Yeah, Where’s the blood! Where’s the blood?

Are those three images “preliminary “sketches” you can manipulate into different poses in the program you use? Or did you print those on the first go around and then bend the heck out of the figures to position them? Or are they “screen shots”?

@chinesegeorge - The blood will need to be applied after it's printed as a physical thing. But, yes, there needs to be blood.

@beauslx - Good call Robert. I think the consensus seems to agree that the axe should indeed be planted in the guys back. I don't think Conan would have it any other way.

@eb801 - I started in 3ds Max using a character model I created years ago. That character was fully rigged and could be posed into the basic shape it needed to be. Then once I had it into ZBrush, I could manipulate further. Changing the poses now that they're fully sculpted would be a real PItA. I try to get the into position with the very low res character and then once it feels close to the original painting, I sculpt in all the muscle detail.

@gblair - If you consider that Frank Frazetta was a master painter, it becomes clear that the overall composition is a classic triangle with many elements pointing the viewers eye back to the focal point, the hero, Conan. The wide base adds stability to the image while the elevated point at the top allows Conan to look even more heroic. The compositional issue I'll really have is when the sculpture is viewed from any other angle. I don't get to use Frazetta's forced perspective 'tricks' to help. So, from a couple angles, the composition may not be as strong, no matter what, it's still Conan the Destroyer!

No idea where that axe came from, Brian @brithebuilder, but it clearly ended up in that guy his spine.
Any idea already on how and with what you will apply all those blood marks.
Nice progress.

Axe update! LOL Oh yeah, that definitely has to hurt.. The helmet falling off his head even has padding in the interior.

2 attached images. Click to enlarge.

@tcinla - Thanks Tom. It's getting close now.

Superb job, my friend @brithbuilder!

@coondog - Thanks Matt. In my normal 3D work, using 3ds Max forever, organic shapes are far harder. I've done character models and fully rigged and animated quite a few. I've never been able to achieve this level before using ZBrush and I am glad I'm sculpting this for a single pose and nothing has to be rigged or animated. I'm currently over 22 million polys in the scene. It's insane how well ZBrush handles all of that. The next real challenge is going to be breaking it up and setting up keys. I'm also hopeful that it sells a few copies off of my Etsy store eventually.

@fiveten - Thanks Spiros! I appreciate it.

@johnb - Thanks John. I really wasn't too confident that it was going to go this well.

@gblair - Thanks George. I am likely going to have to make the spear point a bit less pointy for 3D printing. I'm hoping to finalize the base tomorrow and then cut some keys to start separating parts for printing.