What is the best beginner workflow from concept to retopology in Blender?

[Mia27]

I'm an intermediate Blender user comfortable with hard-surface modeling, but I've decided to finally tackle character creation and my first attempt at a humanoid figure has highlighted major gaps in my Blender character modeling workflow; I started with a base mesh and got stuck in a loop of endless tweaking in sculpt mode without a clear plan, resulting in a lumpy, asymmetrical model with terrible topology for rigging. I've watched tutorials on retopology and box modeling, but I'm unsure which approach is more efficient for a beginner to character art, and I'm overwhelmed by the number of tools and modifiers involved in creating a clean, animatable mesh from scratch. For character artists who use Blender, what is your step-by-step pipeline from concept to final retopologized model? Do you have a preferred starting method, and what are the most critical checkpoints for topology you adhere to before moving on to sculpting details or UV unwrapping?

[Dennis56]

You're not alone—this is a common sticking point. My go-to workflow is to lock the topology foundation before sculpting. Start with a simple, quad-based base mesh built with box-modeling, use a Mirror modifier, and lay out edge loops around joints (shoulders, elbows, hips, knees) so deformation feels clean. Check a quick bend on the limb early to catch pinching, then continue with detailing once the underlying topology holds up.

[LilyNL]

Practical pipeline I use: 1) build a low-poly proxy of the figure with careful quad faces; 2) block in proportions using simple shapes; 3) a quick sculpt pass (Dynatopo) to rough out anatomy; 4) a manual retopology pass guided by the sculpt to create a clean quad mesh that mirrors the forms; 5) UV unwrapping with seams at natural borders; 6) bake high-res detail into the low-poly; 7) test with a simple rig and adjust topology if needed.

[Stephen.M]

Starting approach: I’d recommend a hybrid method—box-model the base to lock proportions and topology, then switch to sculpt for the organic forms. You can then create a clean retopology mesh directly from the sculpt, using the sculpt as reference, and shrinkwrap if you want to refine the retopo cage to the original shape.

[Luke.M]

Key topology checkpoints before moving to sculpt or UVs: edge loops that follow joints, quad-dominant faces, evenly distributed density (avoid dense pockets that won’t deform well), and a few true rings of quads around wrists, elbows, knees, and ankles. Do a quick deformation test with a basic rig to confirm it holds shape without pinching.

[BrandonLJ]

Good starter resources: Blender's official retopology and sculpting docs, Grant Abbitt's character modeling tutorials, CG Cookie's character workflows, and YanSculpts/FlippedNormals for anatomy and topology insights. Use a small project file to practice the pipeline and gradually increase complexity.

[Jeffrey_B]

Quick practice tip: keep a separate 'retopo cage' while sculpting the high-res form so you can preserve sculpt details while building clean topology, then merge into a final quad mesh and bake maps as needed. If you want, I can sketch a 2-week practice plan tuned to Blender workflows.