Crafting a Low-Poly Axe in Blender
A Step-by-Step Tutorial
Welcome to the "Get Good at Blender" series, updated for Blender 4.4! This series is designed to help you practice your modelling skills and develop a deeper understanding of creating shapes in Blender. We'll start simple and gradually increase the complexity.
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Crafting a Low-Poly Axe in Blender: A Step-by-Step Tutorial
Welcome to our Blender tutorial series! In this practical exercise, we'll walk through the process of creating a low-poly axe. This guide is designed not only to show you the steps but also to encourage you to practice and build your Blender skills.
Part 1: Creating the Axe Head - The "Plane" Method
While starting with a cube is a valid approach, using a plane can be a quicker way to achieve the axe head's initial shape.
Start with a Plane:
Press Tab to go to Object Mode.
Press Shift + A > Mesh > Plane.
Rotate the plane: Press R, then X, then 90, and Enter. This rotates it 90 degrees on the X-axis so it faces you.
Set up Mirror Modifier (Z-Axis):
Go to Edit Mode (Tab).
Add a Loop Cut: Press Ctrl + R and left-click twice in the middle of the plane to add a loop cut.
Select one half of the plane's faces (e.g., the bottom half if your origin is on the top).
Delete the selected faces: Press X > Faces.
Go to the Modifiers tab (the wrench icon).
Click Add Modifier and search for Mirror.
In the Mirror modifier settings, enable the Z-Axis (this will be the vertical axis for the plane once rotation is applied).
Apply Rotation for Mirror Alignment:
You'll notice the Z-axis mirror isn't working correctly yet. This is because the object's local Z-axis doesn't align with the global Z-axis due to the rotation you applied.
Go back to Object Mode (Tab).
Apply the rotation: Press Ctrl + A > Rotation.
Now, you'll see the mirror modifier correctly reflecting along the Z-axis.
Crucial Step: In the Mirror modifier, tick Clipping. This ensures that vertices at the mirror line merge and stick together, preventing gaps.
Sculpt the Axe Head with the Knife Tool:
Go back to Edit Mode (Tab).
Activate the Knife Tool: Press K (or select it from the sidebar).
The knife tool snaps to edges and vertices, which is helpful.
Make your first cut: Start from an edge or vertex on the mirrored side (the side that isn't the origin) and left-click to place points, following the rough outline of an axe head. Don't worry about perfection; you can refine it later. Aim for a general axe head profile.
Example path: Start from the bottom edge, cut upwards, then diagonally outwards, then along the top, and back down towards the bottom edge.
Press Enter to complete the cuts.
Select the unwanted faces (the areas outside your axe head shape) and press X > Faces to delete them. You should now have a rough axe head shape.
Refine the Mesh and Shape:
You'll likely have non-quad faces (triangles or N-gons). We need to convert these into quads for better topology.
Use the Knife Tool (K) again to add cuts that connect vertices and create quads. For instance, if you have a large N-gon, cut from one vertex to another to split it into smaller quads or triangles that can then be fixed.
You can also select specific vertices (1 on your keyboard) and use Ctrl + Shift + B to bevel a vertex, splitting it into two. This is useful for creating sharper corners or transitioning shapes.
Use Loop Cuts (Ctrl + R) and Bevel (Ctrl + B) on edges to add more geometry for smoother curves.
Go into Vertex Mode and move individual vertices (G) to adjust the overall curve and shape of the axe head, making it more fluid.
Part 2: Adding Thickness and Blade Edges
Now that we have the 2D shape, let's give it some depth and define the blade.
Add a Mirror Modifier (Y-Axis):
We need to mirror along the Y-axis to give the axe head thickness.
Go to the Modifiers tab.
This time, enable the Y-Axis.
Important: If your object origin (the orange dot) is not at the center of the axe head (it might be offset from the initial plane creation), the Y-axis mirror won't work correctly.
To fix this, go to Object Mode.
Press Shift + S > Cursor to World Origin.
Then Object > Set Origin > Origin to 3D Cursor. This will move your object's origin to the centre of your scene. The Y-axis mirror should now work as expected.
Extrude for Thickness:
Go to Edit Mode (Tab).
Select all faces. Go to Top View with Numpad 7. Move the Axe down the Y-Axis with G.
Select all the boundary edges of your axe head (Alt + Left Click on an edge loop that forms the outer perimeter).
Extrude outwards: Press E to extrude, then Y to constrain to the Y-axis, and drag your mouse to create the desired thickness.
Since clipping is on, the extruded edges from both sides (Y-mirror and X/Z-mirror) will merge in the centre, forming a solid shape.
Create the Blade Edge:
Select the edges that form the cutting edge of the axe. You can select them individually or use Ctrl + Click to select the shortest path between two selected edges.
Edge Slide: Press G twice (GG) and slide these edges inwards towards the centre of the axe head. This will create the tapered blade effect. Repeat for both the top and bottom blade edges.
Part 3: Adding Notches and Wear
Giving your axe some wear and tear adds character. This involves applying some of the mirror modifiers to work on specific parts.
Apply Mirror Modifiers (X and Z):
For asymmetrical adjustments like notches, you'll need to apply the mirror modifiers that are currently making your axe symmetrical on those axes.
Go to Object Mode.
In the Modifiers tab, add a second Mirror Modifier and tick the Y-Axis. Make sure Clipping is turned on.
In the first Mirror Modifier, untick the Y-Axis, then tick the X-Axis. You’ll see this can’t be done, because it will be in the wrong place.
Go to Options at the top and tick Origins. This way, the transform will only affect the origin.
Move your axe to the side with G.
Turn the origins off.
Apply the first Mirror Modifier.
Keep the Y-axis mirror if you want to maintain symmetry across the thickness.
Create Notches with Bevels:
Go to Edit Mode (Tab).
Select a few edges of the axe head where you want a notch.
Bevel Edge: Press Ctrl + B to bevel them.
Press X > Faces to delete the bevelled faces.
Extrude Vertices: Go to Vertex Mode (1 on your keyboard). Select the vertex in the notch.
Extrude and Merge: Press E to extrude, then Y to constrain to the Y-axis, and drag inwards. Make sure Clipping is still enabled on the remaining Y-axis mirror so the extruded vertices snap together in the middle, closing the hole.
Go to Edge Mode (2 on your keyboard). Select the open edges that form the top and bottom of the notch. Press F to fill them with a new face. Do both of them.
Refine Notch Shape: Use GG (Edge Slide) to adjust the edges around the notch, making it sharper or more organic.
Make some extra notches on both sides of the axe.
Part 4: Building the Handle
The handle is a simpler shape, perfect for a cylinder.
Add a Cylinder:
Go to Object Mode.
Set the 3D Cursor: Press Shift + Right-Click where you want the handle to start.
Add a cylinder: Press Shift + A > Mesh > Cylinder.
In the Add Cylinder pop-up (usually in the bottom-left of the viewport, or press F9), reduce the number of Vertices to 5 or 6 for a low-poly look.
Position and Scale: Scale (S) and move (G) the cylinder to fit roughly into the axe head. Scale it on the Z-axis to be thin and long initially.
Shape the Handle with Loop Cuts and Extrusions:
Go to Edit Mode (Tab).
Add Loop Cuts (Ctrl + R) along the length of the cylinder. These will be your points for adjusting the handle's shape. You'll want a few at the top (near the axe head) and at the bottom.
Extrude Along Normals for Thickness:
Go to Face Mode (3 on your keyboard).
Select a loop of faces (Alt + Left-Click on an edge that runs along the loop).
Extrude: Press Alt + E > Extrude Along Normals. This extrudes faces outward perpendicular to their surface.
Use this to create wider sections for grip or strapping.
Create Handle Straps (Optional):
Make 5 loop cuts with Ctrl + R.
Select a loop of faces.
Extrude: Press Alt + E > Extrude Along Normals. Do the same on the bottom face loop.
Select the in-between edge loops and bevel (Ctrl + B) them, and use your mouse wheel to add an extra loop cut in the middle of the bevel. This creates two new face loops.
Select the inner loop of faces.
Change your Transform Pivot Point to Individual Origins (from the dropdown menu next to the "snapping" icon, or press . (period) and select "Individual Origins").
Scale Inward: Press S to scale, and they will scale inwards towards their individual centres, creating a sunken or raised strap effect.
Remember to change your Transform Pivot Point back to Median Point when you're done with this.
Refine Handle Shape and Add Notches:
Use GG (Edge Slide) to slide edges up or down, creating smoother transitions or slight slopes on the handle.
To create notches on the handle:
Create two loopcuts with Ctrl+R.
Go to Vertex Mode (1 on your keyboard).
Select a vertex where you want a notch.
Important: Apply Scale! Before beveling vertices, ensure your object's scale is uniform. In Object Mode, press N to open the N-panel (Transform panel). Look at the Scale values. If they're not all '1', press Ctrl + A > Scale to apply the scale. This prevents weird beveling.
Back to Edit Mode with Tab. Press Ctrl + Shift + B to bevel the vertex. Use your mouse wheel to remove extra segments if desired, leaving just two new vertices.
The beveled vertex might create a single face or N-gon. Select the two new vertices that form the "mouth" of the notch and press J to join them with a new edge.
Use GG (Edge Slide) or G to move on the new edges or vertices to move them and refine the shape of the notch.
Part 5: Final Adjustments and Presentation
A few final tweaks can make your low-poly axe truly shine.
Add Organic Variation (Optional):
For the handle, you can add slight variations to make it look less perfectly straight.
In Edit Mode, select entire loops or sections of the handle.
Rotate (R) slightly on the Z-axis, or Scale (S) slightly on the Z-axis to give it a more handmade, wobbly feel.
Review and Refine:
Take a moment to look at your axe from different angles.
Make any final adjustments to vertices or edges to improve the overall silhouette and appearance. Focus on creating clear, sharp edges for the blade and a comfortable-looking handle.
That's it! You've successfully created a low-poly axe in Blender. This exercise teaches valuable skills in using modifiers, specific modelling tools like the knife and bevel, and understanding mesh topology.
Feel free to share your creation on social media and tag me! Happy blending!