Concepting & Illustrating a Sword for Games by Olivier Dubard

Olivier Dubard walks you through his complete pipeline for designing a fantasy weapon that tells a story. Over six lessons, you’ll move from gathering reference and sketching chaotic thumbnails, through building a base mesh in Blender and sculpting in ZBrush, to a final polished render in Octane. This isn’t just about making a cool-looking sword; it’s about building a narrative into your design.

🎯 What you’ll learn

• Develop a compelling backstory to drive visual design decisions.
• Create effective thumbnails to explore multiple design directions quickly.
• Translate 2D concepts into detailed 3D sculptures using ZBrush.
• Apply professional rendering techniques in Octane Render.
• Structure a complete concept art workflow from ideation to final delivery.

✅ Requirements

• Skills: Intermediate knowledge of Blender, ZBrush, and Photoshop.
• Tools: A drawing tablet is highly recommended for sketching and painting.
• Hardware: A computer capable of running OctaneRender (dedicated GPU recommended).

📝 Description

Preview: Olivier Dubard, a Lead Concept Artist at NetEase, breaks down his professional workflow for designing a fantasy prop that feels real. This isn’t a generic “how to draw a sword” tutorial. It’s a focused look at how to use narrative to inform every design choice, from the color palette to the smallest surface detail.

The workshop kicks off with a strong emphasis on the “why.” Olivier shows you how to build a backstory for your prop before you even put pencil to paper. This foundation guides the chaotic, fun phase of rapid thumbnail sketching, where you explore dozens of ideas without getting attached to any single one. From there, you’ll move into Blender and ZBrush to build a clean base mesh and refine the sculpt, learning how to stay flexible and make big revisions when a design isn’t working.

The final half of the course is about polish. Olivier demonstrates his hybrid workflow, setting up a 3D layout in Blender, rendering with Octane, and then taking the passes into Photoshop for paintovers. He shows you exactly how to balance 3D efficiency with 2D artistic flair to create a final image that is both technically solid and emotionally compelling. It’s a practical, no-fluff guide to getting a portfolio-ready piece done.

🧑‍🎓 Who this course is for

• Intermediate to advanced concept artists looking to level up their prop design and composition skills.
• Artists who know the basics of Blender, ZBrush, and Photoshop and want to see a professional, integrated workflow.
• Aspiring industry professionals who want to build a stronger portfolio piece with a clear narrative focus.

🧑‍🏫 About the Author

Olivier Dubard is a Lead Concept Artist at NetEase with over a decade of experience in games, film, and animation. He has worked with top studios like Blizzard Entertainment, Microsoft, and Sony on major franchises including World of Warcraft, Diablo IV, Diablo Immortal, Overwatch 2, and the animated film Nimona. His background gives him a unique perspective on designing props that serve both gameplay and cinematic storytelling.

🏁 Final Result

• A fully realized, presentation-ready concept illustration of a fantasy sword, complete with a strong narrative foundation.
• A portfolio piece demonstrating a complete professional workflow from ideation to final render.