[DS2] Axe,skullmonkey

skullmonkey

Hi to all polycounters!
I'm joining in!
I'm planning to do a Darksiders Core Axe.
Here's my concept. Comments and criticism welcome !
Good luck to all !

skullmonkey

Here's my blank.
I'll add the skull later within ZBrush.
C&C welcome

BigK

For as many skulls as other people are doing, I actually really like this stylized one. Looking good.

Konras

Models seems to be ready for sculpting. At the bottom of the blade you have really thin flat surface between cutting edges, maybe you should remove it and weld those vertices. It will look definitely better (like on concept) and you will get rid of those triangles
Anyway When I first look on the concept I was sure that I saw a skull with extra long jaw
Keep up the good work!

skullmonkey

BigK & Konras : Thanx for your kind words !

Started the sculpting phase in ZBrush. Here's what i've got so far.

C&C welcome

AimBiZ

It's coming along nicely. Also think those bottom blades are too thin. Would be better if you just simplified that part altogether to pull focus easier on the head.
Personally not so fond of the wacky skull. Something more menacing would fit better I think, though it could still hold a sort of happy/crazy expression.

skullmonkey

@ AimBiZ : Yes you're right ! I removed the bottom blades and eyeballs, and changed the shull expression a little bit. It looks better now. Thanx !

Update

skullmonkey

Today's update.
Worked a bit on the blades and refined the skull.
C&C more welcome.

MissMaddyTaylor

Very clean! Looking great so far

artstream

Really nice, I like the pommel progression. The skull's expression is nice: strong sense of expression. Looking forward to how you finish this!

jmt

Good 3d work so far. The only thing that sort of stands out to me is the mouth area looks fairly thin and weak to hold all of that weight. It looks like it might snap while the axe is being used.

Evanescfan

great modelling skillz, love the design.

AimBiZ

Agree with jmt there. Mouth opened skulls doesn't seem to be much iccuring in the Darksiders style but rather elongated skull so perhaps you could just pull the whole nose and teeth area downwards. Might look a bit funky but at least that area will get thicker.

skullmonkey

@TerraBite, artstream, Evanescfan : Thanx guys !
@ jmt, AimBiZ : Something more like this ? i'm not realy sure...

If you look here http://www.polycount.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1543143&postcount=149
you can see a mouth opened skull, and i think it kicks asses ! :poly124:
Anyway C&C awaited !

skullmonkey

I worked a bit more on the skull and it's finally turning on quite well.

C&C more welcome

afisher

This is looking really good. I like the shape of the blades. The middle part of the skull is looking a bit bare at the moment though. Perhaps you could continue the nasal cavity down a bit further or the gum/ teeth indents up. Looking good anyway.

AimBiZ

I like this version better. Agreed on afisher. Make the nasal cavity continue further downwards and add in the lines between the teeth.

skullmonkey

@ afisher & AimBiZ : Thanx !
I've tried to continue the nasal cavity down, but it doesnt work very well, so I kept it like this.
But I've worked on the gum/teeth indents, and it's looking better and better ! Thanx for advices !
I'v changed the top of the handle too as I tought the details were too thin for Darksiders style and I think it fits better now !


C&C more welcome

Stinkhorse

Hah, the closed mouth does look better. It also suggests that the area inside is now a solid piece, and as a result would be sturdier in a fight.

Turret

since you closed the mouth, I would stretch that nose down, make it really long. Much like the skull BoBo made for the scythe on the livestream.

skullmonkey

@ Stinkhorse : Thanx !
@ Turret : I elongated the nose a bit and I think it looks good now.

I think I'm done with sculpting. I heading now to retopo, UV, texture bake and painting.

C&C more welcome.

Maneak

Have you tried bringing the transition piece up towards the blade more? I feel like if you brought that up a bit and exaggerated the teeth more it might fix that funny middle area. Just my 2c.

Those runes came out beautifully, though! I'm excited to see how the bake goes.

skullmonkey

Today's update:
After retopo, my lopoly mesh polycount is 1772 tris.
As it was the first time I baked a normal from hi to lo, I'm pretty satisfied with what I've got.
Already started to paint too.
C&C more welcome

skullmonkey

Update :
I'm having some hard time painting the blade, if someone has some tips or advices...

Stinkhorse

You need some hard edge highlights in there. Hit the blade with a gradient, then the interior flats of the blade with the reverse of that gradient. Now get a lighter color and paint the edges of the blade, and the edges where the blade connects with the flats. Also be sure to get some color into those runes. Make em POP.

Stinkhorse

here we go. I grabbed some reference images that might help:
Claws - Notice how the claws have the blade edge and the recessed interior. Heavy use of gradients give the impression of movement and depth along them.

Scythes - Again with the gradients and the clear highlights along the edges.

Polearm - They've notched this guy all over to break up the form as well as provided a color shift in grays and reds.

Hope these help!

SveinY

Hey dude great job on the design but it still need some more color... I did a quick paintover I hope thats ok.. I hope it helps.. cant wait to see the finished axe

skullmonkey

@ Stinkhorse : Thanx for the advices and references images, it helped me a lot ! :thumbup:
@ SveinY : Thanx for the paintover job, helped too ! :thumbup:
I'near finishing now but I'm having a normal issue (those dark edges) and I don't know where it comes from... If someone could help ?
Normal only



Diff Only





Normal map





Normal map was generated with 3d coat and pictures rendered using xoliul's shader


Thanx.

skullmonkey

Hi !

This was a fun challenge ! I've learned a lot, but there still some issues with my workflow.
I wish to thanx SveinY, Stinkhorse, Maneak, Turret, AimBiz, Afisher, Evanescfan, jmt, artstream, TerraBite, Konras & BigK for their comments, advices and help.
I wish to thanx all participant of this challenge for their creative and inspiring works.
And I wish to thanx Bobo, for sharing with us his professionnal knowledge through livestream.

Best luck to all !

Here's my final :

Turret

This turned out very good. Its a simple but solid clean model. If you are still having trouble with those normal it kind of looks like the issue I was having. You can look at my thread and see, but if I am right then in Maya or 3ds max, whichever you us, you need to harden the edge normals of the blade's edge, then it should bake out properly. Right now it looks like you have them softened, and when it bakes its reading it as though its supposed to be rounded, and its trying to compensate for it in the bake.