Blender 3D: Noob to Pro/Human Head Modelling

Face modelling is a fun and skillful way of creating detailed characters. Here is a simple step by step process of starting to create a head model and being able to edit the object on both sides simultaneously. It requires skillful mastery to model a realistic head model with full Materials/Texture Mapping.

This method is just one of many different techniques for making a head. In this method, we will start with a circle and extrude it to create the head shape, and also apply mirroring so we can make a nice symmetrical head and only do half the work.

Other techniques may be to start with a cube or circle, but most techniques will use the mirroring trick described here.

Creating the outline

1. Start with an empty space and Switch to side view. (NUM3)
2. Add simple circle mesh with 8 vertices (Press SPACE; select MESH>CIRCLE) Adjust slider to 8.
3. Now you are looking at the profile view of a basic 8 vertex circle. Select each vertex and use the [G=Grab] key to spread each vertex carefully to create a Contour outline for the side view of a head. You may also WKEY > Subdivide to subdivide each segment to add more vertices for more detail.

Once you have completed your Contour Profile in step 3, we'll turn our two-dimensional circle into 3D.

Extruding and mirroring

Make sure you set up the mirror correctly before continuing.

1. Switch to FRONT VIEW (NUM1).
2. Deselect all of the circle (AKEY). Next, press EKEY to extrude and choose "Only Edges". Use XKEY to extrude the circle's contour profile along the X axis.
3. Move the mouse to the left a reasonable distance and click to fix the new points. This will create an open-ended prism of your defined face shape.
4. Switch to Object mode (Tab), and select the object.
5. Now, use ALT+DKEY to duplicate the object as a link. Now any changes you make to the original will affect the duplicate and vice versa.
6. With the duplicate still selected, hit CTRL+MKEY > Z axis to flip the duplicate about the Z axis. Now any changes made to one will affect the other in reverse. Thus you have two sides of the head which you can edit at the same time.
7. Drag the duplicate so that it is lined up with the original, and their centres are exactly touching (even zoom in very far to make sure of this fact).
8. Now model one side of the head until you are happy with it. Even if you apply smoothing, there will be an ugly crease/seam down the centre. Don't worry about this just yet!

(What can you do about this line down the middle...do you weld it at some point? JHS 12/24/2005) (If you apply the subsurf modifier then weld the inside vertices it goes away. 9/13/2006)

Modelling the Head

(THIS AREA MUST BE FILLED) 5-26-08 Pathfind is essential

Merging the sides and removing the seam

1. Switch into Object mode (Tab) and select both sides of the head
2. Join the objects with CTRL+JKEY each pair of close vertices and press ALT+MKEY->At Center to merge them
3. To view it in subsurfaced mode, switch into Object mode (Tab), press Add Modifier in the buttons window, and select Subsurf. You can adjust the amount of subsurfacing using the Levels and Render Levels sliders. To get rid of the body look of the model, press Set Smooth in the Links and Materials section.