Update: this course has been discontinued so that we may redo it with better workflows and new tools. The new version is in development and will be released soon as it’s ready.
Hello and welcome to this character modeling tutorial on creating the female body in Blender!
This character modeling tutorial series for Blender 2.6, Jonathan Williamson takes you through the entire process of modeling a detailed, female body with clean topology that will deform and animate well. This tutorial puts a strong emphasis on topology and anatomy, making use of photo references from 3d.sk
What you’ll learn
Throughout this tutorial series Jonathan will walk you through all the steps necessary to construct the entire model, piece by piece with clean topology using the Edge by Edge modeling method. This method gives you very good control over your topology by laying down the topology first and then filling in the surfaces.
Part 12 of this character modeling series takes you through the initial stages of modeling the hand by setting up all the topology and creating the basic shapes.
Up next
Once the modeling is complete in this series we will move onto texturing the final model.
Reference Images were purchased and licensed from 3D.sk. To learn more about 3D.Sk please visit them today.
Can’t wait for the texture tutorial! Thanks a lot!
At least another tutorial in april
Lucky me in march there was a lot to watch 
will this character make a good game characeter?
No but it could be adapted for a game character, or used as a retopology base.
What would you suggest for adapting this? I was thinking turning down, or off, the mesh subdivision level would be a start. Or is it a problem with the topology itself?
Oh yes and a question for game characters are triangles as bad for game characters as they are for regular meshes, seeing as though the game engine automatically turns everything to triangeles, why not just model the whole thing in triangles?
This may me a dumb question but bear with me. When you see games like Mass Effect 3 are they using similar techniques to model their characters? The only reason I ask is because of the detail in ME3 characters look like the level of detail here.
Jeremy,
ME3 may be using slightly models with fewer polys and normal mapping to provide the illusion of the model having more polys than it actually has. Normal mapping can make quite a difference with the right rendering.
With more details, texture, clothing, and hair could it make a good game character
would it be good for film or is it just a base mesh for a film?
This figure would be a good base for a film character. Though you’d still have to be careful with your texturing, lighting and materials for rendering times.
Really loving these tutorials Jonathan. Quick question. Is there any chance that we will we be rigging and clothing her at the end of the modelling?
Wow. thanks Jonathan! This my very favorite Blender tutorial of all time
You are a one man tutorial machine
Thanks you, Jonathan for this continuation. It’s a excellent series.
Thanks Jonathan,
You know, this tutorial/series reminds me of the old parable about “Teach a man/woman to fish” & boy do you succeed in spades! Topology, Topology, Topology! You have certainly made a believer out of me. Can’t ever Thank You enough.
-OldMan44
This series with the topology overview has greatly sped up my learning curve on blender and in modeling in general. I don’t know what i would have done without these tutorials. Thank you and keep up the great work!
This is an incredible series! Thanks Jonathan.
Hey, awesome tutorial/series Jonathan but i got some questions about a game/film charactar.
1. can i use this model from this tutorial for a game or film?
1b. if not, why i cant use it for one of them?
2. how to creat a good character model for a film or a little game?
3. do you may have some links to creat a good model for game/film?
4. is there something like a “back button” in blender, if i do something wrong so i can just go back step for step?
PS. sorry for my english i hope its not to bad >.>
Mikan,
Question 4
Ctrl + z = undo
Shift + Ctrl + z = redo
If you go to user preferences and look at the input tab it will show you most of the combinations. User preferences is found on the File menu where you open, save, exit and so forth. I am using version 2.6+ Hope this helps.
Mikan,
To answer your third question there’s a tutorial series specifically for game character modeling. The low poly game character series in the shop here i’ve heard is really quite good. And i’m not completely sure but i believe the 2010 character training series can teach you how to model a character for a film. however i’m not sure if it teaches you how to animate the model or not.
To expand on this, both the Low Poly Character series and the 2010 series both cover rigging and animation. Thomas is right, the 2010 covers how to create a full character ready for film, while the Low Poly focusing specifically on game characters.
-Jonathan
thanks for the replay guys
hey, one more question
can i use this character as a test model for some first animation on a humen body or should i creat a new low poly chara?
i want to try some walking animation.
If you want to implement it into a java game, you need to export it as .obj
1st. no matter how fast your computer is but if you make a game i will be played in many pcs and i think its bad for game or awesome for next gen game.
Hi i’m totaly noob at organic modeling but i find out i think good wat yo model nails.
http://gorion.kliktoon.pl/370956285.jpg
http://gorion.kliktoon.pl/1976415437.jpg
Creating a nail is easy extroude down, extrodue up, extrodue. :d Sorry if I misspelled that.
hey, one more question
can i use this character as a test model for some first animation on a humen body or should i creat a new low poly chara?
i want to try some walking animation.
Sorry for doppel post…
Hi Mikan,
You most definitely could use this for a test animation!
Cheers,
Jonathan
Had a question as to what is considered low poly enough for basic games, which I know a lot of it has to do with what your particular processor can handle. It would be essentially awesome if someone could create a tutorial about baking normal/displacement/diffuse maps from high poly and applying them to the low poly retopo or even if shrink wrapping a low poly mesh around a high poly and applying maps can actually produce some form of workable results. Thanks sorry for the mouth full
this has been a brilliant series so far, i now have a model that look something approximating a female even though i am using sketches and low res images and have never used 3d software before.
my topology is a bit wierd in places,and odd lumps appear in random places but i’m happy with it.
one question though, my subsurface model went from being nice and smooth on the head and face to being quite blocky for the body is that an indication that i have something wierd hidden in my topology?
Hi Chris,
Could you post a screenshot of your model in question? It’s hard to say much about it without seeing the model. I’m glad you like the series
-Jonathan
its ok i figured it out. i hadnt realised that i needed to re-apply smooth shading to the model, done now and the model is looking good
This a great tutorial series. CG Cookie is the best place to be on the Internet. My wife disagrees, but whatever. Keep the tutorials coming. Any tips for a novice that is still trying to get the topological flow to work out properly? I guess practice practice practice is the best way.
Great tutorial. Your modeling is amazing. I tried to follow along with my first model and it looks good for my inexperienced technique. You’re a great teacher. Thank you.
where is part 13..
Not to be rude but he gave this series to us non-citizen members for free, so obviously he is going to do citizen tutorials and others before he does this one( he did 12 maybe he is a little sick of this series) thanks for making this incredible series free. And great job!
It’s coming, fret not
I’m working on a lot of series and so updates are taking a little longer than I’d like.
Well finally got caught up to the series for Modeling the Female Body. I have been able to use the principles for a male as well. GREAT JOB. Will you make this series available in a DVD to purchase as well?
Tim
hi im loving this series very much, i want to make a modle for sl and was wondering if there was any advice u could give me
How good do you think a computer should be to do this? Things like RAM, CPU, storage, graphics card… I don’t know the exact specs, but things like that.
Most recent systems will be sufficient. But personally I would recommend an i7 processor, 4+ GB of Ram, a 500+ GB HD, and an Nvidia GTX 500/600 series card.
hi, jonathan, i’ve been watching your videos since you had that other site (the adress escapes me now), and i enjoy them a lot! i’ve been following this series for a while now, doing a MALE character instead of female (which is quite tricky, but it’s working so far), and i was wondering… do you have an idea of when the next part is coming?
thanks a LOT!
PAULO
Jonathan,
Know you are a very busy man.
But, just have to say that I am sorry it never got completed. This topic has direct bearing on what I do for a living, so I am really interested.
Tutorials on turning pages of book, cartoon hippos – I can do without that stuff.
Dick
Hi Richard,
Don’t worry, it’s still going to be finished
I’ve just finished three large projects and so my focus is back on the tutorials for a while.
Thanks for your patience!
Cheers,
Jonathan
Thanks Jonathan.
I can see how busy you have been lately.
This tutorial and “Creating a Realistic Head” are my all-time favorite Blender tutorials – anywhere, anytime.
Dick
Signed up to say “great series”.
Count me among those looking forward to the rest. I don’t use Blender, but I find the concepts you explain easy to transfer over to 3DS Max. And I love the emphasis on topology.
I hope, too, you’ll lead into texturing.. or maybe even clothing.
The last year I tried to do this but it was too difficult.
Wow, I’m already at part 08 and I think I’ll catch you up in a couple of days.
Thanks, great series.
That’s great Miguel! Keep up the learning and keep practicing. It just gets easier and easier with better results
very nice chracter
Any ideal when the next part will be done?
Just thought I would check in and see if there is an ETA for the next section in this awesome series!
Also just checking for a likely ETA on the next part
where’s the rest of the video? it was getting to the best part I was all into it and is there another way for me to get these reference photos besides being a citizen & buying them from 3d.sk?
google for female reference images, they dont have to be the same, you juast follow the same principles.
part 13 ETA?
google for female reference images, they dont have to be the same, you just follow the same principles.
part 13 ETA?
I found some on DeviantArt – just go there and search ‘rotational model’ or mjranum_stock: you’ll find some nifty stuff without having to sift through all the badly-drawn porn.
Is there an ETA for the rest of the tutorial?
I’m still waitning for the next part ,you’ll say thad it will came .
If you gonna cancel it please tell me.
Check out this old hand tutorial. http://cgcookie.com/blender/2009/10/03/modeling-a-human-hand/ Nothing has really changed other than the knife tool behaves differently. If you are not sure about this, review the topology of the hand tutorial first and have at it. If nothing else, you can use a “hand me down”.
Thank you very much, the hand tutorial have really help me.
Now I can go on : )
I think that the nix part never will come, so I found on google ( YouTube ) something interesting.
Blenderella ( youtube name Sutrabla ), search on google en you will found the complete modeling workshop, it have really help me.
Any news for the 13th part?
The sort of modelling that is covered in this series is what I get paid to do. So, although this tutorial has apparently stalled out, I am very, very interested. A complete nude male figure next if the female one ever completes.
Get some sleep Jonathan, rest up and make some time to complete this important series!!!
-Dick
Any ETA on the next video? Anxiously waiting to continue this awesome series!!
Jonathan! Your followers earnestly await your next post!
Seriously, I was coming here to post and ask when the next video was up, but then I saw the thirty-eight other posts asking the same thing.
So instead I wanted to say: thanks for being so patient with we students who flock so readily when you release something, and thank you for this awesome series.
Oh, and thanks for all the other INCREDIBLE material you’ve put out for free for us. I will apply for my citizenship so that I might access other tutorials.
Excelent set of vids. I posted a question on the blender site now I am going to post it here. When rendering in Cycles my model looks great, but if I actualy press F12 the rendered image is very blocky around the edges. I have tried all the HD settings in the render properties but not much changes.
One more thing , I do not see an option to use CUDA or GPA, I only have Experimental and Supported in the Feature Set when using Cycles. I am using 2.64 If anyone has answers for this please let me know.
Only nvidia card have those settings. If you do have a nvidia card update your drivers
Is there going to be a tutorial #13? Or is there somewhere I can get a tutorial on feet?
Lan,
You asked so her it is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmuU1s5Z764 a link to a very good tutorial on the hand. If you look at my posted image at the top of this section you will see what the lesson can teach you .
Joe K
Ok I uploaded an image of the hand I created, looks fantastic but I don’t see it. Is there something I need to do to make it available for others to see?
Next ; I only made a left hand, can I duplicate it as right hand. Ive tried the mirror modifier but it just places the mirror on the original. Some help would be great, The hand looks absolutluy fantastic…..OH and one other thing,,,,It’s 100% quad.
You can choose an object to use as the mirror point.
-Alex
Thanks, what I did was move the origin, applied a mirror, saved, reopen then selected the right side and duplicated. I now a a file with the left and right hand meshes as seperate objects.
Currently working the feet using the same tecniquie as I did for the hands. I duplicated the top of the thum for the big toe and the top of the pinky for the rest. Of course they needed some adjusting but all in all the foot is looking real good. Should be done today.
Jonathan,
This is my quarterly appeal that this tutorial will somehow continue. Know you are busy, but hoping against hope!
NO! I’ve been working on this for a week! please Jonathan make the next part! i beg you please!!!!
Rich
I may not be Jonathan but I have submitted some images at the top of the hand I created. One is the base mesh. you can see how I eliminated the extra geometry at the wrist with dimonds. The nuckels were ripped excruded then scaled down. Finger nails done by excrusion. they work very well rigged.
I suggest that while doing your hands, that you turn your modifiers on and off regularly and turn off smooth now and then as well. This allows you to see the flow of your mesh. also hide anything you are not working on ,,, you have likely noticed that fingers get in the way of your view.
I’ll submit some more mesh images. In any event it still takes alot of tweaking with smooth verticies, and smooth in general
It´s a great series and I would like to see it continue as well. Would be lost without it.
How is this not completed yet? it is such an awesome series worth watching every single minute! This must be finish! D:
i don’t wanna seem ungrateful, but i’m getting pretty hacked off at the way this series has been left hanging. it’s been over a year now – how am i supposed to learn from courses if they’re not going to get finished? there’s tons of other stuff being put up, but given this was the course that made me subscribe in the first place, i have to say i’m pretty unimpressed now >:-/
He is remaking it better mate, he just announced a few days ago that he is working on a new series since this one is so outdated and uses depreciated methods.
Hi Killer Wolf,
As lando912 said, I announced a few days ago that I am discontinuing this series in order to do it better with a more updated workflow. I know the delay has been very frustrating and ultimately led to the demise of this series, as it made it very difficult to come back and finish it, what with so many updates to Blender and the general modeling workflow. However, I take full responsibility for not communicating this clearly enough and for leaving you all hanging for so long. That’s entirely my fault and I should have handled it better.
I hope you have a little more patience left to hold out for the new series (it’s going to be so much better!). In the mean time, I’ve added an additional three months to your subscription, making the new expiration date Oct 31st, 2013.
Cheers,
Jonathan
Jonathan, you’re a true gentleman. i hope you weren’t too offended at my complaints – but look at it this way : if i didn’t think the courses were so good i wouldn’t bother complaining about them not finishing etc!
i missed the announcement but i’m really looking forward to the new course, i’m trying to work through all your other excellent stuff but work commitments and several different projects on the go at once means time is very limited.
thanks again for your understanding.
cheers KW
Any idea when the new version coming out? I have the base mesh of the body, hand and feet finished. Would like to learn adding muscle detail to look more realistic. elbow knee neck shoulder armpit etc etc. THX !
I don’t have a timeline yet but I’m actively working on it
Right on Jonathan. That is good news! Come to San Francisco some day and I’ll buy you lunch.
I would like to chime in on this. As far as the knees, I rip the center loop, or the loop located where the center of the knee would be, then grab the rip on the Z, lower edge down, and upper edge up creating a hexagon opening in the mesh. Then I excurde and scale it down and fill the faces. From there you just tweek it into the shape of a knee.
Remember how a knee looks, very close to a triangle, mostly straight on the top then comming to a rounded point on the bottom. The hexagon works good.
hi Jonathan a little upset that the course is not complete but thats life.
Have learnt so much about topology and blender that i am eagerly awaiting for the new material.I will just look through all the tutorials and start another.
Thanks for all your time and effort.
Hi Robin,
Did you happen to see the announcement on Facebook and Twitter about this course? I still need to update the actual posts, but this series and the Citizen Car series are being discontinued so that I may redo them with more updated workflows and tools. I’ve already got both series in production and will be releasing them in the coming months all at one time.
Cheers,
Jonathan
thats really cool, i hadnt seen the anouncement previously, i hope your not going to take this one away just yet, though, i still use it as my goto guide!