In this tutorial, I will show you how to use the 3d modeling tools in Blender to make low-poly gravestones for your project.
Reference
This tutorial assumes you know the basics of 3d modeling in Blender
I have provided a reference image for you to use if you want to follow along
I will add my reference image
I move the reference up along the Z-Axis until the base of the gravestones is on the baseline
I also move the reference back along the Y-Axis so it doesn’t interfere with the mesh
Gravestone 01
I select my cube and tab into edit mode
I scale the cube to the size of the base for the first gravestone
I select the top face and duplicate it
I then scale it down to the size of the upper part of the gravestone
I extrude the face up along the Z-Axis to the bottom edge of the rounded section
I then scale the top face to form to the reference
I extrude the top face up to the top of the gravestone
I select the two outer edges and bevel the top part of the gravestone
I select the front faces of the gravestone and inset them
I then extrude the faces back along the Y-Axis
I add a cube and scale it to the size of the outer decoration
I select the edges and align them to the outer edge of the gravestone
I duplicate the decoration and move it up along the Z-Axis – scaling it as needed
I duplicate both decorations and rotate them around the Z-Axis 180-degrees
I then move them to the left side of the gravestone
I select the top-center face of the gravestone and use SHIFT + S to move the cursor to the select face
I add a new cube
I scale the cube down to match the reference
I also scale it along the Y-Axis
I move the top face up along the Z-Axis to match the reference
I then scale the top face
I duplicate the cube and scale it along the X- and Z-Axis by 75-percent
I rotate it around the Y-Axis by 25-degrees and move it to the right along the X-Axis
I select the bottom face and change the transformation option to “normal”
I move it along the Z-Axis until it is the same as the middle decoration – making adjustments as needed
I change the transformation back to “global”
I duplicate the decoration
I rotate the duplicate around the Y-Axis by -50-degrees and move it to the left
For the skull, I add a circle and rotate it 90-degrees around the X-Axis
I scale it and move it into place according to the reference
I use the F-key to add a face
I use the P-key to separate it and move it along the Y-Axis
I duplicate the circle, right-click and set the origin to the center of mass
I then scale it down to the size of the eye
I duplicate the eye and move it to the other side
I select all three circles and tab into edit mode
I extrude all three circles back along the Y-Axis [.10]
I make sure the face orientation is correct under the overlays menu – using ALT + N to recalculate the normals
Back in object mode, I select the eyes and scale them to twice their size along the Y-Axis
I select the larger circle and add a Boolean modifier – using one eye as the object
I then apply the modifier and hide the eye
I repeat this process for the second eye
I add a plane and move it to the nose area
In edit mode, I move and scale the plane to the size of the nose according to the reference
I select the vertices and bevel them
I select the plane and extrude it along the Y-Axis so it intersects with the face
I make sure the normals are facing the correct direction
In object mode, I add a Boolean to the large circle with the nose as the object
I then apply the modifier and hide the nose
I add a plane and move it to the bottom of the face area
In edit mode, I move and scale the plane to the size of the first tooth according to the reference
I select the bottom vertices and add a bevel
I duplicate this plane and move and scale the duplicates according to the reference
I extrude the faces along the Y-Axis
I make sure the normals are facing the correct direction
In object mode, I select the teeth and head of the skull and use CTRL + J to join them
I move the skull into place along the Y-Axis
I select the gravestone and add a bevel modifier – changing the segments and amount
I apply the modifier
I right-click on the gravestone and the skull and choose “shade auto smooth”
I also use CTRL + A to apply all the transforms
Gravestone 02
I use SHIFT + S to move the cursor back to the world origin
I make a new collection for the new gravestone
I add a new cube and move it into place at the bottom of the second gravestone
In edit mode, I scale the cube to the proper size according to the reference
I duplicate the top face and scale it according to the reference
I then extrude this face up along the Z-Axis
I duplicate the top face and scale it according to the reference
I extrude it up along the Z-Axis to the bottom of the side cutouts
I extrude the top face to the top of the cutouts
I then extrude the top face to the top of the gravestone
I select the top edges along with the other two edge loops and scale them along the X-Axis according to the reference
I select the two outer edges of the top face and add a bevel
I select the front and back faces of the gravestone and inset them
I then use ALT + E to extrude them inward – along their normals
In object mode, I add a cylinder and rotate it around the X-Axis by 90-degrees
I then move and scale it according to the reference
I move it into place
I add a mirror modifier with the gravestone (cube) as the mirror object
I then apply the modifier
I scale the cylinders so they are wider than the gravestone
I make sure the normals are facing the correct direction
I select the gravestone and add a Boolean modifier with the cylinders as the object
I then apply the modifier
I hide the cylinders and apply all the transforms
I add a cube and move it into place for the cross
In edit mode, I scale the cube for the vertical part of the cross
I add a horizontal edge loop in the center of the horizontal bar of the cross
I add a bevel with one segment and scale it to the size of the bar
I select the two outer faces and use ALT + E to extrude them along their normals
I scale the cross along the Y-Axis by 90-percent
In object mode, I add a text object
In edit mode, I change the text to read R I P and change the font [Cambria Bold]
In object mode, I rotate the text around the X-Axis by 90-degrees
I extrude the text and scale it down
I move the text and the cross into place
I select the gravestone and add a bevel modifier – changing the segments and amount
I apply the modifier
I right-click on the gravestone and the cross and choose “shade auto smooth”
I right-click and convert the text to mesh
I also use CTRL + A to apply all the transforms
Gravestone 03
I make a new collection for the third gravestone
I add a cube and move it into place according to the reference
In edit mode, I scale it for the bottom of the base for the third gravestone
I duplicate the top face and scale it down for the middle section of the base
I then extrude it up along the Z-Axis and scale the top face
I duplicate the top face and scale it for the top section of the base
I then extrude it up along the Z-Axis
I duplicate the top face and scale it down for the vertical portion of the cross
I then extrude it up along the Z-Axis and scale the top face along the X-Axis
I then move the 3d cursor to the top face
I add a cylinder and rotate it around the X-Axis by 90-degrees
I also scale the cylinder [0.2]
I duplicate the cylinder and move it to the right (so it overlaps by 50-percent)
I duplicate the cylinder again and move it to the left
I move both duplicates down along the Z-Axis (overlapping by 50-percent)
I scale all three cylinders along the Y-Axis
I select the front and back faces of the vertical beam and inset them
I then use ALT + E to extrude then in toward the center
I add a cube and scale it down
I move and scale the cube to match the horizontal bar according to the reference
I scale it along the Y-Axis so it is just slightly thicker than the vertical piece
I add a horizontal edge loop
I select the edges on the outer part of this piece and move them along the X-Axis
I select the front and back faces of the horizontal bar and inset them
I then use ALT + E to extrude then in toward the center
I add a cylinder and rotate it around the X-Axis by 90-degrees
I scale it along the Y-Axis so it is smaller than the vertical piece of the cross
I move it to the center of the cross
In object mode, I apply all the transforms
Back in edit mode, I select the front and back face of the cylinder and inset them
I add an edge loop between the inner and outer circles
I add a bevel with one segment
Using ALT + E, I extrude these faces inward
In object mode, I select the gravestone and add a bevel modifier – changing the segments and amount
I apply the modifier
I right-click on the gravestone and choose “shade auto smooth”
I duplicate the skull and move it into place on the base
I also use CTRL + A to apply all the transforms
Gravestone 04
I make a new collection for the fourth gravestone
I also move the 3d cursor back to the world origin
I add a cube and move it into place according to the reference
In edit mode, I scale it for the bottom of the base for the fourth gravestone
I duplicate the top face and scale it for the top section of the base
I then extrude it up along the Z-Axis
I duplicate the top face and scale it down to match the reference for the headstone
I extrude the top face to the top of the gravestone
I add a horizontal loop cut and move it up along the Z-Axis
I scale the edge loop along the X-Axis
I select the front faces and inset them
I then extrude them back along the Y-Axis
For this step, you will need to have the import-export SVG add-on active under your preferences
In object mode, I import the SVG for the cross – link is in the description
I rotate the cross around the X-Axis by 90-degrees
I move the cross into place
I right-click and set the origin to the center of mass
I then scale the cross to the proper size
I right-click and convert the cross to a mesh
In edit mode, I extrude the mesh along the Y-Axis [0.1]
I make sure the normals are facing the correct direction
I move the cross into place
I also duplicate the text and move it into place
In object mode, I select the gravestone and add a bevel modifier – changing the segments and amount
I apply the modifier
I right-click on the gravestone and choose “shade auto smooth”
I also use CTRL + A to apply all the transforms
Materials
I split the viewport and open the shader editor and UV editor
I will be using a technique I learned from Grant Abbitt
I open the world option in the shader editor
I drag-and-drop the HDRI that I downloaded – link is in the description
With the node wrangler add-on activated, I select the texture node and use CTRL + T to add a texture coordinate and mapping node
I also increase the strength of the background node
I make a new material and import my gravestone texture
I open the texture in the UV editor
*Assign the material to the objects
I select the first gravestone and skull and tab into edit mode
I select everything and using the U-key, I unwrap the meshes using “project from view”
In the UV editor, I select everything, scale the UVs and move them to a color on the texture map
I repeat this for the other three meshes – assigning the material to each of the gravestones
I can now make the changes necessary to the texture map
I change to the Cycles renderer
I add a mix color node and change the blend mode to soft light
I also connect a color ramp to the mix color node
I connect an AO node to the color ramp
I duplicate the three nodes
I change the second mix color node blend mode to multiple
I connect the first mix color node and second color ramp to the second mix color node
I connect the second mix color node to the principled bsdf shader
I can now make changes to the nodes