Adding Surface Noise in ZBrush

Adding surface noise to a model can create a stone like texture as shown in the above picture. This texture can be very useful and helpful to learn when sculpting anything involving stone. Below I will go through the basics of adding of surface noise to create a crumbling stone texture to the model to make it look more realistic. Surface noise is added to the entire model and works like an alpha. If you do not want the surface noise to effect the entire model you need to mask out were you DO NOT want surface noise.

To start adding surface noise to your model, search the scrolling sidebar for the surface tab. Click the Noise tab to open the window below.

What I needed for the crumbling texture could easily be done by just moving the Noise Scale slider up a lot. You can, however, experiment with the Strength and Noise Curve to get different results.  When you've gotten to look the way you want it, press OK and the noise will APPEAR on the model. Once this is done the noise is still not technically applied to the model and can still be edited if needed. To APPLY the noise to the model you have to click the Apply to Mesh tab shown below.

Something to note, if the noise you apply does not show up on your model or shows up very soft it means you need to raise the poly count as there are not enough polygons to show all the detail.

Final Comparison

(The final image also has cracked stone alphas added for minor detail)

Another way surface noise can be used to add detail to a model is to use it with an alpha. Opening up the Surface tab and clicking Noise to bring up the same screen as before, instead of moving the Noise Scale slider, click on the Alpha On/Off tab in the lower left corner of the box. See image below.

Clicking the tab opens up your files allowing you to add an image to work as an alpha all over the model. I was adding detail to a shirt so I loaded an shirt texture image. Now that you are working with an alpha you do not need to move the noise scale slider. Instead focus on the Alpha Scale slider; with changes the alpha's size, the Strength slider; with decides how strong or soft the alpha is, and the Mix Basic Slider which focuses the contrasts in the image, the black standing out and the white digging in as an example. Like the explained previously when you are done click OK and apply it to the model. Below is an example of the before and after adding the clothing texture alphas to the character with surface noise.

 The detail is minimal but definitely adds to the model. Included are the images used to create the Texture on the model.

Hopefully through this example of ZBrush surface noise, the tool is also called the Noise Maker, you've learned how to add believable stone texture to your model. And also saw how adding a texture image to the noise maker can evenly spread an alpha over the the entire model. The shirt texture was just an example and this way can also be used to add scales, patterns, and etc. a models evenly. Surface noise is a simple tool to learn in ZBrush that can be quite useful to add detail.

Compare and Contrast

In my recreation of “Portrait of Lydia Delectorskaya” I wished to create depth in the portrait of the woman as well as add complexity that I felt the original lacked. I stood by my statement and kept the two element of the original piece I found to be interesting, that being the colors and black outline. The easiest to notice similarity between the two would be the similar color scheme, though they are not exact. The black outlines are present in both, but in the new painting the outlines are used throughout the hair more and creates a spiral pattern. The new painting has depth added with the use of shading and re-purpose of abstract shapes from the original. I used the blue on the side of the original portrait as a way of shading on the new painting. Other depth is added with shading and highlights throughout the portrait in the new painting. Colors are spread out more evenly and connect the blue contrast of the face to the green hair and the character to the background with red added to the body.

Work In Progress...

The first set of sketches for the drawing redo added more detail to the face and hair with 4 option that I could do as well as two medium options I tried for the final. Explained more below:

My PrePro sketches show four options for the final face and hair as well as two option for the medium (Colored pencil and oil pastels).

The top left (first one) is smoother in line work and has an overall rounder shape to it and light colored pencil is used to color it. The top right (Second one) is closer to the abstract part of the original painting with a more detail put into the hair. The bottom left (Third one) is closer to the original’s hair just smoothed out some but has a more detailed face design and this one is colored in oil pastels. The bottom right (Forth one) is drawn for look more realistic in the hair with a sharp styled face design.

However, looking at the colored concept there wasn’t much interest added to the design along the lines of the use of the color. Because I believe that the blue on half the characters face was meant to be shading I used it as such but with more realistic shading over the full face.  Below is a work in progress of the final with this idea:

General shading and highlighting still needs to be added as well as the final black outline.

Objective Critique

The “Portrait of Lydia Delectorskaya” by Henri Matisse is outlined by a somewhat thick black line round the character of the portrait and a thinner outline separating the colored shapes that make up the women. The face is also outlined but not around colored shapes like the rest of the portrait. Colored shapes make up the different parts of the head and body and give the painting an abstract look. The colors used are unnatural and contrast from the background. The colors of the women are cold with blues and greens while the background is warm as a red-orange color. The large yellow-green of the face adds dominance to the painting as it is the only bright color in the painting and, in the center of the painting, stands out and catches the eye. The use of black lines through out the piece allows the colored shapes to stand out. There is also a line created in the center of the painting by the contrasting change of the two greens of the hair followed down to the contrast of the yellow-green and blue colored shape on the face and followed down more to the black outline of the neck. This creates a split in the painting leading the eye down and round the painting following the other bold black lines.

Subjective Critique

When I first found the painting “Portrait of Lydia Delectorskaya” I felt that it was boring and unappealing. Why I felt this way about the painting can be explained in a couple reasons. One reason being the sloppy looking outline around the character of the painting and the line that makes up the face. The line around the character varies in thickness and looks smeared in some places. The outlines that make up the face just look uninteresting as well. Another thing that stood out t be was the look of the paint and brush strokes. The brush strokes are very visible in the paint, but the storks don’t follow any pattern and just look unappealing. There is also inconsistency in the shade of the paint with some spots appearing darker and lighter randomly. Finally the lack of depth in the painting just left it looking simple and boring. The blue half of the face appears to be like an attempt to add shading and maybe depth to the painting but it just leaves it looking out of place. Thinking of a way to redo the painting I would first add depth to the portrait with shading and highlights. The colors and brush strokes look unappealing on the original painting but I would want to still use the colors and the black outline of the original. I find them to be interesting parts of the painting and would want to re-use them. I also think that smoothing out the angular shape of the character and adding more complexity to the face and hair could make it more interesting.

Image and Basic Information

Name: Portrait of Lydia Delectorskaya

Artist: Henri Matisse

Painted: 1947

Medium: Oil on canvas