Look How You Can Create Darth Maul with Unreal Engine 5 and ZBrush

Introduction

Hello everyone, my name is Jordi Ros, and I am, or aspire to be, a Character Artist in the video game industry. My passion for 3D began after completing some higher education, where I learned a bit of Photoshop and video editing. Afterward, I enrolled in a 3D Studio Max course in Barcelona, and that's where my passion for character design began. So, I spent some time looking for ways to improve those skills until I found a master's program in character creation at a school in Spain called Animum 3D School.

Currently, I don't have experience in the industry yet. I've been working in a warehouse all my life, so I usually wake up around 4 or 5 in the morning to do 3D before heading to work. This helps me improve my skills, search for tutorials on the internet, and seek feedback from friends who are working in video game studios, among other things.

Starting the Darth Maul Project

The idea of creating Darth Maul came to me because I'm a big fan of Star Wars, and I wanted a project to focus on creating clothing and learning Marvelous Designer, a software I had never used before. Therefore, I decided to recreate the fight scene between Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Maul on Tatooine from the film "The Phantom Menace." I started with Maul as he is my favorite character from the entire saga.

To ensure accuracy, I extensively searched the internet for references on Darth Maul and also studied Ray Park, the actor behind the character. Additionally, I found inspiration from various 3D models on platforms like ArtStation. To organize and work with these references, I relied on a tool called PureRef, which proved to be extremely helpful throughout the process.

Creating the Head and Face

To create the face, I focused on searching for photos of the character and the actor from the year 1999, which is when the movie was made. However, finding images of the relatively unknown actor from that time was challenging, and the available images were of low quality. Nevertheless, I persevered and approached the likeness as closely as possible, knowing that the painting texture would enhance the resemblance.

During the process, I primarily used ZBrush for sculpting and incorporated a Texture Map from texturesXYZ to add skin detail. To achieve this, I used ZWrap to separate the red, green, and blue channels with the accompanying Displacement Map from textureXYZ. This allowed for different skin details on each channel. Additionally, I utilized Photoshop in this workflow.

For the baking process, I utilized Marmoset Toolbag, except for the Normal Map. It is worth mentioning that if the Normal Map is directly exported from ZBrush, it tends to have a higher intensity compared to the result obtained from a bake. Subsequently, in Substance 3D Painter, I painted the face and added additional skin details, such as wear zones around the eyes and lips.

For the eyes, I used a mesh that I had previously created for other artworks. I usually use the same mesh and only make changes to the color using Substance 3D Painter or Photoshop. However, when I imported everything into Unreal Engine (which was my first time doing so), I realized that creating an eye shader was quite complex. If you don't have advanced experience in shader creation, it is recommended to use metahuman eyes, which come with numerous parameters that can be adjusted. Therefore, I opted for using metahuman eyes in this case.

As for the horns, it was the easiest part. I sculpted them in ZBrush, referring to cosplays and 3D models for guidance. When it came to texturing, the key aspect was creating different layers of color and variations in roughness.

The Working Process on the Character's Outfit and Lightsaber

The first thing I did during this project was to make both lightsabers because it was the easiest part, and for that, I used Blender to create the high-poly and low-poly versions. For texturing, as always, I used Substance 3D Painter, and the bake was done in Marmoset Toolbag.

For the cloth, I imported a base mesh of a full body that I found on the internet. Good sources for such base meshes can be found at FlippedNormals. However, for the final character, I did not require a full body, as only certain parts would be visible.

For the clothing, I spent a couple of months learning Marvelous Designer because I had never used it before. FlippedNormals has good courses on getting started with Marvelous Designer, including more advanced ones. Once I felt comfortable with this software, I began looking for patterns on how to make Darth Maul's robe. However, none of the available patterns satisfied me, so I decided to model it based on the references I had from the movies and some cosplays. I continued refining it until I achieved the desired result.

For the details on the clothing, I used ZBrush, the standard brush to add some extra wrinkles, and the smooth brush to soften areas where I didn't want as many wrinkles. For the boots and gloves, I employed a combination of ZBrush and Blender. This allowed me to create the hard surface parts, such as the buckles, using Blender's capabilities alongside ZBrush.

Retopologizing the Project and Unwrapping Everything for Texturing

Speaking of the retopology, I had always worked with 3ds Max but since I tried Blender, I never went back to using 3ds Max again. So, I had to look into how retopology was done in Blender. 

For the clothing, I used the default retopology tool in Marvelous Designer. Afterward, in Blender, I made some modifications to ensure that the topology aligned with the direction of the wrinkles present in the clothing. You can find helpful resources here and a tutorial below.

For the face, I used a pre-existing mesh with already good topology and UVs to save time, rather than starting from a sphere. However, it is essential to check the UVs beforehand, as there might be some stretching present, particularly under the nose area. I recommend reviewing and adjusting the UVs if necessary. In the video below you can find a free download of the base mesh that I used for creating human faces, along with valuable tips for achieving a likeness.

Texturing the Character

With regards to the face, the Colormap that comes with textureXYZ served as a base for me, and then I painted/tattooed on top of it. I'm not an expert but what always works for me when it comes to creating skin is introducing a lot of color variations based on references, even if they are very subtle. After that, I applied some wear on the edges to the reds and blacks, similar to what happens with tattoos. The most part of it was painted by hand, which gives me more control.

For the roughness of the face, my process involved exporting the Colormap and re-importing it into Substance 3D Painter. However, this time I desaturated the Colormap. Then, I duplicated this layer with levels and applied a black mask to emphasize the areas that have a higher shine on the skin, such as the lips, nose, and eyes. As for the eyes, as mentioned previously, I used the Megascans eyes shader from Epic's library, which I integrated into the project.

When it comes to clothing and leather, I typically rely on materials available in Substance 3D Painter, Substance's Sources, or Megascans. I experiment with different options to determine which yields the best results. One tip that often works well for me, especially when dealing with black clothing, is to introduce three types of color variation – a mid-tone, a light tone, and a dark tone – and adjust their values accordingly. The same approach can be applied to leather materials.

A tip that applies to any project is to ask for feedback from family, partners, friends, forums, etc. It doesn't matter if they know 3D or not, chances are they'll notice things you might overlook since you've been looking at your work all day. Small details might escape your notice. There's a Discord group called Experience Points that is very useful for this purpose.  

Rendering

For this project, I wanted to use Unreal Engine 5, which took me a bit more time because I had to learn how it worked. Reading articles on this website, 80 Level, I found an interview with another character artist who shared a good tutorial on how to create a skin shader, so I decided to try it out. The course is by Nick Rutlinh.

For the lighting, I haven't done anything complicated. The basic three-point lighting (Key light, Fill light, and Rim light) has worked quite well for me, and I created two types of backgrounds to help emphasize the character. And add some extra point light to dark parts.

The background was made in Blender, using 2 planes to make the floor and the wall, and some cylinders with an emissive material, nothing complicated.

The only thing I've done in post-production is apply a Gaussian blur to the background, a bit of brightness and contrast to the image, and a very subtle high-pass filter to the character. I'm not a big fan of post-production, if your project is good, I don't think you need it.

I don't think there are tricks when it comes to creating a realistic character; everything, down to the last detail, is important, from sculpting and texturing to shader creation. The latter only applies if you're using a game engine like Unreal Engine, but the model should look good in any rendering program.

A tip that has worked for me with this character, and also with others, is to pose the character, even if it's not very complex. It adds personality, especially the character's gaze, which can make a radical difference.

Final Words and Pieces of Advice

I'm not sure about the exact time it took because I've been working on Qui-Gon Jinn at the same time (I just need to do the face and hair), as well as dedicating time to learning Marvelous Designer and Unreal Engine. It may have taken around 2 months to complete Darth Maul.

One of the most challenging and time-consuming aspects for me was working on the cloth, especially when it came to texturing. I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for the continuous support of my friends and family, as their encouragement has motivated me to push my skills every day.

The best advice I can offer is to never give up and continue working on and improving your personal projects. Alternatively, consider taking online courses to enhance your skills. In the realm of 3D art, I often see a lack of consistency and motivation. Many people complete their studies and, when they don't immediately find a job, they become discouraged and abandon their efforts. I urge you not to fall into that trap - persevere and stay dedicated to your craft.

Jordi Ros Torrents, 3D Character Artist

Interview conducted by Theodore McKenzie