Stylized axe

ChristopheS

Hi everyone!

This is my first topic here, so pretty excited!  
Recently I've been following a great tutorial from Alex Jerjomin (which can be found here) on how to sculpt a stylized weapon. I've changed the design in a few ways so I it wouldn't be the same as in the tutorial. I've really learned a lot from it but I still have a long way ahead of me.

I'll do another texturing method than in the tutorial, was thinking to give this little friend a hand painted texture.
High poly sculpt is pretty much done. Next step is retopping and baking, but before I go ahead I'd love to get some feedback on my progress so far.

Much appreciated!

Cheers!  

Kurt Russell Fan Club

I think you've done well! It's nice to see you changing it and not just going with the tutorial design.

From a sculpting perspective I've got no feedback - looks great. From a design perspective, the haft bending back towards you looks a bit awkward. Getting fatter and bending back less IMO would help make it look more authentic and not hurt the style
ing

tomenjerry

hey @ChristopheS , looks good so far, my issue with the sculpt is the following: the blade has so many cuts, that it looks blunt, instead of sharp, try to leave some mayor cuts, some little cuts, but get rid of most of them. Another thing you might wanna change is the back blade. the front one looks really interesting shape-wise, but the back looks a little too straight, or like an arrow if you know what I mean.

but good job so far!

ChristopheS

First of all, thank you very much for the nice feedback so far!

I drew a few designs for another back blade and I also tried a hammer-like backside, but idk if this will work very well.
I'll be away for a schooltrip for 10 days but when I'm back, I'll finish this one asap!  

lamar McHaney

I really the design of the blade. The extra exaggerated curve @Kurt Russell Fan Club  did works nicely. My only feedback is the amount of cuts on the front of the blade are little much. With the amount of cuts you have, I feel like one attack with the axe and the blade will shatter. I suggest toning cuts in the blade down a bit.

ChristopheS

Hey guys!

I've been really busy with my internship past few months, but I finally picked this one up again!  
Didn't change too much about the sculpt anymore, deleted some craks, reduced the curve and added some straps around the blade part.

My plan was  to make a PBR version textured in Quixel (as done in the tutorial), but also a handpainted version.

The PBR version is comming along quite nicely imo. Still have some stuff to do before it's final, but since I've never worked with Quixel before, it's going a little slower than expected. My laptop is also having quite a hard time to run Quixel, but I'll get there!

I think right now the overal version is too dark, but I'm having a hard time getting the good tones and colors right because they are completely different in Quixel compared to marmoset, altho my Quixel preferences are set to Marmoset toolbag 2... 
Here is the version I have right now, stil have to spend some more time on the cloth and wood parts.

 
I also just started the handpainted version. I'll be using the AO I got from baking in xNormal as a base and then make my textures with Photoshop and 3d Coat. First of all, I started of with a quick little paintover to get some color ideas. My idea is to have some kind of fantasy looking axe with a nice glowing magic effect in the symbols of the blade.



Feel free to give feedback on both versions. Let me know wich color version you prefer, also if none of them is good enough yet in your opinion. Still at an early stage, so I wanna have this right before I start going further!

Thanks alot in advance,
Cheers!

ChristopheS

Here is work in progress shot of the handpainted version. Spend most of the time on the metal blade part, which is going in a good direction imo. Haven't spend much time on the other parts yet. Applied the colors with Photoshop and everything else so far is done with 3d-Coat. First experience with 3d Coat, so still learning the software.

Cheers!

Dragonar

I really like the "normal" version it will be nice if you can make close-up screenshot

ChristopheS

@Dragonar It's still not a final version, I'll make renders from different angles if it's finished

@Shinigami As I mentioned at the beginning of this thread, I followed a tutorial for the biggest part of it (sculpt and PBR version) but I made a few changes on the design so it's not exactly the same. I also added a handpainted version, which I'm doing without any tutorial. 

ChristopheS

Worked a little on the cloth pieces around the handle. Originaly all of the cloth was red, but I don't like it that much after all... Changed it to blue and imo it looks better than before.

Goziref

Good Job

I want to see the final version! 

Robert Berrier

Very very cool! Really dig the cloth on the handle! Just a thought if you want to try it out. Perhaps instead of only blue. try shifting the cloth with other colors. Blue and purple for example. It depends on the style you are looking for though. You can also apply this to the other elements like the metal, for example add in green or red for oxidation. This needs to be very slight though. they are support colors for the main color.

ChristopheS

@Goziref Thank you for the kind words, appreciate it!  
@RobertThat's some really great feedback you got there, thank you! I tried to apply your tips and added some purple and brown in the cloth of the handle.Also tried some of the wooden parts, metal bits,... I actually painted a little bit all over the place today! Tried to apply the color variation on the wood to, more purple in the shadows and more yellow on the highlights.

Cheers!



Made a quick render in Marmoset, still some light shading due to smoothing groups I guess. Gonna fix that at then end when I'm presenting the final.

Goziref

I think personally you overdid the wooden part in the middle a little bit

but your cloth looks nice!

ChristopheS

Here is another WIP shot. Painted a little bit more on the wood and on the metal parts around the handle.

ChristopheS

Still found some time to work on this one after buying Overwatch today...
Main part of what I did is the fire/lava effect. Tried to make it look more like lava and gave it a little glow. Still not there yet with the effect, but it's atleast better than it was before imo. 

Cheers!

Goziref

I like the lava! I think some parts of your model will catch the light of your fire.
hopefully you understand what I mean

JEmerson

This is looking really nice so far. I think you can push the lava effect just a slight bit more, and also give some love to the second ring beneath the handle. Finally, set-up and emissive mask for this and let's see it in an engine!