Project Brief

This assignment will be our break into hard surface sculpting and management. Here I will introduce you to the vast array of hard surface brushes starting with the Zmodeler Brush.

In this project, you will design and sculpt a highly detailed 3D Helmet using ZBrush, focusing on hard surface modeling techniques. The helmet should have a strong thematic direction, whether inspired by an intellectual property (IP), a seasonal event, a holiday, or an animal motif. While the design should lean towards a futuristic aesthetic, natural elements like wood, water, crystals, or open fire can be incorporated creatively.

The helmet must be fitted for a human head or adapted to your latest creature design, ensuring a proper anatomical structure and functionality. This project will push your skills in concepting, sculpting, rendering, and presentation to create a production-ready asset.

Project Requirements

Your final submission must include the following elements:

Helmet Design & Construction

• The helmet must consist of at least 5 distinct parts working together as one system. (Ex: Visor, headphones, Goggles windows, Internal Padding)

• Demonstrate at least three different hard surface modeling techniques within ZBrush.

• Develop silhouettes and sketches with labels and Values (both portrait and profile views) before sculpting.

• Must have have stickers

Rendering & Presentation

• BPR-rendered turntable showcasing the helmet from multiple angles.

• Product Rendering using Redshift3D for high-quality visualization.

• Full-color & matte orthographic presentations to display the form clearly.

• Blueprint NPR view to emphasize design and technical aspects.

• Exploded view to highlight the breakdown of components.

• Cloth elements integrated into the design, such as padding, liners, or a mask for added realism.

Extra Credit – Push Your Design Further!

• Add dynamic lighting elements as actual 3D geometry rather than post-processing effects. This can include:

  • LED strips

  • Christmas lights

  • Embedded futuristic light sources

  • Functional helmet displays (Table Top or Wall Mount Displays)

• Extra Points per sticker

Required Learning:

• Dynamesh/Sculptris Pro, Hard Surface Brushes, Zmodeler Brush, Video Output (Movies), Matcaps, Decimation Master, BPR NPR Rendering, Matcaps, ZRemeher

This project challenges you to blend technical precision with creative expression, utilizing hard surface workflows while keeping an eye on presentation quality. Whether you're designing a battle-ready warrior’s helmet, a ceremonial headpiece, or a sci-fi explorer’s protective gear, push your skills and aim for a polished, portfolio-ready final product.

Hard Surface Helmet | 5/7/2025 | 120 pts