A Biomechanical Character - ZBrush Creature Design: Creating Dynamic Concept Imagery for Film and Games - page 333

Chapter 6
A Biomechanical Character
In this chapter, we will depart from working with more organic forms and examine how to conceptualize and
create a more machined or manufactured shape. ZBrush typically lends itself to working out organic shapes
quickly and intuitively. This presents a problem when the design called for industrial shapes, which are obvi-
ously manufactured.
In this chapter, we will execute a biomechanical design using some of the new hard surface and form
sketching tools available since ZBrush 4.0. ZBrush includes an entire suite of brushes intended to let the artist
sketch mechanical shapes much in the same way they might sketch organic forms. This has opened a new
vista for using ZBrush as a concept design tool because it frees designers to explore industrial forms in 3-D
freely, when before such form exploration would require the planned, careful use of Maya. Until now it was
difficult, if not impossible, to “sketch” 3-D form explorations of hard surface models with any degree of ac-
curacy without a high degree of expertise in polygon or NURBS modeling. We will explore tools like the
Planar brushes, Clip brushes, Shadowbox, and we will even incorporate Maya into your workflow with GoZ.
The purpose of this chapter is to illustrate how mechanical forms can be quickly conceptualized using the
right combination of tools. By taking this approach, you can avoid the “modeling quagmire,” where you are
too busy worrying about proper edgeflow and polygon geometry to be freely creative.
As we work through this character, I also want to show the considerations that went into this particular
design. His mechanical structures are based firmly on human physiology, and I attempt to use interesting
shape combinations, contrast between organic and mechanical forms, and a strong silhouette with interesting
use of negative spaces. I want to show how I consider all these topics to help create an interesting character
design.
The Brief: Biomechanical Character
The brief for this character is a human-machine hybrid—a cyborg—with more mechanical parts than hu-
man. The robotic anatomy should mirror the form and functionality of the human skeleton and muscle
system with flesh incorporated into the mechanical structure. The design should have a laboratory feel,
meaning this is not a finished “showroom ready” robot but rather a prototype with some exposed elements.
It should appear to have been constructed from parts in a lab. I want the character to have a strong mass of
an upper body to denote a core strength, but I thought more spindly or skinned arms might be an interest-
ing contrast. Most importantly, I wanted to explore the use of negative spaces in unexpected areas to drive
home that this is not a man in a suit but rather human parts grafted into a mechanical structure.
Creating the Cyborg Design