Final

Research Project: Nomad Sculpt

For this research project I will be going over my workflow with Nomad Sculpt during my Orc Bust project. For more in-detailed tutorials I will provide the links and YouTube channels that helped me quickly learn the software.

Resources

These are some of the YouTube channels that go in more details on the techniques in Nomad Sculpt and helped me get familiar with the program.

• https://www.youtube.com/@ProcreateFX 
• highly recommended video manual tutorials
• beveling, hard surface sculpting
• https://www.youtube.com/@SouthernGFX/videos
• great tutorials for creating Nomad brush/matcaps
• using textures to stamp sculpt details
• sculpting principles
• using Nomad layers for texturing/blend shapes
• https://www.youtube.com/@art.leosilva/videos
• hair card tutorial
• https://www.youtube.com/@eric3dee/videos
• https://www.youtube.com/@SmallRobotStudio/videos

Texture Resources

I use these texture sets for when I get into stamping tertiary details

https://www.artstation.com/marketplace/p/YggNm/alpha-brushes-for-nomad-1-of-3

https://www.artstation.com/marketplace/p/ojj6l/alpha-brushes-for-nomad-2-of-3

https://www.artstation.com/marketplace/p/y11Pn/alpha-brushes-for-nomad-3-of-3

Reference

Camera View

Base Mesh

Subdivision Levels

Tube Brush

Profile

Layers

Hair Card

• https://www.youtube.com/@art.leosilva/videos

Hair Placement

Stamp

Decimate

Export

Howl Moving Castle

My portfolio focus was making the low and high poly Castle's face/body.

What I learned:

• if possible use real world references as the starting base (DIY YouTube video, figurines, etc,)
• placement of parts will be much easier than trying to guess based on a 2D plane
• plan ahead and organize for UV's and UV pipeline.
• UDIM was definitely useful, and something I wish I practiced with more beforehand
• If a mesh is goin to be duplicated/reused, UV unwrap it first before duplicating 
• while I did tried out copying UV sets and pasting the attributes it didn't always work as intended
• double and triple check UVs aren't flipped (especially if you duplicate mirror meshes)
• naming conventions is your friend...
• just be aware Maya flips out if you're trying to import something with anything that shares the same name
• break up the subject into large, medium, and small pieces and build them like Lego pieces.
• Have multiple backup saves! Especially when going back and forth while working with another artist.

WK3 Orc Bust

Week 1: references, 1st pass sculpt, 1st pass base hair cards

Week 2: finish sculpt, finish hair card, UV, texture bake pass, in engine

Week 3: polish

 

WK2 Orc Bust

Week 1: references, 1st pass sculpt, 1st pass base hair cards
Week 2: finish sculpt, finish hair card, UV, texture bake pass, in engine
Week 3: polish

I hate hair cards

WK5: Minor Fixes

Just combined my high poly with Meagan's high poly into one Maya file and decimated my sculpt a bit more so it's not too large of a file. Mostly this weeks was backup support artist. Here's some pretty pictures of the closer shots of the combined sculpted castle. 

WK1 Orc Bust

Week 1: references, 1st pass sculpt, 1st pass base hair cards
Week 2: finish sculpt, finish hair card, UV, texture bake pass, in engine
Week 3: polish