In this lesson you were
introduced to a few basic techniques related to sculpting surfaces:
- The Sculpt Geometry Tool is
indispensable for quickly shaping a variety of surfaces. As you
do your own projects, pay special attention to the position and
density of isoparms before you begin sculpting.
- Isoparms converge at a single point (the pole).
Pole regions of a primitive or surface are hard to sculpt so it’s
best to avoid using the Sculpt Geometry Tool there.
For example, when you created the original sphere in this lesson,
you rotated it 90 degrees around its Z-axis. Because of the rotation, ears
for the head would need to be modeled via a different technique
(for example, you could model a pair of ears and parent them to
the head).
- The density and orientation of isoparms
on a surface affects the results with the Sculpt Geometry Tool.
As you gain NURBS modeling experience, you’ll learn how to use the
density and orientation of isoparms to your advantage.
- Primitive
objects are useful objects for sculpting in many cases. After you create
a primitive, you typically sculpt, scale, trim, or otherwise alter
the object into a more complex shape. Though most primitives are
surfaces rather than curves, they still derive their shape from
curves.
In general, a sphere
makes a convenient foundation for creating a simple head, but it’s
not ideal if you plan to animate an expressive, talking head. Many
3D artists start with a cylinder or a lofted surface. The procedures for
doing this are more complex than starting with a sphere and are beyond
the scope of this lesson.