Creature Modeling With ZBrush & Marmoset Toolbag

Eric Keller demonstrates how to accurately model a unique species of Mantis using ZBrush and Marmoset Toolbag in this 5-hour video workshop. Follow along with the project files provided, including Eric's personal references images, and sketches, along with his ZBrush Project files and the final Marmoset Toolbag render scene.

The Orchid Mantis — scientifically known as the Hymenopus coronatus — takes the center stage in this video workshop created for intermediate and advanced ZBrush artists. This comprehensive tutorial highlights many of the features released in recent versions of ZBrush and starts from the absolute beginning: photo references. Using Eric’s reference images along with anatomical diagrams available online, Eric shows how to block out the initial shape from scratch using ZSpheres before adding and refining each part of the mantis, step by step.

Once the sculpt is fleshed out, Eric demonstrates his approach to applying color to the model using ZBrush PolyPaint for the first round of texture, before exporting the model and textures into Marmoset Toolbag for the final texturing and rendering stage.

This workshop aims to teach you the skills you need to apply to any creature design and is suitable for those looking to create highly detailed scientific visualizations, as well as artists wishing to create high-quality assets for animation, VFX, and games.

Eric Keller is a veteran CG artist with over 20 years of experience creating models for film, TV, scientific visualization, planetarium shows, VR, AR, 3D printing, and jewelry design. He has taught numerous workshops for The Gnomon Workshop and is one of our most-viewed instructors.