Ember Art Guild students drawing together

3D Character Art: Sculpt & Customize

March 2027 · Four-week studio

Turn a ready-made 3D character into a design of your own.

Tuition covers all four sessions. Classes are non-refundable.

Take your creativity into the 3rd dimension.

 

What if you could reach into a character and reshape it like digital clay? In this four-week introduction to 3D character art, students learn ZBrush for iPad by customizing a professionally prepared character model rather than starting from scratch. Students will learn how to navigate and sculpt in 3D while experimenting with hairstyles, costume shapes, accessories, facial features, and other creative changes that make the character their own. Because the underlying character is already built, students can focus on the fun part: sculpting, designing, experimenting, and discovering what 3D character artists actually do. No previous 3D experience is required.

  

What Students will Learn:

Navigating and viewing a 3D model; essential ZBrush sculpting tools; selecting and masking areas; moving and reshaping forms; adding and removing volume; working with simple layers/subtools; sculpting hair; modifying costume shapes; adding accessories and details; maintaining readable character forms; using reference; experimenting without destroying the base model; presenting a finished 3D character.

 

4-Week Project Arc:

Week 1: Meet Your Character: Learn to navigate ZBrush, understand the supplied character model, and experiment with a small set of essential sculpting tools. Make simple changes to proportions, shapes, and facial features while learning how digital clay behaves.
Week 2: Hair & Silhouette: Design a new hairstyle and explore how large shapes change the character's silhouette and personality. Focus on big, readable forms rather than tiny strands and details.
Week 3: Costume & Personality: Customize clothing, accessories, and selected character features. Use reference and simple design choices to push the character toward a particular personality, role, or theme.
Week 4: Final Character Makeover: Choose the strongest ideas, clean up distracting or accidental forms, add a controlled level of detail, and present the finished customized character from several angles.

 

Final Project:

A customized 3D character based on the supplied Ember model, featuring original hair, costume/accessory choices, and other student-designed modifications, presented from multiple angles.

 

Recommended Student / Fit:

Ages 13–18. Designed for artists curious about 3D character art, games, animation, or digital sculpting. No previous 3D modeling or ZBrush experience is required. Students should be comfortable using an iPad, but they do not need traditional sculpting experience.

 

Outcome:

Students receive an approachable first experience with professional 3D character-art tools without being overwhelmed by building a complete character from scratch. By the end of four weeks, they will understand the fundamentals of digital sculpting and leave with a personalized 3D character they can show friends and family.