How To Make a Star Wars GFX

Intro

Hello! I am a GFX artist and have been requested to make this tutorial. You will learn how to make a Star Wars GFX. You may not have the software needed but you can see how things like this are made now! :slightly_smiling_face:
Disclaimer: This is my first post in this category if I did anything wrong please tell me. Any download link is perfectly safe. If you have any questions please tell me. Enjoy!

What you will need

  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe After Effects
  • Roblox Studio
  • Blender (I’m using 2.8)
  • Basic knowledge of photoshop and blender

Step #1

Open Roblox Studio and make a rig that you wish to use. Or modify one from the toolbox. Make sure the character is a box rig and is R6. Make sure the character is NOT posed.
image

Step #2

Make a folder on your computer and name it whatever you like. Go in the explorer window select the body of the Jedi NOT the hair, capes, etc. and right-click the model and hit “export selection.”

Save it to the folder you made and do the same thing with the hats.

Step #3

Open blender and download this file: PaintRigV3
It is a fully rigged character!
You should see this:


or this:

Step #4

Click on the character’s head and drag down the node editor.

Click on the file icon and go to the folder where you saved your character and select the texture file.
image

Step #5

Now go back to Roblox studio and find a good lightsaber model. And make sure it is just the handle. Export it and go to file > import > wavefront (obj) and select the file and import it. Now go into the bottom corner and hit object > set origin > origin to geometry. That way the part will be centered. Import the hair the same way. When you position it on the character’s head make sure it is selected and hold down shift and click the box above the character’s head. Press CTL + p and press parent to object.

If your hair is transparent then open the node editor and move the line from alpha to clearcoat normal. image

Step #6

Now you can position your character! Go from object mode to pose mode while selecting your character in the bottom left. Rotate and move the limbs to your liking! Press shift + a and add point lights from the side to make a cool effect!

Step #7 (Optional)

Go into render view: image
You can add an HDRI (realistic lighting) if you want.
Find one online and download it. To add it in do this:

image
image
image Then select the HDRI file.


Should look like this. ^^

Step #8

Now you can add a camera. Press shift + a and click camera.
image
Then go into the camera view. image
Pres shift + ~ to move freely around to pose your camera with WASD .

Step #9

Change your render engine from Eevee to cycles.
image
Check these boxes:



Step #10

Time to render!

Go to render image.image
Go here to change the resolution: image
To make the background transparent go here:


Step #11

Open photoshop and go to your rendered image. You can brighten or darken your image to your liking. Export the image when you are done!

Step #11

Go here and download the After effects plug-in:VIDEO COPILOT | After Effects Tutorials, Plug-ins and Stock Footage for Post Production Professionals Then open after-effects and make a new composition.


Select the dimensions of the image you edited.
Then drag in the image from file explorer.

Import a background and put it behind the other layers.

Step #12

Go to the bottom left corner and right-click it.


Make sure the new solid is black. The go in the panel on the right and search saber and drag it onto the solid layer. Then do this:

Step #13

You can now position the blade with the red dots. Play with these settings to make it how you want it.


image

Now Export as photoshop layers:

Step #14

Go back to photoshop and open the PSD file.


Simply copy the saber lays over to your original file. image

Step #15

You can now freely edit the image in any way.

Step #15

Export and enjoy the GFX!

End

Thank you so much for reading and making it to the end this took forever to make! :sweat_smile: This is all how I make them this is not how others make them. Thank you! :relaxed: Likes are appreciated! To see my portfolio click here.

34 Likes

Wow! Thanks for sharing this with the community. I have 2 questions to ask.

  1. How Do You Rotate The Limbs?

  2. Why Blender 2.8? Not 2.7?

5 Likes

I used blender 2.8 because most newer artists use it. I will update how to rotate the limbs.

3 Likes

The rig can be used in 2.7. And you can do it like so,

Navigate to the top left of your screen.
Press file > open > find the rig file.

3 Likes