Grooming Of Pug In Houdini by Gerard Pasqual Gill

Learn to create a semi-realistic pug groom in Houdini using Hairgen. FX Artist Gerard Pasqual from MPC walks you through the entire process, from setting up the model and creating guides to masking, random hair, and final shading. This workshop is packed with practical tips for anyone looking to improve their grooming workflow.

🎯 What you’ll learn

• Set up a model for grooming by creating proper groups
• Manually create and refine guide hairs
• Use Hairgen to generate and control fur
• Create different masks for targeted grooming
• Shade, light, and render the final pug groom

✅ Requirements

• Skills: Basic understanding of Houdini’s interface and 3D grooming concepts
• Tools: 3-button mouse
• Hardware: Minimum 16GB RAM, dedicated GPU

📝 Description

This workshop is built around a single, focused goal: grooming a semi-realistic pug. Gerard starts by showing you how to prep your model, making sure the geometry is ready for guides. You’ll then move into manual guide creation, learning how to place and shape hair to match the pug’s unique coat.

From there, you’ll jump into Hairgen to generate the bulk fur, and then refine it with random hair and specific masks for the eyebrows and moustache. The final part covers shading and rendering, so you can present your groom in a polished, portfolio-ready state. The workflow is compatible with Houdini 17.0, 17.5, and 18.0.

🧑‍🎓 Who this course is for

• 3D artists looking to learn a complete grooming pipeline in Houdini
• FX artists wanting to improve their fur and hair techniques
• Anyone interested in creating realistic animal grooms for film or games

🧑‍🏫 About the Author

Gerard Pasqual Gill is an FX Artist at MPC, with experience in creating high-quality grooming for feature films. His work focuses on realistic fur and hair setups, and he brings that industry knowledge directly into this workshop.

🏁 Final Result

• A fully groomed, shaded, and rendered semi-realistic pug model ready for your portfolio