In this third tutorial, I will show you how to model and texture a maul in Blender.
Import reference
Now that you know the basics, it is time to model a game asset – in this tutorial, that will be a maul
I have provided the link to the reference we will be using
Make sure you are in Front Orthographic View (Numpad 1)
First, delete the default Cube to clear the scene
Second, use SHIFT + A to open the Add Menu, and under the Image section, choose “Reference”
Locate your reference image and load it into Blender
We will be using the maul in the middle
Select the reference image and move it along the Z-Axis (G + Z) until the bottom of the pummel aligns with the 3D Cursor
The reference is a bit off-center, but we will work around it
In the right-side view (Numpad 3), move the reference back along the Y-Axis so it won’t interfere with the primitives
Handle (Schaft)
We will begin by making the handle of the maul
Use SHIFT + A to add a Cylinder – making sure not to click away from it
In the Pop-over (lower left-corner), change the Vertices to 16 and the Radius to 2 inches (51 mm)
Also, change the Cap Fill Type to “Nothing” since we do not need those faces
Now close the Pop-over
In the Outliner, double-click on the Cylinder and rename it to Handle and drag it into the Collection
Move the Cylinder up along the Z-Axis by 1 (G + Z + 1) – this will place the Cylinder in the needed position
To make sure we can scale this Cylinder from its base, right-click on it and under the Set Origin option, choose “Origin to 3D Cursor”
Open the Properties Panel using the N-key
Make sure you have the Cylinder selected and open the Item tab
Under the Dimensions section, change the Z-Dimension to 5 feet (1.5 meters)
Close the Properties Panel using the N-key
We need to make some adjustments to our reference image
Use the Z-key and go into Wireframe mode so we can see through the Cylinder
Select the reference and move it down along the Z-Axis (G + Z) until the bottom of the Cylinder is on top of the hand counter
Remember, you can hold down your SHIFT-key to move slower and have more control
We need to scale the reference to fit the Cylinder
I’ve already made some calculations and I would suggest scaling the reference to 95% of its current size
To do this, select the reference and use S + .95 – this is how you scale objects to a precise measurement
Select the handle and use the Z-key to enter Material Preview
Use CTRL + A to open the Apply menu and choose “All Transforms”
This will apply any scaling or rotation and make it easier to texture and further model the object
Under the UV Editing Workspace, temporarily hide the reference by clicking on the eyeball in the Outliner
In Back View (CTRL + Numpad 1) and Edge Mode (2), select the center vertical Edge
Right-click and choose “Mark Seam”
In order to properly UV Unwrap an object, you need seams (they act like the seams on your clothing)
Use the A-key to select the entire handle
Use the U-key to access the Unwrap menu and choose “Unwrap”
We do not want the UV Islands to appear to be stretched because this will cause issues when we add textures
Under the Overlays menu, activate “Display Stretch”
What we are looking for is to make sure the UV Islands are a blue color – preferable dark blue – which means there is no stretching and the texture will wrap around the object correctly
Since these UV Islands are all blue, we can turn off the Overlay
Back in the Layout Workspace, Right-click on the handle to open the Object Context Menu and choose “Shade Auto Smooth”
Under the Overlays menu, select “Face Orientation” – this will show us which way the Normals are facing on the object
Everything on the outside should be blue
If anything is red, select the object and in Edit Mode, with the object selected, use ALT + N to recalculate the Normals
This is extremely important because any Normal that is not facing the correct way will not be seen in a game engine
For the Textures, I’m going to recommend using AmbientCG
Wood 076: https://ambientcg.com/view?id=Wood076
Metal 027: https://ambientcg.com/view?id=Metal027
Leather 033A: https://ambientcg.com/view?id=Leather033A
Leather 034D: https://ambientcg.com/view?id=Leather034D
I will be using the 2K JPG option
Once you have the Texture downloaded, unzip the folder and place the unzipped folder in the same location as your Blender file
Under the Shading Workspace, select the handle and click on the “New” button to make a new Material
Click on the Material name and rename it to “wood”
Make sure you have the Node Wrangler add-on activated under your Preferences – this offers a way to work with the Shader nodes that will make your workflow easier
Select the Principled BSDF Shader and use CTRL + SHIFT + T to open a File View and locate your Texture
Select your Ambient Occlusion, Color, Normal (GL), and Roughness Maps
Then click on Principled Texture Setup
This will properly set up your Textures – except the Ambient Occlusion
To set up the Ambient Occlusion Texture Map, use SHIFT + A to open the Add menu
Under the Color menu, select “Mix Color” and drag the node beside the AO Map node
Change the Blend Mode from “Mix” to “Multiply”
Connect the Color Texture Map to the bottom input of the Mix Color node
Connect the AO Texture Map to the top input of the Mix Color node
Connect the Result of the Mix Color to the Base Color of the Principled BSDF Shader
Change the Factor of the Mix Color to 1.0 – this controls how much we see of each of the other nodes that are connected to this node
If we zoom into the handle, notice that the wood is being wrapped horizontally around the handle rather than vertically
Select the Color Texture node and open the UV Editing Workspace
Select the handle using the A-key
Hold down your Left-Mouse-Button and drag to select the UV Island and rotate it by 90-degrees using R + 90
Use the G-key to move the UV Island back onto the Texture Map
Under the UV menu, choose “Pack Islands”
Open the Pop-over and uncheck “Rotate” because we do not want the UV Island to be rotated
Back in the Shading Workspace, we can now see that the grain of the wood is correct
The wood Texture looks a bit too large
To correct this, we can change the tiling of the Texture by changing the Scale on the Mapping node
Hold down your Left-Mouse-Button on the X-Scale and drag down to select all three Axes – this way we can easily change the scale on all three Axes at the same time
If I change the Scale to 2, the wood Texture looks much more natural
However, the Normal Map looks a bit too strong
You can easily fix this by lowering the strength on the Normal Map node
Select the Strength of the Normal Map and change it to around 0.5
Hand Counter (Handteller)
Unhide the reference by clicking on the eyeball in the Outliner
Go back to the Layout Workspace
For the hand counter, make sure you have the main Collection selected in the Outliner and add a UV Sphere
In the Pop-over, change the Segments to 16, Rings to 8, and the Radius to 2 inches (51 mm)
Rename the UV Sphere in the Outliner
Tab into Edit Mode
Use the Z-key to enter Wireframe Mode
Make sure you are in Face Mode (3)
Hold down the Left-Mouse-Button and drag to select the top-half of the UV Sphere
Use the Delete key to delete the selected faces
Use the Z-key to go into Solid Mode
In Edge Mode (2), use ALT + Left-Mouse-Button to select the top Edge Loop
Use E + S and move your mouse to scale in the Edge until it is just slightly smaller than the radius of the handle
Using CTRL + R, add a horizontal Edge Loop to the top Face Loop – double-click to confirm the Edge Loop
In Face Mode (3), use ALT + Left-Mouse-Button to select the top Face Loop
Use ALT + E to open the Extrude menu and choose Extrude Faces Along Normals
Then move your mouse upwards to extrude the selected faces outwards
Select the top Face Loop
In order to make sure these faces are flat, use S + Z + 0 – the will scale the faces along the Z-Axis to zero
Repeat this process for the bottom Face Loop
Tab into Object Mode
Select the hand counter and use CTRL + A to apply all of the transforms
Use the Z-key to enter Material Preview Mode
Under the UV Editing Workspace, temporarily hide the reference by clicking on the eyeball in the Outliner
In Front View (Numpad 1) and Edge Mode (2), select the top and bottom Edge Loops of the extruded faces and the top and bottom Edge Loop of the bottom part of the handle counter
In Back View (CTRL + Numpad 1), SHIFT-select the center vertical Edge for the extruded regions and for the rounded bottom part
Right-click and choose “Mark Seam”
Use the A-key to select the entire hand counter
Use the U-key to access the Unwrap menu and choose “Unwrap”
Hold down the Left-Mouse-Button and drag to select the UV Islands
Under the Overlays menu, activate “Display Stretch”
It appears that we do have some stretching on part of the object – seen via the light-blue color but this is within the acceptable level of stretching
Turn off the Overlay
Under the UV menu, select “Pack Islands”
Open the Pop-over and increase the Margin to add some padding between the UV Islands
Back in the Layout Workspace, Right-click on the hand counter to open the Object Context Menu and choose “Shade Auto Smooth”
Under the Overlays menu, select “Face Orientation” to make sure the Normals are facing the correct direction
Under the Shading Workspace, select the hand counter and click on the “New” button to make a new Material
Click on the Material name and rename it to “metal”
Select the Principled BSDF Shader and use CTRL + SHIFT + T to open a File View and locate your Texture
Select your Color, Metalness, Normal (GL), and Roughness Maps
Then click on Principled Texture Setup
The metal Texture looks a bit too large
To correct this, we can change the tiling of the Texture by changing the Scale on the Mapping node
Hold down your Left-Mouse-Button on the X-Scale and drag down to select all three Axes
If I change the Scale to 2, the metal Texture looks much more natural
Back in the Layout Workspace, add a Subdivision Surface Modifier – this will make the hand counter appear smoother
Change the Render amount to “1” – we will use a division of 1 because we do not want to add a lot of extra geometry
We will be applying the modifiers after we are done modeling everything
Adding this Modifier has smoothed out the edges too much
To correct this, select the hand counter and Tab into Edit Mode
Use CTRL + R to add a horizontal Edge Loop to the center of the extruded faces – double-clicking to confirm the action
With the Edge Loop selected, use CTRL + B to add a Bevel – drag your mouse upward until the two Edges are close to the original edges
This will sharpen the edges while keeping them smooth
We also need to add an extra Edge Loop to the top of the rounded part of the hand counter
Use CTRL + R to add a horizontal Edge Loop to the top Face Loop – double-clicking to confirm the action
Click on the G-key twice and then move your mouse upwards to slide the Edge toward the top of the rounded section
In Face Mode (3), use the C-key to access the Circle-Select tool and Left-click in the center of the very bottom face of the rounded section
Right-click to finish the operation selection
Use the I-key to access the Inset tool and slowly move the mouse to inset the faces
Tab back into Object Mode
Now you can notice that you have a smooth object with sharp edges
Handle leather (Griff)
In Bottom View (CTRL + Numpad 7), hold down the SHIFT key and right-click on the center-bottom of the hand counter – this will move the 3D Cursor
When I add a Cylinder, it will now be added at the new position of the 3D Cursor
Also, notice in the Pop-over that Blender kept the same options from the last Cylinder we added
Scale the Cylinder down so it intersects with the bottom of the hand counter
In Edit Mode, go into Vertex Select mode (1) and Wireframe View
Select the bottom ring of vertices and use the G + Z keys to move them down along the Z-Axis to the proper length
This will be the base for our leather texture
In the UV Editing Workspace, go into in Solid View, and Edge Select Mode (2)
In back view (CTRL + Numpad 1), select the center vertical Edge
Right-click and choose “Mark Seam”
Select the entire Cylinder with the A-key
Use the U-key to open the UV Mapping menu and choose “Unwrap”
Make sure there is no stretching on the UVs
In the Layout Workspace, under the Overlays menu, select “Face Orientation” to make sure the Normals are correct
Right-click and choose “Shade Auto Smooth” to make the Cylinder smoother
Use the Z-key to go back to Material Preview mode
In the Shading Workspace, add a new material called “leather”
Select the Principled BSDF and use CTRL + SHIFT + T to open the leather textures – Color, Normal (GL), and Roughness [027]
The Texture seems a bit too large so change the Scale of the Mapping node to 2
Go back to the Layout Workspace
In Object Mode, add a Plane – this will become the strap around the leather
Using R + X + 90, rotate the Plane around the X-Axis by 90-degrees
Use the S-key to scale the Plane down to a small rectangle and use CTRL + A to apply the transforms
Use the G-key to grab the selected Plane and use the X-key to constrain the movement on the X-Axis – move the Plane to the right-side of the leather
Use the G + Z keys to move the Plane to the bottom of the leather
In Edit Mode, go into Vertex Select Mode (1) and deselect the Plane by Left-clicking anywhere in the Viewport
Click and drag while holding down your Left-Mouse-Button and select the two right-side vertices
Use the Delete key to delete the vertices
In Object Mode, select the remaining vertices and apply the transforms a second time
In Edit mode, under the Modifier tab, add a Screw Modifier
Increase the Screw option to begin making the leather strap
Increase the number of Iterations until you have the leather base covered
You can still scale the original two vertices as needed
Add a Shrinkwrap Modifier so you can attach the strap to the leather base
For the Target, choose the leather base
Add a Solidify Modifier
Change the Offset to positive 1 so the thickness will be on the outside of the leather base
Also, activate “Even Thickness”
Change the Thickness to your desired scale
In Object Mode, Right-click on the leather strap and choose “Shade Auto Smooth”
Starting from the top, hover your cursor over the Modifier and use CTRL + A to apply the Modifiers
In the UV Editing Workspace, select the top and bottom Edges of the very bottom face
Use SHIFT + ALT + Left-click to choose the top and bottom interior Edge Loops that make up the spiral
Right-click and choose “Mark Seam”
Use the U-key to open the UV Mapping menu, and choose “Unwrap”
Make sure there is no stretching on the UVs
Under the Overlays menu, select “Face Orientation” and make sure the Normals are facing the right way
In the Shading Workspace, add a new material
Select the Principled BSDF and use CTRL + SHIFT + T to open the leather textures – Color, Normal (GL), and Roughness [034]
The Texture is too large so change the Scale of the Mapping node to 4
You can also decrease the Normal strength if need be
Pommel (Knauf Oder)
In the Layout Workspace, select the handle leather and tab into Edit Mode
In Edge Select Mode (2), hold down your ALT key and Left-click on the very bottom edge
Use SHIFT + D + ENTER to duplicate it
Use the P-key to separate the duplicated circle from the handle leather
Tab back into Object Mode and rename the duplicated circle in the Outliner
Tab back into Edit Mode and enter Vertex Select Mode
Use the A-key to select the object
Use the E-key then ENTER followed by the S-key to scale the pommel along the X- and Y-Axis
Use E + Z to extrude these vertices down along the Z-Axis
In Edge Select Mode, use CTRL + R to add an edge loop in the center of this extruded section
Use the S-key to scale this edge loop along the X- and Y-Axis
Use CTRL + B to add a bevel – rolling the scroll wheel to add more edge loops – this is a quick way to add a rounded edge to an object
In Vertex Select Mode, select the very bottom ring of vertices
Use the S-key to scale the vertices in toward the center for the next section of the pommel
Use E + Z to extrude these vertices down along the Z-Axis
Use the F-key to add a face to the bottom vertices
In Face Select Mode, select the new bottom face
Use CTRL + B to add a bevel – rolling the scroll wheel to add more edge loops
Select the bottom-center face and use SHIFT + S and choose “Cursor to Selected”
Use CTRL + A to add a UV Sphere
Open the Popover and notice that Blender is using the same options as the first UV Sphere
Use the S-key to scale the UV Sphere down and move it down below the pommel
Use the Z-key to enter Wireframe Mode
Deselect the UV Sphere and then use the B-key to select the first few top Face Loops
Use the X-key to delete the faces and make a flat top
Use the Z-key to go back to Material Preview Mode
In Face Select Mode, use Circle Select (C) to select the bottom-center Face and delete it
Select the UV Sphere by hovering your cursor over it and using the L-key
Scale the UV Sphere so it is about the same size as the bottom face of the previous section
In Edge Select Mode, select the row of edges on the top of the UV Sphere and SHIFT-select the row of edges of the face you just deleted
Right-click to bring up the Quick Tool Menu, and choose “Bridge Edge Loops”
This is a quick and easy way to join parts of a mesh together
Tab into Object Mode
Select the pommel and use CTRL + A to apply all of the transforms
Right-click and choose “Shade Auto Smooth”
Under the UV Editing Workspace, temporarily hide the reference by clicking on the eyeball in the Outline
In Front View (Numpad 1) and Edge Mode (2), select the top and bottom Edge Loops of the pommel sections
In Back View (CTRL + Numpad 1), SHIFT-select the center vertical Edge – removing the horizontal selections on the top and bottom of the pommel
Right-click and choose “Mark Seam”
Use the A-key to select the entire handle
Use the U-key to access the Unwrap menu and choose “Unwrap”
Under the Overlays menu, activate “Display Stretch”
It appears that we do have some stretching on part of the object but this is within the acceptable level of stretching
Turn off the Overlay
Hold down the Left-Mouse-Button and drag to select the UV Islands
Under the UV menu, select “Pack Islands”
Open the Pop-over and increase the Margin to add some padding between the UV Islands
Under the Overlays menu, select “Face Orientation” – this will show use which way the Normals are facing on the object
Under the Shading Workspace, under the Materials Panel, select the existing leather material and delete it
Use the drop-down menu next to the material name and choose the metal material
Hammerhead (Hammerkopf)
Back in the Layout Workspace, select the handle and Tab into Edit Mode
In Edge Select Mode, select the very top edge of the handle
Use SHIFT + S and choose “Cursor to Selected” to move the 3D Cursor
In Object Mode, add a Cylinder with 16 vertices and a triangle fan cap fill for the hammerhead
Rename the Cylinder in the Outliner
Use R + Y + 90 + ENTER to rotate it around the Y-Axis by 90-degrees
Use S + X and scale it along the X-Axis
In Right-side View (Numpad 3), use the S-key to scale the Cylinder down so it is a bit wider than the handle
Use S + X to scale the Cylinder along the X-Axis to the proper width
Using the G + X-keys, move it along the X-Axis into the proper position
Then use G + Z to move it up into position
Tab into Edit Mode
In Edge Select Mode, select the front and back outer edges of the Cylinder
Use CTRL + B to add a bit of a bevel – remember to use your scroll wheel to increase or decrease the number of cuts
Tab into Object Mode and use CTRL + A to apply the Transforms
Use the A-key to select the Cylinder
Use SHIFT + D + ENTER to duplicate it
Move it into position
In Face Select Mode, use the C-key to access the Circle Select tool
Select the left-most faces of the second Cylinder
Use the I-key to inset the faces to approximate the reference
Use the E + X keys to extrude the faces along the X-Axis for the smaller part of the hammerhead
Use the E + S keys to scale the faces along the X- and Z-Axis
Use the E + X keys to extrude the faces along the X-Axis for the larger part of the hammerhead
Use the I-key to inset the faces to approximate the reference
Use the E + X keys to extrude the faces along the X-Axis for the smallest part of the hammerhead
Use the Z-key to access the Quick Menu and go into Wireframe Mode
Use CTRL + R to add a horizontal Edge Loop to the small part of the hammerhead
With the Edge Loop selected, use the S-key to scale the Edge Loop inwards
Use CTRL + B to add a bevel and curve this section of the hammerhead
Select the right-most Edge Loop of the large section of the hammerhead and scale it down to match the edge of the small section
Repeat this for the left-most Edge Loop of the large section
Use CTRL + R to add a horizontal Edge Loop to the large part of the hammerhead
With the Edge Loop selected, use the S-key to scale the Edge Loop outwards
Use CTRL + B to add a bevel and curve this section of the hammerhead
Use CTRL + R to add a horizontal Edge Loop to the smallest part of the hammerhead
With the Edge Loop selected, use the S-key to scale the Edge Loop outwards
Use CTRL + B to add a bevel and curve this section of the hammerhead
Go back to Material Preview
In Face Select Mode, use the Circle Select Tool and select the back faces of the smallest part of the hammerhead
Use the X-key or the Delete key to delete the faces – this is unneeded geometry
Add a Cube which will act as the connector for the hammerhead
Use the S-key to scale the Cube until it just overlaps the hammerhead
In Wireframe Mode, move the Cube so it is just intersecting with the top of the handle
Make any adjustments as needed
Select the top Face and use the G- and Z-keys to move the top face up along the Z-Axis until it is about the same height as the large section of the hammerhead
In Edge Select Mode, hover over the Cube and use the L-key to select the entire Cube
Use CTRL + B to add a small bevel to the edges
Use Numpad 7 so you can see the top of the Cube
In Face Select Mode, make sure you have only the top face selected (excluding the bevels)
Right-click on the Face and choose “Subdivide”
Use the Popover to change the number of cuts to 8
Under the Edit Menu, open your Preferences
In the Add-ons section, search for “Loop”
Activate the Loop Tools option and save your Preferences
Deselect the top faces using ALT + A
Use the B-key to box select the center Faces – leave two Faces around the entire border
Tab into Object Mode
Use CTRL + A and apply “All Transforms” – this will help prevent any unwanted or odd geometry in the next step
Tab back into Edit Mode
Right-click on the selected Faces
Under the Loop Tools menu, choose “Circle”
In Front View (Numpad 1), use the E-key to extrude these faces up along the Z-Axis
Use CTRL + R to add a horizontal Loop Cut to the center of the extruded faces
Use the S-key to scale the Edge Loop outwards
Use CTRL + B to add a bevel – using the Scroll Wheel to add or subtract Edges
Tab into Object Mode
Select the hammerhead and use CTRL + A to apply all of the transforms
Under the UV Editing Workspace, temporarily hide the reference
In Front View (Numpad 1) and Edge Mode (2), select the vertical circular edges of the hammerhead, the horizontal circular edges of the top piece (you may need to make multiple selections), and the top and bottom Edge Loops of the Cube and one vertical Edge Loop on the back
You will also need to select one vertical Edge along with bottom horizontal edges of the circular part of the hammerhead
Right-click and choose “Mark Seam”
Use the A-key to select the entire hammerhead
Use the U-key to access the Unwrap menu and choose “Unwrap”
Under the Overlays menu, activate “Display Stretch”
We do have some stretching on part of the object but this is within the acceptable level of stretching
Turn off the Overlay
Hold down the Left-Mouse-Button and drag to select the UV Islands
Under the UV menu, select “Pack Islands”
Open the Pop-over and increase the Margin to add some padding between the UV Islands
Back in the Layout Workspace, Right-click on the hammerhead to open the Object Context Menu and choose “Shade Auto Smooth”
Under the Overlays menu, select “Face Orientation” to show which way the Normals are facing
Under the Shading Workspace, use the drop-down menu next to the material name and choose the metal material
Drag hooks (Tragehaken)
Back in the Layout Workspace, add a Plane using SHIFT + A
Rotate it around the X-Axis by 90-degrees using R + X + 90
Rotate it around the Z-Axis by 90-degrees using R + Z + 90
Rename the Plane in the Outliner
Tab into Edit Mode
Use the Z-key to enter Wireframe Mode
In the Right-Side View (Numpad 3), scale the Plane along the Y-Axis (S + Y) until it is the same width as the handle
In Edge Select Mode (2), select the top Edge
Move the selected Edge down along the Z-Axis using G + Z until it sits just underneath the rounded top of the hammerhead
Temporarily hide the hammerhead
In Vertex Select Mode (1), select the top two vertices
Use SHIFT + CTRL + B to Bevel the selected vertices – using the Scroll Wheel to add or subtract more vertices
Tab into Object Mode and Material Preview
Select the drag hook and use CTRL + A to apply all of the transforms
Under the Modifiers panel, add a Solidify Modifier
Change the thickness to about 0.1
Hover your Cursor over the Modifier and use CTRL + A to apply the Modifier
Tab back into Edit Mode
Use the G + X keys to center the drag hooks with the handle
In Edge Select Mode (2), select the bottom two longest Edges
Use CTRL + B to add a Bevel (using the Scroll Wheel to add Loop Cuts)
Use the A-key to select the entire mesh
Use ALT + E to scale the drag hook along the Normals – until it is as thick as the hammerhead
Tab into Object Mode
Select the drag hook and use CTRL + A to apply all of the transforms
Make sure it isn’t sticking out of the top of the hammerhead
Under the UV Editing Workspace, temporarily hide the reference, hammerhead, and handle
In Front View (Numpad 1) and Edge Mode (2), select vertical Edge Loops around the two largest faces and one horizontal Edge Loop at the top
Right-click and choose “Mark Seam”
Use the A-key to select the entire handle
Use the U-key to access the Unwrap menu and choose “Unwrap”
Under the Overlays menu, activate “Display Stretch”
It appears that we do have some stretching but this is within the acceptable level of stretching
Turn off the Overlay
Hold down the Left-Mouse-Button and drag to select the UV Islands
Under the UV menu, select “Pack Islands”
Increase the Margin to add some padding between the UV Islands
Back in the Layout Workspace, Right-click on the drag hooks and choose “Shade Auto Smooth”
Under the Overlays menu, check the “Face Orientation”
Use CTRL + A to apply all the Transforms
Open the Shading Editor
Use the drop-down menu next to the material name and choose the metal material
Punch (Schlagdorn)
For the punch, we will be working with curves
In the Layout Workspace, in Object Mode, use SHIFT + A and add a Path from the Curves menu
Tab into Edit Mode
Use the X-key or DELETE key to delete the Vertices
In the Toolbar, select the Curve Pen tool
Left-click near the top-left of the hammerhead
Left-click approximately half-way down the punch but do NOT let go of your Left-Mouse-Button
Instead, hold down the Left-Mouse-Button and drag to form a curve
Left-click at the tip of the punch and drag to continue the curve
Add another vertex at the midpoint of the bottom of the punch – we will fix that off curve in a moment
Left-click and drag to add a vertex at the bottom-left of the hammerhead
Then, click back on the first vertex to finish the curve
Select the vertex at the tip of the punch
Select the bottom handle and hold down the SHIFT key
Move the bottom part of the handle upward
Make any adjustments to the upper handle as needed to fix the curve
Select the bottom-center vertex
Use the SHIFT key to make adjustments to each handle to simplify the curve
Select the bottom-right handle and move the bottom section of the handle to straighten the right-side of the curve
Under the Object Data Properties Panel, change the Resolution Preview to 4 so the mesh won’t be too dense
Tab into Object Mode and rename the Curve
Right-click on the Curve and choose “Convert to > Mesh”
Tab into Edit Mode and temporarily hide the reference
We need to add faces to this punch so we can Extrude it and add some Bevels
*Note: Your punch will be different from mine due to the Curve Pen tool – if you need to delete unneeded vertices, select them, right-click and choose “Dissolve Vertices”
In Vertex Select Mode, select four vertices with Box Select (B-key)
Then, use the F-key to fill in a Face
Repeat this process until you reach the tip
If you run into a section that only has three vertices, select two of the vertices
Then right-click and choose “Subdivide”
For the tip of the punch, I will use three vertices and make a triangular face
Select the bottom vertices one-at-a-time and use GG to move them – try to make the Edges as straight as possible
In Edge Select Mode (2), select the right-most edge
Use S + X + Zero to make sure the Edge is flat and plumb
Select the punch using the A-key
Then use G + Y to move it back along the Y-Axis to align with the back of the hammerhead
Tab into Object Mode
Add a Solidify Modifier – using Even Thickness
Increase the thickness until the punch is as wide as the hammerhead
Hover your Cursor over the Modifier and use CTRL + A to apply it
Add a Bevel Modifier
Increase the Segments and lower the Amount
Use CTRL + 1 to add a Subdivision Surface Modifier with 1 Level
Right-click and choose “Shade Auto Smooth”
Select the punch and use CTRL + A to apply all of the transforms
Tab into Edit Mode
Use the Z-key to enter Wireframe Mode
Select the Faces (including the Bevel) that are facing the hammerhead
Use the X-key or DELETE key to delete the unnecessary Faces
Tab back into Object Mode
Go to the UV Editing Workspace
In Front View (Numpad 1) and Edge Mode (2), select the top and bottom Edge Loop of the punch sections
SHIFT-select the bottom horizontal Edge along the deleted Face
Right-click and choose “Mark Seam”
Use the A-key to select the entire handle
Use the U-key to access the Unwrap menu and choose “Unwrap”
Under the Overlays menu, activate “Display Stretch”
There appears to be no stretching
Turn off the Overlay
Under the UV menu, select “Pack Islands”
Open the Pop-over and increase the Margin to add some padding between the UV Islands
Back in the Layout Workspace, under the Overlays menu, select “Face Orientation”
Under the Shading Workspace, use the drop-down menu next to the material name and choose the metal material
In the Layout Workspace, hover your cursor over the top Modifier and use CTRL + A to apply the Modifier
Repeat this process for the other Modifier
Tab into Edit Mode
Make sure you are in Edge Select Mode (2)
Use the Z-key to enter Wireframe Mode
Select the right-most Edges of the punch
Turn on Snapping and choose “Edge Closest”
Use the G-key to snap the punch to the hammerhead
In Object Mode, select each object individually and apply any Modifiers that remain
Exporting
If you wish to export this object to another piece of software – including game engines – you have a few different options
Make sure you have only the objects selected that you want to export
For the OBJ format, go to File > Export > OBJ
Make sure you have “Selected Only” checked
You can name your object and select where to save it
Then click on “Export OBJ”
For the FBX format, go to File > Export > FBX
Make sure you have “Selected Only” checked
You can name your object and select where to save it
Then click on “Export FBX”
For the glTF format, go to File > Export > glTF
Make sure you have “Selected Only” checked (this is found under the Include menu)
You can name your object and select where to save it
Then click on “Export glTF”