Best practices for sculpting

Area	Best Practice or Tip
Quality of the base level model
Using reference material	Take advantage of visual reference material whenever possible. This can be your own concept sketches, stock images, or photographs of related items that provide you with visual references as you work. Visual references help to ensure the relative size and proportion are convincing in your digital sculpture. You can import orthographic images as image planes in the camera view to assist with blocking out your sculpture.
Consider placing visual landmarks on the model prior to sculpting	Much like an artist blocks out or sketches key areas and forms on a canvas prior to painting, you can place small, subtle ‘landmarks’ on the model to get a visual sense of where key features are to be sculpted later. For example, use the Sculpt tool (set to a very low Strength setting).
Sculpt coarse features first, fine details later	Work on the large features of the model first (at lower subdivision levels) before subdividing the model to higher subdivision levels. The basic shapes and forms that produce the specular highlights and define the form and shape are critical in creating a convincing sculpture. Do as much work as possible on a particular subdivision level before subdividing to add more resolution.
Sculpt, then immediately smooth	Consider the Radius and Strength properties of a sculpt tool prior to sculpting on the model. You can easily use Ctrl + Z to undo your previous stroke(s). Use the Smooth tool (Shift-drag) to soften the effect of a previous stroke at its middle or edges as required.
Rotate the model as you work and move the light across the model frequently	Rotate the model frequently so you sculpt on many areas. Focusing on one area of the model before moving on to another can result in features that appear mismatched relative to one another. This is particularly true when sculpting organic forms when you want the underlying skeleton and muscle structures to appear convincing.
Save often	Save your work frequently (and increment the file name: file1, file2, file3, and so on) so you can return to an earlier version of the model if required.
Take a break	The sculpting process can be fun, but is very visually intense (and frustrating at times). Take frequent breaks as you work. You can sometimes solve a particular visual problem more quickly when you take some time away from it.