LINED SEAHORSE
Freeform Sculpt
Description
A 3D model of a lined seahorse, with the goal to create an original realistic sculpt of a biological subject.
Type
3D sculpt
Tools
ZBrush, Cinema4D, Autodesk Maya, Adobe Photoshop
Client
Nicholas Woolridge, University of Toronto
Audience
General audience
Date
December 2021
Process Work
Sketches
I chose to sculpt a male Hippocampus erectus, commonly known as a lined seahorse. Lined seahorses are characterized by a specific number of bony rings and structural plates. Male lined seahorses also have a brood pouch for reproduction.
3D Sculpt
I started with a sphere, sculpting with Dynamesh before retopologizing and subdividing my mesh. I mainly used the Move, Clay, and Dam Standard brushes to sculpt the seahorse. I also used an alpha to create additional texture on the skin.
UV Maps
In ZBrush, I painted directly onto my model using polypaint and layers. I created two maps, one for colour and one for transparency. These maps were then further modified and edited in Adobe Photoshop to fine tune details.
Lighting
In Maya, the UV maps were linked to the base colour and opacity of the aiStandardSurface material. The scene was then rendered using the 3-point lighting method. This included a key light, fill light, and back light.
