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Animation & VFX · MS elective · 3 credit hours · 16 sessions

Organic / Character Modeling

This course focuses on the technical and artistic pipeline of creating production-ready 3D characters. Unlike digital sculpting (which is pure clay), this course emphasizes “Topology”—the specific arrangement of polygon edges required for characters to deform and animate correctly. Students will study anatomy, edge-flow strategies for faces and joints, and the full pipeline from block-out to textured, game-ready character.

§ 01 By the end you can
  1. Master the principles of "Edge Flow" for animation deformation
  2. Model gender-specific anatomy and clothing folds with accuracy
  3. Execute "Retopology" to convert high-res sculpts into clean low-poly meshes
  4. Create efficient UV maps for organic surfaces (minimizing distortion)
  5. Texture skin and organic materials using Subsurface Scattering (SSS) maps
§ 02 Sixteen sessions

The whole semester.

  1. 01Introduction to Character Pipelines
  2. 02Anatomy for Modelers: Proportions
  3. 03The Head: Eye & Mouth Loops
  4. 04The Torso: Muscle Flow & Deformation
  5. 05The Limbs: Joint Topology (Elbows/Knees)
  6. 06Modeling Hair: Cards vs. Particle Systems
  7. 07Facial Features: Nose & Ears
  8. 08 · MidtermMidterm Examination
  9. 09Modeling Hands & Feet: Topology puzzles
  10. 10Modeling Clothing: Folds & Tension
  11. 11Retopology: From Sculpt to Mesh
  12. 12UV Unwrapping Organic Forms
  13. 13Texturing Skin: Albedo & Roughness
  14. 14Eye Shading: Cornea & Iris
  15. 15Presentation: Lighting & Turntables
  16. 16Final Project: The Full Character Model

Midterm around session 8. Final project briefed at session 8 or 9 and developed in stages until the juries.

§ 03 Final project

Final Project: The Full Character Model

How it’s judged

Recommended reading
  1. Stop Staring: Facial Modeling and Animation Done Right by Jason Osipa
  2. Anatomy for 3D Artists by 3dtotal Publishing
  3. Digital Modeling by William Vaughan
  4. Edge Loop: The Art of Character Modeling (Online Resources/Polycount)
  5. ZBrush Character Creation: Advanced Digital Sculpting by Scott Spencer
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