Retopology in Blender (Beginner Tutorial)

[@AnonJuggerbot]

I have watched a dozen retopology tutorials and none of them have ever made the process seem less intimidating... Until now. This was an absolutely phenomenal video.

[@cgboost]

Thanks a lot for the kind words! 🥰

[@sicdrift97]

i completely agree, this is best video on this subject!

[@TheTyroofToriyama]

@@sicdrift97 If I disable snapping and Shrinkwrap, can't I just draw a mesh/object of any shape I choose, into thin air??

[@WwSeNaToRwW]

@@cgboost Hi men. Can u pin Thets - If your Bsurface didnt work just update them to corect version (now its 1.8.3) and its well be work.

[@sapienpark4481]

12:48 "Oh. Look at that. How satisfying it is to go over the geometry and smooth everything a bit." I felt that.

[@gonderage]

This tutorial is a godsend. I've purposefully avoided BSurface because I couldn't find a good source on how it works, and using it myself left me confused. This explains so much, thank you 🥺

[@Ree1981]

Girls gotta die *bang bang*

[@Jeahy.]

You're by far the most trustworthy source of blender technicalities online. Most prompt you in buying extremely expensive addons and so on, while you are doing the exact opposite and tell people how to do it simple and with more control. I've never done re-typology and was always scared to try it, until I found this video. After years of simple hard surface modeling to finally get into organic objects, creatures and more. I am exited to try sculpting next, this has to wait hence my budged is too low for your online course on it but I am sure the money won't be wasted.

[@cgboost]

Thanks for your kind words. 🥰 We do offer a student/teacher discount for our courses, let me know if this is interesting for you. You can contact us here: cgboost.com/support/

[@Jeahy.]

@@cgboost I'm not a student nor teacher as of yet. Blender has only been a hobby to me so far. But thanks for letting me know!

[@Fernanda-gs1qq]

I'm studying to make my first game-ready character and this tutorial truly saved me. CG Boost is one of the best Blender channels and I absolutely love the way Zach explain things. Thank you very much!

[@cgboost]

Glad you liked it so much! Good luck with the character! ~ Daniel

[@coolestardude]

This is absolutely insane. There are so many little tips in here that I use in ALL of my Blender-ing now, not just retopology. This method of attack is so beautiful and usable

[@100Peterll]

The smooth brush on the retopology mesh was indeed very satisfying, wow. Great tip btw!

[@biostarstepa]

Just love how you keep things simple and still enough informative for people to follow. Hats down, this is really great retopology guide. Keep it that way mate.

[@cgboost]

Thanks a lot! ☺

[@juliankunchev]

This is hand down the best retopology tutorial I've ever seen. Thank you so much for sharing :)

[@cgboost]

Glad you like it! You're very welcome ~ Daniel

[@jaqueline321741]

definitely! i loved this video

[@wesleysantos399]

This is the definitive retopoligy tutorial. I'm from Brazil and i'm very gratefull for this video!

[@Gredran]

Bsurface is incredible! I always just accepts my sculpts as stills but I’ve slowly gotten to be like “ya know what? I gotta dive into retopology and just get going with it” This is an amazing start! Thanks as always for your amazing videos!

[@christianmc8810]

9:00 you are an absolute legend! My vertice were playing up for me and it really slowed me down. This literally saves me days hahah thank you so much ❤

[@ryansenger408]

That is literally the greatest tutorial I've ever watched. Simple, insanely empowering, clear and concise.

[@TsumitaTenshi]

This is the best retopo tutorial ever. Most comprehensive. And all these times I didn't know the tools is there already. No need to find additional tools.

[@FootyToonz]

This is the best retopo tutorial until now

[@WaterShowsProd]

When I first saw this thumbnail, apart from thinking it was cool sculpt, I thought it was just going to be another intro to retopology tutorial, then someone highly recommended watching it. I'm glad I did. There are so many videos on Retopoflow, or by doing it using the basic modelling tools of Blender, but this is the most comprehensive video on using BSurfaces that I've seen.

[@cgboost]

Thank Stephen for your comment, we're really happy you appreciated so much our video ^^

[@AreaDenial]

Very well put together! I'm no expert by a long shot, but I must confess, this has to be one of the most pleasant and straightforward tutorial for retopo. I'M also very happy to see someone who doesn't use either Retopoflow, or other solutions that are etiher paid-for or super subjective. Excellent. And hell, this F2 add-on is an absolute lifesaver!

[@cgboost]

Glad you find it useful! ~Zach

[@glitterwaifu]

This is single handedly the most important video I have watched in my 3D artist journey - thankyou so much!

[@zombiesltd]

This is amazing. I've used retopoflow, the polybuild tool, and all kind of other techniques and this is the best and most flexible method I've ever seen... and all with tools I already know. Thank you so much for this!

[@cgboost]

Thank you so much for the nice comment 😊

[@forestwitsard]

Best retopology video I've watched so far! Easy to follow and straight to the point, while still sharing tips and tricks for an easier process.

[@Muhammad-Jacobs699]

What Perfect Timing! I've been struggling all day with a shrink-wrap modifier destroying the mesh when I tick "Negative" as instructed. But now I see that my retopology was just poorly done. These tools certainly would make it easier to fix the entire mesh!

[@BestMods168]

Also make sure your current mesh has enough resolution. Was making a helmet and the main piece only had around 2k polys. Shrinkwrap and retopo didnt work too well. I used a subsurf modifier, but dont apply it on the main helmet piece. Did the shrinkwrap. Apply it. Then delete the subsurf.

[@orkunz]

Best retopolgy tutorial I have ever seen, I was already doing it with other methods I have learnt before and this video just made the process 10 times easier, thanks for sharing this

[@PeteDimitrov]

For anyone that can't get past "There aren't any strokes attached to the object" - seems that in Blender 4.3 Bsurfaces is broken. Your best bet is to install Blender 4.2 LTS, in addition to your already installed 4.3, load your preferences there, load your add-ons and it should work instantly.

[@amitneole8278]

Thanks

[@AlessandroArcangeli]

They fixed it in 4.3

[@justform.e]

@@AlessandroArcangelithanks

[@Sky_Pencil]

I am currently learning topology and am thankful I don't have to "wish" for this tutorial... THANK YOU!! seriously a great tutorial

[@sprite1015]

I have been working in Blender for YEARS. I have always hated retopology because I thought it was an extremely tedious task. This is the first tutorial I have watched that was actually helpful in speeding up my workflow.

[@jellybean4049]

I've been doing low poly work for years and I finally need to start making more complex models using sculpting. This tutorial is perfect as Retopology has always terrified and confused me so thank you very much.

[@ViatorMessorem]

I swear, it is the best and fastest video about retopology in Blender EVER

[@chamicollado1901]

I have been working with quadremesher on maya for years. This way is simply amazing!! Thanks!

[@lomaxdesigns1716]

Absolutely top notch tutorial!! Using these techniques I've just retopologized an entire human body with near perfect results. The divide and conquer method worked a treat! For my project I didn't need to model the head, hands or feet, but I've accomplished everything else with very satisfying edge flow and not a single tri anywhere in the mesh. This is the best retopology guide I've ever seen.

[@cerberouse1]

This is some black magic and i'm here for it; so many things i didn't even think to ask making everything so easy - the man turned annotations into geometry!

[@h.weenuz4873]

I have watched a lot of videos but yours is really what I was looking for. Very detailed, easy to understand, easy to remember... thank you very much and will support you. I come from Vietnam!!!!!!

[@mosiahfragaortiz399]

i was gonna cry if i didnt find this video ,thank you so much I'm a new sub

[@anthonymyers5352]

I always dreaded getting to the retopology step, but this video is an absolute game changer. That sculpting slider makes the process so satisfying Recommending this to anyone interested in Blender workflows.

[@BunzJackson]

I don't think I've ever seen a tutorial video as packed with useful information explained simply and efficiently as this. This is amazing, thanks.

[@crisptomato9495]

As an animation student who does not have a knack for 3D you explained this so well. Dumbed it down for me way better than any of my teachers. Thank you for saving my academic ass random retopologizing German man.

[@ひつき-g2x]

I haven’t started my way in retopo yet but I’m saving this video for future use! You’ve successfully made a terrifying process look fun and manageable! Thank you so much for the tutorial and I look forward to see more blender beginners lessons from you.

[@cgboost]

Glad you enjoyed it! Everyone has a different way of working and something like this can seem horrid if you don't find a way that works for you :) ~ Daniel

[@StarwarsHalofreak]

As much as I love how helpful this video is and how useful BSurface is, new users, BE WARNED, this add-on LOVES to crash. A -LOT-. So save as often as possible.

[@cgboost]

Thanks for the tip :) ~ Masha

[@beezelbuzzel]

This is the most helpful Blender tutorial I've seen in a long time. I've always avoided retopology. It's is always explained like modeling (I HATE modeling). This is the first time I've seen it done using any aspects of sculpting. I think I can do this without pulling all my hair out haha. Thank you!

[@spaguetti290]

This is one the best tutorials I have ever seen thank you 🙏🙏

[@nadiaplaysgames2550]

holy heck this tutorial is what all blender tutorial should be info dense and tell you everything you need with no pauses your hecking amazing

[@crow2250]

hands down best retopo tutorial i think ive ever seen

[@anastybaron]

This is the best tutorial I have ever seen! Amaaaaazing! Thank you!

[@wizzardajp]

Oh my god this is the most comprehensive retopology video I’ve ever seen

[@Frozen_Death_Knight]

Here's a tip regarding Snap and Auto Merge Vertices. If you hold down shift you can activate multiple snapping options at the same time. Why is this important? Because you are then able to activate Vertex and Face snapping at the same time. This means that it becomes far easier to snap vertices together, so you can have a very low distance value for Auto Merge Vertices, which in turn avoids problems like 9:19 where the distance value for merging vertices is too powerful. Personally I never use the Shrinkwrap modifier during regular retopology. It makes it too hard to know where exactly your vertices are, so I avoid using it altogether until I am finally done retopologizing. You can always just sculpt the topology or use the Slide Relax Brush in Sculpt Mode to fix uneven or very inaccurate topology compared to your source.

[@cgboost]

Great tips, thanks for sharing!

[@DjCtavia]

Don't know how I've missed this one, I'm not really into retopology, just watched few ressources on KZbin, but this method look way more affordable for a starting point (and also fast). It's always nice to see new stuff well explained, thank's!

[@firmedia2908]

This is on far the best tutorial I've ever seen of the subject. Thank you so much

[@satyam5828]

you are the greatest animation teacher i have ever seen

[@92tpeter]

This video is all you need for retopology.. Hats off!

[@jeremiahgallo1055]

This is the most comprehensive guide on retopology in Blender. Gone are the days when every vertex had to be extruded just to make one polygon. Thanks for making this!

[@cgboost]

Glad you enjoyed it! It has come a long way from those dark days haha ~ Daniel

[@henryvasquez1814]

I am in the retopology part of your course and I am having a blast. This video and that tool will make it way easier. Thank you!!!

[@cgboost]

Yeah, I will dive into this workflow here also in the next chapters I will add to the sculpting course. 😁

[@Cyber_Kriss]

@@cgboost The epic creature looks ready...

[@cgboost]

@@Cyber_Kriss Yeah, the detailing chapter is recorded and currently in the editing stage. Should be released soon! 😁

[@Cyber_Kriss]

@@cgboost yassssssssssssssssss !!!!

[@tsup2]

@@cgboost I want to subscribe to a few of your courses, but I can't figure out how to even sign up. When I go to login, it doesn't show "sign up" anywhere, and when I go to sign up with teachable so I can sign in with it it's the exact same. Can you please help?

[@annawang6451]

I have come back to this video several times, the information is extremely helpful and well-presented. Thank you!

[@AlarmedPizza]

Thank You! I also agree with others. Best Retopology tutorial I've seen, also did not know about BSurface add-on, makes retopologizing A LOT easier!

[@alvarhart8629]

I know this video is a few years old but thank you so much, this helped me understand the subject so much better. Workflow is amazing as well.

[@chiffachiffa1047]

soooooo breathtaking.... i forgot to eat my breakfast... that's really as satisfying as it could be at all. Thanks for the video!

[@InfinityLearning3D]

This is why I love this channel!

[@yokidrift1720]

thanks! i been struggling after switching from 3ds max after school. I want to learn blender inside and out for modelling!

[@hooeymagoose12340]

A minute in and this has already changed my life

[@mareksulecki419]

You know how to teach others! Nicely explained. Great tutor!

[@DemiseReturns]

This is awesome. Thank you so much, I'm trying to get better at 3d modeling because, weirdly enough, I have the opposite issue of most new devs- I'm fine with programming and making the game itself, but making a model is just so overwhelming. This makes it a lot easier to do

[@huilustudio]

This was by far the most informative tutorial on the subject I have yet seen. Thank you so much.

[@AussieDaves]

Watching this 2 years later, great explanation of these features - definitely has given me a few ideas of how to use them in my projects. Subbed and Liked 👍🏼

[@macropsialberto]

Thank you very much, I enjow always your tutorials and I finally understand this technique thanks to you. Greetings from Bogotá, Colombia!

[@clawcakes]

my style of modeling doesn't even need retopology (i do simple plane-by-plane stuff so the topology is good from the get-go) but this video still taught me so many useful new things. very good video i approve!

[@danialshahzad1408]

By far one of the best tutorials I've seen, thank you so much!

[@AlexeyKun]

Awesome. U made my retopo in blender better and easier. Thanks DUDE!

[@cgboost]

Glad you liked it! You're very welcome ~ Daniel

[@supertenchoo4271]

I havent start learning blender yet but you explain so well your are best blender teacher in the world

[@JordanGarland]

This is one of the best tutorials ive ever seen, thank you !

[@JuanFernandez-ti5bv]

Super friendly, easy going and so well explained!! this really has helped me a lot!! you turned something heavy into something super easy.. thank you!!

[@Velgan83]

Thanks again for this amazing video. Really I've learned so much from you and blender guru you guys are really amazing, life saving content right there!

[@Maxwell_Kenway]

this is a real gem for an tutorial. i always strugeled with the surface disapearing under the original Mesh and couldn't find the option. thanks.

[@lln6123]

great tutorial, thanks alot. Duplicating the shrinkmodifier to shrink the verticies of edgeloops is very usefull.

[@xXVintersorgXx]

This is one of the most well explained tutorials I've ever seen

[@cgboost]

Glad you like it :) ~ Daniel

[@xXVintersorgXx]

@@cgboost top notch man. Better than some of the paid classes I've seen

[@IrocZIV]

Great info. Super dense, so I had to watch it all the way through, and then watch it again, but everything you need to know is in there.

[@MrAsag]

so complicated. in maya this process soo much easer and simpler

[@mr.lunatic3157]

Blender is free*

[@mr.lunatic3157]

Quadremesher is there if you can pay , but does maya have free things? anything at all ?

[@venacava7897]

bro must be using a cracked version of maya

[@MrAsag]

@@venacava7897 Yea. After all, it is so difficult to buy a program legally 😂 Or go to work where they will buy it for you🤣

[@MrAsag]

@@mr.lunatic3157 it's more about the straight hands of developers. what is the problem for developers to implement a good feature in programs? What? I can not hear you? Because they are lazy?

[@BBennie444]

I was so scared to do retopology this video is great, Thank you so much! Now i actually wanna give it a go 😁 might even look into the sculpt course 👍

[@WolfieDesigns]

This is one of the best retopo tutorials I've seen, I was scared to try retopo but i think I'll have to try it once more, might be able to do it this time. Thanks for the video zach! 🙌🏻

[@justin7649]

My thoughts exactly! Retopo seems intimidating because in the past I've never managed to get great results. This has inspired me to try again!

[@iulian_98]

You explain and show us what we have to do and how to do it extraordinarily perfectly, thank you.

[@GerardMenvussa]

Blender has so many free tools (included some pre-installed ones) for retopo, but you really have to know they are there. This is a pattern that keeps repeating with Blender, sadly. It's really hard when you start on a new skill (when you start retopo, in this case) and you can't always find what you need. This video helps a lot to get your bearings though. Thanks. Who am I kidding? I am just salty because I spent too much money on Retopoflow instead of paying attention to what was already in the package >:)

[@HanSolocambo]

That's when trying add-ons from CGPersia's forum before : makes sense. Saves tons of money... and I agree : Retopoflow costs a lot and it's total crap.

[@coffeediction]

wow, gamechanging, no more manully adding faces snapped to surface on extremely turbulent areas... thank you!

[@ikkkk390]

This is the first Retopo video I've seen that got straight to the point! thanks for the great vid

[@Itsjustra]

I'll cry. Legitimately I'll cry. Beautiful.

[@meowzers6515]

I didn't even know this was a thing you could do until now all the other videos had me make a seperate object and it's always super annoying but this a waaayy easier omg thank you

[@JJ-tc5tt]

This is a perfect tutorial. Easy to understand, instructions are clear, perfect demonstration. Thanks for this amazing video

[@agaraspberry2950]

what a great tutorial, it will help me so much transitioning from Maya to Blender, thank you!

[@pinklady7184]

Hugely helpful. I enjoyed watching this tutorial, while snacking on sandwich, cakes and sweets. Thank you for the valuable lessons.

[@AtrusDesign]

This is amazing, makes retopology almost a pleasure! THANK YOU!!

[@MichaelHickman3D]

Thank you for the tutorial, things like this are much needed in the blender community! Awesome work!!!

[@galmannmedbart]

Thank you so much, this made me several times more effective both in time and faces. Pluss it made retopology an enjoyable task. :) I can no longer look at people without seeing the loopcuts.

[@Aversy]

Best retopo vid

[@_Zero_Sugar]

I've always had a hard time with retopology, but I didn't know blender has this feature. I get good tips. Thanks!

[@cengocax]

great tutorial, but i guess need to be updated... for example if you want to create this low poly mesh around the eyes you can draw 2 and even more concentric circles and then click the button "add surfaces" on the "bsurfaces" tool.. much faster and easier way.. oooor for example you can draw with annotation tool concentric arcs around the mouth (like a human face topology) and than click to "add surface".. and it goes further:) you can activate "cyclic follow" option and draw lines with annotation tool to a cylindrical surface on a orthogonal view (annotation lines can/should exceed the surface) than add/generate surface click.. voila you have a mesh around the cylindrical surface... zach your are the best, i've learned so much from you, thank you...

[@zovguagnelli]

I've been struggling for YEARS to have a proper re topology workflow. Thank you for this, now I'm ready to start uploading some stuff to Turbosquid and earn some extra quid. Thanks.

[@cgboost]

Glad we could help a bit :)

[@NKElyan]

This is awesome! For I am kind of relieved but also confused about retopology. The model is relatively detailed. the process completely ignores this though. So this will most likely be followed by another process to achieve the amount of detail. Thank you though for sharing this. It took me a while to be comfortable enough to watch this.

[@cgboost]

Your guess is 100% right. There are next steps to retrieve the details from the high poly sculpt on to the retopologized mesh.

[@WarriorOfModernDeath]

My god man, where have you been all my life! :D

[@luciusweltz]

wow u've done a great tutorial, this one is the best i've ever seen

[@jaqueline321741]

Definitely the best!!! i watched so many videos but this is definitely the best i have ever seen i feel like this saved me this looks so easy now. thank you so much 🥺😩😭💙

[@cgboost]

😁

[@TrollProductionsMC]

Instant sub from me, great video filled with a bunch of great tips and tricks, explaining everything in a comprehensive manner. Usually such video's are about 50 minutes long, that's why this was great as it didn't waste any of my time.

[@digitalart3452]

Best video of the subject. This actually makes Retopo look fun

[@M4rt1nX]

I always hated retopology until today. Thanks a lot for an amazing tutorial.

[@chipchav772]

I absolutely love this tutorial. It has made my work low fast paced and intuitive. Thank you for sharing this amazing video!!