Sci-Fi Design 01 by Rafael Grassetti

A 4+ hour workshop where Raf Grassetti walks you through his entire process for creating a sci-fi character in ZBrush. No fluff, just a straight-up look at how a pro starts, builds, and finishes a project. You’ll see reference gathering, blockout, design refinement, cleanup, texturing, rendering in ZBrush, and the final polish in Photoshop. Plus, over 60 industry questions answered along the way.

🎯 What you’ll learn

• Full character creation pipeline from concept to final render
• How to gather and use references effectively
• Blocking out and refining a design in ZBrush
• Techniques for speeding up your sculpting workflow
• Rendering in ZBrush and final compositing in Photoshop

✅ Requirements

• Skills: Basic knowledge of ZBrush interface and navigation
• Tools: A 3-button mouse and a drawing tablet
• Hardware: A computer capable of running ZBrush smoothly

📝 Description

This isn’t a “learn ZBrush from zero” course. It’s a practical, no-nonsense workshop where Raf shows you exactly how he approaches a sci-fi character project. You’ll see his thought process from the very first reference image to the final polished render.

The course is split into two days of live demonstration, edited down for easy viewing. You get timestamped notes so you can jump straight to the part you need. Raf covers his blockout techniques, how to refine forms, and the tricks he uses to keep his workflow fast and efficient. He also dives into texturing and rendering inside ZBrush, then moves to Photoshop for the final comp.

Beyond the technical stuff, Raf answers over 60 questions about the industry, portfolio building, and what it takes to work as a character artist. It’s a rare chance to get direct insight from someone who’s worked on major projects.

🧑‍🎓 Who this course is for

• Intermediate ZBrush users who want to see a professional’s full pipeline
• Character artists looking to improve their sci-fi design skills
• Anyone interested in the business side of being a 3D artist

🧑‍🏫 About the Author

Rafael Grassetti is a renowned character designer and sculptor, best known for his work on the God of War reboot series at Sony Santa Monica Studio. He has also contributed to major films and games, and is a highly respected figure in the ZBrush community. His online store and tutorials are a go-to resource for aspiring character artists.

🏁 Final Result

• A fully realized sci-fi character bust, from blockout to final rendered image, ready for your portfolio.

📢 Guys, this is a Group Buy campaign, check the GBC forum thread to get access

You can find the course preview in the download section below.