Hand Painted Prop

By Trent Comolli

​
Welcome to this comprehensive tutorial on modeling and hand painting a prop based on a
provided concept! This guide will lead you through each stage of the process, including project setup,
blocking out, refinement, unwrapping, texturing, and finally, exporting and rendering in Sketchfab. In
addition to this written guide, you’ll have access to a full video series that demonstrates each step in
far greater detail, project files from major stages, and an interactive 3D view of all major stages using
Sketchfab. These resources are available in the Resources tab at the top of each relevant section.
Table of Contents

Hand Painted Prop​ 1

Table of Contents​ 2
Stage 0 - Introduction​ 3
Stage 1 - Blockout​ 8
Stage 2 - Refinement​ 15
Stage 3 - Unwrapping​ 21
Stage 4 - Painter Setup​ 27
Stage 5 - Texturing​ 31
Stage 6 - Sketchfab​ 35

Stage 0 - Introduction

Resources​
Video - https://youtu.be/IZYOKIW_nfk
Project Files - https://bit.ly/3Z4uqWX
Sketchfab - https://bit.ly/4g9xaIS

​ Concept Image - https://www.artstation.com/artwork/VXPQR

Pureref - https://www.pureref.com/download.php

Software Used
Stage 0.1 - Project Folders

Start by creating a parent folder for our project in your desired location

Then create the following sub-folders

●​ Assets (Exported models and textures)

●​ Project Files (Maya / Painter files)
●​ Reference (Concept art and Pureref file)

Stage 0.2 - Reference Setup

Next we will set up our reference folder, simply drag our concept art into the folder and
open the free software Pureref (either download the concept through the Project Files or
the Artstation Link located in Resources)

Pureref Navigation Basics

●​ Right-click + Drag: Move the Pureref window on your screen

●​ Click + Drag Edge: Resize Pureref window
●​ Middle Mouse Button + Drag: Pan the view around the canvas
●​ Scroll Wheel: Zoom in and out

You will be met with a blank canvas when Pureref opens, perform the following steps

●​ Drag concept art into Pureref window

●​ Set mode to Always on Top (Right-Click > Mode > Always on Top)
●​ Save in reference folder and close Pureref

Always on Top will allow our Pureref window to render over other applications
​
Stage 0.3 - Starting Maya
Now open Maya and create a new project. We will save our project in iterations so let's
start by saving the newly opened project in our project files folder.

​ File > Save Scene As > “Locate your Project Files folder” > Save As

Use whatever naming convention you like when saving the project, in the video
documentation I used “Potion_01”

If you are new to navigating 3D software or to Maya, below is a list of all the basic
controls and tools we will be using in this tutorial. Feel free to experiment with what they
do or refer back to this list if needed.

Maya Navigation Basics

Mouse and Keyboard Navigation:

●​ Alt + Left Mouse Button (LMB): Rotate the camera around the scene.
●​ Shift + Alt + LMB: (Roll Camera) Rotates the camera around its view axis (useful for
aligning the horizon).
●​ Alt + Middle Mouse Button (MMB): Pan the camera left, right, up, or down without
rotating.
●​ Alt + Right Mouse Button (RMB) or Scroll Wheel: Zoom the camera in and out smoothly.

Hotkeys and Tools:

●​ F: (Frame Selected) Centers the camera on the selected object(s)

●​ A: (Frame All) Centers the camera to display all objects in the scene
●​ Spacebar Hold: (Hotbox Menu) Displays the quick-access menu for all Maya tools and
panels.
●​ Spacebar Press: (Toggle Fullscreen View) Press in any panel to switch between
full-screen and quad view (top, side, front, perspective). Press while hovering over a viewport to
full screen it

Viewport Display Options:

●​ 1, 2, 3 Keys: Polygon Smoothness Preview:

●​ 1: Basic polygon mode (unsmoothed).
●​ 2: Smoothed with both the low-res cage and smooth preview visible.
●​ 3: Full smooth preview.
●​ 4: Wireframe Mode: Displays only the wireframe of objects.
●​ 5: Shaded Mode: Displays objects in solid shading mode.
●​ 6: Textured Mode: Displays objects with textures applied.
●​ 7: Lighting Mode: Displays objects as they appear with scene lighting applied.
●​ Ctrl + Spacebar: Hide/Show Interface: Quickly hide or show all UI elements for full-screen
modeling.

Snapping and Precision Movement:

●​ Hold X: (Grid Snapping) Enables grid snapping to precisely align objects to the grid.
●​ Hold C: (Curve Snapping) Snaps objects or components to a curve.
 ●​ Hold V: (Point Snapping) Snaps objects to vertices of other objects.
●​ Hold J: (Snap Rotate) Rotates an object in incremental steps (default is 15 degrees).

Selection and Transformation Shortcuts:

●​ Q: Select Tool: Basic selection without any transformation.

●​ W: Move Tool: Allows movement/translation of objects in the scene.
●​ E: Rotate Tool: Allows rotation of objects in the scene.
●​ R: Scale Tool: Allows scaling of objects.

Right-Click Marking Menus:

●​ Hold Right Click (RMB) with an Object selected:

○​ Marking Menu for Object Components:
■​ Object Mode: Switch back to selecting the entire object.
■​ Vertex: Switch to vertex selection mode to manipulate individual vertices.
■​ Edge: Switch to edge selection mode to manipulate individual edges.
■​ Face: Switch to face selection mode to manipulate polygon faces.
■​ UV: Switch to UV mode for UV mapping tasks.

Shift + Right Click (RMB) Marking Menus:

●​ Hold Shift + RMB (in Object Mode):

○​ Marking Menu for Object Manipulation Tools:
■​ Delete History: Quickly clears the construction history of the selected object.
■​ Freeze Transformations: Freezes the current transformations (translation, rotation, scale)
of the object.
■​ Center Pivot: Centers the pivot of the object.
■​ Mirror Geometry: Provides mirroring options for the object.
■​ Combine/Separate: Allows combining multiple objects into one or separating them into
individual objects.
●​ Hold Shift + RMB (in Component Mode - Vertex/Edge/Face):
○​ Marking Menu for Common Modeling Operations:
■​ Extrude: Quickly extrude selected components.
■​ Bevel: Adds a bevel to the selected edges or faces.
■​ Bridge: Creates a bridge between selected edges or faces.
■​ Insert Edge Loop Tool: Adds new edge loops to the selected object.
■​ Multi-Cut Tool: Allows precise cutting and adding of new edges.
■​ Merge: Merges selected vertices or edges.

Stage 0.4 - Image Plane

Start by bringing a cube into the scene to determine the scale of our prop

●​ Navigate to the “Poly Modeling” shelf along the toolbar at the top of the screen
●​ Click the Polygon Cube to create cube at the center of your scene

With the cube selected, on the right hand side of the screen you will notice the channel
box with our objects transform information and a tab for “Inputs” just below it
You should have one input for “polyCube1”. Clicking this will unfold the parameters that
control our objects default dimensions and subdivisions. (By default Maya uses
Centimeters as its standard unit so our cube should come in at 1 cm)
Ensure the cube has a Height, Width and Depth of 30 cm.

Image Plane Setup:

●​ Importing an Image Plane: To use your concept art as a guide during modeling,
import it as an image plane in the front viewport. Go to View > Image Plane > Import
Image, and select your reference image from the reference folder.
●​ Scaling and Positioning: Adjust the image plane so that it aligns with the
reference cube and the modeling grid. Make sure the image plane is correctly scaled
and oriented, matching the size of the reference cube.
●​ Enabling X-Ray Mode: To see your model and image plane simultaneously,
enable X-Ray mode by going to Shading > X-Ray. This will make your model
semi-transparent, allowing you to align it more easily with the reference image behind it.
●​ Layer Management for Reference Images: Once the image plane is in place,
add it to a new layer by selecting the image plane and clicking the Create New Layer
button in the Layer Editor. Rename the layer (e.g., "Ref_Image"). Lock the layer by
clicking the empty box next to the layer name until an "R" appears to prevent accidental
selection or movement.
Stage 1 - Blockout

Resources​
Video - https://youtu.be/2inXqmNcxzU
Project Files - https://bit.ly/4ejlaTv
Sketchfab - https://bit.ly/4g9xaIS

Stage 1.1 - Identifying Basic Shapes

Start by analyzing the basic shapes of your prop. For instance, our prop consists
primarily of cylinders. For example:

●​ Cylinders: Various pieces of the bottle and cork,

●​ Spheres: The eyeball
●​ Cube: The tag

Stage 1.2 - Base Cylinder

1.​ Add a Polygon Cylinder:

 Go to Create > Polygon Primitives > Cylinder or add from Poly Modeling shelf.
In the Channel Box or Attribute Editor, adjust the cylinder’s subdivisions:
●​ Set Subdivisions Axis to 20 to ensure a smooth appearance without
excessive polygonal detail.

2.​ Positioning the Cylinder:

Move Tool: Press W to activate the Move Tool. Drag the cylinder to the desired
position.

Ensure the cylinder is centered correctly by using the grid as a reference.

3.​ Delete Unnecessary Faces:

○​ Face Mode: Right-click with the cylinder selected and select Face
Delete Faces: Select unnecessary faces (e.g., the bottom and top faces) and
delete them by pressing Delete.

4.​ Scaling the Cylinder:

Object Mode: Ensure you are in Object Mode. Press R to activate the Scale Tool.
Uniform Scaling: Scale uniformly by adjusting the central scale handles.
●​ Ensure the cylinder is roughly in scale with the concept image.

Stage 1.3 - Editing the Cylinder’s Shape

1.​ Adding Edge Loops:

Multicut Tool: Access the Multicut Tool by going to Mesh Tools > Multicut Tool or
pressing Shift + Right Click > Multicut Tool.
Add Edge Loops: Hover over the edges where you want to add loops. Holding
Ctrl while dragging will show you where the edge loop will be placed. Either click
 to add loop or middle mouse button (MMB) to add the loop at the center of the
edge

2.​ Extruding Edges:

Select Edges: Switch to Edge Mode by right-clicking and selecting Edge.

Loop Select: Double Click an edge to select the entire loop.
Extrude: Press Ctrl + E to extrude selected edges. Drag the extruded edges with
W to form the desired shape.
●​ You want to extrude and scale edges of the cylinder till you have a rough
shape of the bottle (Make sure to leave an opening at the top)

3.​ Refining the Shape:

Scale Edge Loops: Select the newly added edge loops and scale them using R
to adjust the proportions and details.
●​ Remember not to add too many loops, we just want to capture the basic
shape at this stage

Stage 1.4 - Creating and Adjusting the Cork

1.​ Extruding the Cork:

Top Edge Loop: Select the edges at the top of the cylinder where the cork will be.
(Opening at the top of the bottle)
Extrude Cork: Use Ctrl + E to extrude upwards to form the cork’s base.

2.​ Separate the Cork:

Extract Faces: Select the faces forming the cork and use Shift + Right Click >
Extract Faces to separate them from the bottle.

3.​ Adjusting Shape:

Scale Tool: Use R to scale the edge loops of the cork to fit appropriately on the
bottle. Adjust its width and height to match your concept.
 4.​ Center Pivot:

Reposition Pivot: Select the cork, go to Modify > Center Pivot to reposition the
pivot point to the center of the cork.

5.​ Merge Vertices:

Extrude Edges: Extrude both top and bottom edges and scale them inward
Select Vertices: In Vertex Mode, select the vertices of edges we just extruded.
Merge Vertices: Use Shift + Right Click > Merge Vertices to weld floating points.
Choose Merge to Center if you want them welded to their combined center point.

Stage 1.5 - Adding the Tag

1.​ Add a Polygon Plane:

Go to Create > Polygon Primitives > Plane.

Adjust Subdivisions: In the Attribute Editor, set the Width Segments and Height
Segments to 1 for simplicity.
 2.​ Position and Rotate:

Move Tool: Use W to position the plane where the tag will be attached.
Rotate Tool: Press E to rotate the plane. Hold J to snap rotations for precise
alignment. In Vertex mode, position the vertices of the plane at the edges of the
tag.

3.​ Extrude Edge:

Edge Mode: Select the edge at the end of the plane to form the tag.
Extrude: Use Ctrl + E to extrude and drag out.

4.​ Merge Vertices:

Select Vertices: Select vertices at the tag’s corners.

Merge Vertices: Use Shift + Right Click > Merge Vertices to clean up any floating
points and ensure a solid tag structure.

Stage 1.6 - Adding the Collar

 1.​ Add Edge Loops:

Multicut Tool: Use the Multicut Tool to add loops where the collar detail will be
added.
Position Edge Loops: Adjust the edge loops to match the collar's design.

2.​ Extrude Collar:

Face Mode: Select the faces of the collar and extrude them outwards to create
the collar’s thickness.

Stage 1.7 - Final Adjustments and Clean-Up

1.​ Review the model in Multiple Viewports:

Rotate and zoom in different viewports to ensure the model’s shape and
proportions are accurate.

2.​ Smooth Edges:

Soften Edges: Select hard edges from extruding and use Shift + Right Click >
Soften Edges to smooth the appearance without altering the model’s structure.

Stage 1.8 - Prepare for Refinement

1.​ Save and Organize:

Save the File: Save your work regularly to avoid losing progress.
Organize Objects: Organize objects in your outliner by removing them from any
created groups (Cmd-Shift-G), clear history on objects, ensure objects have
easily identifiable names .
Stage 2 - Refinement

Resources​
Video - https://youtu.be/U67fpoY3OnQ
Project Files - https://bit.ly/3ZjAFq2
Sketchfab - https://bit.ly/4g9xaIS

Stage 2.1 - Creating a New Save File

Before refining the model, it's essential to create a new save file to preserve previous
versions of your work. Follow these steps:

2.​ Save Your Current Scene:

Use the shortcut Ctrl+S (or Cmd+S on macOS) to save the current scene.

3.​ Create a New Save File:

Navigate to your project files folder.

Create a new save file and name it appropriately, e.g., potion_02.mb. This
ensures that you have multiple iterations of your project saved.

Stage 2.2 - Refining Large Surface Areas

Now that your project is saved, let’s begin refining the model by smoothing out large
surface areas and correcting any harsh angular lines.

1.​ Switch to Front Viewport:

In the viewport panel, switch to the Front View to get a clearer view of the
model’s profile.

2.​ Use the Multi-Cut Tool:

Access the Modeling Toolkit and select the Multi-Cut tool (You can also access
this tool using the following methods. Go to Mesh Tools > Multicut Tool or by
pressing Shift + Right Click > Multicut Tool).
Hold Ctrl to preview the placement of edge loops.
 Click with the MMB to place edge loops at equal intervals between existing
edges.
●​ Add what you feel is a sufficient amount of edge loops to the bottle in
order to smooth out the shape.

3.​ Smoothing the Shape:

After adding edge loops, double-click on an edge to select the entire loop, then
manually adjust the loop's scale uniformly.
Reposition edge loops as necessary by pressing W to use the move tool and
holding Ctrl + Shift when moving to slide the loop along the object's surface.
●​ Focus on smoothing out the shape. Adjust based on what looks visually
appealing to you.

Stage 2.3 - Beveling and Smoothing Edges

Enhance the model further by beveling and smoothing hard / abrupt edges for a
polished look.

1.​ Select Large Edge Loops:

Double-click the edge loops you want to bevel, which will select the entire edge
loop around the model.

2.​ Applying a Bevel:

Access the Bevel tool from the Modeling Toolkit or by holding Shift + Right Click
and select Bevel. Adjust the bevel using the MMB to drag and control the
amount.
Be cautious, as bevel adjustments can be sensitive. Holding Ctrl while dragging
will give you more precision.
 3.​ Adding Segments for Smoothing:

In the bevel options, some edges you may want to add an additional segment to
round out the beveled edges. This will make the transition between edges
smoother just be mindful of how many edges you are creating.

4.​ Repeat Process:

Repeat the process of adding extra edge loops where necessary and beveling
edges in order to smooth the blockout of our model and replicate the shape of
our concept.

Stage 2.4 - Adding Details to the Model

Add additional details such defining the shape of the tag, adding rings to the collar and
tag, and making adjustments for better representation of our concept.

1.​ Shaping the Tag:

​ Make cuts in the faces of the tag to resemble the nicks in the concept image.
Go to Mesh Tools > Multicut Tool or by pressing Shift + Right Click > Multicut Tool
Select a point on the outside edge to start the cut from > make a second cut on
the face > bring the third cut back to the outside edge > repeat this for all nicks
 This process will create faces with more than 4 vertices (Referred to as N-Gons).
We will need to manually add more cuts to ensure all faces have only 3 or 4
vertices connecting them.

Mirror: in object mode, select the tag and press Shift + Right Click > Mirror.
Adjust the parameters so it mirrors to the correct side (Make sure merge
threshold is set to 0 and cut geometry is off)
Bridge: Select the outside edge of the original tag mesh and the mirrored mesh.
With both loops selected, use Shift+Right Click and select Bridge.

To add a little more shape we can also add a slight Bevel to the edges we just
bridged

2.​ Creating and Placing Rings:

Tag Detail:
●​ Create a Torus for the tag detail.
●​ Adjust the section radius and radius to match the reference image.
●​ Move, scale, and position the Torus to fit accurately on the tag.
●​ Combine with the tag and clear history. Rename to tag_low.
 Collar Detail:

●​ Create another Torus for the collar detail.

●​ Adjust the subdivision axis and height to achieve the desired look.
●​ Position and scale the Torus to fit the collar area.
●​ Delete any faces that will not be seen on the Tauruses (Faces inside the mesh)
●​ Combine with the collar and clear history. Rename to collar.

Stage 2.5 - Closing the Base and Collar

To close the base and collar, we need to extrude and weld the inside edges. We want to
do this to avoid seeing inside these elements once we add opacity to our bottle when
texturing. Follow these steps:

1.​ Extracting the Parts:

Extract the collar and base from the main mesh to work on them separately.
Select all the faces that make up the base and collar, Use Shift+Right Click and select
Extract Faces.
2.​ Closing the Base and Collar:

To make this stage easier you can select the collar and base and drag them out from
the rest of the model for easier editing or toggle X-ray mode like we did earlier by
selecting Shading at the top of the viewport > toggle X-Ray(Ensure the transforms on
the object are zeroed out before moving so it will be easy to snap them back to their
original location)

Bridge Collar:

Go to the top edge of the collar. Select the edge loop. Then hold shift and select the
edge loop along the bottom.
With both loops selected, use Shift+Right Click and select Bridge.

Extrude and Weld Base:

Go to the top edge of the base and select the edge loop.
Use Ctrl+E to extrude the edge toward the center of the mesh.
Switch to vertex mode, select the vertices around the edge, and use Merge to Center to
weld them together.

Checking and Fixing Normals:

 Ensure faces are correctly oriented. If any faces are reversed (Back faces will render as
black instead of the default gray material), select them, go to Mesh Display > Reverse.
Use Shift+Right Click and choose Soften Edge to adjust the appearance.

Move both the collar and base back to their original position if you moved them out.

Stage 2.6 - Creating the Liquid and Eye

Refine the inside of the bottle and add the liquid and eye detail.

1.​ Adding the Liquid:

Duplicate Faces:

●​ Select the faces of the bottle that will be duplicated for the interior.
●​ Use Shift+Right Click and select Duplicate Faces. Offset slightly to create an
inner bottle layer.

Adjusting and Closing:

●​ Scale down the duplicated layer to simulate “thickness” for the glass.
●​ Close the top and bottom edges, then extrude and merge the edges.
Ensure no gaps remain.
 2.​ Adding the Eye:

●​ Create a Sphere for the eye. Position and scale it within the bottle as per the
reference image.
●​ Soften the eye’s edges for a smoother look.

Stage 2.7 - Finalizing and Renaming

Finalize the model by renaming and cleaning up the scene.

3.​ Rename Components:

Rename the extracted components appropriately:

●​ Tag: tag_low
●​ Collar: collar_low
●​ Base: base_low
●​ Bottle: bottle_low
●​ Liquid: liquid_low
●​ Eye: eye_low

Ensure the naming convention is accurate as this will be essential when baking our
mesh maps in Substance Painter. By default Painter will use the naming convention of
“Object Name”_low but you can adjust this in Painter when we get to that stage.

4.​ Cleaning Up:

Clear any remaining history from the model.

Verify all parts are correctly positioned and named.
Stage 3 - Unwrapping

Resources​
Video - https://youtu.be/BM6dltHHr7E
Project Files - https://bit.ly/3MFw0Ho
Sketchfab - https://bit.ly/4g9xaIS

Stage 3.1 - Creating a New Save File

Before refining the model, it's essential to create a new save file to preserve previous
versions of your work. Follow these steps:

1.​ Save Your Current Scene:

Use the shortcut Ctrl+S (or Cmd+S on macOS) to save the current scene.

2.​ Create a New Save File:

Navigate to your project files folder.

Create a new save file and name it appropriately, e.g., potion_03.mb. This
ensures that you have multiple iterations of your project saved.

Stage 3.2 - Preparing the Model for UV Unwrapping

1.​ Centering the Pivot Points

Select the model in Object Mode.

Use the Center Pivot (Can be located in your Ploy Modeling shelf) button to
center the pivot on the mesh.
Ensure that your objects remain symmetrical. If the pivot point is off-center (e.g.,
for the collar), adjust it manually:

●​ Press the D key to enter Pivot Move Mode.

●​ Hold X when moving to snap the pivot based on the grid.

2.​ Clearing History

Clear the object's history to remove any unwanted transformations.

Stage 3.3 - Introduction to UV Unwrapping

1.​ Opening the UV Editor

Navigate to the UV menu at the top of Maya.

Select UV Editor to open the UV workspace.
Dock the UV Editor on the side of the screen for easy access.

2.​ Understanding UVs

UVs represent how textures will be projected onto your 3D model.

The UV space is a 2D coordinate system, similar to the X and Y axes, but
referred to as U and V.
Your goal is to cut the model into UV shells that can be laid flat, minimizing
distortion when texturing.

3.​ Viewing Existing UVs

In the UV Editor, right-click and select UV Shell to view the current UV layout.
Existing UVs will be messy, you can effectively reset them and erase all cuts by
using a Planar Mapping projection. There are several ways to access this
function but, with all objects selected, you can go to the UV menu > Planar
Stage 3.4 - Cutting Model

1.​ Cutting the Model in Half

By cutting and unwrapping half of the model we can optimize our UV packing and
save time on texturing. This is because our UV information is also mirrored when
we mirror our mesh back.​

Select the right half of the model in Face Mode.

Exclude areas you do not want to mirror, such as the cork and tag elements.
Double-check and deselect areas like the eye and Tauruses that shouldn’t be
mirrored.
Delete all selected faces.

2.​ Deleting Unnecessary Faces

Remove unnecessary faces on the eye that are blocked by liquid mesh as these
will not be visible.
With all the necessary faces selected, delete them to simplify the geometry.

Stage 3.5 - Adding UV Cuts

1.​ Adding Cuts Along Hard Edges

Start by adding cuts to the hard edges of the model where seams will be less
visible. For example:
●​ Add a seam along the back of the collar and around the base
where it connects to the bottle. Also separate the top and bottom planes of
the cork (Move these objects out if you need to select the edges easier)
 ●​ Use a combination of the UV Editor and your perspective viewport
to select the edges, and then hit the Cut option in the UV Toolkit (UV
Toolkit should open when opening UV Editor).

2.​ Add Additional Cuts Where Necessary

Some areas you will need to add cuts in visible areas, for instance even if we
make cuts along the top and bottom edges of the cork we still need a seam to
unfold the cylindrical part of the cork.

3.​ Unfolding UV Shells

After making your cuts, go into UV Shell mode (Hold Right Click in the UV
Editor).
Select each shell and use the Unfold function in the UV Toolkit to lay out the UVs
flat in the UV space.
For symmetrical objects or UV shells that already appear pretty straight, use the
Straighten UVs option in the UV Toolkit to align them neatly.
Stage 3.6 - Handling Specific Parts of the Model

1.​ Unwrapping the Collar

The collar can be unwrapped without adding additional seams (Outside of the
seams we added to the interior edges). Simply use the Unfold option.
Use Straighten UVs to align the UVs perfectly, then adjust any vertices manually
if needed.

2.​ Unwrapping the Tauruses

The Tauruses on the collar should unfold nicely after we deleted the back faces.
Add a seam on the inside and outside edge of each Taurus that still has all of its
faces intact, effectively cutting it in half.
3.​ Unwrapping the Tag

Cut the tag in half by adding a seam along one of the beveled edges and unfold it
in the UV Editor.

4.​ Unwrapping the bottle

The bottle is very straightforward, since we split the model in half to start with, we
should be able to just unfold it with minimal distortions.
Stage 3.7 - Final UV Adjustments

1.​ Adjusting for Minimal Distortion

For more complex shapes, like the rim of the bottle, expect some level of
distortion.
Use Unfold, Straighten UVs, Optimize and add additional Cuts as needed to
clean up the layout.

2.​ Unwrapping the Eye and Liquid

Add a cut down the middle of the eye and unfold it.
Add a seam at the top of the liquid, and use Unfold.

3.​ Unwrapping the Base

Add a seam along the bottom of the base, as this part of the model will rarely be
seen.
Use Unfold and Straighten UVs where necessary to complete the process.

Stage 3.8 - Packing UVs and Preparing for Texturing

1.​ Texel Density

Before we start doing any packing we will want to make sure all of our UV Shells
are at the same texel density (Essentially the scale in our UV space). Select one
of our UV Shells > navigate to the Transform tab in our UV Toolkit > find the Texel
Density option and press Get > Select all UV Shells and press the Set button
2.​ Automatic UV Layout Option

Before diving into the manual UV packing process, there's a quick automatic
option you can use if you’re in a hurry. To access this, follow these steps:

●​ Open the UV Editor.

●​ Shift + right-click within the UV Editor and select the small gray box next to
Layout. You’ll find the layout settings that allow you to automate the UV packing
process.
●​ Key settings to focus on are Shell Padding and Tile Padding. These control the
pixel spacing between UV shells. A safe padding value is around 8 pixels.
●​ Under Shell Transform, set the Max Rotation to 360 degrees to allow the UVs to
rotate freely during packing.
●​ If texel density hasn’t been matched already, the layout should automatically
adjust for it.
●​ Once you’ve set these options, click Apply, and your UVs will be packed
automatically with the specified padding and adjustments.

This method is convenient and efficient, but if you prefer manual control, continue
with the steps below.

3.​ Manual UV Packing

 Packing UVs manually can give you more control over how efficiently the UV
space is used. The process is like solving a puzzle, ensuring you fit everything
within the UV space while maximizing texture resolution.

●​ Start Dragging UV Shells: Select and drag the UV shells into the UV space.
Consider placing straightened UVs in corners and edges to maximize usage.
●​ Adjust Shape Placement: Round shapes can be trickier to fit, so focus on placing
them in a way that minimizes empty space. You may need to rotate and adjust
shells for better alignment.
●​ Fine-Tune Placement: For awkwardly shaped objects like the cork, find the best
fit wherever possible. If some shells seem too large to fit, scale them down
slightly.
●​ Ensure Proper Padding: Make sure there’s consistent padding between all shells
and along the UV border to avoid bleeding during texturing.
●​ Optimization: If needed, continue adjusting and optimizing the layout, but don’t let
the process drag on too long.

Once the UV packing looks good, fold the UV Editor and prepare to mirror the
mesh for symmetrical objects.

Stage 3.9 Mirroring the Mesh

To mirror the mesh back to the other side:

Switch to Object Mode in the Perspective view.

Select the Liquid Object: Shift + right-click and select Mirror.
Set the Axis to Z-Axis (May differ depending on which way you split the mesh). Ensure
Cut Geometry is off and set the Merge Threshold to 1 to prevent unwanted merging.
 Repeat the mirroring process for the base and bottle objects. Adjust the merge
threshold as necessary (e.g., lowering it to 0.5 for the bottle to prevent extra merging).
For complex objects like the collar, go into Face Mode to selectively mirror parts of the
mesh without duplicating overlapping faces.

After mirroring, verify that the UVs remain intact. Check by selecting a UV shell and
dragging it; mirrored UV shells should remain perfectly aligned.

Stage 3.10 - Preparing for High Poly Detailing

With UVs finalized, the next step is to prepare a high poly version of the model for
baking details in Substance Painter. The goal here is to create a detailed high poly
model that can bake fine details onto the low poly version.

1.​ Create Layers:

Select all objects and create a new layer named Low for the low poly version.
Duplicate the low poly objects (Ctrl + D) to create the high poly version, and
move these duplicates to a new layer named High.
Rename all objects in the Low layer with the suffix "_low" (e.g., "liquid_low") if not
named already.
Rename all objects in the High layer with the suffix "_high." These naming
conventions will allow Substance Painter to automatically match high poly and
low poly objects during the baking process.
2.​ Subdivision for High Poly Model:

Select the high poly objects and toggle to the Smooth Preview (press 3) to see how the
mesh will look when subdivided.
Identify edges that need support for the smoothing process and Bevel them accordingly.
For example, bevel edges on the cork, collar, and tag to maintain their shape during
subdivision. Use multiple segments for sharper edges when necessary.
Toggle between smooth (3) and regular view (1) to assess how the bevels will affect the
final shape.

3.​ Subdivide the Mesh:

After adding supporting edges, select the high poly objects and apply Smooth (Shift +
right-click > Smooth). This permanently increases the mesh's subdivision, enhancing
detail.
You may need to smooth the mesh multiple times depending on the required level of
detail.

4.​ Finalize the High Poly:

 Clear the history on the high poly objects (Edit > Delete by Type > History).
Ensure the high poly and low poly objects are in the same position in the scene. This is
critical for the baking process in Substance Painter, as both versions need to align
perfectly.

Once everything is prepared, save your scene. This concludes the UV preparation and
high poly creation steps.

Stage 4 - Painter Setup

Resources​
Video - https://youtu.be/HoOgLh7iTqk
Project Files - https://bit.ly/4gkGfyI
Sketchfab - https://bit.ly/4g9xaIS

Stage 4.1 - Preparing the Models for Export

1.​ Finalizing the Models in Maya

Prepare the low-poly and high-poly models for export.

Select the Low Poly Model:

Navigate to the low-poly model in your scene and select it.
Mesh > Soften Edge to soften all the edges.
Edit > Delete by Type > History to clear the model history.

Repeat the Process for the High Poly Model:

Select the high-poly model.
Mesh > Soften Edge, then delete its history as well.

2.​ Exporting Models from Maya

Export both the low-poly and high-poly models as.fbx files.

Export Low Poly:

With our low poly selected, go to File > Export Selection

 Navigate to your project folder, and save as potion_low.fbx.

Export High Poly:

With our high poly selected, File > Export Selection

Navigate to your project folder, and save as potion_high.fbx.

Stage 4.2 - Setting Up a Project in Substance Painter

1.​ Creating a New Project

Once Substance Painter is open, navigate to File > New Project

For the template, select PBR Metallic Roughness with Alpha Blending.
Resolution: Keep it at 1024x1024 (1K).
File Input: Navigate to your low-poly model (potion_low.fbx) and import it.

2.​ Adjust View Settings:

Toggle between 3D-only or 2D / 3D view using the icons at the top of the screen.
Collapse 2D view for now.

Stage 4.3 - Using References in Painter

 Open your PureRef file we created at the beginning alongside Substance Painter.

Now with the Pureref window set to always show on top, we can always have a clear
view of our concept and even use the Color Picker Tool from Substance Painter to
select colors directly from your reference images.

Stage 4.4 - Baking Mesh Maps in Substance Painter

1.​ Baking the Maps

We will now bake high-poly mesh details onto the low-poly model.

Go to the Texture Set Settings tab.

Click Bake Mesh Maps, this will open the baking window.
(Alternatively, you can press the croissant button at the top of the viewport)

2.​ Input the High-Poly Model:

In the baking window, under High Poly Parameters, press the Paper Icon next to
the list of high definition meshes, then navigate to and select your high-poly
model (potion_high.fbx).
 3.​ Cage Settings:

Adjust the cage that appears around the model. Ensure there is no clipping, or
adjust it to avoid red areas indicating overlap.

4.​ Matching by Name:

Set Match option to By Mesh Name to match the high-poly and low-poly models.
Check for Name Match: Ensure there are no mismatches between your low-poly
and high-poly models. If names match, the left panel will indicate this.

5.​ Unneeded Maps:

Deselect maps like Thickness and ID Map as we won’t be using these.

6.​ Start Baking:

Click Bake Selected Textures.

Stage 4.5 - Layer Setup for Painting

1.​ Organizing Layers and Folders
 Create separate folders for different material groups and assign base, shadow,
and highlight layers. (We can fully set up one folder then duplicate and adjust
accordingly)

Folder Creation:

Click the Folder Icon at the top of the Layers tab to create a New Folder.
Since we will be grouping our folders based on their material, name this one
Metal. (Once complete duplicate folders for the following: glass, cork, tag, liquid,
and eye)

2.​ Painting in Substance Painter

Next we will set up a non-destructive painting workflow using fill layers and
masks.

Base Color Layer:

Command: Click the Fill Layer icon at the top of the Layers tab to create a fill
layer in our folder.
Inputs: Rename the fill layer to Base, and use the Color Picker tool to select a
base color from your reference image. Adjust the hue, saturation, and brightness
if necessary. (Typically you should go less saturated for the base color)

Masking: Right Click the folder itself, select Add Black Mask, and use the
Polygon Fill Tool (4 key) to mask out the correct areas of the mesh (e.g., metal
regions for the Metal folder). This way no matter where we paint on layers in the
Metal folder, we will only paint the areas we masked out.

Shadow and Highlight Layers:

Duplicate the Base Layer: Name it Shadow, and repeat the process of selecting
an appropriate shadow color. Add a Black Mask to the Shadow layer, then Right
Click the mask and add a Paint. (This will allow us to paint our mask)
 Repeat for Highlight: Duplicate Shadow layer and rename it to Highlight, using
the same method and adjust the color to a lighter shade.

3.​ Using Geometry Masks

Next we will isolate specific geometry for easier painting.

Select the Folder: In the Layers panel, select the folder to which you want to
apply the Geometry Mask.

Access Geometry Mask Properties: Click the dashed box next to the blending
mode and opacity channel on the folder layer. This opens the Geometry Mask
properties window.
 Configure the Geometry Mask:

●​ In the Geometry Mask properties window, you'll see a list of all the different
meshes in your model.
●​ Check the boxes next to the meshes you want to include in the mask, and
uncheck those you want to exclude.
●​ This allows you to isolate specific parts of your model for texturing.

Toggle Geometry Mask Visibility:

●​ With the folder selected, use the "Hide / Ignore Geometry" symbol along the
top of the viewport. This icon looks like an eye with a line through it.
●​ Click this icon to hide geometry not included in your mask, making it easier to
focus on the isolated areas.

4.​ Organizing Layers

Ensure that each material group (metal, glass, tag, etc.) is isolated in its own
folder with respective masks applied.
 If you haven't already, for each material, repeat the process:

Duplicate existing folder and adjust the folders mask.

Apply geometry masks.
Adjust the color properties for base, shadow, and highlight.

Stage 4.6 - Using Mesh Maps with Generators

We can automatically generate a base for effects like edge wear, highlights, and
shadows using baked mesh maps. Before we start doing any painting or effects you
may want to switch our material view to only show our base color (This will be a better
representation of our final product as we will only need a base color texture). At the top
right of the viewport click the dropdown that says Material > navigate to and select Base
Color

1.​ Adding Generators:

Right-click on a mask for one of our colors (e.g., the Highlight layer in the metal
folder).
Select Add Generator, then choose Curvature. Make sure you move the
Generator below the Paint we applied to the mask, you can simply click and drag
it down. (Makes sure our paint will affect the mask information added by the
generator)
 2.​ Adjust Generator Settings:

Tweak properties like Balance, Contrast, and Blur to customize the generated
effect.
Lower the opacity on the Generator if the effect is too intense.

Stage 4.7 - Saving the Project

Save your progress as a Substance Painter project. File > Save As > Navigate to your
Project Files folder and name the file (e.g., potion_tex.spp).

Stage 5 - Texturing

Resources​
Video - https://youtu.be/gXLgQU0qekI
Project Files - https://bit.ly/3Xgj3c2
Sketchfab - https://bit.ly/4g9xaIS

Texturing in Substance Painter is inherently iterative. You may not achieve a perfect
result in the first attempt, so patience and iteration are crucial.

Stage 5.1 - Creating a Custom Alpha in Photoshop

1.​ Open Photoshop: Drag your reference image onto a new canvas.
 2.​ Select the Skull Icon:

Use the Magic Wand Tool to select the skull. Refine the selection by adjusting the
tolerance or using additional selection tools if needed.

3.​ Prepare the Alpha:

Create a new layer (Ctrl+Shift+N), go to Edit > Fill, and fill the selection with
white.
Copy the skull (Ctrl+C), then create a new 256x256 canvas (Ctrl+N), unlock the
background layer, and fill it with black.
Paste the skull (Ctrl+V) into this canvas. Use Ctrl+T to transform and scale the
skull, ensuring it fits well within the 256x256 area.
Clean up any pixelation or jagged edges with a hard brush set to pure white.

4.​ Export the Alpha:

Save the image as a PNG (File > Export > Quick Export as PNG) with an
appropriate name like "Alpha_01."

Stage 5.2 - Importing the Custom Alpha into Substance Painter

1.​ Import Alpha:

Click the plus icon at the bottom of the Shelf panel to import assets.
Drag the saved "Alpha_01.png" file into the import window.
 2.​ Define Alpha Type:

Under the Undefined tab, set it as an Alpha.

Choose how to save it:
●​ Session: Temporary use for the current session.
●​ Project: Save with the current project.
●​ Library: Add to the asset library for future use. For this task, select Project.

Stage 5.3 - Stamping the Alpha onto the 3D Prop

1.​ Create Stamp Layer:

In the Layers panel, open the tag folder and create a new layer. Name it "Stamp."
You can just duplicate the shadow layer and drag it above other layers for
visibility.

2.​ Setup and Use Alpha:

Use the Color Picker to select a complementary color from the tag to blend the
alpha effectively.
 Go to the Mask of the Stamp layer, navigate to the Alpha tab, and drag your
custom alpha from the shelf or library.
Adjust brush size and rotate the alpha by holding Ctrl + Left Click and dragging
vertically.
Stamp the skull icon on both sides of the tag, ensuring correct placement and
alignment.

Stage 5.4 - Setting Up for Hand-Painting

1.​ Brush Properties:

Select a Soft Brush from the Brush panel. A drawing tablet is recommended for
better control over brush strokes.
Configure the brush settings:
●​ Disable Size Pressure: Ensures a consistent brush size.
●​ Enable Pressure Flow: Controls color buildup based on pen pressure.
●​ During this process you will want to adjust your max flow and opacity as
you work to gradually build up value.

2.​ Define Light Source:

Set up your light direction, since our UV’s are mirrored we need to have the light
hit where the center seam on our mesh is. We will want to paint the prop so the
light source is from the front, fading towards the sides. This will guide how you
 add shadows and highlights. (Look at our concept for reference in how light is
dispersed on the object)

Stage 5.5 - Hand-Painting Techniques

1.​ Painting With Masks:

Select one of the Paints we added on one of the Highlight or Shadow masks
Switch between Polygon Fill mode (4 key) and Brush mode (1 key) to isolate
areas that we might have some hard edges from baking or where we want to
quickly add more value, (eg. where the glass meets the base). (Using Polygon
Fill will completely fill these areas with color but we can use our soft brush to
knock down the color and fade it back)

Use the X key to toggle between Black and White Channels:

●​ White reveals mask details.
●​ Black hides them.
Gradually build up value, blending strokes seamlessly. For example add more
highlights where your established light direction is hitting and lightly fade it back
and incorporate you shadow color

Use soft brushes for general shadows and highlights, then switch to hard
brushes for detailed edge work.
2.​ Opacity Adjustments:

Create Opacity Layers:

Add a new folder in your Glass folder for Opacity and add a fill layer. Name it
"op1". Alt + Click the opacity tab on the layer to only use the opacity channel.

Adjust Opacity:
Add a black mask to the "op1" layer. Use Polygon Fill (4 key) to select the UV
shell of the bottle, painting with white on the mask to reveal effects.
●​ Set the opacity value to 0.55 for the bottle. For the top lip, duplicate the
layer, clear the mask, and select the UV chunk with a different opacity
value (e.g., 0.8).
Stage 5.6 - Adjusting Opacity, Highlights, and Details
1.​ Testing Opacity:

Toggle between Material View and Base Color to preview opacity effects. The
final render will provide a clearer view of the adjustments. (This is done through
the dropdown at the top right of the viewport)

2.​ Highlighting the Cork:

Toggle the Geometry Mask to isolate the cork.

Use a soft brush to paint highlights, focusing on the edges.
Add holes by creating a new folder called "Holes," duplicating the shadow layer,
and painting circular holes with a hard brush. Add gradual shadows with a soft
brush.
3.​ Detailing the Eye:

Toggle your Geometry Mask so we can effectively paint the eye.

Create a new folder named "Pupil" and add a Fill Layer with only Color enabled.
Paint the pupil with a dark red shade using a hard brush.
Duplicate the pupil layer, lighten the color for highlights, and add small white
highlights for reflection.

4.​ Detailing the Liquid:

Toggle your Geometry Mask so we can effectively paint the liquid.

Apply a Curvature Generator to enhance liquid surface highlights. Adjust intensity
by painting over it.
Blend shadows from the base and add front-edge highlights based on how
you’ve been rendering the light, creating a smooth transition.
Stage 5.7 - Final Details and Rendering
1.​ Edge Detailing:

Duplicate the final highlight layer for metal and use a hard brush to outline
prominent edges. Alternate between painting and softening for a natural look.

2.​ Final Touches:

Spend some time detailing and refining the texture until you are satisfied with it. If
you want to see an overview of the entire process the associated video for this
chapter covers this in detail.
Stage 6 - Sketchfab

Resources​
Video - https://youtu.be/LF5V7hejPwU
Project Files - https://bit.ly/4dVfUpd
Sketchfab - https://bit.ly/4g9xaIS

Stage 6.1 - Exporting Textures

1.​ Save your project in Substance Painter.

2.​ Go to File > Export Textures.
3.​ Set the Output Directory to your Assets folder and select the appropriate folder.
4.​ Choose the output template for Base Color. Ensure the resolution is set to 1K.
5.​ In the Output Templates section, uncheck all options except Base Color. Set the
file format to PNG to preserve opacity information.
6.​ Click Export to generate your texture files.

Stage 6.2 - Preparing the Model in Maya

 1.​ Open your Maya project and create a new iteration, naming it appropriately (e.g.,
potion_04).
2.​ Ensure the low-poly version of your model is visible. Select the model and open
the Hypershade window. After you open the window, with the model still selected,
create a new Surface Shader Material.
3.​ Apply the Material to our model by hovering over the material in the Hypershade
window > hold Right Click > assign material to current selection
4.​ Assign the exported base color texture to the shader by clicking the checker box
next to the Out Color attribute and selecting the texture file from your project
folder.
5.​ Adjust the viewport to display textures by pressing the 6 key.

Stage 6.3 - Combining and Adjusting Mesh

1.​ Combine the meshes using Shift + Right-Click and select Combine. Clear the
history and rename the combined mesh.
2.​ Weld vertices where needed by selecting vertices in Vertex Mode and using Shift
+ Right-Click to Merge Vertices. Adjust the merge threshold if necessary.
3.​ Adjust any clipping issues by scaling or moving parts of the model as needed.
Stage 6.4 - Exporting the Model

1.​ Select the combined mesh and go to File > Export Selection.
2.​ Choose the FBX format and ensure Embed Media is selected under File Type
Specific Options.
3.​ Save the file in the appropriate folder.

Stage 6.5 - Uploading to Sketchfab

1.​ Open Sketchfab and click Upload.

2.​ Drag and drop your FBX file into the upload area and click Upload.
3.​ After the upload is complete, click Adjust 3D Settings under your model preview.
4.​ In the Scene tab adjust the Shading settings to Shadeless or Unlit.
5.​ Navigate to the Material tab and set the Base Color to 0 and load the Base Color
Texture into the Emission channel (Adjust the Emission values as you see fit).
6.​ Last thing in the Material tab is to load our Base Color Texture into the Opacity
channel

Stage 6.6 - Adjusting Post-Processing Settings

1.​ Add Sharpness and adjust the value (e.g., 0.45) for clarity. Don’t overdo it.
 2.​ Apply Bloom effects and adjust settings to enhance the visual appeal.
3.​ Add a Vignette for a more dynamic presentation, feel free to come back and
adjust this after we set up the background.

Stage 6.7 - Adjusting the Background

Navigate back to the Scene tab and find the Background Dropdown
Set the background to a Solid Color, I prefer to use a darker less saturated color.

Stage 6.8 - Finalizing and Publishing

1.​ Position your model for an appealing thumbnail and save the settings.
2.​ Set the model to Private or Public based on your preference. Publish the model
and share the link if desired.
Conclusion

Congratulations on successfully completing this tutorial! Throughout this guide, you

have followed a structured approach to creating and texturing a 3D prop, from the initial
concept drawing to the final presentation on Sketchfab. You have learned how to export
textures, blockout and refine models in Maya, and apply various post-processing effects
to produce a polished result. This tutorial has introduced key practices, including UV
mapping, hand-painting techniques, and model optimization, providing you with a solid
foundation for future projects. I encourage you to take this knowledge to advance your
skills in 3D modeling and texturing, applying these techniques to a wide range of
creative endeavors. Keep refining your craft as you continue on your journey in
game-ready art development!

Sources

3DEX. YouTube. (n.d.). https://www.youtube.com/@3dextrude

Autodesk Maya 2024. Help. (n.d.). https://help.autodesk.com/view/MAYAUL/2024/ENU/

Games Artist. (2024, September 1). https://gamesartist.co.uk/