionate about the continuous process of learning that is to be an artist.
While at SCAD I noticed ZBrush and a new world lit up for me. Here was a program
that would let me do what I do in clay on the computer. I had used Maya and 3ds Max but
never felt the same seamlessness as in ZBrush. This software helped me be a better artist; it
didn’t fight me into a technical corner.
After SCAD I attended the Florence Academy of Art summer sculpting session, and
then found my way to California and to Gentle Giant Studios, which seemed to be one of
just a few companies seamlessly blending traditional and digital art techniques.
In 2008 I left Gentle Giant to join the concept design department at Weta Workshop
in Wellington, New Zealand. This has been a dream come true and every day I am amazed
at the magic that happens inside the Workshop.
In the years since I started using ZBrush, my passion for the program and the strategy
of applying sculptural approaches to a 3D world has led me to teach classes at the Gnomon
School of Visual Effects as well as release several video tutorials for Gnomonology.com and
Pixologic.com.
Along the way I have made a lot of sculptures, taught a lot of classes, and met some
amazing artists who continue to inspire and influence me. I consider myself very fortunate
to have the opportunity to do what I always dreamed of doing—sculpting characters for a
living among artists who constantly inspire me.
I have included several guest artists in this book to help offer more variety in style and
approach. Here I would like to introduce you to these amazingly talented individuals who
were kind enough to include their thoughts and work in this book.