Showing History Through Ornate Axe's Engravings

Introduction 

Hey everyone. My 3D journey started around 1999, give or take, right after the original Half-Life dropped. That’s when I realized I wanted to make games too. Since then, I’ve dabbled in it off and on, with mixed success. My "teachers" were forums, websites, and later YouTube. Proper professional experience came much later. That studio and game are long gone now – back then, progress was gradual. No sudden breakthroughs like today, no structured courses, and studios didn’t hire students.

Axe Clevec

Axe Clevec wasn’t random, but it took me forever to get there. As a 3D artist, I’d always worked in hard-surface and modern settings. While Half-Life sparked my desire to make games, I’ve always loved medieval themes and classic RPGs. Years passed without touching swords or axes – until I stumbled on a book about historical weapons. Everything clicked: it’s time.

I gathered references but didn’t copy any of them. Instead, I cherry-picked interesting elements and blended them, keeping the design grounded in real-world logic.

Modeling

I aimed for something high-end for its era – unique, ornate, with engravings and gold inlays. I started with SubD modeling since I wasn’t replicating references exactly. The axe head went through four iterations before I settled on a form. Then, I moved to sculpting – just major shapes, dents, and wear. Engravings were added in texturing; sculpting shallow details like that is inefficient when textures handle it better.

Basic engravings were hand-painted; complex ones used Photoshop-made alphas.

Topology & UVs

All modeling (HP/LP), UVs, and even sculpting were done in Blender – no extra software. For the low-poly mesh, the key was preserving silhouette integrity, especially for baked details. UV unwrapping used Blender’s native tools.

Texturing in Substance 3D Painter

Standard workflow: base layers first, then height details, followed by anchors and wear passes. Scratches and grime were sourced from photos (not just tileable ones). I avoided overly deep height for scratches – kept them subtle. Layers piled up: aged metal, micro-scratches, edge wear, dirt, dust.

Rendering

Primary lighting was HDRI fill, with manual lights for accents. To minimize post-work, I dialed in everything upfront – background, fog, etc. The backdrop was a gradient-lit plane. Each camera angle required light tweaks to highlight key features.

Post-production was minimal: slight color grading, vignette, and tints. No image manipulation – just color adjustments. The image below shows the raw render matches the preview.

Key Takeaways

There are no magic tricks – just focus on silhouette, form, color, and lighting. I’m a sucker for "epic" flair, so nailing the shape comes first.

This project faced no major hurdles; practicing on a sword beforehand sped up my workflow. The real lesson? Even if you nail a piece like this, don’t expect The Witcher 4 or Path of Exile 2 devs to DM you (sadly). [Note: That’s irony.]

Another takeaway is that you don’t need expensive tools or subscriptions. Master the basics, and you’ll find ways to compensate.

If you liked this, stick around – more is to come.

Eugene Sergienko, Lead 3D Artist

Interview conducted by Gloria Levine