Digital Sculpting
Want to master one of the most important artistic innovations in the last 100 years from the comfort of your own home without sacrificing mentorship and personal attention?
Ryan Kingslien was an integral member of the team that built the core features of ZBrush including its brush system. He has developed courses and workflows for ILM, Ubisoft, EA, Activision, Disney, Treyarch, Blizzard, and almost every major film and game studio in the world.
Now he and the Vertex Mentor team are developing courses for you. Just choose the format that works for you below.
Jump To ProgramsGet Personal Attention & Mentorship Without Leaving Home
Live Classes
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Community
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Recordings
Your live classes are recorded for download and access later.
Digital Sculpting Is Not Just Software
The problem with most online and in-person digital sculpting training is that it teaches you how to push the buttons but not how to actually make something beautiful.
Digital sculpting is first and foremost… Sculpting!
That means you need to learn:
- How to simplify forms: A messy sculpture is the by-product of missing foundational skills. Good news is that they're easy to learn once you get focused.
- How to construct complex characters & forms: Once you're mastered simplifying forms you can leverage that skill to make complex models that would have seemed impossible to you before.
- The importance of convex vs concave form: A sculpture that feels alive comes from very specific elements that the sculptor has mastered. One of them is understanding the importance of convex forms that push outwards ever so slightly. Concavity is a sign of death. Convexity is a sign of vibrant life.
- How to "render" form: Classical sculpture since the time of Phidias in the 5th century BC has gifted us with a rich legacy of "rendering": the meticulous modeling of form to capture lifelike light and shadow on your sculpture.
- How to "imply" form: While Rodin was a master of 'rendering" form he helped us break away from the polished, idealized form of the classical era to a more dynamic, expressive approach to sculpture that left areas unfinished and invited the viewer into the sculpture more.
That's right, learning digital sculpture is...
Learning Digital Sculpting Is About Learning How To Sculpt
Yes, of course, you have to learn the software. You have to learn what buttons to push and what hardware to use. This is no different than sculpting with clay.
But once you’ve learned how to work with your material… what then?
- How do you start to create all the things inside your imagination... After all, it can be difficult enough to learn the software and the new hardware.
- How do you start to feel like you're in control instead of just getting lucky this time... Of course, we all have good days and bad days but mastery is about learning some measure of control.
Train The Software Between Your Ears
The key to mastering digital sculpting is to train the software between your ears: your brain.
Sculpture is an art and you are not on an assembly line.
Of course, you can learn through trial and error. You can spend a few more years and stumble upon all the lessons you need or…
Or... you can join me and the Vertex team with our battle tested pathway to mastering sculpting that has been shared with artists at major studios across the globe since the beginning.
I was after all the first sculpting teacher to spread the digital sculpting gospel and help studios, teams and artists world wide build tools and workflows that continue to be used today.
In fact, let me tell you a story about my first live teaching experience…
OK... so my first job when I joined Pixologic was to fly up to ILM and train their artists on ZBrush for Pirates Of The Caribbean Dead Man's Chest...
Huh? ILM! What?! I was nervous. A wreck really. I had only been on the job about three days by the time I had my first training session.
Thankfully the artists were amazing and very gracious as I stumbled and fought my way through live sculpting in front of the best artists on the planet...
... because that is what teaching ZBrush is... its sculpting live in front of folks.
The most important moment came from one of legendary artists whose largely considered the Michelangelo of creature design...
It was in the last class of the day and we were all tired and my sculpture demo was particularly bad...
... I was obviously embarrassed and apologized profusely. I mean I was sweating...
... but this wonderful Artist said something along the lines of, “No, man. This means that it is a real art. Not just software.”
And I was instantly... not sweating as much... still embarassed but his words & his kindness in that moment have lived with me every day since.
This is an Art and there is no magic button for making great art.
INTRODUCING
OUR NEW PROGRAM:
DIGITAL SCULPTING
IT'S NOT JUST THE SOFTWARE...
...IT’S BREAKTHROUGH TRAINING DESIGNED TO ...
... CUT THROUGH THE OVERWHELM AND PUT YOU ON THE FAST TRACK TO MASTERY.
- Share your passions with the world and build a freelance career out of it.
- Share your vision with the world and find a community of others like you.
- Get control over your sculpting processes - Free yourself from technical hurdles.
Escape the endless loop of good art-bad art-good art-bad art and create art that you are proud of.- Breakthrough and learn to see like a sculptor - empower your unique voice to create great art.
- Get and use the same training I designed for major studios around the world.
OUR PROGRAM IS A PROVEN SYSTEM THAT WALKS YOU STEP BY STEP THROUGH THE PROCESS OF MASTERING DIGITAL SCULPTING.
Join The Next Cohort Today!
Where Is Digital Sculpting Used?
Games
Films
Collectibles
Art
You Can Even Carve Marble With It
The possibilities are endless!
What Our Students Are Saying
Angela Jeong
With the knowledge I gained and portfolio I made at Vertex, I got hired into the game industry!
Prior to Vertex, I had very little software knowledge. Now I’m comfortable using Maya, Zbrush, Substance Designer, Painter, etc.
I really enjoy the community Vertex provides. People are always exchanging info and providing feedback - there is always someone willing to help you. I guarantee that if you are willing to push yourself, you will be able to get a lot out of the Game Arts Program.
With Vertex I felt that I was supported and part of the school community both during and after graduating.
I'm super grateful that I joined Vertex!
After Graduating from Vertex: Environment Artist at Liquid Development
Monica Bauer
Vertex forced me to develop a work ethic and by giving me the opportunity to talk to a variety of people within the industry, Vertex also gave me access to connections I had never thought possible. In fact, I still regularly stay in touch with my Vertex mentor a year after being his student.
While I’d like to say that many of my connections are the results of being incredibly lucky, I’d also like to think that it is important to set yourself into the position to be lucky. What I mean is that by taking initiative, you have a better chance of making lasting connections with others you admire.
After Graduating from Vertex: Environment Artist at Blizzard Entertainment
Lewis Hewison
I recently finished the Game Art Program at Vertex and got a job in the industry! I now work at Antimatter Games based in the UK. Prior to Vertex I studied illustration for 3 years and used 3D applications for all of my work - I was always drawn to concept art and still image but wanted a job in the game industry though I didn't know how to approach it or what to specialize in.
I started looking online at tutorials but felt very lost. I started searching around for online courses with mentorship from industry pros to further my knowledge - I checked out Cliton Crumpler's course, CGMA, Think Tank, etc. I was heavily drawn to Vertex due to their program's length, price and that it's split into character and environment. What Ryan has built is great and I couldn't recommend it more.
After Graduating from Vertex: Junior Environment Artist at Antimatter Games
Where Our Students Get Jobs
Our Mentors
At Vertex School we offer one-on-one and small-group mentorship from top artists working at places like Blizzard, CD PROJEKT RED, Naughty Dog, Fall Damage, and more.
Get industry-ready with personalized career training and mentorship from professional film and game artists.
Join The Next Cohort Today!
Do I need prior experience in digital sculpting?
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What if I need help during the course?