Sculpt Tutorial #7: Mashup - Unlocking the Power of Cubify Sculpt

OK, so we're getting things a little out of order here.  Tutorial #6 was suppose to go over the usefulness of changing the shapes of the primitives (Cube, Sphere, Cylinder & Cone).  But, I became so excited about extending that concept to creating NEW primitives that I just had to show you that first.  We'll get to #6 as soon as possible.  :)

First, a side topic that you may find interesting.

Before trying Cubify Sculpt, I tried any number of sculpting applications.  Each of them were decent.  And, among the best is Sculptress... IF you are a true artist!!!  I tried it again just to see if I'd learned something since trying Sculptris that had made it easier to learn Sculpt.  The answer is, "No!"

I was no better at Sculptris this time around.  It is DEFINITELY an artist's tool and not for me.  There is nothing wrong with the product.  I just get lost in it.

What that means...

It means that there is something fundamentally different about Cubify Sculpt that is making it easy for me to accomplish more than I have with any other sculpting program.

But, there is more!

I already understood that I was able to get more done and better with Cubify Sculpt.  But, then something dawned on me that blew the doors wide open.  And, that is that I do NOT have to create everything about an object from one single primitive.  I can save the basic primitives in multiple forms and bring them back into my working environment multiple times if needed.  And, THAT little realization boosted my ability to create with Sculpt exponentially!

It made it possible for me to create, in a reasonably short period of time, these Hippo models.  My granddaughter LOVES Hippos and I have been trying for YEARS to create a 3D Model of a Hippo that even remotely looked like one.  The proportions aren't perfect.  But, as you can see by this very short video that I made for her, they at least don't look like fat cows!  LOL!

The Breakthrough

The breakthrough for me was the realization that I do NOT have to create a form from a single primitive that is stretched and pushed into submission.  I can create PARTS as standalone pieces and then assemble those parts together as a MASHUP, or mixture of parts.

I could never, in a million years, have created the above hippos from a single shape.  But, by using different primitives for the body, head, ears and legs, the process was not only doable; but, relatively quick.

So, here is the process that I am talking about.... Tutorial #7, Mashup!

By the way, there is WAY more to cover when it comes to creating new primitives, like the Torus in this video.  I'm really excited to show you what that is all about in Tutorial #6... even if the order is a bit disconcerting!  :)

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Cubify Sculpt - Yes, We CAN Do It!

It's a given that those with true artistic talent can use Cubify Sculpt to create art.  But, what about us.  What about NON-ARTISTS.  Will we be able to create items that even come close to creating anything even resembling art?

I have to tell you.  That was one of my biggest questions as I downloaded and installed Sculpt.

After all, over more than a few attempts at various sculpting applications, I had struck out on all counts.  I loved Cosmic Blobs and CB Model Pro.  But, try as I might, I never even came close to creating anything that remotely resembled a human head.

This short video answers the question in the affirmative in a huge way for me.  No, the head I was able to sculpt is NOT great.  But, it CAN be recognized as an attempt at creating a human head.  And, believe me that is a huge leap forward from all of my previous experiences.

Two factors, I think, helped me feel more confident about my ability to effectively use Cubify Sculpt.  The first is that the designers have come up with just about the perfect set of controls for non-artists.  There are not too few.  Nor are there too many.  And, each of the controls seems to complement the others.  It's not perfect.  But, it certainly is useful and relatively easy to learn.

The second factor is that I ordered and received the 3DConnexion SpaceNavigator.  Being able to quickly position the working piece is an enormous help.  Again, we cover that in this video.

If you, like me, are a non-artist trying to do artistic things, I hope that this video is an encouragement to you.

The results of our artistic pursuit does not have to be great to be rewarding and fun.  And, I had a LOT of fun trying to create my "Bearded Rustler" character from the default sphere.  He's rough, just like my rendition.  But, that's OK.  He's better than the last guy I tried to sculpt.  A WHOLE lot better.  And, that is why he was a rewarding project.

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The NOT AN ARTIST Cubify Sculpt Tutorial!

It's a good thing that I don't embarrass easily.  Because, when people see what I'm able to achieve in Cubify Sculpt some are going to fall on the floor and laugh their heads off.   Yikes!

But, let's put things in perspective.

A LOT of us that are interested in 3D printing are not great artists.  We simply want to be able to have some fun and create some objects that we can print on our 3D printers.  My gift, if I have one when it comes to most 3D applications, is that I am tireless when it comes to trying to figure out how they work so that I can help others, with more artistic talent, become more productive faster.  I get the technical aspects if not the artistic aspects.  :)

As you may already know, the whole reason that I became interested in 3D printing was because my oldest daughter IS a very talented clay sculptor and it was frustrating to watch some of her best work crack in the kiln after weeks and months of work.  So, it was natural for me to explore 3D printing and 3D early sculpting applications... beginning with MudBox.

Now, there was nothing wrong with Mudbox.  But, it simply was not easy enough for either of us to be comfortable with it.   While we abandoned Mudbox, we clung to hope that we WOULD eventually find a virtual clay program that we COULD grasp.

I think we have found it.  And, that is Cubify Sculpt.  So, Cubify Sculpt is very important to me on a personal level.  I may not make great art with it.  But, I know some people who just might.

Admittedly my first samples are going to be crude.  But, they are nonetheless important in demonstrating to me just how important it is to pursue Cubify Sculpt as far as possible.  I've only had it a few days and am happy with where I am in the process of scoping it out.  Of course, I'm aiming a bit lower than I hope many of you are aiming.  And, I am looking forward to what YOU will be able to achieve in Sculpt.  But, here is my first attempts at creating with a goal in mind.

Potato Man

I knew that my best bet was to aim at creating something with big features.  Having consulted to Hasbro, I knew the perfect subject.  I love Mr. Potato Head!

Potato Man Created with Cubify Sculpt

Green Monster

I spend about a year working with a wonderful program for children called Cosmic Blobs.  While not a true Virtual Clay Sculpting program, it was wonderful at creating mythical beasts and funny monsters.  So, it was natural for me to see what I could do with Sculpt when it came to weird monsters!  Green ones, in fact.

Green Monster Created with Cubify Sculpt

Perhaps the reason I liked Cosmic Blobs and Cubify Sculpt is that I THINK like a seven year old!

Again, these don't put me up there with the best 3D artists in the world.  But, they do tell me that I can have a LOT of fun with Cubify Sculpt and, perhaps, eventually do some very nice things.

In the meantime, I will be exploring the tools in Cubify Sculpt and inviting any and all to come along for the ride.  So, here is Tutorial #1, Introduction.

P.S. I was very flattered to see that someone already gave this video FIVE STARS between the time it was uploaded a little while ago and just now as I selected it for this blog.  I hope that means that everyone interested in Sculpt will find it helpful!

I urge you to give Sculpt a try.  Be sure to look for the FREE STL files link on the Sculpt Download page.

 

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