Intro to ZBrush Hard Surface by Mario Matteo

A practical, step-by-step class on building hard-surface models in ZBrush using ZModeler. You’ll start with the UI and basic brushes, then work through a complete project—a sword—to learn primary forms, retopology, and detailing. No fluff, just a clear pipeline from start to finish.

🎯 What you’ll learn

• Navigate the ZBrush UI and use basic brushes
• Create strong primary and secondary forms
• Perform clean retopology on rough sculpts
• Use alphas and IMM Brushes for details
• Build a polished, portfolio-ready hard-surface model

✅ Requirements

• Skills: Basic understanding of 3D space
• Tools: ZBrush, a 3-button mouse
• Hardware: Minimum 16GB RAM, dedicated GPU

📝 Description

This isn’t a theory-heavy lecture. It’s a hands-on class where you build a hard-surface sword from scratch. Mario Matteo walks you through every step in real-time, explaining why he makes each decision.

You’ll start by getting comfortable with the ZBrush UI and core tools like brushes, polygroups, and masking. Then, you jump straight into modeling with ZModeler. The focus is on practical workflow: how to think about primary forms first, then clean retopology, and finally secondary details.

The course is structured in three weekly modules, each building on the last. By the end, you’ll have a polished model and a repeatable process for any hard-surface project. You also get custom kitbash parts, alphas, and IMM brushes used in the final model.

🧑‍🎓 Who this course is for

• Beginners who want a structured introduction to ZBrush hard-surface modeling
• Intermediate users looking to improve their retopology and detailing workflow
• Artists who prefer a project-based, step-by-step learning approach

🧑‍🏫 About the Author

Mario Matteo is a professional 3D artist and the founder of Elementza. He specializes in hard-surface modeling and design, with years of experience creating assets for the entertainment industry. His teaching style is direct and practical, focusing on real-world workflows.

🏁 Final Result

• A complete, polished hard-surface sword model with clean topology and strong forms, ready for your portfolio.