Box Modeling Method
(Modeling A Monster's Face)

1. Introduction

I like the box modeling method, as than compared to spline and poly modeling methods. Mainly because now there are many tools (especially in this program) that helps to easily create and edit every aspect of a model.
The method I am using took me a lot of time to develop and organize the process. I believe this method would prove extremely useful, understandable, or help to improve your skills for making a model to animate without the model crumbling. This method is useful to make low and high polygon models.
I made a tutorial of making an organic face because faces can prove to be difficult to model, with the expressions and contour of the face. Once you know the methods for making a face, the same rules apply to the making of any other type of organic figure. Also, organic figures can prove to be more difficult than mechanical and inorganic figures do to that you do not have to cut as many times as you would organic models.

2. Making The Contour Of The Face

Create a box.		Subdivide the box to create a smoother shape for an organic figure. You could also cut the box, then shape it out to the contour, but I find just doing this goes faster.

Delete half of the object.		Mirror the object for creating a symmetrical object.

(Front View Of The Shape)Begin shaping the model to make the basis for the overall shape.		(Side View Of The Shape).

(Angle View Of The Shape)

3. Adding Detail

I want to add some eyes, so I'm "X'ing" out the area for the eye with a horizontal cut.		I'm finishing the "X" with a vertical cut of the model.

Now I'm making the rough shape for the eyes.		I then roughed out the shape for the nose with a triangular prism shape. Since there were lines that already made a cross-section ("X"), I didn't need to "X" out the area for where I wanted to place the nose.

I made the horizontal line for the mouth.		Now I made a rough cut for the mouth on the cross-section ("X"). (The symmetrical line in the center of the model is vertical cut on this model, so that's why I only had to cut a horizontal line to complete the cross-section ("X"))

I moved the symmetrical lines to outline the general model.		(Frontal View Of Shape)

I cut out the faces for the eyes and mouth so I wont get confused with lines.		All I did was a few loop cuts around the eyes and mouth, I didn't loop cut around the nose because I didn't need to add detail around the nose (but I do need to add detail on the nose). I’ll just make direct cuts on the nose since I would like to further detail the shape. If I wanted, I could have just cut a circle around the eye area, without it connecting to the symmetrical line and it would have still been a good cut.

Now you can rough out the shape of the with the sculpting tool in combination with moving vertices that move out of order that cause unpleasant creases.		(Side View Of The Shape)

Now I am going to detail the nose with a cut for the nostril canal.		I tweaked the nose to what I see fit. I made this cut to make the nose wider, instead of a triangle prism looking nose. If you want to make a low polygon face, you may want to add just a few lines or/and extrusions to define the rest of the shape.

4. Redefining The Shape With More Detail

This may look very confusing but it isn't. All I did was select a few edges and made some loop cuts to be able add more detail. I also made some cuts to where I want the cheeks to pop out a little bit. I made some cuts on the loop cuts I made earlier to be able to pull the shape of the eyes, eye brows, and mouth rounder (smoother).		A general look at the cuts I made to help define certain areas.

		I mainly used the sculpting tool to pull out the points, and corrected a few individual vertices. (See the red and light-blue lines on the sculpting pull down menu. Instead of changing the strength of the sculpting tool, I just move the middle dot on the spline. The closer the spline is to the light-blue line, the less the vertices are moved with a single swipe over a vertex . The closer the spline is to the red line, the more a vertex will move with a single swipe. For this reason I really never changed the strength, but when making a landscape you may want to change the strength. For a smoother move of the vertices I put the spline closer to the light-blue line.)

5. Adding An Ear

Selecting the area of where I want to create an ear.		I delete the face to leave a hole for easily shaping the contour of the ear.

After making a few cuts to add control points to the ear area, I close the ear off with a face to extrude it.		I reshaped the ear base for extrusion.

I extruded and reshaped the ear.		I extruded and reshaped the ear.

I extruded and reshaped the ear.		I extruded and reshaped the ear.

I extruded and reshaped the ear till I was satisfied.		I reshaped some areas around the ear with the sculpting tool.

6.Adding Horns

I shaped the area for where the horns will be.		I extruded and reshape the horn.

I extruded and reshape the horn.		I intruded and reshape the horn. The intrusion acts as the skin bulging around the horn.

I extruded and reshape the horn.		I extruded and reshape the horn.

I extruded and reshape the horn.		I extruded and reshape the horn.

I extruded and reshape the horn.

7. Final Product

(Frontal View)		(Subdivided Frontal View)

		(Subdivided Side View)

8. Tips

The process I think of in my head when modeling is:

Make a box for the model
Subdivide the box
Shape the subdivided box for the base of the shape
Add cross-sections for where I want to add crucial features
Draw the shapes on the cross-section/s
Cut around the drawn shapes, and make linear cuts on the on the drawn sections
I then lift the points with the sculpting tool and tweak some individual vertexs
Keep repeating step 5,6 & 7 till you are satisfied with the look

It's best to try and make all polygons with 3 to 4 vertices for a good subdivision.
If you wonder when to you think you should or shouldn't extrude on a surface, think of it like this. I imagine that you are clay modeling, and when you think it would be easier to slap on some clay then shape the area, then you should extrude. Then shape the extrusion.

OmegaUltraus

Box Modeling Method (Modeling A Monster's Face)