Best practices for sculpting

The following guidelines and tips will assist you with sculpting in Mudbox.

Area	Best Practice or Tip
Quality of the base level model	The quality of the model you import for sculpting has a large impact on how you can work with it in Mudbox. For more information, see Prepare a model for sculpting.
Using reference material	Take advantage of visual reference material whenever possible. This can be your own concept sketches, stock images, or photographs of any number of related items that provide you with visual references as you work. These can be useful for ensuring the relative size and proportion are convincing in your digital sculpture. You can import orthographic images as image planes in the camera view to assist when initially blocking out your sculpture. For more information, see Import a reference image.
Consider placing visual landmarks on the model prior to sculpting	Much like an artist blocks/sketches out key areas and forms on a canvas prior to painting, you can place small, subtle “landmarks” on the model to get a visual sense of where key features are to be sculpted later on. You can use the Sculpt tool (set to a very low Strength setting). Alternately, you can paint landmarks on the model (provided the model has good UVs) or even use the freeze tool to apply temporary landmarks. For more information, see Mask or freeze regions on a model or Prepare a model for painting.
Sculpt coarse features first, fine details later	Work on the large features of the model first (at lower subdivision levels) before subdividing the model to higher subdivision levels. The basic shapes and forms that produce the specular highlights and define the form and shape are critical in creating a convincing sculpture. Do as much work as possible on a particular subdivision level before considering subdividing the model to add more resolution. Do not add coarse details at higher subdivision levels; rather step down and add it at the lower levels. For more information, see Increase a model’s resolution
Adding subdivision levels	Subdivide the model only as much as required to support the features and detail you want to sculpt. The interactive performance of Mudbox is largely determined by the size of the model, which grows exponentially each time you add a subdivision level. Consider that some details can be added later using texture maps, which keep the model size smaller, and still produce a convincing effect. For more information, see Increase a model’s resolution.
Sculpt, then immediately smooth	Consider the Radius and Strength properties of a sculpt tool prior to sculpting on the model. You can easily use Ctrl + Z to undo your previous stroke(s). Immediately use the Smooth tool (press Shift while stroking) to soften the effect of a previous stroke at its middle or edges when required. For more information, see Sculpt and paint tools.
Rotate the model as you work and move the light across the model frequently	Use the camera navigation tools to rotate the model frequently so you can sculpt on many areas. Focusing entirely on one particular area of the model before moving onto another can result in producing features that appear mismatched relative to one another. This is particularly true when sculpting organic forms when you want the underlying skeleton and muscle structures to appear convincing. Frequently moving the light across the sculpted form ensures you can evaluate how the various specular highlights travel as the model is seen from various viewpoints or when it is animated in another application. For more information, see Camera and image planes and Display.
Make use of layers	Layers are useful for keeping various sculpted features discrete from one another. You can experiment by sculpting a feature on a layer, then delete the layer without affecting other work. If work is applied to a layer you can return to it later and make further edits, or remove it entirely. You can merge layers together once you are satisfied with your work. For more information, see Layers.
Save your work often	Save your work frequently (and increment the file name: file1, file2, file3, and so on) so you can return to an earlier version of the model if required. If you use layers, you can also export a particular sculpted feature on a layer(s) and import it to an earlier or later version of the model, provided the vertices or UVs have not been drastically altered. For more information, see Save or export your work.
Take a break	The sculpting process can be a lot of fun, but is very visually intense (and frustrating at times). Take frequent breaks as you work. You can sometimes solve a particular visual problem more quickly when you take some time away from it, and are not staring directly at it on your computer.