Concept: For the hammer I wanted to explore making a hammer that was more of a functional weapon and tool. I gained the majority of my inspiration for this project from a meat cleaver, and Elder Scrolls: Skyrim. The Champions Cudgel is much larger in the game making it a two handed weapon. I wanted to create something that realistically be more like a hammer and weapon combo. I used this image for my reference.
Process: I started off using curves to create the majority of the shapes for the hammer. Then using extrusions, revolves, and rails, I created the main components of the hammer. For the peaks on the head of the hammer I created one cone, and then used an array to fill the rest of the face across the x and y axis. I also created some basic embellishments with ellipses and circles, while using Boolean difference to get the effect I wanted from them. I then went around the entire hammer and either filleted or chamfered every edge. I found that I enjoyed the chamfered edges on the base of the hammer more than a filleted edge, and felt that it gave the hammer a bit more of an authoritative look.
Materials: For materials I wanted mostly some form of metal, except in the handle I wanted a leather type wrap for grip. For the head, claw and the majority of the base, I went with a brushed steel, and darkened the color a bit. For the embellishments on the base is used a brushed copper and a rough niobium. On the handle I use an earthy dark brown leather and polished niobium on the embellishments.
Concept
I thought about what a castle could be, and I knew in my head there were the basic castles that we're all used to seeing in history books, childhood fairy-tales, and movies. I didn't really want to create something like that yet I wanted to create something that I would have enjoyed as a child and would be aesthetically pleasing to my enjoyment of what I consider to be classic architecture. So I decided to go with a space castle, that followed along the lines of a stacked coliseum, and made sure to add some of my favorite superhero's tags along the way.
Techniques
I began by creating the base of the castle using a tube and then mirrored it. Then using several custom curves that I combined together I made the base floor with a Superman emblem in the center. I realized that I would need something to keep the inhabitants of this space castle from falling through the holes of the emblem so I used several cylinders throughout the extruded curves to create a mesh for the floor, then I trimmed them so that they were only filling in the gaps. I then worked on the pillars and railings to ensure that the lower levels were fortified. For the top half of the castle I followed the same techniques, on a smaller scale to give it the effect I was looking for. I also created shields for the barred walls on the upper levels from extruding custom curves, combining them, extruding them, and then used the bend tool to make them conform to the shape of the castle a little bit better.
Materials
For the walls and columns I used a Titanium texture combined with a blue metallic paint texture. For the floors I used a waved glass. On the jets I used a basic anodized metal. I used these materials because I felt like they helped give it a look of majestic and impenetrable fortress.
