Claymation in ZBrush

Frame-by-Frame Workflow using ZBrush, Maya & UltraClay with Alexander Lee

In this 5-hour workshop, Alexander Lee teaches his revolutionary animation workflow using ZBrush. Each frame is sculpted individually, resulting in a handcrafted final shot. This workshop covers the entire pipeline, including character setup in ZBrush and Maya, frame management with UltraClay, frame-by-frame animation in ZBrush, and final lighting, rendering, and compositing in Maya and Blender.

Alexander breaks down his thought process for creative problem-solving, from initial concept and inspiration to final renders. Artists will learn tips and techniques spanning character sculpting, rig setup, keyframe animation, frame sculpting, lighting and rendering, and compositing. Drawing from his expertise as a senior technical artist working in the video game and visual effects industries, he also shares his thoughts on creating production-ready animation tools to improve workflow efficiency.

This workshop is intended for intermediate- to advanced-level artists, particularly those familiar with sculpture and animation workflows. Prior experience is recommended in both ZBrush and an animation software of choice. While Maya is used for this workshop, and the provided tools are Maya-specific, the fundamental concepts can be applied in other packages such as Blender or Houdini. Beginner artists will also find value in the early chapters, where a simple animation workflow is presented using only a limited set of features already present in ZBrush.

Software used for this project includes ZBrush, Maya, and Blender. Alexander's proprietary UltraClay animation tool is also provided to all Gnomon Workshop subscribers, along with a detailed installation tutorial. Finally, a custom ZBrush menu is also included in the Project Files, providing easy access to the most commonly used ZBrush features.