How to Sculpt and Texture a Greatsword with a Realistic and Alive Look

Introduction

Hello everyone! My name is Kirill Muslimov, and I'm 21 years old. I've been working in 3D graphics for three years. I've been playing video games since childhood, and over the years, they've given me countless unforgettable experiences.

When I was finishing my second-to-last year of technical college, I accidentally spotted Blender on Steam. I was intrigued by the program, started learning it, and then realized it allowed me not only to enjoy games but also to participate in their creation.

I began self-studying with YouTube guides, and then took an online course that gave me the foundation for creating game models. During this time, I made models for two indie gaming teams on a passion project basis. I'm currently actively developing my skills and dream of joining a large indie or outsourcing studio.

Corrupted Greatsword

I wanted to realize the idea of ​​mixing organic and metallic elements. After finding some wonderful concept art by Luca Zeccoli, I got to work. I usually use references in my work, but in this case, I decided to follow the concept as closely as possible and not go into too much detail.

I placed the concept image into Blender and, having modified the primitives, did blocking, focusing on the shape of the blade and sculpting key details of the organic mass.

I exported the blocking via FBX, didn't split it into subtools except for the eye, combined all the blocking shapes via DynaMesh, and started sculpting. Here are all the brushes I used in this work:

Sculpting and Retopology

I rarely turn off the MrGB Channel when working. I think it allows me to achieve a certain smoothness when working with the Clay Bildup brush, the most basic of the main brushes for me. I didn't sculpt the eye. I modeled it from a UV Sphere primitive, slightly changing the shape. The most interesting part of the work was sculpting the handle, since in the concept art, its texture was unclear, so I refined it intuitively.

For retopology in this model, I used the enable X-ray addon, which allows you to see the retopology wireframe of the model above the high-poly model, and also used basic Blender functionality, such as the shrinkwrap modifier for fitting and snap to face.

The model is the same on the front and back, so I used a mirror with an offset U coordinate, which is the easiest way to overlap.

I pack UV using the UVPackmaster addon and UV Toolkit. I use the Texel Density addon to see the percentage fullness of UV spaces and the current texel. Before baking, I triangulated the model. I baked the model in Marmoset Toolbag, as it allows you to adjust the cage mesh using Paint Offset. This is especially helpful for problem areas, such as where the cage might overlap. I used the Basic map bake settings, which later helped me with texturing.

Texturing

Using the Baked maps as a base for further texturing, I darkened the color and increased the Roughness in the depressions, and I lightened the color and decreased the Roughness in the bulges. I used manual masks to separate the following parts: the metal part of the sword, its branches, the pinkish areas, and the part of the handle that is not filled with organic matter.

Using a series of masks and anchors, I applied a gradient to the indentations in the organic part. In the final layers, I add hand-painted texture details and hide seams where possible using the clone (relative source) tool with Passthrough overlay. I mostly hand-painted the eye, first applying two layers of orange shades with a Fractal Sum 2 blur mask to create a more uneven color.

Lighting

The sword was supposed to be in a swampy area, so I chose a similar HDRI map with green tones and muted, soft lighting. I used several light sources to emphasize the silhouette, and a separate light source to highlight the eye. I lit the model from below, creating the illusion of reflected light from the water in the swamp.

As for Photobashing, it's hard for me to say anything about it. I work more intuitively. I follow a few rules:

• Props should be in the center of the composition
• The background should not draw attention to itself
• The background should not contrast with the foreground

For the rest of the renders, the situation is similar. In some of the renders, I used Volume followed by exposure adjustment in Color Management.

A simple rig was made for animation.

Conclusion

I think the main secret is finding an appealing concept with a unique twist: in this case, the contrast between metal and organic matter. Texture the model in an HDRI map similar to the one the model will be placed in. Try to structure your masks when texturing. When retopologizing and UV mapping, you need to understand the most common viewpoint of the object and how it will be used, and conserve polygons accordingly.

Difficulties with polygons: I wanted to make as few polygons as possible, while keeping the model suitable for animation. A lot of time was spent on minimizing UV seams and texture-stretching removal. This project made me realize that it's crucial to be selective when choosing concept art: it needs to be comprehensive and detailed, so the props will be interesting. Leave more polygons on the model's silhouette.

Make multi-level textures. Otherwise, it's all individual: you may have a solid foundation in painting, or you may be just starting out and not yet know what you like. In the first case, it's worth focusing on the technical aspects of the process, while in the second case, while finding your path, don't be afraid to experiment and explore different styles and themes. Don't wait for inspiration. Discipline yourself, and then any goal will be achieved.

Kirill Muslimov, 3D Game Artist

Interview conducted by Gloria Levine