Breakdown: Recreating Hypnos From Hades With ZBrush & Marmoset

Introduction

Hi! My name is Anna. I’m a 3D Artist, and I’ve been working in the gaming industry for about three years. Most of my experience is related to creating stylized characters. My path into 3D wasn’t exactly clear, as I’m mostly self-taught. You could say it was a mix of curiosity, passion, and some random circumstances that led me to this industry. In any case, I’m happy with how things are turning out, and with each day, I’m falling more and more in love with 3D and games.

Let’s Get Started: About The Hypnos Project

The creation of Hypnos was inspired by the game Hades, which I keep coming back to, and I was captivated by its visual style. At the time I returned to the game, Olya Anufrieva announced a SculptFrame challenge based on Hades. I simply couldn’t pass up the opportunity to participate. Out of all the characters, I chose Hypnos, and I remember how, when I first encountered him in the game, he caught my attention. His charisma and sarcastic remarks, combined with his half-asleep look, really won me over.

Before starting work on any project, I gather a reference board, which I keep adding to with any additional information I need as I go along. However, for this project, my reference board was unusually small. I really liked how the artist depicted him in the fan art illustration, which inspired me to add a bit more of my own personal touch. In technical terms, for this project, I wanted to work “lazily but beautifully,” not getting hung up on the pipeline or its correctness but focusing purely on the final image.

Sculpting

I prefer to start working in the A-pose until I finish the basic elements, as symmetry simplifies the process. I block out the model at a low-poly level, then move on to refining the shapes and geometry. For the Hypnos project, I created the hair using DynaMesh, started the body with a PolySphere, and modeled the rest using ZModeler, increasing the SDiv as I went.

The clothing and accessories were modeled using Polygroups. To create the patterns on the blanket and belt, I used several tools: Surface/MaskByNoise, Dynamic/Inflate/RunSimulation, and Deformation/Inflate/Contrast.

The pose in this project isn’t particularly complex, so I decided to leave it for the very end, after all the elements were done and after poly-painting. In any case, some adjustments after posing are inevitable. I used Transform Type and Transpose for posing.

For the final sculpting, to create the contour lines and make them uneven and lively, I used Flip Geometry instead of an outline render. After duplicating each SubTool, lowering its SDiv to a medium level, applying Flip, and using Deformation/Inflate with a negative value, I achieved the desired result.

Texturing

All textures were painted in ZBrush using the Standard Paint brush with a negative Focal value. I used several layers: a base layer, a halftone layer, a shadow layer, and a layer for highlights and lines. I wanted to convey shapes and wrinkles in the textures. All shadows and halftones were created by adjusting the tone of the base color and shifting the hue slightly. For me, it was important not to overload the model with black, so I mainly used it for the metal and fine, accent lines.

At the end of the texturing process, I used Adjust Color for color correction. My version is more saturated than the original, and I initially selected the colors by eye, rather than picking them directly from the original with the Pick Color tool.

Render

My goal was to maintain the cel shading style of Hades without losing the 3D model in the process. So, I decided to add volume using materials to allow the model to be showcased from different angles and under different lighting conditions without losing its impact. I used the NPRShade material, which is standard in ZBrush. To add volume, I used Specular not as a highlight but as light. Since Hypnos is a god-like character, I added a glowing effect and softified the contour lines with Flip Geometry, using the Wax Modifiers for this effect.

The renders and turntable in Marmoset were created following the same principles. I used Marmoset 3, as it has a free Cel Shader by Lee Devonald.

I turned off the sky and used a single light source. There was also a slight correction in post effects.

Conclusion

The entire project took two weeks. During my free time, I could sometimes work for four hours without a break, and on other days, I didn’t open the project at all. For me, it’s important to be able to step back and take a break from the project, as it helps me see it from a different perspective. When I’m not looking at it or thinking about it, the project benefits from it. I believe in the ability to relax and trust myself and my inner experience, which isn’t always easy to put into words. It’s just as important a part of the process as passion and hard work. Sometimes, less really is more.

Anna Katz, 3D Character Artist

Interview conducted by Gloria Levine