Last term, I took Anatomy for Production at CGMA, a course focused on full-body anatomy sculpting in ZBrush.
This term, I continued my studies with Character Facial Sculpting, which explored the anatomy of the head and face.
Weeks 1–4
We began with an écorché study from the head down to the shoulders, learning artistic anatomy in depth. One of the highlights for me was understanding the structure of facial muscles and fat layers in detail… it completely changed how I observe the human face.
(Sorry in advance for the slightly graphic image below, but it’s a crucial part of the process!)
Weeks 5–10
In the second half of the course, we applied what we’d learned to sculpt a portrait of a person of our choice. I chose South Indian actor Arjun Sarja, someone I wanted to sculpt for a long time… all the reference materials I’d collected over the years finally put to use.
We also covered retopology in Maya, hair creation with XGen, and skin texturing and coloration, so the workload was quite intense but rewarding.
Week 5: Rough blocking
Week 6: Retopology in Maya
(actually the most challenging part!)
Week 7: Sculpt refinement
Week 8: Polypaint and texturing
Week 9: Hair creation with XGen
I went with a short hairstyle since long hair can be quite demanding.
Week 10: Final rendering
Before the final render, I made a few adjustments to improve the likeness and gave him a shirt because the bare torso looked a bit awkward.
I think I managed to capture a fair bit of Arjun’s personality and presence 😀
An unexpected turn of events
Near the end of the term, we were hit by unexpected news …CGMA’s parent company had closed CGMA. It seems there had been issues behind the scenes ever since the company was acquired about two years ago.
Fortunately, the servers stayed online long enough for us to complete the course, thanks to our instructor’s dedication (most likely unpaid). Because of that, I was able to finish the class, though it was a bittersweet ending.
Instructors this term:
- Lectures – Dmitrij Leppee
- Instructor – Mario Cortez
Usually, I’d feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of a course like this…but this time, it’s sadness. I’ve been taking CGMA courses for several years now, and the sudden closure feels like losing a creative home. (Also… really hoping we get our refunds for the next term soon!)
