Handpainted Axe: Critque Requested

MDiaz · Mar 2013

A warm welcome to each member out there!

This was a side task that I created last month and is actually the first time hand painting a weapon. I figured that if I am going to improve any way, that the best way to do so is to just post and get as many critiques as possible.

I know that I am missing some bounce lighting along the blade connection, but other than that I am just blind. Even after a month away from it I cannot see anything else that is wrong. :poly122:

Anything and everything is appreciated and thank you!

pixelb · Mar 2013

Hi MDiaz! Your cylinders could be more optimized. 10 sides is high for cylinders of this scale; 6-8 sides is more appropriate. I also noted some geo that's so slight it's not worth having. Texture-wise it looks okay but the twine on the handle looks flat, in part because of the weird white horizontal highlights. You could get away with having fewer UV islands too, there's no reason to split up the blade from the rest of the head.

PogoP · Mar 2013

Hmm I kinda disagree. I'd keep those edge loops in, they give it more of a silhouette.

This is gonna be seen up close, I imagine, so you're best off keeping in those edge loops. 746 tris isn't exactly a lot.

Selaznog · Mar 2013

You have 6 sides on the torus attached to the handle, and almost double that for the little emblem on the side of the axe. What I would do is have the emblem painted directly on the mesh and use the extra edge loops for the torus. I like how you split up the uv's to save texture space, nicely done

Ra6ga5ka · Mar 2013

i dont have much knowlege about handpainted textures.. it looks fine for me. but i think that the geometrie really dont support ur Texture.. It looks Mechanic. Add mor Movment into the shape... a branch is not 100% straigt and also the handle and the end of the branch. mostly there are cuts at the end of a branch becouse it is dry and Moving no matter if the wood dont grow.. also the metal looks on the one hand old and dirty but on the other hand it dont have scraches or something.

peace

ElectroNugget · Mar 2013

Looks great, your textures are pretty nice.

Like rschmidt said though, I think the handle could use a slight curve.

mariomanzanares · Mar 2013

I agree with pixelb. 6-8 are enough, 10 is too much for this style.

Also, in handpainted style you should avoid using purely black for shadows. Try to use dark colors to achieve a more painterly style, but NEVER get totally black parts. In the same way, light is not just white. If you study some illustration work or WoW game-art, they use warm light colors like yellow or orange for the "specular" parts and cool dark blue for shadows.

This might sound silly, but your model is going to be much alive if you don't use just black and white to get values.

Shrike · Mar 2013

Im really against all this cylinder crippling. Why would you want to get towards 6 sides on a cylinder, the polycount is perfectly fine.

6 is a hexagon, thats not even close to being round. I dont see why so many people take this so far.
Nothing in 3D modeling is as ugly as a supposed round shape having too few sides.

Also if you have a torus like that, why even bother faking it round. You can either get a perfectly crisp looking hexagon - screw like shape
or a awful circle.

I dont know the view distance or usage, from far it sure if ok round, RTS,
top down, whatever, still.

You should tone down the black paint on the edge, it fakes depth where
you shouldnt have it, it looks like theres a big gap between the actual
blade and the connecting part.

Also use more color, wood is not just brown, metal is not just grey
Get some blue hue in, green red, but very decent, it makes the texture more vivd

Handpainted Axe: Critque Requested

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