ZBrush as a Character Design Tool - ZBrush Creature Design: Creating Dynamic Concept Imagery for Film and Games - page 9

of the sculptural lessons we discussed in my other topics. These concepts apply even when you are painting
because the same rules for making good art apply across all media.
In my previous two topics we discussed the three tenets of sculpture: gesture, form, and proportion. These
are so important that I want to reiterate them here. When working up a sculpture (or any image for that mat-
ter), you want to ensure that the figure retains a clear and compelling gesture. Second to gesture is form, and
last is proportion. Before we explore other key sculptural concepts, let's review these three.
Gesture
Gesture represents the life or motion inherent in a figure. It can be expressed in the action line drawn through
a figure that communicates the thrust of its pose. When working on a figure, instill a sense of life in the pose
by maintaining a strong gesture. Figure 1-8 shows a neutrally posed figure with a good gesture sketched in.
Many of you may be familiar with the concept of gesture drawing. This is an invaluable exercise where you
try to capture the figure with a series of action lines rather than the outlines of the figure. It's very effective
for training yourself to see the life in a pose ( Figure 1-9 ) . By practicing life drawing as much as possible
from both humans and live animals, you will develop a keen eye for the short pose. This means you will be
able to quickly recognize and capture the lines of action in a figure. Sensitivity like this helps designers keep
life in their work.
Figure 1-8: A neutrally posed figure with gesture lines drawn in shows that even a figure at rest should
have some gesture in the pose.