I am almost ready to save these out. There is another fern variant similar to the green one in the works, I subtly cropped it out of the image ;)

Flat color, mat gray, so shiny.

Oh my, there is this wonderful thing about being new to a skill, you make huge mistakes. My poly count was ridiculously high. Like...40 million polys on a single branch high. Why am I sharing this? Because you shouldn't do that. Don't do that. I've since been given more reasonable count guideline of between 50,000 and 250,000. I hope I never get to the point where I know everything, I also am glad I know this now. :D

Here's what I've been working on. More ZBrush sculpts. I'm trying hard to get things done in my vegetation class, the professionals and the teacher Jared Sobotta, in the class all say it is a highly demanding assignment ask. I've got to admit, going through a class with veteran modelers trying to learn more is a real asset to my experience. I'm exposed to possibilities I didn't even imagine...very much constantly feeling like the sorcerer's apprentice.

The banyan branches will be used in the canopy and down low as well. The Hawaiian Tree Fern is the latest sculpt in progress, I set that up today but that is not even the full frond yet. The piece you see, is a leaf tip, for a full size frond. O.o 

Thanks for reading. Don't make branches 40 million polys, and stay safe out there.

ZBrush needed a clean install today, lots of crashing and slow sculpting. I fortunately don't have many ZTools yet, because I deleted all of them by mistake. I ended up contacting ZBrush support for help optimizing performance, or at least figuring out what I was doing wrong.

On going through the report I see a glaring issue.  You have added a ton of brushes to your ZData\BrushPresets folder.

This is an absolute no-no.  You should never modify the contents of the ZData directory.  That directory contains the things that ZBrush absolutely requires in order to be able to function.  Any changes to it can destabilize the software.

Brushes should go in either:

ZStartup\BrushPresets
ZBrushes

Anything in the ZStartup directory will be loaded at launch.  Anything in ZBrushes will be added to LightBox so that they can be accessed when you need them without taking up system resources.

Also, the ZBrush UI was not designed to hold more than 25 of any given startup item.  Not only do startup items add resource overhead and reduce what's able to be used for sculpting, having more than 25 of any given item can lead to instability because the UI is being forced to adapt in ways that it's not meant to be.  So your ZStartup\BrushPresets folder should have no more than 25 brushes and those should be the brushes that you use constantly.  

I also don't recommend having punctuation and spaces in any subdirectory names.  You have a "BrushPresets - Copy Backup" folder that is containing all of those brushes that you've added to ZData.  So in addition to removing that folder it would be best to change its name.

I would like you to make backups of everything in your ZBrush folder that you wish to keep.  That includes the \ZData\BrushPresets - Copy Backup directory and any custom models in your ZProjects and ZTools folders.  Then I would like you to perform a clean installation. This is not the same thing as a regular uninstall/reinstall. It involves removing some files manually.

Please follow the instructions in this article: https://support.pixologic.com/article/454-how-to-do-a-full-reinstallation

Let us know if you need further assistance. (In which case we'd need a new Diagnostic Report.)  Otherwise, Happy ZBrushing!

So not my favorite day ever but I got some details on how to run ZBrush a little smoother. I did end up doing the clean install and pasting all my custom configurations back in. I don't think I could survive without hotkeys. 

We'll look away from the fact that I didn't have more than 25 given startup items....and that it was a backup folder of ZBrush default brushes....but I did have a project in that startup folder on accident :D oops. 

Hoping this spa treatment helps my buddy ZBrush flow smoother. I'll keep my files stored more carefully.

Lemon photograph by Francesco Cantinelli on Unsplash.com and modified under the Unsplash license.

Pencil is modeled in Maya, and rendered in Arnold. Table is also modeled in Maya, and rendered in Arnold. Hope you found some peace today.

This is the reason I keep using Microsoft Edge as my main browser, I like the pretty photos.  They've got me pegged as a lover of epic landscapes, and I have no qualms with that. These grass structures are amazing and with the way the sand is moving in, they look like something on Tatooine.

Here is a bit I copy pasted from the web search:

Even by barren-desert standards, the Libyan Desert is a harsh and unforgiving place. Considered one of the most inhospitable corners of our planet, this region of the Sahara Desert spreads across 420,000 square miles of North Africa, where average summer temps can exceed 120 degrees.

The Libyan Desert is not a flat, featureless wasteland, however. Sand seas and massive dune fields give way to surreal landscapes of black massifs, flinty mountain ranges, rocks carved with ancient petroglyphs, and—even in one of the most arid spots on earth—an oasis or two that help the hardy tribes who traverse the desert to survive.

Humans are adaptable. 

Also, why ARE there ancient fields of melted glass buried in the Libyan Desert???

I'm going to complete the Banyan tree tomorrow. I just finished the leaf tip (right) today. I haven't attached it to the branch (left) yet but I did append the subtools to the Banyan branch tool and roughly arrange them. I can see this is going to work out.

Today I am the Tortoise, in The Tortoise and The Hare. 

Yesterday, I stayed up late following all the adventure from my day at Mount Rainier, thus sleeping in late, followed by starting work late. Regardless, I have had an extremely productive day, meeting with clients, starting a book cover illustration and design project, emailing invoices (get paid,) uploading updated card mockups to Pier Six Press, and learning more about an indie game that needs contract 3d modelers. I'm excited, and very busy. However, unlike in the past when I confess, I was on a rocking horse busy, I feel like I'm the tortoise busy, steadily, doggedly, chasing my goal of becoming an environment artist.

So for some optimism shared, here is my early leaf sculpting attempts on the left from a few weeks ago, and my current leaf sculpting from today. I may not have been able to do too much modeling today, but not too much, is better than none. I'll keep on, keepin' on.

I went on an adventure today, the goal was to hike the Grove of the Patriarchs. Unfortunately, it opens next weekend. 

Which is why I had a fabulous time in Packwood's Skate Creek Park. Skate Creek Park - Skate Creek Gallery (skatecreekpark.org) It's a hidden gem of preserved forest on the river. The plants and creek were gorgeous. That being said I'm a bit exhausted from the long trip there and back, so I'll post a few shots and get myself to bed.

Skate Creek, beautiful.

Moss covered rocks up at Rainier's gateway. 

Some mossy ground texture with interesting white moss down by Snake Creek.

More mossy rocks from the Rainier gateway.

Some swarming insects that I'm going to add to iNaturalist for identification.
 I have no idea what these are besides gross and fascinating.

Hey there little buddy! I love banana slugs.

The contrast of the park and the human graffiti. I particularly like "Meery christmas"

Thank you, Richard. This made my day, I would not have gotten as far, as quickly, without the help as you headed out.

These are the leaves, for my leaf tips, for my branches that I posted here yesterday. I'm going to try painting these in Substance Painter instead of ZBrush Polypaint.

I'm beginning work on the canopy cards for my banyan tree. Banyan trees are members of the huge plant family Ficus. All sorts exist, but because I was focusing on Hawaii I tried to find a more Pacific Island focused version. When I was in Hawaii, I don't remember seeing the sprawling acre size Banyans of India. I do remember seeing some like the Pacific Banyan, or Ficus prolixa, with tons of roots and more vertical bearing. So that's where I'm focusing. If you want to get lost in the world of ficus/figs/stranglers/banyans, I highly recommend: Ficus - FigWeb, Stranglers & Banyans (archive.org),  Ficus benghalensis - Wikipedia and iNaturalist. 

I modeled this branch base in ZBrush. The next step will be making the leaf tips. I plan to color in Substance Painter rather than polypaint in ZBrush, so I'm focusing on creating effective maps. My goal is to make the branch as reusable as possible by giving some interest from every angle. It is still rough but I find it more efficient if I move on, then go back and polish after I have the other aspects modeled.