Modeling & Texturing a Realistic 3D Violin

Introduction

My name is Ramona Bottiglione. I work primarily as an Environment Asset Artist, but I am comfortable creating characters in my free time. I like to call myself a Hybrid Artist, meaning that I can jump between environment props and characters depending on what my company needs, although my preference remains environments.

From a young age, I have always loved video games and watching special effects in movies: playing video games and watching movies like The Lord of the Rings made me realise I wanted to pursue 3D modeling as my profession, not just as a spectator, but to be part of the world where 3D is created.

I studied for a Bachelor's degree in 3D Animation in Sydney at Enmore TAFE, where, during my studies, I had the opportunity to learn various software such as Maya, Substance 3D Painter, Mudbox, ZBrush, and lighting using Arnold. Having a strong educational base is important, but it is even more important to acquire new skills by doing many personal projects. The majority of my skills and new software proficiencies were developed through personal projects and self-study.

After completing my studies, I applied to various companies and began working for several animation studios, producing entertainment TV shows, web shows, and movies aimed at children as the primary audience. Some of the titles I've worked on include web series based on well-known toy and doll brands such as Barbie, Monster High, Rainbow High, L.O.L., Vegesaurs, Teletubbies, and LEGO DUPLO, among others.

I also contributed to a feature film titled Mission Santa: Yoyo to the Rescue, which will be released soon, around Christmas, in German cinemas. The most recent project I am working on is the 3D feature film adaptation of Bluey, scheduled for release in 2027

The Violin Project

I began the Violin project because I wanted to explore a different style than what I typically do for work. Since I work at an animation company, the majority of my models are stylised, designed for cartoons, but because I enjoy experimenting and having more than one style, many times when selecting a personal project, I try to choose something that differs from what I do every day.

For example, sometimes I like to do a game-style piece or even a realistic still-life. In this case, I chose a realistic still-life concept, especially because I wanted to see how far I could push realism, since in the future I would love working for VFX companies such as Weta Digital, DNEG, Industrial Light & Magic, etc.

When I decided on the concept, I conducted extensive research: I knew I wanted something realistic and not too simple, with some element of a more intricate model like a violin, and equally complex textures to replicate. The first thing I did after importing the reference into Maya was to match the camera based on the framing of the image, so that I could check whether the position of the models aligned with the camera. My first step was to match the camera and block out the scene using simple shapes to establish proportions and composition

The first step was to create a very simple shape, like a rectangle, and scale it to the correct size of the violin. Then I began modeling the main body of the instrument, always starting very low-poly, after which I added the details such as the f-holes in the middle of the violin.

To add the details on the front part of the violin, I preferred to separate the front surface from the rest of the mesh, which made it easier for me to work on a flat plane when adding features like the f-holes. Once all the necessary details were in place, I gave the violin its characteristic curvature by slightly inflating the surface to achieve the instrument's typical arched shape.

I find it much more efficient to divide the mesh into separate parts so I can focus on specific areas and make adjustments more easily without affecting the rest of the model.

The Details and the Bow

Then I moved on to adding the strings, so I could have a general idea of where to place other details, such as the pegs, the tailpiece, or the bridge under the strings. Typically, I leave the most time-consuming parts for last: in the violin, the most intricate portion is the scroll (the top of the neck).

For that part, I needed to look for many more references to understand how it was constructed, and I began modeling that shape from a new, simple mesh and then gradually added edges and extrusions. Once the upper part was finally finished, I combined it with the rest of the violin.

I prefer to keep the parts with more detail separated from the rest of the mesh until they are completed, because I find it easier to then combine them later if needed.

As for the bow, I kept it quite simple. I started from a cylinder and slightly adjusted the upper part to define its shape. The strings of the bow are just a flat plane, most of the fine detail was added later during the surfacing stage.

Typically, to save time, I first gather references of various parts that I know will likely be useful, and I try to maintain a fairly low topology for as long as possible. That way, if I make any mistakes, it's much easier to fix them with simpler geometry, at least in the early stages of the project. Once the different props were completed, I replaced the initial placeholder meshes that I had used earlier to match the camera.

I had to go back and forth several times between Maya and Photoshop to make sure the position and proportions of the props matched the reference image. Checking in Photoshop was particularly helpful because I could overlay two different layers, one with the reference and one with a quick render of my model to see how accurately they aligned.

Unwrapping

As I mentioned earlier, I try to maintain a clean topology, which also helps to make UV-unwrapping easier. In the topology, I avoid at all costs creating spirals, which are a real nightmare to handle, even when it comes to doing the UV unwrap.

When I usually do UV unwrap, I tend to keep in the same UV tile the pieces that I know will share the same type of material, for example, metal, wood, or fabric. To create UVs, I use the Maya tools available. I created several materials for the different elements in the scene:

• The violin
• Strings
• The bow
• Books
• Wall and floor
• Sheet music

What I really like about Substance 3D Painter is the large library of materials available, which makes the workflow much faster. My approach is to start by finding a material that already fits closely or at least roughly resembles the look I have in mind, and then build upon it by adding custom layers and hand-painted details.

For the violin, I started with a "Wood Acajou" base material. Of course, this wasn't enough to achieve the realistic result I wanted, so I added new layers to recreate the color variations, subtle gradients, and fine details visible in my reference. When using pre-made materials from Substance 3D, it's always a good practice to customize them, since they are usually quite generic and flat in color. Without modification, they can look too uniform and lack the realism you're aiming for, but they are an excellent starting point and help save a lot of time.

I then began layering different shades, from darker to lighter tones, carefully staying as close as possible to my reference. I used a light, smooth, noisy brush to add the tonal variations softly without being too aggressive. To introduce subtle grain and extra variation in the wood, I also added an "Anisotropic Noise" layer, which helped to bring a bit of organic irregularity while keeping it very subtle.

Along with the color layers, I also worked on the Roughness to make sure it wasn't completely flat. Varying the Roughness and Specular Values adds realism, since in the real world, surfaces never have uniform reflections. I paid special attention to make the dirtier or more used areas slightly less shiny, which helps convey natural wear.

For the remaining parts of the violin (the black part), I created a shiny black-gray material and added some subtle dirt and roughness variation to break up the surface. Then I added more layers to introduce slight color shifts, simulating areas where the material might have aged or collected dust.

I also included a touch of edge wear, since instruments used over time naturally get minor scuffs, especially around the edges. Small imperfections, slight color differences, and gentle roughness variation are what make an object feel real, but overdoing them can quickly make it look overly CGI.

Lightning and Rendering

For the lighting and rendering setup, I used Arnold in Maya. By closely studying my reference image, I first analyzed the direction of the light and the placement of the shadows. My main goal was to recreate a similar mood and lighting balance to match the concept.

I started by creating a directional light with an intensity and exposure set to 1.000. This served as my primary light source to define the main direction of light hitting the violin. I carefully rotated it until the shadows cast by the violin matched those in the reference.

Next, I added a skydome light with an intensity of 0.500, not as a key source, but simply to introduce more even ambient illumination across the scene and to soften the overall shadow contrast.

In the same direction as the directional light, I placed a key light with an exposure of 15.000 and a slightly warm color tone. This helped brighten the scene (without overexposing it) and better highlight the hero asset. It also helped cast the violin's shadow onto the wall in a natural way, similar to the reference.

I then introduced several fill lights. The main fill light was particularly useful to brighten the right side of the violin and to soften the intensity of the shadow cast on the wall. The remaining fill lights were used to illuminate specific areas that appeared too dark compared to the reference.

For example, behind the violin, where the books are located, the area was receiving only minimal light, so I placed a rim light to subtly bring out the shapes without flattening the contrast. Another small fill light was added inside the violin to ensure the f-holes were not overly dark.

For the final render, I enabled Cryptomatte passes in Arnold to generate masks for each object in the scene. This allowed me to make precise adjustments later in Adobe After Effects.  Even though I tried to match the texture colors as closely as possible to the concept in Substance 3D Painter, they still required a bit of fine-tuning.

In After Effects, it was easy to tweak color and brightness for specific elements using these masks. For instance, the wall in the render appeared slightly too saturated and bright, so I isolated it using its Cryptomatte mask and adjusted it with Lumetri Color, a powerful color correction and grading tool. I reduced the saturation, exposure, and shadows until the balance felt closer to the original concept.

I applied the same method to other parts of the scene, such as the violin's front area, the books, and the bow. Slightly lowering their saturation, exposure, highlights, and shadows to achieve a cohesive and realistic final look.

Conclusion

For me, creating appealing props comes down to three main aspects:

1. Good references and concept: Before starting any model, I always collect strong references, real photos, or similar props. They help me understand the proportions, materials. Without good references, it's easy for a prop to look flat or generic.
2. Clean modeling and readable shapes: I start with simple shapes and focus on getting the right proportions and silhouette before adding details. Clean topology is important, and I try to add only what's needed depending on how close the prop will be seen. Hero props get more detail, while background ones stay simple.
3. Realistic materials: Textures bring the prop to life. Small imperfections like edge wear, dirt, or roughness variation make an object feel used and believable. I always try to add these subtly, just enough without overdoing it.

The hardest part was definitely matching the camera angle and creating the violin textures to look as close as possible to the original photo. Matching the lighting and shadows was also quite challenging. I wanted them to interact with the objects realistically, without overexposing the scene, but still keeping enough light to avoid areas that felt too dark or unclear. Finding the right balance between light and shadow was a key part of the process.

Through this project, I learned how important it is to carefully observe the reference in order to make my model look as realistic as possible, convincing viewers that it could actually be the original concept and not a 3D recreation. My goal was to reach a level of detail where it would be difficult to tell which one was real and which one was digital.

I learned a lot, especially about textures and lighting. Normally, when I work on stylized props, I tend to exaggerate certain features, which suits that style. But when replicating real life, it's important not to overdo the details. This project helped me practice finding that subtle balance and improve my ability to achieve believable realism.

Focus on building a strong foundation with good references and clean modeling. Practice regularly with personal projects to improve your skills, experiment with different styles, and pay attention to subtle details in textures, lighting, and materials. Small, thoughtful adjustments often make the biggest difference in achieving realism and appeal.

Additionally, it's very important to ask for feedback. When you work on the same project for a long time, it's easy to miss mistakes that are right in front of you. Asking friends or colleagues for their opinion can help you spot things you might never notice on your own.

Ramona Bottiglione, 3D Artist

Interview conducted by Emma Collins