Sketchfab demo to model accessible portfolio tools for students. Using Sketchfab to teach free, student-friendly portfolio options.
Turnaround of Elly the elephant – student named – used for teaching silhouette, form, and stylized proportion.
Front, side, and back views of Elly to explore readable forms and soft stylization.
Elly’s glow-up! A step-by-step sculpt demo to re-topo to material painting for students.
Elly is a stylized 3D elephant model created as a teaching asset for introducing students to organic modeling and animal studies. The project emphasizes anatomical deconstruction, sculpting in ZBrush, and the high poly to low poly pipeline. Elly is textured using a PBR workflow and optimized for game engines.
This project covered:
Blocking forms in ZBrush
Exploring stylization and silhouette
Sculpting soft surface detail without over-refining
High-to-low poly baking workflows
UV layout and map management
Texturing in Substance Painter, with a focus on stylized materials
Elly’s design was also a great opportunity to talk about material reads, edge control, and the balance between form and texture in stylized work. I kept things playful (she even has toenails!), and the result was a character students could both relate to and build on in their own sculpts.
Made for in-class demo and portfolio guidance
ZBrush | Maya | Substance Painter
