Kevin C. Sepúlveda Márquez is a 3D character artist who works with ZBrush, Marmoset Toolbag and Photoshop. In this H.R. Gieger-inspired piece, Kevin creates a Xenomorph sculpt in ZBrush, focussing on composition, balancing the original character design with his own unique twist.
If you're inspired by Kevin's work, check out our collection of ZBrush tutorials to hone your skills. Need to update your creative kit? Take a look at our guide to the best 3D modelling software.
While I wanted to sculpt an alien with ZBrush, I felt that I could create something more than just another static character. That's why I decided to pose it and create a composition. Using simple SubTools I built a blockout for the pose, as well as the column. At first, I applied the golden spiral vertically, but realised the column was too long and diminished the xenomorph's importance. I then duplicated and arranged the spirals horizontally, which worked perfectly.
After that, I gradually sculpted the creature, brought it into Marmoset Toolbag for lighting, and finally used Photoshop to enhance the renders and give them more personality. Marmoset is an incredibly powerful tool for showcasing your characters, even if they aren't real-time. If you combine it with good post-production in Photoshop, it's a guaranteed win for you.
This content originally appeared in 3D World magazine, the world's leading CG art magazine. 3D World is on sale in the UK, Europe, United States, Canada, Australia and more. Limited numbers of 3D World print editions are available for delivery from our online store (the shipping costs are included in all prices). Subscribe to 3D World at Magazines Direct.
