Essential ZBrush Brushes
The small set of brushes most sculptors use
Also known as: ZBrush best brushes · ZBrush Clay Buildup · ZBrush Dam Standard · ZBrush hPolish · ZBrush TrimDynamic · ZBrush Move brush · ZBrush ClayTubes
Definition
Most ZBrush work uses a small set of brushes. Move changes large shapes, Clay Buildup and ClayTubes add and build up volume, Standard and Inflate add or push surfaces, DamStandard cuts creases and lines, hPolish and TrimDynamic flatten and clean hard surfaces, Pinch sharpens edges, and Smooth softens. Learning these few brushes well, with the right Draw Size and Intensity, is more useful than collecting dozens of custom ones.
In production
Block out with Move and Clay Buildup at low subdivision, refine shapes with Standard and Smooth, then add details with DamStandard and Pinch. Hold Shift for the smooth brush on the fly, and use Alt for the opposite action. Change Draw Size with S and Intensity with U. For hard-surface work, hPolish and TrimDynamic keep planes clean, and ZModeler handles precise forms.
Learn Essential ZBrush Brushes in
Tools that use Essential ZBrush Brushes
See also
DynaMesh
ZBrush dynamic re-meshing
Subdivision Surface
Smooth mesh from a low-poly cage
Hard Surface
Mechanical, geometric subject matter
ZModeler
Polygon modeling brush in ZBrush
ZBrush Not Sculpting
Strokes do nothing on the model
Polygroups
Colored face groups used for selection and control
Sculpt Looks Lumpy or Mushy
Soft, noisy forms without clear planes