LogInAdrian Horodyski showcased his process for creating a hand-painted 3D version of Ares in the style of Hades using ZBrush, sharing how he achieved a stylized 2D look.
Introduction
Hello there. My name is Adrian Horodyski, and I've been working in the games industry for about 3 years. Currently, I'm a 3D Character Artist working at Flix Interactive on Sea of Thieves, but before that, I worked on various freelance projects across games, film, and also created content for courses with Nhance School.
Even while working in the industry, I try to dedicate time towards personal projects, they've been a great creative outlet and have opened up a lot of exciting opportunities for me, and this Hades character is no exception. Thanks to 80 Level for allowing me to write this article for you all.
Reference
This piece was created for a challenge my friends and I organised, where we each attempted to replicate the art style of Hades. I had two months to finish this project, which is plenty of time for a high-poly character. But because I hadn't worked with this art style yet, I had to spend some time experimenting with the texturing and modeling process. My personal goal was to capture the vibe of the character portrait more than the in-game character models.
I knew this project would heavily rely on hand-painted textures. The Hades art style has a strong comic book feel, with bold lines and strong shape language. I realized that trying to recreate that look using just materials or shaders wouldn't be enough to capture the same effect, shadows and highlights were instead all painted directly into the textures. For inspiration, I looked at references from Borderlands and League of Legends, especially when it came to painting techniques. My main goal was to make this piece feel 2D, almost like it popped straight out of the illustration made by Jen Zee.
The main reference only included the waist up, so I had to spend some extra time researching to fill in the gaps to make it all come together. Here's a look at my PureRef setup. I like to keep the main image right in the center so I don't lose track of what I'm trying to achieve.
It's super important to have a clear goal in mind and gather the right references to help you get there. I like to organize my PureRef into sections, for example: a main art style section (like Hades) with in-game models and artwork from other artists exploring a similar style, or a clothing section with references that match the concept, including real-life images.
I had to make sure to consciously analyze what I'm looking at, think about what I like, what I don't, and why. Taking a few notes as we go can really help keep our ideas focused and intentional.
Concept Analysis
My favorite aspect of the 3D process is working in ZBrush (something I believe many character artists can relate to). For this project, I decided to do the entire character in ZBrush, including the texturing and rendering. It's the main software I use for most of my projects, but up until now, I've only used it for sculpting, not for rendering or working on final textures. For this project, I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and see if I could take a piece all the way to the final result using only ZBrush, it was both a challenge and a learning experience, and it pushed me to explore parts of the software I had never really touched before.
For me, the most important thing is capturing the vibe of the character, understanding why I like them, and what gives them their presence. When I looked at Ares, I noticed his design is built mostly around strong shape language (triangles and squares), which felt like a key part of his visual identity (and something that came in handy when designing the lower half of his body). The open chest plate revealing all the armor details, the way he looks straight at the viewer, how he holds his sword and helmet, all of it feels intentional. The immediate feeling I got from him was that he sees himself as above everyone else, intimidating, dominant, untouchable.
That's also why I chose to move away from the concept in certain areas. Since the concept doesn’t show the full character, I wanted to push the God of War energy even further. I added blood on his hands and legs to show how powerful and brutal he is. It was all about amplifying that sense of chaos and strength.
Sculpting & Texturing
When I approach a hand-painted character, I always like to polypaint as I go. It really helps me visualize the shapes and proportions more accurately throughout the process. In the beginning, I focus on working fast rather than clean. Instead of worrying about details or making each part look perfect right away, I try to block out the whole character as quickly as possible. This way, I get a better idea of the bigger picture and whether I'm matching the vibe of the concept. This is a huge timesaver in the long run. To make the polypaint read similarly to the concept, I used a basic skin material with an outline. I made sure to check that specular was on a low value to ensure that the polypaint values were kept as true as possible. Keeping the material simple means that we aren't getting any unwanted reflection through paint, and our main goal is to make this 3D model replicate 2D.
Texturing follows quite a rinse and repeat process, just mask and paintbrush. In the Hades concept art, each material usually uses only two/three colors: one for the shadow, one for the highlight, and one base color. For example, gold will have a dark shadow tone, a bright highlight, and a strong midtone. Once you start adding too many gradients, values begin to blend, and we lose the graphic, comic-book style.
One thing that really helps speed up the process is using polygroups. In Hades, areas that are hidden or behind other elements are often filled with solid black. So, if I'm working on something like a shoulder pad, I'll set up the polygroups early on, that way, I can quickly mask and fill in colors without wasting time later.
The mesh doesn't need a ton of detail because a lot of the finer details are carried in the painting. I like to keep the mesh clean and beveled so I'm not fighting with harsh edges when it comes to painting.
One trick I use for hard surface work is this: after subdividing the mesh and adding bevels, I use layers and Clip Curve to add extra damage or sharper bevels. Clip Curve lets you push into the mesh rather than cutting through it, this works without messing up the topology. Layers give you full control over how deep the effect goes, and they're great for treating changes like an undo history. You can also use Adjust Last, another great way to control your detail level. Also, when my planes need sharpening, I can rely on Clay Polish for getting the crisp, stylized look. When we combine it with layers and Clip Curve, it becomes a really powerful combo for stylized hard surface modeling.
Iterations & Corrections
When there are parts of the character left to interpretation, I like to iterate through versions. If something doesn't feel right or just isn't giving me the result I want, I can always save a backup and try a totally different approach. Sometimes we can get better results by trying something new, instead of getting tunnel visioned on fixing something existing.
For example, when I first made the skirt, I ended it with a square shape. Personally, it didn't feel right, it broke the flow and interrupted the way the eye moves across the character. Switching it to a triangle made a big difference. It leads the eye down toward the feet and supports the shape language of the character, which helped push that sharp, dangerous vibe I was going for. I used the same approach with the hair and shoes. Creating some nice negative space and a strong silhouette really helps make the character feel more grounded and visually readable.
The cape was probably the biggest challenge I faced in this project. It took a lot of trial and error to get the shape and flow feeling right. The concept doesn't clearly show how the cape moves, but you can tell it's torn and separated, more like multiple pieces than a single solid shape.
I experimented with all kinds of lengths and silhouettes, but things finally started to click when I leaned into the idea of strong wind and a burnt, battle-damaged look. That's why I always recommend adding some story to your character. I ask myself: Why is he here? What am I trying to show? What's the scene? For me, I wanted to show Ares as this unstoppable god of war, standing on top of a hill, calmly waiting for more enemies, because he enjoys the fight. The wild, wind-blown cape helps sell that he's somewhere high up, exposed to the elements, while he stays composed and powerful in the chaos around him.
Rendering
All the final renders are done inside ZBrush, with some touch-ups in Photoshop. Since I was aiming for a 2D look, I had to remove as much of ZBrush's post-processing and rendering effects as possible, including those coming from the materials. Here are some of the settings I've changed, and a before and after:
Because I had already done all the polypainting inside ZBrush, and the outline material supported this, exporting to Marmoset or Blender would have added extra work without improving the final quality. I did make a few tweaks in Photoshop, like adding a touch of bloom and an extra rim light to help everything pop a bit more. The goal was to really sell the idea that this could be a 2D drawing, so keeping the render clean and graphic was key.
This character was part of a challenge I did with friends, and honestly, everyone killed it. Please make sure to check them out! I've linked all their portfolios in my ArtStation post.
Final Thoughts
We skipped a lot of steps, like retopology and UV mapping, because we used polypaint in ZBrush. This saved me a lot of time, and the vertex colors from Polypaint can still be used in other programs like Blender or Marmoset. However, since the character is still in a high-poly stage, it's not suitable for game-ready use.
Overall, this project took around 60 to 80 hours of work time. At work, I do game-ready characters, so going through the full production pipeline in my personal time can feel a bit demotivating. That's why I enjoy smaller projects like this one, where I can focus purely on refining my skills in ZBrush and learning more about texturing, without having to worry if it'll work in a game engine. It helps me work faster and level up my skills at the same time. I had a great time digging into the hidden parts of the concept. I enjoy challenging myself, and there's something really satisfying about sharpening my problem-solving skills and character design.
On my ArtStation page, you can find additional pictures and videos. If you have any questions, feel free to reach me on my social media accounts: Instagram, X, and ArtStation. Thank you!