Transforming Simple Cube Into World Of Warcraft-Inspired Hand-Painted Car In Blender & Substance 3D

Introduction

My name is Artem Salogub or Archi Morra, and I'm a 3D Artist who specializes in weapons and props.

I first encountered 3D graphics in 2022 while watching someone sculpting in ZBrush, but my passion for creativity goes back to my childhood drawing on school desks. I'm entirely self-taught with no formal art education. I've always been drawn to the freedom of choosing my own learning path, though this can be quite challenging, especially for beginners. You need to stay extremely focused on what you're doing. Sometimes it takes a tremendous amount of time, but the world of computer graphics is vast, and I'm happy there are so many inspiring things where everyone can find something for themselves. I love being part of this field.

World of Warcraft-Inspired Stylized Cube Car

Regarding my project, I believe that a 3D Artist, like other specialists in related fields, must constantly develop and experiment with new approaches. That's why I love challenging myself, including participating in various art challenges. The goal of my latest challenge was to create a model in cube form: it could be anything. Sorting through countless modeling ideas and making a decision wasn't easy. Eventually, I focused on square-shaped vehicles like the Nissan Cube and discovered a concept by Benhuh Works. I also found the silhouette quite cute because of its shape.

Lately, I've been working on projects with a stylized approach, so I stuck to implementing that style. Okay, reference obtained, what's next?

Modeling

Let me discuss my main pipeline. Blender is my primary modeling software, and I have a small reference board in PureRef. I typically start with polygon modeling of basic shapes, adding elements last while breaking them into segments. I needed to find a golden middle ground for the number of details and their elaboration.

I don't model all details, some are easier to render at the texturing stage using height maps to avoid overloading the model mesh. I'm used to working with different objects for ease of editing, and for speed, I organize everything into folders with proper names.

For this project, I relied heavily on my visual library, which I developed from gaming experience. Since the concept involves smooth, streamlined forms, I bypassed sculpting and high-detail work.

Topology

I always consider mesh optimization since I mainly create game models. UV unwrapping and packing were also done in Blender using the UV Toolkit and UVPackmaster 3 add-ons. As you can see, they did an excellent job, but it's important to set the correct settings to avoid artifacts during baking/texturing. For such a simple model, one UDIM was enough.

Texturing

For baking, I used Marmoset Toolbag, needing a Material ID map for convenient painting in Substance 3D Painter, and an Ambient Occlusion map.

Texturing is the most enjoyable part, where you can unleash your imagination and spend plenty of time having fun. The Substance 3D Painter package is quite powerful. I also recently switched to using a graphics tablet instead of hardcore texturing with a mouse: it's a first-class experience.

Looking at the concept, the model appears quite minimalistic, but reproducing textures identically would have been uninteresting, I wanted to bring some life to it. I needed to choose the right stylization in drawing to avoid slipping into realism. Initially, the model wasn't planned in Warcraft style, but sometimes ideas come during the process. I've played a lot of World of Warcraft and always loved the style of that franchise. My love for games is part of my life. I remembered the "Mekgineer's Chopper" model from the game, which you can see on the reference board. It also used simple materials like wood, metal, leather, and more.

So, textures. To start, I assign each sub-object its own folder with a base color and clear naming. I turn off all maps except color and about 80% roughness, then gradually move to the painting layer, making color spots with changes in brightness, saturation, and hue. There can be several such layers: that's normal; excess parts can be removed later. Then, a separate layer for light spots and a separate layer for shadows.

If the model material involves serious damage or protruding details, I add a new layer and use a brush with a height map, which adds volume to the details and makes them look much more interesting. Objects with glow use the emission map. Transparent objects are added through the alpha blending shader. Everything else is a flight of fantasy: drawing a cobweb here, a light bulb in a nut there, or a serene twig or neatly patched hole in the leather roof. I also like how vegetation continues to live on the wooden parts of the car, showing how whimsical nature is.

I implement multiple layers in Substance 3D, as the hand-drawing technique creates an exciting workflow.

I mainly use the standard brush set, occasionally creating unique ones. In this project, generators were used minimally. I sought inspiration through color spots. The texturing process can be labor-intensive, but with patience, voilà! The right combination of materials makes the result more interesting.

Rendering

As for rendering, I work on the principle of warm light from the left, cool light from the right, backlight, and basic sunlight, sometimes using additional neutral frontal lighting. Also, to create some atmosphere, I added fog through Principled Volume in Blender, but it's worth remembering that it's quite demanding on light sources. In the scene, I try not to use additional objects to maintain maximum focus on the main model. It's quite strict, but the effect is stronger, and attention doesn't scatter. I try to position cameras to capture an interesting angle.

I process the final result in Photoshop to make the image even more vibrant. The Camera Raw filter is very versatile and flexible. Plus, a simple rule: work on accents and contrast. Where it needs to be darker, make it darker; where it needs to be lighter, make it lighter. The key is not to overdo it. I think post-processing is a separate skill, a feeling for beauty that everyone develops differently.

I experienced aesthetic pleasure while working on this project. I definitely enjoyed working with textures, plus the challenge task was accomplished: combining stylized materials and the concept of a modern car in minimalism, all in cube form. I think it turned out pretty well. The only difficulty was keeping track of time spent at the texturing stage, it's very absorbing.

I can definitely say for sure that if you're a beginner, no matter how old you are, what your background and skill level are, you can always learn creativity. It's important not to set a titanic and impossible task for yourself from the very beginning but to start small. No one becomes great right away. And remember, talent doesn't exist; only skill does. The world without creativity would be unbearably monotonous, create and be inspired, friends! Thank you for your attention.

Archi Morra, 3D Artist

Interview conducted by Gloria Levine