What sculpting tools and brushes can you use to create stunning 3D graphics?

1 Basic sculpting tools

The basic sculpting tools are the ones that allow you to manipulate the shape and volume of your 3D mesh. They usually include the move, grab, inflate, deflate, smooth, and pinch tools. You can use these tools to adjust the proportions, contours, and silhouette of your model. For example, you can use the move tool to pull out the nose or ears of a character, the inflate tool to add volume to the muscles or fat, the deflate tool to create indentations or wrinkles, the smooth tool to even out the surface, and the pinch tool to create sharp edges or creases.

2 Standard brushes

The standard brushes are the ones that allow you to sculpt details and textures on your 3D mesh. They usually include the draw, clay, clay strips, scrape, crease, flatten, layer, and fill brushes. You can use these brushes to add or subtract material, create bumps or cavities, define edges or planes, and build up layers or fill holes. For example, you can use the draw brush to sculpt facial features or veins, the clay brush to add mass or volume, the clay strips brush to create strokes or ridges, the scrape brush to carve out or polish the surface, the crease brush to make folds or seams, the flatten brush to level or smooth the surface, the layer brush to add or subtract thickness, and the fill brush to close gaps or fix holes.

3 Custom brushes

The custom brushes are the ones that allow you to sculpt with more variety and creativity. They usually include the mask, stencil, texture, curve, and alpha brushes. You can use these brushes to apply different effects, patterns, images, shapes, and masks to your 3D mesh. For example, you can use the mask brush to isolate or protect parts of your model, the stencil brush to project or imprint a stencil image onto your model, the texture brush to paint or sculpt with a texture image, the curve brush to draw or sculpt with a curve profile, and the alpha brush to sculpt with a custom alpha image.

4 Dynamic topology

Dynamic topology is a feature that allows you to sculpt with adaptive resolution. It means that the 3D mesh will automatically subdivide or simplify depending on the size and strength of your brush stroke. This way, you can sculpt with more flexibility and control, without worrying about the topology or polygon count of your model. You can use dynamic topology to sculpt fine details or large changes, and adjust the level of detail as you go.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?