[WIP] Hand-Painted Sword

MindOfNash

Hello Polycount! This is my first post here, pretty exciting. I must admit I've been a stalker on here for a while, so I decided to actually join

This is a hand painted sword prop I've been workin on recently, and I am in need of some critique. I feel like my metal particularly just doesn't quite look enough like metal, any tips?

The current applied texture is 512x1024, but will be reduced to a 256x512 when I'm done. Please critique the crap out of it!

Thanks!

FullSynch

Oh man I love hand painted swords! This one looks great, I don't know how you people come up with these designs! I did a paint over so that I don't fail to specify what areas I'm talking about.



Those cuts on the guard are too uniform in spacing and size. Those leather bands are floating off the edge a little bit and the gold rings on the blade seem very monotone, it could just be the render. Also you have a lot of questionable UV islands, but the marked ones are particularly strange to me. This thing is going to look good.

MindOfNash

@FullSynch Thanks so much man, I appreciate the kind words and the crit!

I made the leather bands stick off a bit to try and get more silhouette out of them, since I used geometry for them I wanted them to be really visible. However, they might be alittle too far out there haha. Rings definitely need work fo sho, I havent really touched them yet honestly. There's some parts on the handle that I havent really done anything with also, they are those tiny parts I never feel like doing :poly136:

UVs I TOTES agree with, those islands are actually the tops and bottoms of the leather bands. I had one of those moments recently in regards to my UV layout where I was like, what the heck was I doing? But since I have so much painted I decided I would just finish this one and learn for the next one haha.

FullSynch

Oh well in that case (with the bands having a top/bottom) I would keep them out like that and bring out the sides a little more to show off the thickness, right now I got the impression they were just a 2D plane. You can emphasize even further by casting a little more shadow under them. OH OH also having the red of the runes bounce off some of the gold bits (especially the rings) might be a nice effect.

MindOfNash

Ah cool idea, I will definitely play around with the bouncing of the glow light.

Thanks!

HandSandwich

Paintover action! Who knows if I'm right or not. Just my 2 cents

MindOfNash

Dude that looks way better, I'm definitely going to work on that. Really need to get those highlights popping like that, and the desaturation looks alot better.

Really appreciate it!

J0NNYquid

I agree wholeheartedly with Hands paintover. A little desaturation would really push this to the next level. Looks great.

MindOfNash

Update time!

Here are some changes I've made. Still working on it.

MainManiac

More gold less burnt cheese

The blade looks really nice though, Id personally push for some orange tints of rust at the base of the blade and tint the lighter parts a teeny bit blue.

MindOfNash

hah burnt cheese !

interesting idea, i'll play around with that. I definitely need to work on my use of color.

Thanks!

FullSynch

Looks great, could use a little something, I just don't know what that something is.

Btw, what are these symbols you are using for the runes? I'm in desperate need of things like this.

MindOfNash

@ perna: hmm ok cool, i do have some extremes in my bake, i will try lowering the contrast. do you think you could do a paint over or explain further what you mean by the bounce lighting you mentioned? I appreciate the critique and input!

@FullSynch: honestly I just made them up haha they aren't from anything specific, just wanted to get some of your average magical runes goin.

MindOfNash

@RiotForQuiet: thanks man! DOOOO EEET!

FullSynch

Well they fooled me! That's some serious magicky rune bullshittery!

switz

I think your highlights on the tip of the blade are getting blown out - otherwise keep it up.

MindOfNash

@FullSynch: haha thanks!

@switz: thanks for the input!

MindOfNash

Alright, callin it done and movin on. Thanks everyone for the tips and input!

purehilarity

love it! killed it man.