In this project, I decided to tackle something I had never done before, but knew it was an area I wanted to grow in. For this, I chose 3D modeling in Blender. I wanted to create something more simple, so I constructed a sword of my own design.
I started out with some basic sketches. I knew I didn't want something too complicated, but I also wanted it to have more of a fantasy look and be unique. Two of the ideas I liked most were revolving around angelic designs and vampiric designs. Eventually, I settled on the first sketch.
I then created a rough, colored illustration of what I'm aiming for the sword to look like. I used this rough to plan out how sections would be split up in blender when 3D modeling. I also laid out some rough ideas of color, although I didn't end up learning how to unwrap and texture 3D models.
Then I got to modeling. I started out following tutorials on Youtube of how to make various things and explanations of the basic mechanics of Blender. Once I had experimented a bit and understood some of the basic mechanics, I felt comfortable enough to start my own model. I started out with the hilt of the sword. Creating the pointed edges and sharp folds took a lot of time and messing around with to get right. One I started on the sword's blade, I realized that the hilt was the easy part of this model. The extreme curves of the blade made it very difficult to model, but I eventually got it looking decent.
Overall, this process was difficult but also very rewarding. I started the process in developing a new skill and was able to make something I'm proud of. Although I didn't texture the model, I was satisfied with what I was able to accomplish. Because of this project, I plan to put more of my time into learning the whole process of 3D modeling. I'm excited to create more in Blender.