Link’s Sword and Shield

This project was my first attempt at 3D Modeling. Using only simple polygons and the base images (shown below), I created the iconic sword and shield from Legend of Zelda’s Link.

The sword was modeled from scratch using only the image plane for reference. I created the blade and the hilt from an extruded plane polygon. The inner portions of the hilt and the handle were made from cylinders. This specific object required a variety of bevel types in order to attain its details. The sword’s blade has a slight bevel to create that gradual slope into the blade. I also used bevels and extrusions to make the handle’s sections. Bevelling was also used to give the pommel and guard’s pieces its depth. I left the material as a basic glossy phong material.

Below is the reference image, the model in Maya, and the final render of the sword:

Reference Image	Rough Model	Final Render

The shield also began as a simple plane. Using extrusions and the image plane of the shield, I created a basic outline for the outer, thicker rim of the shield. After, I filled in the flat basic shield shape. I extruded the individual pieces of the outline to give them some weight. Next, using the parallel design of the shield to my advantage, I created the created only the left-side’s details using the Quad-Draw tool. After, I reflected the details, which gave me the perfectly symmetrical design you see on the shield. I extruded these detailed elements very little and applied some minor bevelling in order to make them feel “softer”. The thicker middle triangle (as well as the infamous tri-force in the center of the triangle) were modeled seperately and extruded. After finishing the details of the shield, using Maya’s nonlinear bend tool, I curved the shield by its horizontal axis to give the shield a smooth curvature. I also left the material of the shield to be a basic glossy phong material.

Below is the reference image, the model in Maya, and the final render of the shield:

Reference Image	Rough Model	Final Render

This project was very fun and eye-opening to the almost infinite tools that artists have at their disposal in order to create anything what they can imagine. This project got me to experiment with modifying basic polygons, quad-drawing on surfaces, and using the bend and bevel features to really bring to life the sword and shield.

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