Are you a 3D artist with a hunger to learn from the pros? Do you have an aim for photorealism in the creation of a human 3D model? Well then, you just might want to check this out, as the fine folks at Ballistic Publishing has done it in grand fashion with an exciting new series.

Creative Essence is the new series with the aim to bring together 6 - 10 CG professionals skilled in specific areas to a common goal within each title. The first in this series is The Face, wherein you learn just how to go about bringing a 3D character to life in respect to the human face, and the subject of this review.

Though this book is not an actual step-by-step tutorial, the stages of creation are covered quite thoroughly. It is designed to show you how the work is done in a team environment, just as in games and film. This is the vision for this series and it definitely hits the mark with The Face.

Contributing Artists

The book opens with the CG reference photography shoot of the model, Monika. Peter Levius, co-founder of the human photo reference site  3D.SK, presents the details of the shoot, with all the angles needed to transfer to the CG model.

From there, Hong Suck Suh, with game and movie credits ("Van Helsing" and "The Mask 2") to his name, creates the head model from the photo reference.

Paul Fedor, credited with work in Sony PS3 Cinematics, expounds on texturing.

3D artist Steven Stahlberg presents realistic human eye modeling, including a look at the anatomy of the human eye.

Matt Hartle, with film credits ("Van Helsing" and "Scorched") to his name, brings the subject of rendering.

Sprinkled throughout the aspects of modeling, texturing and rendering, Dr. Mark Snoswell, founder of Ballistic Media and president of the CG Society, shares his expertise in these areas.

Topics Covered

Within the general areas of modeling, texturing and rendering, the following are some of the topics presented:

UV mapping
Real-time map-making
Bump-mapping
Specular highlights
Sub-surface scattering
Lighting
Simulating make-up, tissue damage and even aging

Everything is presented in-depth, with plenty of indispensible tips along the way. This book really shows how even the smallest details can make all the difference in creating a photorealistic 3D head model. For example, Hong Suck Suh shows how a 'wetness' layer on the lower part of the eye can help add to the realistic goal.

Ballistic Publishing is the leading, award-winning, independent publisher of books for the digital arts industry. Dedicated to producing the highest quality publications celebrating the talents of digital artists worldwide, it is setting high standards in all areas of publishing from the quality of content, design and delivery to its responsiveness to the market. Ballistic Publishing shares a strong affiliation with the digital arts community through its sister organization The CGSociety (The Computer Graphics Society). Ballistic Publishing is based in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia, with offices in Melbourne (Victoria, Australia) and Tampa (Florida, USA).

Nick's Notes is a Renderosity Front Page column with Managing Editor, Nick C. Sorbin, providing reviews, interviews, and general commentary.