How to create a stylised 3D portrait

3D portrait created by Satoshi Arakawa
(Image credit: Satoshi Arakawa)

This tutorial will demonstrate how to create a stylised portrait from a concept illustration (concept art by Nutsa Avaliani). The goal is to create something that is stylised in nature while utilising PBR materials to give it a realistic feel. The real challenge is to add a fluffy look to the softer materials, without having to rely on actual fur strand geometry like in film or offline rendered pieces. 

So we will focus on how to accomplish this using techniques applicable in a real-time setting. We will begin in ZBrush to sculpt something that will work well with our low-poly techniques in Substance Painter and Marmoset. (If you're new to 3D modelling, check out our collection of the best 3D modelling software to get you started). 

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Satoshi Arakawa

Satoshi Arakawa has been a character artist in the industry for over 15 years. He enjoys various forms of character art, from high-fidelity realistic, to low- poly stylised.

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