Creating a 3D printed miniature using zBrush - for beginners

Name: Creating a 3D printed miniature using zBrush - for beginners
Rating: 4.9 (78 reviews)

A zBrush course for complete beginners with the end goal of creating tabletop miniatures for 3D printing.

Created byJamie Korte

Last updated 7/2023

English

English [Auto],

What you'll learn

Gain a solid foundation on the basics of zBrush
Learn to create and export models for 3D printing
Learn a streamlined zBrush workflow for producing 3D printable miniatures
Learn design principles which should be considered when creating models for 3D printing

Course content

3 sections • 23 lectures • 5h 24m total length

First launch15:00
Together we launch zBrush for the first time and I show you how to get into 3D edit mode to quickly get you started playing around with some digital clay.
Loading my custom UI10:02
Briefly go over the zBrush UI and getting familiar with where things can be found. Learn how to customize the UI, how to save your custom UI and how to load a custom UI. I also share with you my custom UI which I will be using for the rest of this course.

Document3:51
Brief explanation of what the document is and how to change it to suit our preferences.
Saving Our Work7:42
I explain how we save our work and together we create a useful 25mm base tool that we can use for future projects.
Sub Tools5:46
Explore how tools and sub tools in zBrush make a single miniature, save and load tools, and add sub tools like a sphere to build details.
Gizmo9:42
Master the gizmo in ZBrush by learning to move, scale, and rotate sub tools using axis arrows, corner handles, and the center, then practice camera controls for precise viewing.
Brushes13:38
Discover essential ZBrush brushes for beginners, including move, snake hook, standard, and curve brushes, and how brush size, alt, stroke, alphas, and masking shape your miniatures.
Masking10:42
Dynamesh6:43
Learn how dynamesh recalculates surface points and adjusts mesh resolution to add detail, smooth surfaces, close holes, and merge sub tools for cleaner 3d prints.
Symmetry5:42

Intro & Sketch3:59
Join a beginner-friendly live demo that guides you from sketch to a 3D printable medieval target dummy in ZBrush, showing basic forms, textures, and simple detailing.
Block-out16:27
Block out a target dummy in sea brush by building the base and sub tools from simple shapes, establishing proportions for a sword, shield, and post.
Head and Body pt.120:25
Refine a 3D printed miniature’s head and body using dynamic sculpting, symmetry, masking, and staged detailing in ZBrush, while planning thickness and placeholder accessories to ensure print reliability.
Wooden Base and 'Arms'26:38
Learn to build a wooden base and arms for a 3d printed miniature in zbrush, duplicating planks, texturing with thick skin, and adding nails and brackets with clipping.
Avoid Voids3:50
Learn to avoid voids in 3D printed models by keeping parts fully nested and eliminating gaps between sub tools, preventing air pockets during printing.
Making The Helmet19:11
Duplicate the head, sculpt a four-quadrant symmetrical helmet in ZBrush, add a nose guard and rivets, then merge subtools and refine with masking and dynamic adjustments.
Making The Sword18:24
Learn to craft a sword in ZBrush by merging sub tools into a poly mesh 3D for printing, shaping the handle and blade with the gizmo, symmetry, and clip curves.
Making a Blade Using Booleans6:27
Explore multiple ways to shape a sword blade in ZBrush using booleans, dynamic mesh, and mirror and weld to create a blade from a cube by subtracting and refining.
Making The Shield14:14
Sculpt a shield for a 3d printed miniature in zbrush, adding a rim, rivets, a buckler dome, wood texture, symmetry, and finally merge it into the target model.
Head and Body pt.241:38
Adding Details44:12
Add asymmetrical details, wear, chips, and arrows to the 3D printed miniature target dummy in ZBrush, using trim lasso, chisel, and standard brushes, then prep for STL export.
Exporting for 3D Printing17:42
Final Words2:11
Join this beginner-friendly zBrush course and continue learning after your first 3D printed miniature. Share questions and feedback, connect via the Discord and Instagram communities, and keep improving.

Requirements

No prior zBrush experience is assumed for this course.
This course starts as if it is your first time opening zBrush.

Description

Do you want to create 3D printable tabletop miniatures? Did you just pick up zBrush to do so?
Then this course is for you!

This course assumes no prior knowledge in zBrush and starts from the beginning, aiming to give you a basic foundation to build upon.

Other beginner level zBrush courses are often not aimed at 3D printing tabletop miniatures as the end product. Because of that they may cover things that may not be of use to you, and may skip teaching things that are required when exporting models for 3D printing.

My goal is to create a simple and easy to follow beginner level course. I want you to experience an early victory of holding your own 3D printed miniature in your hand to feel more motivated about continuing your journey of learning zBrush.

In the first section I will launch zBrush with you for the first time together, and show you how to quickly get into edit mode to start playing with digital clay. Then I will show you how to customize your UI to better follow the rest of the course. In the next section I go through the various tools and functions we will be using most. And finally I will show you the entire process start to finish of creating a simple target dummy miniature for 3D printing.

And as an added bonus to students of this course, I have created a Discord group you can join to share progress and ask for feedback or for help.

No risk: If this course ends up being not what you expected there is always a 30-day money-back guarantee. No questions asked!

Who this course is for:

Anyone who wants to start sculpting their own 3D printable miniatures using zBrush.

Creating a 3D printed miniature using zBrush - for beginners

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

First Launch & User Interface2 lectures • 25min

Tools & Functions8 lectures • 1hr 4min

Project: Target Dummy13 lectures • 3hr 55min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: