Sculpting muscles in Mudbox 2015

Sculpting muscles in Mudbox 2015

If you’ve played any recently, you know there are two types of guys in video games – ripped superheroes, and bulging Hulks. Check this vid for the process I use to sculpt characters like this in Mudbox.

Performance-enhancers not required

Five easy steps for sculpting muscles in Mudbox:

  1. Photoreference texture
  2. Wax brush
  3. Smooth brush
  4. sharp negative brush
  5. Pinch brush

Using this approach I sculpted this guy out in under an hour. Watch the video! Better to show than tell and all that.

Allow me to elaborate on those five steps here:

First, I start with photoreference and project it quickly onto the surface. I don’t worry about getting it right – I am only using it as a guideline for where I want to place muscles.

Second, I block in muscle shapes with the Wax brush, trying to create strokes that follow the direction of the muscle fibers.

Third, I smooth to blend it all together.

Fourth, I use a sharp, negative brush to carve detail around the muscle mass I’ve already made. I use the Foamy brush for this, because I always have it set to use the sharpest falloff. But any brush will work!

Fifth, I pinch everything to create a more crisp looking mesh.

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