Reply To: My result and one other attempt

[Sean Sexton]

Hi Roxana,

Great work with your head modeling exercise.

I really like the different vibes your second version has.

It’s good to push yourself beyond the confines of the course.

When I was studying head anatomy for sculpting – there were a few resources I used that really helped me out with simplifying the shapes and finding the forms.

I am unsure if I am allowed to post links to other websites – but if you google you will possibly find the same resources.

I purchased a book entitled Anatomy for Artists – that features photo references, as well as pictures, overlayed with ecorche models. The book covers the entire body, not just the face but it is a very strong reference for any human anatomy sculpting you may do – if not a bit pricey.

Separate from this book I also studied Simplified Forms of the head – again there are some nice pocket reference books on how to sketch simple forms available from the big retailers. I am particularly fond of Michel Lauricella and his Morpho books.

Another handy resource to have at hand when sculpting the face – is a resource that breaks down the planes of the face – if you search for ‘planes of the face or study some facial retopology references this can be very insightful.

I also think having a physical model to hand at your desk, that you can pick up, twist, rotate, and ‘play’ with is really super helpful for sculpting but not entirely necessary.

I started out with a few child’s anatomy/science models but I also own one or two 3D Printed anatomy busts for when I do sculpting work.

None of the above is absolutely essential – but I find having a large and diverse collection of references can save you a lot of time and the act of gathering the reference and finding photos to suit your needs makes your brain ‘decrypt’ the puzzle of the ‘simplified forms’ you are searching for.

As one last bonus tip, here are three authors/content creators in the Blender community I recommend learning more about sculpting from:

Grant Abbit
Corazon Bryant
YanSculpts

I haven’t had a chance to go through the Human course myself yet – but I would also suggest looking at:

https://cgcookie.com/downloads/anatomic-head-anatomy-3d-cheat-sheet

and…

https://cgcookie.com/courses/human-realistic-portrait-creation-with-blender

There are also the following links you may find useful from cookies expanded library:

https://cgcookie.com/downloads/human-2d-anatomy-reference-pack

https://cgcookie.com/courses/introduction-to-human-anatomy-and-basic-proportions

If none of the above is helpful just drop a reply and I can dig out my personal PureRef board or some scans for you from my last head sculpting session.

Best of luck with your busts!