Damaged Pavement Stone Khayyam Naghiyev by Level Up Digital

Follow material artist Khayyam Naghiyev as he breaks down his process for creating a realistic damaged pavement stone. This isn’t just a button-pushing tutorial; it’s a practical walkthrough of how to analyze reference, build up damage layers, and push your materials to a production-ready level.

🎯 What you’ll learn

• Analyze reference images to identify key damage patterns.
• Build base shapes and layer crack, edge, and surface damage in Substance Designer.
• Create realistic albedo, roughness, and wetness maps.
• Render your final material effectively in Marmoset.

✅ Requirements

• Skills: Basic knowledge of Substance Designer and Marmoset.
• Tools: A 3-button mouse is recommended.
• Hardware: A computer capable of running Substance Designer and Marmoset.

📝 Description

This course is all about the details. Khayyam doesn’t just show you how to make a stone; he shows you how to make it look like it’s been walked on for decades. You’ll start by breaking down your reference, figuring out exactly where the damage lives—on the edges, in the cracks, or across the surface.

From there, it’s a deep dive into Substance Designer‘s node graph. You’ll learn specific techniques for layering crack damage, adding edge wear, and creating surface dents that feel organic, not procedural. The goal is to introduce believable wear and tear that tells a story.

Then comes the polish. Khayyam shares his exact workflow for crafting the albedo, roughness, and wetness maps. This is where the material goes from good to photorealistic. Finally, you’ll jump into Marmoset to set up your lighting and rendering, making sure all that hard work looks its best in a portfolio shot.

🧑‍🎓 Who this course is for

• Material artists looking to improve their damage and weathering workflows.
• Environment artists who want to create more realistic surface textures.
• Hobbyists with a basic grasp of Substance Designer who want to follow a pro-level project.

🧑‍🏫 About the Author

Khayyam Naghiyev is a Material Artist currently working at Ubisoft Ivory Tower in Lyon, France. His day-to-day work involves creating high-quality materials and environment art for AAA games. This course is a direct look into his professional pipeline, offering techniques he uses on real projects.

🏁 Final Result

• A fully textured, portfolio-ready render of a damaged pavement stone material, complete with realistic cracks, edge wear, and surface detail.