Sculpt with clay
Use the Clay brush to build up or remove volume on a mesh with sufficient vertices.
Before you start
Open Sculpting with a mesh that has enough surface geometry for the desired detail. These brushes move existing vertices; they do not automatically add resolution.
Use the operation
Build up a local form with short clay-like strokes.
- Choose Clay from the brush selector in the Sculpting sidebar or settings panel.
- Set a moderate brush size and low intensity. Drag across a small area of the mesh to establish the form.
- Build the form in several short strokes, rotating the view between passes. Use Invert when you want the opposite displacement.
Controls and choices
| Controls | What changes |
|---|---|
| Brush size | Controls the affected region relative to the scene’s measured size. A small brush cannot create detail if too few vertices lie beneath it. |
| Intensity | Controls stroke strength. Lower values and repeated passes provide more gradual control. |
| Clay behavior | The brush combines local displacement with a plane-based effect. It changes geometry, unlike painting color onto a texture. |
Try it in your scene
On a sufficiently dense sphere, make a short low-intensity Clay stroke and inspect the silhouette from the side.
Check the result
Check the silhouette and nearby thin surfaces, not just the lit patch. Undo an overly strong stroke and reduce intensity before continuing.
Practice in Show3D
Open the editor and follow the steps with your own scene.