Sculpting - Blender Master Class: A Hands-on Guide to Modeling, Sculpting, Materials, and Rendering - page 89

Figure 6-32: Adding procedural detail with a cloud texture and the Displacement modifier

4. As we did when we used a Displacement modi-

fier to transfer details, you can use a vertex
group to mask out areas that you don't want to
be affected.

Posing
To create a more interesting pose for my character, I
jumped into Edit mode ( tab ) and used proportional
editing in Connected mode ( alt -O) together with
rotating about the 3D cursor to move the limbs (see
Figure 6-33). I created a new shape key for the pose
and then began adjusting the body. For example,
to move a leg, I selected all the vertices in the leg,
placed the 3D cursor where the hip joint would be,
and then rotated the leg about that point using pro-
portional editing to create a smooth transition. This
is a quick and dirty way to pose a character without
resorting to rigging it, which is a complex task—and
for a still render, more effort than it's worth.
I adjusted the rest of the limbs and the head to
pose the character in a more interesting way. Then
I returned to Sculpt mode, where I used the Grab
and Clay brushes at a low subdivision level to fix any
errors with the pose and adjust the look of the mus-
culature. I relaxed muscles that would be extended
with the Smooth tool and decreased their volume a
bit and conversely inflated and tightened up muscles
that would be contracting in the new pose.

5. When you have something you are happy with,

apply the modifier to bake the results into the
Multires modifier so that you can continue
sculpting.

Breaking Symmetry

At this stage, if you keep symmetry enabled, your
sculpt may begin to look a little too symmetrical.
While the bodies and faces of most animals and
characters are broadly symmetrical, fine details like
pores, wrinkles, scars, and so on are not.
Once you reach the detailing stage, it is usually a
good idea to turn symmetry off in the Tool Options.
For more far-flung areas, like the ends of the arms
and legs, you can leave symmetry on: Because these
parts are farther from each other, the symmetry will
be less apparent. However, obvious symmetry in the
details running down the middle of your character
will generally look strange, so turn symmetry off for
these areas in particular.
Of course you can break symmetry much earlier;
most characters and faces have some subtle asymme-
try. This level of subtlety can add a lot of believabil-
ity to your sculpts, so consider disabling symmetry
earlier on.

Expression
Facial expression is an important part of any char-
acter. I added a new shape key to hold the facial
expression and used the Grab and Clay brushes
to add a bit of a snarl to the Bat's face (visible in