Fantasy Hammer: First Phase

The first phase of my new project was to create the silhouette. This means drawing out a black-filled shape of what I want the hammer to look like. This doesn't include any details, as it is the most basic shape, blocked out. This is then followed by making a copy of the silhouette, sizing it up and creating a sketch over the top that includes finer details. This was all done in Photoshop.

It is always a good idea to have a "story" behind the object you create. For example, what will this hammer be used for? Who will use it? What are the purposes of certain details? So for this hammer, it is designed to be sued by a demi-god or god in a fantasy game/film. No ordinary character can use it; somewhat similar to Thor's hammer! The circular/oval shaped object at the top of the hammer is a gem. The lighter grey area under that is where crystals can be placed to change the type of beam created from the top gem when the hammer is slammed on the floor, etc. The whole hammer is made out of metal, emphasising it can only be used by a god because of the sheer strength needed to lift it. The handle itself is grooved with a nice design, with a solid base at the bottom with a small accompanying gem., merely for decoration.

The basic story and background is completed enough so that I could start modelling. I modelled the head of the hammer first in 3DS Max, which completed the first phase of the project. The next step is to work on modelling the handle and preparing the mesh to export it into ZBrush.