Creating Realistic Fabric & Clothing for Games by Erika Lochs

Clothing and the art of crafting cloth materials are often overlooked aspects of character art, yet they are equally vital as studying human anatomy. Erika Lochs, a principal character artist with real-world experience in clothing design and a passion for historical attire, shares her extensive workflow in this 3-hour workshop. Focusing on creating a realistic Viking tunic with a hood, she delves deep into cloth theory, fibers, their creation, interaction, and potential damage.

Erika emphasizes the significance of having good references and demonstrates how attention to detail and storytelling can yield optimal results without overwhelming assets with alphas. Utilizing professional techniques, she applies the theory in Marvelous Designer, a software she finds most effective for results ready to be taken into ZBrush. Erika then showcases her ZBrush workflow for refining assets and adding intricate details such as asymmetry, folds, and damage.

As a bonus, Erika shares her texturing and rendering process using Substance Painter and Marmoset 4 to conclude this comprehensive workshop.

Included project files consist of Erika’s fabric samples, Marvelous Designer presets, gathered references, her Marvelous Designer file, and her ZBrush file, along with render setup details.