Applying skin detail using NoiseMaker, brushes, and Alphas

In this section, you will learn about various tools and methods for creating skin detail for the head that you sculpted in Chapter 11. These details will be the finishing touch that gives your sculpture an extra layer of complexity and adds the kind of realism that is needed in many CG jobs.

Projecting 3D scan details

With the increasing availability, quantity, and quality of 3D head scans, many artists implement them in their workflow, as they are a powerful tool for creating photo-realistic humans. Since these scans capture the skin detail extremely accurately, the realism in the detail is near perfect. As the detail does not have to be sculpted, or manually applied, but can simply be projected on a surface, it is much faster to apply and does not require too much skill.

Scanned skin details can be bought as texture files, which can then be applied in various ways, but an easier way, which is increasingly popular...