Kurt Papstein

ZBrush Characters & Creatures: Projects, Tips & Techniques from the Masters is not your usual computer guide: presented in an oversized 8 1/2 x 11 format packed with color, it's a digital tutorial with a flashy difference, covering workflow solutions for 3D models and 2D images alike.

The publisher has a track record with other ZBrush titles, so it should come as no surprise that this latest addition to the series is sterling in its content and presentation. Perhaps this is because it's created not by a singular computer expert, but by a team well versed in the industry who tackles a range of issues involved in the overall design of creatures and characters.

Modelers with some basic experience will be the best followers of ZBrush Characters & Creatures: while it's geared to all levels of user from novice to advanced, having a basic introductory background in ZBrush will lend to an immediate understanding and appreciation of the character concepts here; especially for those beyond the beginning stage who want to delve into the tricks of the process.

The experts contributors come from a range of backgrounds and offer a diverse set of resources, from Bryan Wynia, a Senior Character Artist at Sony Santa Monica who delves into the basics of sketching, shaping, and using Alphas to achieve special effects (such as leathery skin on creatures) to freelance character artist Caio Cesar, whose article 'Aliens' discusses the basics of setting up a science fiction scene that features modeling by form and environment.

Not only do each provide step-by-step discussions of the process they use; but the steps are packed with color photo examples from the characters each artist has created using ZBrush: thus, the foundations of making a character model itself are imparted, pairing concept with techniques and reinforcing everything in the ZBrush environment.

This supportive approach succeeds where an ordinary art book might fail, using ZBrush and artists who work with it as foundations for exploring techniques that lead to superior character creation, not amateur dabbling. And this, in turn, makes for a recommendation not so much for novices with little prior ZBrush or character experience, but for those who would use the book to step up to the next level in creature development.… (mais)