I mostly create 3D typography and abstract visual pieces. But the tools and techniques transfer directly to character work. Here's how to approach a simple character in Nomad Sculpt on iPad.
Start with basic shapes
Don't draw a character from nothing. Start with primitive shapes: sphere for the head, cylinder or rounded cube for the body, smaller spheres for hands or feet. Position them roughly where they should go.
This blocking stage is about proportions and silhouette, not detail. Step back, rotate the view, check every angle. Fix proportions now. It's much harder to fix them later when you've added detail everywhere.
Merge and remesh
Once the basic shapes look right, merge them into a single mesh. Then voxel remesh to get clean, uniform topology.
This is the same workflow I use for typography: build from primitives, merge, remesh. The tube tool also works for limbs and tails if your character needs them.
Refining the form
With a clean mesh, use the Move tool for large adjustments and the Clay tool to build up volume where needed. Smooth tool to clean up rough areas.
Symmetry is your friend. Most characters are roughly symmetric. Turn on X-axis symmetry and work on one side. The other follows.
Keep it simple for your first character. A round body, a simple head, basic features. Complexity comes with practice. Finishing a simple character teaches more than abandoning a complex one.
Face details
Eyes: start with indentations using the Crease tool or by pushing in with the Move tool. Add sphere primitives for eyeballs if you want 3D eyes.
Mouth: a simple crease line works for stylized characters. For more expression, use the Inflate tool to build up lips and the Crease tool to define the mouth line.
Keep the style consistent. If the body is simple and round, don't add hyper-detailed facial features. Match the level of detail across the whole character.
Materials and color
Characters look better with color than with uniform grey or metallic materials. Use the Painting tool to apply vertex colors directly.
For a quick, clean look: paint the whole character one base color, then paint details (eyes, mouth, accessories) in contrasting colors. Works well for stylized characters.
For more realistic characters, combine vertex colors with PBR materials. Skin-like roughness on the body, glossy material for the eyes, matte for clothing.
Posing
If you want your character in a pose other than T-pose or standing straight, use the Move tool with a large brush radius to push entire limbs into position.
Alternatively, keep limbs as separate objects and rotate them with the gizmo before merging. This gives you cleaner poses without stretching the mesh.
Rendering
Same principles as any Nomad Sculpt render. HDRI environment, directional lighting, post-processing. Characters benefit from a rim light to separate them from the background.
For more on rendering and material techniques, the Techniques Course covers the full process.
About the Creator
nebenzu is run by Ben, a Munich-based designer and 3D artist with a community of 128,000+ followers across Instagram, TikTok, Threads, YouTube, and X, focused on Nomad Sculpt workflows. The courses come from years of daily work in Nomad Sculpt, creating 3D typography, materials, and visual experiments.
You can find free tutorials and behind-the-scenes content on the nebenzu YouTube channel and Instagram.
