First off what are you using for reference? And how close are you to that reference?
Getting a better specular and gloss would help the wood and metal a lot more.
Adding in some bump detail into the wood would also make a huge difference.
Here is a similar game asset to look at in terms of rendering. http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=118743. The wood and metal on the AK are done extremely well so use that to get an idea of what you could achieve here.
There isn't really a simple, one-off "do this and it will be better" answer to your question. Working on getting better material definition is going to be a lot of trial and error (i.e., practice) while studying a lot of reference images and real-world material properties and trying to match that on your asset. Possibly think about watching some texturing/material tutorials, you should be able to find some good ones on the polycount wiki.
When I ask how to make something better, saying make it better does not really help me out.
Ok, here's some specific point to focus on, there's plenty more to think about but a few to get the ball rolling.
It looks like you intend it to be some spotty/stained metal and polished wood, so I'll move forward with that in mind
-Understand your materials: The metal currently has a very low spec. Even stained and scratched as it is it should be noticably shinier than the wood, though not necessarily glossier. The wood, if it's meant to be polish is also low in spec and very low gloss. If it's older as evidenced by the stains on the metal and the discolored portions of the wood, then there would be some wear and tear, and noise on the polish.
-The scratches on the metal should catch the light and thus would be higher value in the spec map and probably stand out a bit more in the render.
-Think about the intersections, how would the wood affect the metal and vice versa
-Think about where scratches and grime would appear based on raised and cavity surfaces respectively.
Texture work, and 3D work for that matter, is very rooted in crafting a story, knowing where the object has been, how old it is, how it was stored, where it's going etc. and figuring out ways to tell that story visually.
-Also Reference, reference, reference. The more you use the more likely it is your object will look like a real thing rather than what your memory or grasp of material definition thinks it should look like.
Ok, here's some specific point to focus on, there's plenty more to think about but a few to get the ball rolling.
It looks like you intend it to be some spotty/stained metal and polished wood, so I'll move forward with that in mind
-Understand your materials: The metal currently has a very low spec. Even stained and scratched as it is it should be noticably shinier than the wood, though not necessarily glossier. The wood, if it's meant to be polish is also low in spec and very low gloss. If it's older as evidenced by the stains on the metal and the discolored portions of the wood, then there would be some wear and tear, and noise on the polish.
-The scratches on the metal should catch the light and thus would be higher value in the spec map and probably stand out a bit more in the render.
-Think about the intersections, how would the wood affect the metal and vice versa
-Think about where scratches and grime would appear based on raised and cavity surfaces respectively.
Texture work, and 3D work for that matter, is very rooted in crafting a story, knowing where the object has been, how old it is, how it was stored, where it's going etc. and figuring out ways to tell that story visually.
-Also Reference, reference, reference. The more you use the more likely it is your object will look like a real thing rather than what your memory or grasp of material definition thinks it should look like.
Replies
Getting a better specular and gloss would help the wood and metal a lot more.
Adding in some bump detail into the wood would also make a huge difference.
Here is a similar game asset to look at in terms of rendering. http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=118743. The wood and metal on the AK are done extremely well so use that to get an idea of what you could achieve here.
When I ask how to make something better, saying make it better does not really help me out.
Here are some of my shitty maps,
diffuse http://puu.sh/47gkw.jpg
spec http://puu.sh/47glU.jpg
gloss http://puu.sh/47gmf.jpg
I hit this wall when it comes to texturing where I just don't know where to go.
Ok, here's some specific point to focus on, there's plenty more to think about but a few to get the ball rolling.
It looks like you intend it to be some spotty/stained metal and polished wood, so I'll move forward with that in mind
-Understand your materials: The metal currently has a very low spec. Even stained and scratched as it is it should be noticably shinier than the wood, though not necessarily glossier. The wood, if it's meant to be polish is also low in spec and very low gloss. If it's older as evidenced by the stains on the metal and the discolored portions of the wood, then there would be some wear and tear, and noise on the polish.
-The scratches on the metal should catch the light and thus would be higher value in the spec map and probably stand out a bit more in the render.
-Think about the intersections, how would the wood affect the metal and vice versa
-Think about where scratches and grime would appear based on raised and cavity surfaces respectively.
Texture work, and 3D work for that matter, is very rooted in crafting a story, knowing where the object has been, how old it is, how it was stored, where it's going etc. and figuring out ways to tell that story visually.
-Also Reference, reference, reference. The more you use the more likely it is your object will look like a real thing rather than what your memory or grasp of material definition thinks it should look like.
Hopefully that helps
thank you very much, I'll update when I fix it up