SCULPTING SOFTWARE

The first step in the transition from traditional to digital is choosing the software. I have worked commercially as a sculptor for over a decade now and always kept a keen eye on the development of computer based art, but the process of orthographic views, polygons and NURBS (in apps such as 3Ds-Max and Maya) always seemed a world away from the hands-on process of working in wax.
There are now several applications that deal with surface modelling these include: ZBrush, Mudbox, Modo and Silo. It is up to you which package you choose to begin with. I have chosen to begin with Zbrush, it was the first software to get me excited watching the 'Angler Fish' demo by Pixolator, that came out with the release of ZBrush 2.0 back in 2005. You can view this movie here: http://www.zbrushcentral.com/zbc/showthread.php?t=3193
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This was such an eye opener that it prompted me to start saving up some cash to purchase all the hardware and software (including a Wacom tablet and a powerful new computer that could actually run the software comfortably).
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Two years later (Hey, I been busy ok) I have finally set myself up to learn the digital tools and make the transition. Last week I finally sat down in front of my system and had my first play with digital clay. Here are my results:

The four heads are all tweaked variations of the same sculpt which I worked out from a single Polysphere. No reference was used, this was just a quick exercise to get to grips with the interface and check out the tools available.

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The speed of the modelling was an astonishing experience. A similar head made in clay or modelling wax would have taken much longer to get to this stage of a block in. Using only the basics of ZBrush my results have fired a passion to pursue and realise the full potential of this digital sculpting tool.