Datasheet

■ Gesture, Form, and Proportion 5
Gestural rhythms can be difficult to spot on the fully lit figure. For this reason, in
Chapter 2 you’ll learn how to turn off surface shading in ZBrush and look just at the sil-
houette of the figure (Figure 1.8). When you look at the figure in outline, the gesture and
rhythm comes into easier focus. By removing the distraction of interior forms, you can
address the silhouette. This has a vast impact on the effectiveness of the rest of the figure.
Form
Form is the external shape of an object. Form is represented by light and shadow and the
gradients between. There is a hierarchy of form:
1. Primary form
2. Secondary form
3. Tertiary form
Throughout this book as we address different parts of the body, we will break com-
plex shapes down into their simpler parts. By dissecting them into basic forms we render
them easier to understand and reproduce. For example, let’s look ahead to the rib cage. By
breaking it down into a simple egg and slicing off planes, we come to the more subtle com-
plex form of the rib cage (Figure 1.9).
This approach allows us to recognize and address changes in planes and nuances in
form that we might otherwise overlook when trying to sculpt a finely detailed rib cage from
the start.
Figure 1.7 Curves in a skeleton leg and
a fleshed leg in silhouette
Figure 1.8 The whole figure in silhouette, shaded
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