VA350 Digital Sculpting
VA350 Digital Sculpting
Syllabus | International University of Sarajevo - Last Update on Oct 10, 2025
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Visual Arts and Visual Communications Design
Roman Sulejmanpašić
Course Lecturer
Course Objectives
• Be able to produce high quality digital sculptures utilizing Zbrush. • Be able to identify and utilize various workflows to achieve the desired goal. • Learn professional terms relating to digital sculpture. • Be able to retopologize high poly sculpts. • Demonstrate texture painting for a multi-material low-poly objects/character
Learning Outcomes
After successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
Course Materials
Required Textbook
Getting Started in ZBrush: An Introduction to Digital Sculpting and Illustration 1st Edition by Greg Johnson
Additional Literature
Anatomy for 3D Artists: The Essential Guide for CG Professionals Paperback – December 15, 2015 by Chris Legaspi, 3dtotal PublishingTeaching Methods
Student dissemination
Activity in reviews
Presentations - assignments
Sketches
Midterm submission
Final assignment
Self-evaluation.
Weekly Topics
| Week | Topic | Readings / References |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to Zbrush | disscussion |
| 2 | Working With Zspheres | disscussion / Assig. Review |
| 3 | Sculpting with Sub-D | disscussion / Assig. Review |
| 4 | Modeling vs Sculpting | disscussion / Assig. Review |
| 5 | Dynamesh and Zremesher | disscussion / Assig. Review |
| 6 | Z modeler | exam |
| 7 | Retopology techniques in Zbrush | disscussion / Assig. Review |
| 8 | MIDTERM SUBMISSION | disscussion / Assig. Review |
| 9 | Kitbashing | disscussion / Assig. Review |
| 10 | Polypaint | disscussion / Assig. Review |
| 11 | Sculpting Organic models | disscussion |
| 12 | Sculpting Hardsurface models | disscussion |
| 13 | Concepting in Zbrush | disscussion / Assig. Review |
| 14 | Rendering in Zbrush | disscussion / Assig. Review |
| 15 | FINAL FINAL PROJECT PRESENTATION | exam |
Course Schedule (All Sections)
| Section | Type | Day 1 | Venue 1 | Day 2 | Venue 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VA350.1 | Course | Thursday 12:00 - 14:50 | B F1.24 (MAC Studio) | - | - |
Office Hours & Room
| Day | Time | Office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 13:00 - 16:00 | B F2.23 | |
| Thursday | 10:00 - 13:00 | B F2.23 |
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Assessment Components
Final Project
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 1 3 5
Assignments
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 1 3 4 5
Midterm Project
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 2 3 4
IUS Grading System
| Grading Scale | IUS Grading System | IUS Coeff. | Letter (B&H) | Numerical (B&H) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 - 44 | F | 0 | F | 5 |
| 45 - 54 | E | 1 | ||
| 55 - 64 | C | 2 | E | 6 |
| 65 - 69 | C+ | 2.3 | D | 7 |
| 70 -74 | B- | 2.7 | ||
| 75 - 79 | B | 3 | C | 8 |
| 80 - 84 | B+ | 3.3 | ||
| 85 - 94 | A- | 3.7 | B | 9 |
| 95 - 100 | A | 4 | A | 10 |
Late Work Policy
Information about late submission policies will be shared during class and posted in this section. Please check back for official guidelines.
ECTS Credit Calculation
📚 Student Workload
This 6 ECTS credit course corresponds to 150 hours of total student workload, distributed as follows:
Lecture hours
15 hours ⏳ (15 week × 1 h)
Assignments
60 hours ⏳ (10 week × 6 h)
Lab
30 hours ⏳ (15 week × 2 h)
Midterm Project
18 hours ⏳ (2 week × 9 h)
Final Project preparation
27 hours ⏳ (3 week × 9 h)
150 Total Workload Hours
6 ECTS Credits
Course Policies
Academic Integrity
All work submitted must be your own. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in disciplinary action according to university policies. When in doubt about citation practices, consult the instructor.
Attendance Policy
Students are expected to adhere to the attendance requirements as outlined in the International University of Sarajevo Study Rules and Regulations. Excessive absences, whether excused or unexcused, may impact academic performance and eligibility for assessment. Mandatory sessions (e.g., labs, workshops) require attendance unless formally exempted. For detailed policies on absences, documentation, and penalties, please refer to the official university regulations.
Technology & AI Policy
Laptops/tablets may be used for note-taking only during lectures. Phones should be silenced and put away during all class sessions. Audio/video recording requires prior permission from the instructor.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage: The use of AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini) varies by assessment component. Please refer to the AI usage indicator next to each assessment item in the Assessment Methods and Criteria section above. Submitting AI-generated content as your own work, where AI is not explicitly allowed, constitutes an academic integrity violation.
Communication Policy
All course-related communication should occur through official university channels (institutional email or SIS). Emails should include [VA350] in the subject line.
Academic Quality Assurance Policy
Course Academic Quality Assurance is achieved through Semester Student Survey. At the end of each academic year, the institution of higher education is obliged to evaluate work of the academic staff, or the success of realization of the curricula.
Learning Tips
Be prepared to contribute thoughtfully during class discussions, labs, or collaborative work. Active participation deepens understanding and encourages critical thinking.
Complete assigned readings or prep materials before class. Take notes, highlight key ideas, and jot down questions. Aim to grasp core concepts and their applications—not just facts.
Use course frameworks or methodologies to analyze problems, case studies, or projects. Begin early to allow time for reflection and refinement. Seek feedback to improve your work.
Don’t hesitate to reach out when something is unclear. Use office hours, discussion boards, or peer networks to clarify concepts and stay on track.
Syllabus Last Updated on Oct 10, 2025 | International University of Sarajevo
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Referencing Curricula Print this page
| Course Code | Course Title | Weekly Hours* | ECTS | Weekly Class Schedule | ||||||
| T | P | |||||||||
| VA350 | Digital Sculpting | 1 | 2 | 6 | Thursday 12:00-15:00 | |||||
| Prerequisite | None | It is a prerequisite to | - | |||||||
| Lecturer | Roman Sulejmanpašić | Office Hours / Room / Phone | Monday: 13:00-16:00 Thursday: 10:00-13:00 |
|||||||
| rsulejmanpasic@ius.edu.ba | ||||||||||
| Assistant | Assistant E-mail | |||||||||
| Course Objectives | • Be able to produce high quality digital sculptures utilizing Zbrush. • Be able to identify and utilize various workflows to achieve the desired goal. • Learn professional terms relating to digital sculpture. • Be able to retopologize high poly sculpts. • Demonstrate texture painting for a multi-material low-poly objects/character |
|||||||||
| Textbook | Getting Started in ZBrush: An Introduction to Digital Sculpting and Illustration 1st Edition by Greg Johnson | |||||||||
| Additional Literature |
|
|||||||||
| Learning Outcomes | After successful completion of the course, the student will be able to: | |||||||||
|
||||||||||
| Teaching Methods | Student dissemination, activity in reviews, presentations - assignments, sketches, midterm submission, final assignment, self-evaluation. | |||||||||
| Teaching Method Delivery | Face-to-face | Teaching Method Delivery Notes | ||||||||
| WEEK | TOPIC | REFERENCE | ||||||||
| Week 1 | Introduction to Zbrush | disscussion | ||||||||
| Week 2 | Working With Zspheres | disscussion / Assig. Review | ||||||||
| Week 3 | Sculpting with Sub-D | disscussion / Assig. Review | ||||||||
| Week 4 | Modeling vs Sculpting | disscussion / Assig. Review | ||||||||
| Week 5 | Dynamesh and Zremesher | disscussion / Assig. Review | ||||||||
| Week 6 | Z modeler | exam | ||||||||
| Week 7 | Retopology techniques in Zbrush | disscussion / Assig. Review | ||||||||
| Week 8 | MIDTERM SUBMISSION | disscussion / Assig. Review | ||||||||
| Week 9 | Kitbashing | disscussion / Assig. Review | ||||||||
| Week 10 | Polypaint | disscussion / Assig. Review | ||||||||
| Week 11 | Sculpting Organic models | disscussion | ||||||||
| Week 12 | Sculpting Hardsurface models | disscussion | ||||||||
| Week 13 | Concepting in Zbrush | disscussion / Assig. Review | ||||||||
| Week 14 | Rendering in Zbrush | disscussion / Assig. Review | ||||||||
| Week 15 | FINAL FINAL PROJECT PRESENTATION | exam | ||||||||
| Assessment Methods and Criteria | Evaluation Tool | Quantity | Weight | Alignment with LOs | AI Usage |
| Final Project | 1 | 30 | 1,3,5 | Not Allowed | |
| Semester Evaluation Components | |||||
| Assignments | 3 | 50 | 1,3,4,5 | Not Allowed | |
| Midterm Project | 1 | 20 | 2,3,4, | Not Allowed | |
| *** ECTS Credit Calculation *** | |||||
| Activity | Hours | Weeks | Student Workload Hours | Activity | Hours | Weeks | Student Workload Hours | |||
| Lecture hours | 1 | 15 | 15 | Assignments | 6 | 10 | 60 | |||
| Lab | 2 | 15 | 30 | Midterm Project | 9 | 2 | 18 | |||
| Final Project preparation | 9 | 3 | 27 | |||||||
| Total Workload Hours = | 150 | |||||||||
| *T= Teaching, P= Practice | ECTS Credit = | 6 | ||||||||
| Course Academic Quality Assurance: Semester Student Survey | Last Update Date: 07/10/2025 | |||||||||