This blog records the process of modeling the basic part of the Cupid model using Maya and Zbrush
Starting with the Basics: Building Cupid’s Body
My journey began with the foundation of any character model – the body. I started in Maya, using simple primitives to create a basic silhouette of Cupid. This step was crucial for establishing the overall proportions and posture of the character.
Sculpting Details in ZBrush
Once I had the basic form in Maya, I imported the model into ZBrush to sculpt the finer details, particularly the facial features. ZBrush’s powerful tools allowed me to add depth and realism to Cupid’s face. This stage was both challenging and rewarding, as it required a keen eye for detail and patience to get the expressions just right.
Topology Challenges in Maya
After sculpting, I brought the model back to Maya for retopology. This is where I faced some of the most significant challenges, especially with the facial and hand areas, as well as the elbows and knees. Proper topology is essential to ensure that the model deforms correctly during rigging and animation. I spent a considerable amount of time researching and referencing to get the layout right, ensuring that the model would not have any issues post-binding.
Hair Modeling
Hair modeling was another intricate part of the process. I used ZBrush to quickly sculpt the hair based on the character design. To manage the complexity and ensure efficient rendering, I employed the ZRemesherGuide tool to outline the general direction of the hair flow. This was followed by using the ZRemesher to convert the high-poly model into a low-poly version, which is more manageable for real-time applications.
Finally, I removed the invisible parts of the model to conserve resources, a necessary step to optimize the model for game engines or further animation work.