Character modeling - Is there a default order to create a 3D body mesh?

Question

Hello All,
I'm busy creating a low/medium resolution human 3d mesh for animation
I've already watched and tried the following tutorials online:

1. (the famous) "Blenderella" training DVD - Angela Guenette
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=375LkBKnXy0&list=PLCF8C2CA7D76785B7

2. CGC Classic: Female Character Modeling - Jonathan Williamson
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8qbY70F8po

3. Character modeling - Darrin Lile's
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QT1GNMevfc

4. Blender Modeling, Character Beginners - by Riven Phoenix
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7bsVZQ1LEs&list=PLkAIDzicB8D0n5SxK57M6WYE4e1iWQ-X0

And many more website tutorials on this topic that I could find.
Now all teachers have different ways of creating a 3D characters.
Some teachers build their models:
A - Start from the default cube
B - Face by face, Line by Line (extend and extrude method)
C - First low polygon -> upgrade to high polygon (subdivision method)

The Blenderella DVD uses the following order:
- eyes
- mouth
- nose
- chin
- jaw-line
- head
- ears
- neck
- torso
- arms, hands, fingers
- legs
- feet, tows

NOW FOR MY QUESTION(S)
- Is there is a default method/order of "building a complete 3D Mesh"?
- Which order do you use and why?

Thanks for sharing your responses, hint, tips and tricks.

Answer 1 · 2018-08-23T16:11:05Z

Jonathan Lampel replied August 23, 2018 4:11pm

Hey Ronald, there really isn't a default order to building a character, and pretty much everyone does it a little differently. The most important place to start is somewhere 😊

Answer 2 · 2018-08-25T09:10:04Z

i

replied August 25, 2018 9:10am

@jlampel Thanks for the reply Jonathan
The reason why I was asking this question is that 've learned the importance of
the correct presence of certain DEFAULT EDGE/FACE-LOOPS patterns,
like the colored rings shown in the treads below:
- https://gooseberry.blender.org/angela-guenette-behind-the-modeling/
- https://blenderartists.org/t/need-help-on-human-and-face-topology/604255
- https://forum.unity.com/threads/what-are-you-working-on.70252/page-111
- https://blenderartists.org/t/whats-wrong-with-my-topology/608397

Almost every 3D (human body) mesh model follows - more of like - the same face/edge loop-architecture.
So - to me - it does matter WHERE one starts when creating their 3D human body mesh.

To illustrate my point:
"Have you ever seen somebody building a full human-body mesh starting at the TOES / FINGERS of the model?"

since almost everyone is building "top-down", nose -> head / eyes / ears-> arms -> torso -> arms + fingers / legs +toes.

Answer 3 · 2018-08-27T15:47:03Z

Jonathan Lampel replied August 27, 2018 3:47pm

iindigowarrior9 If there's an order that you feel makes the most sense, go with that! Nobody starts with the toes - not because it's incorrect, but because it's unintuitive. Definitely put the main edge loops in first, but that goes for whichever area you choose to start from.