Modeling & Texturing a 3D Toy Gun Using Plasticity & Substance 3D

Introduction

Hi, my name is Sargis Ter-Grigoryan, and I’m a 3D Artist from Armenia. I currently work at Keywords | Sperasoft as a Hard-Surface Artist, where I contribute to AAA game projects. My journey into 3D art started with a deep passion for video games, which led me to specialize in environment and prop modeling.

Over time, my focus shifted towards hard-surface modeling, especially when I worked on Battlefield 2042, creating cosmetics for weapons and vehicles. This experience allowed me to refine my skills in texturing, material definition, and fine detailing.

Outside of my studio work, I also run CGStuff Studios, where we create 3D game environments and make them available on FAB Marketplace.

Previously, I had the opportunity to share my workflow in an 80 Level article, where I broke down the process of creating the Ancient Ruins environment. I'm excited to once again share insights into my latest work!

Getting Started

This time, I wanted to step away from the usual firearms we often see on ArtStation and explore something more creative and unique. I have many memories of toy guns, the smell, the sound when fired, the feel of the plastic. Seeing my brother’s son playing with his toy gun instantly brought that nostalgia back. That’s when I knew it would be a great idea for a project. 

At that point, it had been over two years since I last created a portfolio piece, as my focus had shifted to full-time work and creating environments for FAB Marketplace with my team at CGStuff Studios. After the New Year, I decided to work on a small, manageable piece that could be done quickly while showcasing everything I had learned over the past two years.

For references, I started by browsing online stores to find different variations of toy guns, paying close attention to details like where they tend to wear out the most and how cheap plastic materials age. After gathering many references, I decided to buy an actual toy gun for just $5 to get a real sense of its textures and materials. Once I finished the project, I gave it to my brother’s son, which also served as a great motivation to complete the work!

Modeling

For modeling, I used Plasticity for the high-poly model. One of the key decisions I made was to avoid beveling or chamfering edges in Plasticity. Instead, I smoothed the edges in ZBrush by polishing them, which allowed me to maintain a cleaner workflow. In ZBrush, I also focused on breaking up the edges and adding seam lines between the two plastic materials to replicate the worn, inexpensive look of cheap plastic. It’s crucial to add these kinds of details in ZBrush, as they provide useful maps after the baking for the texturing stage and contribute to a more realistic feel. After all, nothing is perfect; everything has some deformation, and this toy gun definitely shows plenty of it.

For the low-poly model, I used Plasticity again, which made the process much faster. I exported two versions, one with dense topology for high-poly and another for low-poly with fewer polygons. Once in 3ds Max, I cleaned up some vertices and achieved a final game-ready topology. This workflow was incredibly fast compared to manually creating a low-poly model, and it only took around 3-4 days to complete the high-poly and game-ready versions. A big thanks to the Plasticity team for providing such an awesome tool!

For UV mapping, I used RizomUV. To achieve maximum texel density, I decided to split the gun into two texture sets. Each texture set had a texel density of 250 px/cm for 4K textures, which is essential when you want to capture every tiny detail, like dust and wear.

The engraving details on the gun came later during the texturing stage. I added these by painting the Height Map directly in Substance 3D Painter, which allowed me to incorporate the fine details without breaking the modeling flow.

As I said earlier, I bought the toy gun for reference. Using a professional camera, I took close-up shots of the details. Sometimes, it’s difficult to fully capture the small elements with our eyes, but when you zoom in on a photo, you discover a wealth of interesting textures and nuances. This helped me understand the layers of the plastic and how it aged, which was crucial for creating realistic materials. High-resolution references are a game-changer for texturing. It’s not enough to know the color and material type. We need to see the depth of detail to create something truly lifelike.

One of the key techniques I used was stencils, which are essential for breaking up the procedural look. They helped me avoid a fake or uniform feeling in the texturing. I always tell junior 3D artists to rely on stencils rather than smart masks or smart materials to create wear and tear. Smart masks often produce generic results, while stencils and hand-painted details allow for more authentic imperfections. It’s important to break up the procedural patterns with custom painting for added realism.

Once I had the base materials set up, I focused on adding fingerprints, dust, and dirt. This step is important, but it’s essential not to overdo it. I always think about where the thumb would touch the gun or which areas would be affected by the surrounding environment. For instance, the grip area would have more wear, while other parts would remain cleaner. This attention to detail creates a more believable, natural look.

Lighting & Rendering

For the final rendering, I used Marmoset Toolbag 5, my go-to tool for rendering 3D assets. The main lighting was a large white rectangular light positioned above the model. This helped showcase the roughness values of the materials, particularly the plastic and also gave the render a flashlight-like effect, which I loved. It highlighted the finer details and added realism by mimicking real-world lighting.

To enhance the details even further, I placed several smaller lights around the scene to emphasize the edges and intricate features of the gun, such as the engravings and worn areas.

In addition, I decided to model and texture some red piston bullets (or the small red pieces that look like cartridge rounds) and placed them in the background. This was done to break up the solid white background and add a bit of visual interest to the composition while also creating a nice balance in the image.

For post-production, I adjusted the contrast and exposure to fine-tune the image and applied sharpening to bring out the textures. I also used ACES tone mapping to achieve a more cinematic look in the final render.

When creating appealing props, attention to detail is crucial. It's about adding depth to the object, whether through subtle wear and tear, imperfections that make it feel lived-in, or intricate details that make it memorable. Every texture, engraving, and even the way light interacts with the surface contributes to making a prop visually engaging and believable.

Conclusion

The main challenge with this toy gun was achieving the look of cheap plastic material without overdoing the dirtiness. I wanted it to feel used but not overly worn, avoiding a brand-new look while keeping the wear subtle. Finding that balance was difficult, but it’s important to create enough wear to show that it's been played with, but not so much that it loses its nostalgic charm. It was a delicate balance to get the realistic look of cheap plastic without making it look too dirty.

This project taught me that it is important to use high-resolution references. The way materials age, wear, and deform are key to achieving realism. Getting my hands on the actual toy gun allowed me to break down the material in a way that made it easier to recreate in 3D. Understanding how things age and interact with their environment gave me a deeper insight into the texturing process.

For beginners, my advice would be to focus on mastering the basics first. Get comfortable with the foundational tools, understand how materials behave. Work with real-life references as much as you can and don’t be afraid to experiment. Most importantly, remember that the details matter. Even small, almost invisible things can bring a prop to life and make it stand out.

In conclusion, this project was an exciting challenge that pushed my skills further, especially in texturing and hard-surface modeling. A big thank you to 80 Level for this amazing opportunity to showcase my work and share insights with fellow artists. It’s always a pleasure to be part of such a supportive and inspiring community.

Sargis Ter-Grigoryan, 3D Prop/Environment Artist