#3dsculpting

Overview

Today I completed the high-poly sculpting stage for my hero prop, the Bone Chopper LARP sword. This marks a big milestone because the sculpt now contains all the major forms and hero details that will drive the quality of the final bake and textures.

What I Completed

I finished sculpting the main parts of the sword, focusing on clean readable forms first and then pushing the details where it matters most:

Blade: finalised the overall shape and thickness, and added surface wear to support the used, battle-worn look.

Skull/bone detail: completed the sculpt of the skull element and refined the forms so it reads clearly as the main hero feature.

Handle/grip: finished the grip shape and made sure the transitions between parts feel solid and believable.

Overall polish: cleaned up proportions and checked the silhouette from different angles to make sure the prop reads well.

What I Focused On

My main focus throughout the sculpt was readability and structure. I tried to avoid adding random noise and instead made sure the detail supports the design. The goal was to create a high-poly sculpt that looks strong on its own, but also bakes cleanly onto a game-ready low-poly model later.

Next Steps

Now that the sculpting stage is complete, I’ll move into the next part of the pipeline:

create the low-poly version

set up UVs

bake the high-poly detail onto the low-poly

start texturing and material definition

finish with final renders and a turntable for presentation

References

Overview

Today I hit an important milestone in my Hero Prop workflow. I’ve completed the skull sculpt, which is one of the main hero details on the Bone Chopper sword, and I’ve now moved on to starting the full sword sculpt.

Skull Sculpt (Completed)

I focused on finishing the skull first because it’s a key focal point of the prop and it needs to read clearly in close-up shots. I refined the main shapes (eye sockets, cheekbones, jaw area) and cleaned up the forms so the skull feels structured and readable. I also made sure the surface detail supports the overall look without becoming too noisy.

Full Sword Sculpt (In Progress)

After completing the skull, I started building the high-poly sculpt for the full sword. Right now I’m concentrating on the primary forms and overall silhouette, especially:

the blade’s main shape and thickness

the overall proportions between the blade and handle

the placement/integration of the skull detail into the handle area

At this stage I’m keeping things simple and focusing on big shape accuracy before adding more secondary detail like edge damage, dents, and material breakup.

WIP Screenshots

(Insert your screenshots here)

Next Steps

Continue refining the main forms of the blade and handle

Start adding secondary details (wear, chips, surface variation)

Check the prop readability from distance and close-up angles

Once the high-poly sculpt is done, move into low-poly, UVs, baking, and texturing

References

Overview

Today I started working on the skull sculpting for my Bone Chopper hero prop. This skull element is one of the main focal points of the weapon, so I wanted to give it proper attention early in the process.

What I Worked On

I began by blocking out the primary skull shape and checking the overall proportions before adding smaller details. My focus was on getting the big readable forms in place first, including:

the eye sockets

the cheekbone structure

the jaw and overall head shape

At this stage, I’m not aiming for perfect surface detail yet — I’m prioritising the silhouette and form readability so it looks strong even from a distance.

Progress Notes

The skull is still in an early WIP stage, but it’s starting to feel more defined. I’m constantly rotating the model and checking the forms under different lighting angles to make sure the shapes are working and not getting too noisy too early.

Next Steps

Refine the skull anatomy and clean up the major planes

Add secondary details (subtle cracks, wear, shape variation)

Blend/attach the skull area properly into the sword handle so it feels integrated rather than separate

References

Overview

For my live brief, I decided to complete the Hero Prop Assignment. I wanted a brief where I can focus on one strong asset and take it through a full professional workflow, from early research to final presentation.

Hero Prop Selection

After reviewing the options, I chose to create a Bone Chopper LARP sword as my hero prop. I picked this sword because it has a clear silhouette and strong focal details that make it feel like a “hero” asset. The blade shape is bold and readable, and the bone/skull detail near the handle gives it a unique identity that will stand out in renders.

Reference Collection

To start the project properly, I collected multiple real-world reference images of the Bone Chopper sword from Google. These references will guide my proportions and surface detail, especially:

edge wear and damage

handle wrap patterns

the bone/skull feature and how it connects to the grip

Planned Workflow (High-Poly Sculpt First)

My next step is to begin by sculpting the high-poly version of the sword. I’ll focus on getting the primary forms correct first (silhouette, proportions, readability), then move into secondary and tertiary details like wear, dents, scratches, and the stylised bone/skull elements. Once the high-poly sculpt is complete, I’ll continue the pipeline by creating a low-poly version, doing UVs, baking the high-to-low details, texturing, and finally producing clean presentation renders and a turntable.

References

This was the first one that I sculpted almost a year ago but I didn't really like her so I moved on and did some other things before going back to this project and finishing it and making it better.

Now I'm very happy about it, I made a test print in pla because it's quicker but I STRONGLY recommend printing it with resin, I'll do it myself one day, when I can afford a new bottle of resin lol

Her name is Anemone!

The price is higher than Nerina because she is taller and with more joints than her, plus you get two versions of the torso part: one with a bigger butt and the other one.... with a smaller butt ahahah

Maybe I'll soon sculpt some high heeled feet for her and add them to the pack of file. And maaaaybe.... I'll do a different head that can hold animal ears, who knows :D