Hard Surface Modeling for Game Assets.
Hard surface work, vehicles, weapons, sci-fi panels, mechanical props, sits at the core of most game art pipelines. Getting it right requires a specific set of skills that general 3D tutorials rarely cover in depth.
The high-to-low workflow
You will build a detailed high-poly model in Blender, bake the normal and ambient occlusion maps onto a low-poly game mesh, and texture it using Substance Painter. This is the same pipeline used at studios producing console and PC titles. Each project brief comes with reference sheets similar to what an art director would hand you on a real production.
Honest expectations
Hard surface modeling has a real learning curve, particularly around getting clean edge flow and managing bake errors. The course includes dedicated troubleshooting sessions because these problems come up for everyone. Students who put in consistent hours typically produce portfolio-ready work by week ten, though results vary based on prior experience.
- Six complete asset projects included
- Instructor feedback on two submitted assignments
- Private Discord channel for peer critique
- Module 1 - Reference gathering and planning your model
- Module 2 - High-poly blocking and form development
- Module 3 - Detail passes and edge refinement techniques
- Module 4 - Retopology for real-time meshes
- Module 5 - UV layout strategies for complex shapes
- Module 6 - Baking in Marmoset Toolbag and troubleshooting bake errors
- Module 7 - PBR texturing in Substance Painter
- Module 8 - Smart materials and procedural detailing
- Module 9 - Engine import and material setup in Unreal Engine 5
- Module 10 - Portfolio presentation and lighting for renders
Each module builds directly on the previous one. You will produce real assets — low-poly game meshes, UV-mapped characters, and optimised environment props — that can go into a portfolio.
Sessions run over live video with screen sharing, so you can watch technique applied in context rather than following written instructions alone.
Between sessions, short exercises reinforce the key skill covered. Feedback is given on your actual files, not just on screenshots.