Design and Modeling of a 3D Sci-Fi Ship
A course by Juan Novelletto3D Artist and Concept Artist
A course by Juan Novelletto, 3D Artist and Concept Artist
Learn to create a futuristic vehicle with ZBrush, Maya, and Substance Painter
Beyond the ships that Tesla or NASA may be developing today, in the world of science fiction there are thousands of vehicles both in video games and in movies, which stand out for their level of detail and design realism. Juan Noveletto—3D artist and concept artist—specializes in the creation of science fiction characters and vehicles. Recognized for his work on the video games Master of Orion, Element Space, and Injustice 2, as well as the movie The Vast of Night, in this online course he teaches you his professional process so that you can make your 3D sci-fi ship a reality.
Learn the workflow and professional tools that Juan Camilo uses to develop a futuristic 3D vehicle, with a realism and a cinematographic look that will surprise any viewer.
What will you learn in this online course?
27 lessons & 19 downloads
Project Presentation
2 minutes, 7 seconds
Search for references and preparation of the board reference
8 minutes, 57 seconds
Thumbnails Generation
8 minutes, 11 seconds
Selection and refinement of a thumbnail
10 minutes, 46 seconds
Main forms I
13 minutes, 47 seconds
Main Forms II
20 minutes, 44 seconds
What's included in this course?
Start by getting to know Juan Novelletto, his work as a 3D artist and concept artist, the most representative projects in the creation of futuristic vehicles, and his main sources of inspiration including artists, movies, books, and music.
Create the 2D sketch of different ideas in Photoshop, in a simple and fast way, using nature, pieces by other artists, and vehicles from the real world as inspiration. In addition, Juan Camilo shows you the best way to organize your references so that you can easily decide what to choose from each of them.
Next, go from 2D to 3D by creating the main volumes of your sci-fi ship in ZBrush, using primarily the ZModeler tool. Then work with other more plastic tools to achieve much more interesting and original shapes. During the process, switch from ZBrush to Maya several times to correct and refine errors that may arise during this modeling phase.
Next, add the secondary and tertiary volumes to give the final shape to your ship. Juan Camilo teaches you the Kitbashing technique to give your work a more realistic level of detail. Finish off this phase by adding the Alphas in ZBrush.
Once in Maya, learn how to use all of the subdivision levels created in ZBrush to create a low topology, and a quick method for generating UV coordinates. Next, transfer your model to Substance Painter to apply the final textures to your futuristic ship.
Wrap things up by doing several renders of the ship with Marmoset Toolbag. Use background images to give it a context and make some small adjustments in Photoshop, and your images are finally ready for your portfolio!
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
Design, model, and render a sci-fi vehicle to obtain several images for your portfolio.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Designers, illustrators, and anyone interested in creating futuristic vehicles for different projects such as video games, movies, or commercials, among other things.
Requirements and materials
To take this course, you need basic knowledge of Photoshop, ZBrush, and Maya.
For materials, you need a computer installed with Photoshop, ZBrush, Maya, Substance Painter, and Marmoset Toolbag, as well as a graphics tablet.
Reviews
- 7 months ago
El profesor es muy diestro en el uso de la herramienta de modelado.
- 1 year ago
Me encanta! no tan solo estoy aprendiendo sobre hardsurface, sino que también puedo crear mi nave espacial soñada como una del juego No Man's Sky 🤩
- 1 year ago
Easy to follow with English subtitles
- 2 years ago
Con este curso estoy aprendiendo fácilmente hardsurface modeling. Moy contento.
- 3 years ago
Easy to follow and it works fine to follow along with english subtitles :) Biggest plus in my opinion is the nice UI config file the teacher shares!
Passionate about science fiction, he considers this area his greatest strength and seeks to reflect his story in each of his creations.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation
- Influences
- Project Presentation
- U2
2D sketch
- Search for references and preparation of the board reference
- Thumbnails Generation
- Selection and refinement of a thumbnail
- U3
3D vehicle modeling
- Main forms I
- Main Forms II
- Secondary forms I
- Secondary forms II
- Tertiary forms I
- Tertiary forms II
- Tertiary Forms III
- Tertiary forms IV
- Use of Alphas I
- Use of Alphas II
- Kitbashing
- U4
3D vehicle texturing
- Prepared the Low model in Maya
- UV Coordinates I
- UV coordinates II
- Textured base in Substance Painter
- Final texturing in Substance Painter I
- Final texturing in Substance Painter II
- U5
Presentation of our vehicle
- Render in Toolbag
- Retouching in Photoshop I
- Retouching in Photoshop II
- Tips for your portfolio
- FP
Final project
- Design and modeling of your 3D sci-fi ship
What to expect from a Domestika course
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FAQs
This course teaches you how to design, model, texture, and render sci-fi spaceships, combining reference research, concept art techniques, 3D modeling in ZBrush and Blender, texturing in Substance Painter, and professional portfolio presentation.
Yes, the course is designed for students with prior knowledge of digital art and 3D modeling who want to refine their skills and learn professional workflows for sci-fi spaceship design.
You’ll need a graphics tablet (like a Wacom), access to ZBrush, Blender, Substance Painter, Photoshop, Marmoset Toolbag, and PureRef, plus basic familiarity with these tools.
You’ll learn how to gather references, create 2D sketches, develop silhouettes, model in 3D, texture, and render spaceships, as well as organize and present your project in a professional portfolio.
Basic experience with ZBrush or Blender is recommended since the course covers intermediate to advanced modeling techniques, geometry editing, and 3D project organization.
The course teaches you how to find, categorize, and organize reference images in PureRef, helping you make informed design choices and maintain aesthetic and functional consistency in your projects.
Realism and functionality are key, as the course emphasizes researching real and industrial ships to create believable designs, applying industrial design principles and architectural references.