Inside Hades - 3D Modeling & Rigging

Here's an in-depth look at how we translate hand-painted character art into the in-world characters you see in Hades. 3D artist Paige Carter walks you through each step of the process, using her work on Nyx as an example.
Play Hades on Nintendo Switch: supergiant.games/hadesswitch
Play Hades on Steam: supergiant.games/hadessteam
Play Hades on Epic: supergiant.games/hadesegs
Learn more:
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Web: www.supergiantgames.com/

[@tequilasunset05]

WE NEED HADES ARTBOOK

[@ediblemammal4034]

Agreed 100%

[@Wildh1]

Yes please

[@alxleiva]

I've been asking for it on their official twitter as well

[@bigrat4780]

is buy one yes yes

[@TheThotPolice]

Yes!

[@Garomasta]

I'm surprised how detailed the models are. While playing they're so small that the faces of some characters might as well be blank, but I appreciate the effort and commitment.

[@Nephron89]

I play on a 77 inch 4k TV. The art and detail is so stunning i stick to the PC version. I don't even bother playing it on my switch. Such a pretty game.

[@PainkillerDCXVI]

@@Nephron89 I was going to say something like that... I played at 4k as well on a 55 inch tv... it was large enough to catch a bunch of details.

[@LeneChibi]

Aren't the portraits animated? The ones showing when you speak to the characters? (Sorry I never played the game but I thought I saw screenshots)

[@PainkillerDCXVI]

@@LeneChibi Not really but they change to show expressions and stuff.

[@DevelonLP]

@@PainkillerDCXVI they do infact blink so a tiny bit is animated

[@balleet210]

Nyx was a fabulous choice as an example.

[@littleweaselboy2865]

F

[@michaelsnavley6513]

Nyx: I shall assert my dominance over the mortals.

[@GlydeBorealis]

Guys: We're all Thanatos here Girls: We're all Megaera here

[@phoebemaetz2279]

we're all nyx here hun

[@Prizzlesticks]

I am definitely more of a Hypnos.

[@GlydeBorealis]

@@Prizzlesticks That's a mood XD

[@zemyla]

Does Chaos have a 3D model?

[@wrenwhite8402]

I’m Thanatos in that my boyfriend is a himbo and I feel and look done with everybody

[@buttssanchez6763]

I'm an animation major who recently graduated, and I've struggled with the idea that I could make professional work in my field, but watching this made me realize that I actually already have all the skills that would be needed to make something like this. It's really gratifying to be able to say "I can do this if I put in the time." Thank you for making this video. Edit: Except that rig what the hell

[@Movman82]

That's a funny edit

[@MorgueParfington]

There are a few good auto-riggers out there. I'm a recent graduate myself and while I'm interested in rigging, it does still scare me. Those auto-riggers help out a lot so riggers can just focus on good weights and customized controls.

[@Weeesnaw]

I’m in the exact same boat as you! I’m going to be a senior and it’s really nice to know I’m comfortable with these terms and softwares.

[@rustyshackleford2605]

Rigging is a nightmare if you do it from scratch but there are tools out there that automate the process for you. She mentioned "mGear" for Maya, and other programs like blender have their own version as well. Blender's is called "Rigify" and the only way to describe how it works is as black magic. You learn how to configure the thing, it does it does its 200iq thing, and then you have a wonderful rig to work with. The only work needed after that is a bit of weight painting to make sure everything deforms well enough, but some times that's not even necessary on simple characters.

[@tivaspotato]

this comment summarizes my entire animation degree lol

[@benpowell3993]

"man, the characters look so good, I bet you have a really complicated shading model -" "nah, I just hand-draw ever line, shadow, and highlight" "oh damn"

[@foof7352]

Look at those menacing T-Poses of death.

[@Janfon1]

That's an A-Pose mate

[@foof7352]

@@Janfon1 Well I learned something new today, then.

[@SnaKeMuHo]

It's nice knowing that their 3D to 2D process is as monotonous as mine. I'd take a guess that handling animations and hitboxes is pretty painful too.

[@supergiantgames]

The little details can be hard to get right but that's part of the joy of it! (Or so we tell ourselves when we're banging our heads against one of those!)

[@profoundpro]

I'm not a graphic artist, but a musician and.... yea, I think any endeavor like this is a labor of love, we'll say :)

[@adroitws1367]

@@supergiantgames i dont understand guys, why didnt use 3d model directly with isometric view? is it imposible or it cant achieve the art direction?

[@hopsys]

@@adroitws1367 Very hard to achieve in the art direction they went I assume, toon shaders on games normally don't look as nice as what you can fine tune in Maya or Blender before exporting to a 2d sheet

[@GrandHighGamer]

@@hopsys These aren't touched up (much) though. You'd only need to throw an outline shader on them, in theory. I expect keeping them detailed enough, skipping animation systems, and avoiding aliasing or other reasons.

[@stalkeler]

Damn, I thought all the game was drawn. So cool it's a 3D render

[@supergiantgames]

We use 3D renders so we can smoothly animate our characters from different angles! Though, Nyx usually likes to stay in her spot there.

[@Wiwiwab]

@@supergiantgames What are the advantages of turning the 3D model back into a series of sprites for in-game, as opposed to just having the characters be 3D models in-game too?

[@KillahMate]

@@Wiwiwab The less the camera moves, and the less the character moves, the more sense it makes to use sprites. In Hades the camera doesn't move at all, and being a hack&slash most characters have few enough animations to make rendering them in 3D a waste when a slightly animated picture will do. Arguably Zagreus is the only character in the game that might be worth actually rendering in 3D, as he has by far the most animations in the most different environments and circumstances.

[@Rotionpotion]

@@supergiantgames How many frames do you take per action?

[@bpikmin4130]

As people mentioned, pre-rendering gives better performance. This is important because it allows Supergiant to use HIGH QUALITY renders across ALL PLATFORMS. This means, for instance, Nyx looks pretty much the same on Switch, on a gaming PC, or on a laptop. Whereas with traditional 3D games, the textures used for 3D rendering (for instance) are usually lower resolution on lower-end platforms.

[@jedimasterpickle3]

I feel almost bad that Paige puts in so much effort into these 3D models when a lot of the detail is lost due to the camera perspective. This was a really cool video, and I'll definitely look closer at Nyx's model next time I talk to her. I tend to just look at the portraits and dialogue boxes...

[@SolantisA]

Trust me, it would be way more tedious to draw every frame of every animation for every character _and_ enemy by hand while trying to mach the quality of these renders. Yes, it can be done, of course, but I'm 100% sure that is a masochists wet dream or someones eternal punishment down in Tartarus :)

[@KitKat-sv9qp]

@@SolantisA of course, but it's still a shame we can't view the nitty gritty of these models, especially since they're so well made

[@tanoyfrommars]

Please do more of these, these are so useful and inspiring for beginners

[@BrooklynKitty852]

I know! It's like woah, I have a lot to learn!

[@Prizzlesticks]

"Modified Thanatoses" cracked me up for no discernable reason.

[@Marechacal31]

So cool that you did this, terribly helpful to anyone who would want to do fan arts.

[@kerred]

Well if Paige is basing her models off Jen she is pretty much a fan artist. And a top teir one too boot.

[@princessjello]

And cosplayers hehehehe

[@Hlessirah]

@@princessjello My thoughts exactly......... (intensely staring at her rotating the 3D model to figure out how that dress works and how I can make it)

[@adondriel]

Wow, i had no clue the game was actually rendered in 3D... Lol.

[@caramellpanda]

That’s the power of Substance Painter!! You don’t realise the characters in game are all 3D because of the way they were painted by Paige!! ❤️

[@KoylTrane]

That was me 9 years ago in the Bastion

[@letsgooo7713]

Same. I thought the characters and everything are hand-drawn, that's how good they are.

[@adondriel]

@@KoylTrane this must be why i have fallen in love with SGG's art style. Wish i could work there, but i do NOT have nearly enough experience to work with them.

[@AlphaQ73]

@@adondriel Same here, but if we keep working at our skills maybe one day we'll be working on a SGG project! If the world doesn't end before that lol

[@TrySomeFish]

Holy wow! That 3d model is gorgeous. Barely even looks different from the 2d art. You all at SuperGiant are amazing!

[@joseartl]

Nyx "T" posing is probably the best thing i've seen this week

[@Lilian040210]

I mean, she's basically t-posing in game too, except for like, one arm xD

[@Hennesg]

I was waiting for her to say "and then I start animating the character" :D Shes doing so much work in different areas

[@hikawagetsbitches]

the models look SPOT ON to the 2D art. the effort is impeccable

[@mungeons]

These models so insanely close to the illustration it’s insane. This modeler is supper talented.

[@DurdleDers]

"Night Mama Nyx." I'm sold.

[@sammi012345678]

wow that's insane! the 3D work in this game really inspires me to try new styles myself, especially painted on textures with shading emulating the 2D look! Curious if 3D character portraits were ever considered for the final game, since that would mean making new character portrait poses super easy, absolutely amazing!!!

[@supergiantgames]

We didn't consider 3D character portraits on this game since we love hand-painted ones, though someday, who knows? Some games have done an amazing job with stylized 3D character portraits that look virtually identical to their 2D counterparts, though with all the advantages you mention.

[@w3ss3l88]

The models are incredibly detailed, I'd always assumed that there was less detail on them because you're looking at them from pretty far away

[@megatinystudio8111]

It kind of hurts that so much work was put into the model and then you only see it from a mile away. It's similar to the Runescape models you see artists put on their page. They've made this beautiful model, and then it gets rendered in the Runescape engine and looks like arse. Not saying Hades looks like arse btw, that game is beautiful.

[@w3ss3l88]

@@megatinystudio8111 i get what you mean. sometimes, in models, less is more. though the extra effort is always appreciated

[@gorgurus]

It absolutely baffles me how such a small team, studio and funding can consistently put out such flawless masterpieces like this. I have been hooked since bastion, but this game right here is basically perfect. Thank you so freaking much and please keep doing your work with the same dedication you have been doing it, I believe that's your secret!

[@godfatheralexander]

Are we gonna get a concept art walkthrough from JenZee? I can get on my knees if you so desire 😏

[@johnlwin2340]

YES PLS! Her art is amazing

[@luketns]

This would be incredible.

[@velstorios9473]

You seriously said such a pathetic thing? wow

[@flux1940]

@@velstorios9473 its a joke chill out. besides i would suck a fat one for beeing able to draw like jenzee so..

[@kaelgentile]

I'll get on my knees with you hahahaha Also, seriously thinking about asking him to draw me a personalized Hades tattoo, with Orpheus and Eurydice :p

[@ShikukuWabe]

Incredible work, Nyx is one of my favorites The accuracy between the 2D and 3D is amazing, can you elaborate why do you use pre-rendered characters for the game? Is it so the shading ingame doesn't get ruined by the in engine lighting?

[@johnlwin2340]

I don't remember there being much dynamic engine lighting in the game outside of Zagreus' shadow. Many of the characters you talk to are in the House of Hades as well, and the lighting for that area stays pretty much static for the entire game. Characters in that area (like Nyx) also dont actively move around, so my guess is having the characters there be pre-rendered mainly decreases unnecessary load time and improves framerate, since those characters don't require real time shadows/shading.

[@ashen_dawn]

My guess would be for performance. With prerendered sprites there's no runtime cost to additional detail in the model or texture (since the rendered image will be the same size regardless), but if it was all rendered in real time then it would significantly increase the hardware requirements of the game.

[@mikicandle]

Supergiant thank you! Is really cool of you to share so much of the development of the game, with early access, the no clip documentary and these little snippets on the channel. Seeing Paige's process and the comparison in the end to JenZee's concept was super cool! You guys have an amazing team, I hope to see more from each of you :D

[@StarGazer4003]

This is really interesting to watch and see how the modeling gets done. Enjoyed seeing a small peek into the work process for Hades, awesome stuff.

[@tamerp0yraz]

Supergiant's love for every game they make is stunning. This kind of attention to details makes the game a product of love, and it is probably the reason why I'm on 230 hours of gameplay and the game is still fresh as the first hour. Models, animations, backgrounds, character designs, soundtrack and game mechanics fits each other better than lego bricks, and that makes the game one of the greatest teamwork of all the game production history.

[@joechapman8208]

Amazing. Does it create a kind of team bonding, if that's not too weird a question? If I was the concept artist and handed it over to the 3D artist and saw this at the end, I think they'd have a piece of my heart forever.

[@reddddahlia]

this is ridiculously cool and useful for someone like me starting to get close to the finish line on my animation major, this is exactly the area i want to dabble in. incredible stuff

[@MemorableMedia]

At every level Supergiant's art team is SO INCREDIBLY TALENTED I hope you're all showered in the praise and accolades your hard work so rightly deserves.

[@Whiteythereaper]

I didn't even realise that everything is 3D models, it all looks so clean that I thought it was 2D because of the detail in the textures blending it so well. Seeing them up close is really cool, it would make for some great animated shorts

[@ChriSaito]

Super cool to see the process behind it all. I absolutely love being able to see behind the curtain on how games are made!

[@nope8977]

awesome!! loved seeing the process for this. paige's models are so close to the portraits! if you're doing more of these types of videos id love to see a voiceover/process of the environment art!

[@moonynight6374]

"Everyone's favorite night mom" EXACTLY

[@lefka69]

My god, Hades has got to be one of the most gorgeous creations ever! GGWP @SuperGiantGames ! Thank you for the bottom of my heart for all the beautiful emotions I've experienced through your game. I love it!

[@jackgarcia5926]

This channel is an absolute treasure trove of content, and I didn't even have to fight a horde of wretches to access it. It's amazing how transparent you are with your fans, don't ever stop being great Super Giant.

[@Lumpyboyy]

this is rly cool, the models have just as much style as the 2d portraits

[@prometheus625]

These behind the scenes videos are awesome, thanks so much Supergiant!! 💚

[@greob]

Thanks for sharing this process overview!

[@Agonitee]

Awesome video, love to see different workflows

[@ChristopherAOBoyle]

YES supergiant behind the scenes is my JAMMMM Love you guysss!!!

[@atakiri]

This was really fascinating, thank you so much!!! (And thank you for picking Nyx, I do indeed love my Night Mom with all my heart ♡)

[@izeg690]

Paige, you are amazing! This is such great work. I'm so amazed with how well you can translate Jen's art into a 3d model. Your models are EXACTLY like the portrait art, it's so stunning and impressive!

[@krusher181]

I wanna see how Jen drew Chaos and if there were other concepts. Chaos' art is just too insane.

[@krusher181]

@@creataria oooh I bet the 3D modeller could make that happen. We must petition her.

[@chrispy_091]

So considerate of you guys to make the models so detailed, the game is basically future proofed against 16K resolution screens. Even then it might be hard to fully appreciate all the detail you guys put into those tiny characters on the screen.

[@shweenz]

I love seeing this type of stuff! Great work, and thanks for sharing!!

[@intrepidolivia482]

This is amazing thank you so much for the inside look!!

[@googplusisawful1922]

wowow such amazing work from the team!! great job Paige and Jen!! ❤️💖💜

[@Duranvolt]

This is super awesome being able to see some of the technical and creative work, great job!

[@sapphic_sophie]

Goodness gracious, these models are so wonderful. fantastic work all around, I am so blown away by this. You make substance look so easy, but it is a really incredible accomplishment to get all that detail done.

[@annoyingdog1023]

Thank you! This type of videos are really helpful and inspiring for new game developers

[@baran9086]

this is literally a gold mine for 3d modellers

[@duderally]

Fantastic! Great line work and texture shading!

[@Funnych88]

It‘s so cool to see the creation of a game I like so much in more detail. Thanks for taking the time to make this!

[@bordsbordo]

Insane work on those models! Thank you for creating this game it's just lovely to play and look at!

[@stefantom4]

This is so great. Thank you for putting in the effort to make this video. As a character artist it's very appreciated!

[@uniworkhorse]

Awesome to see the process, I really like that you guys went for a sharper look from the first early access release - I remember it was very pyre looking in the beginning! Can't wait to see more behind the scenes!

[@ToadieBog]

Great work, thank you so much for taking the time to explain your art process!

[@AndrewSouthernArt]

Thanks for sharing - super informative! Love the style

[@brofenix]

Very very cool! :) I love that Paige took the time to add details, like the neon-light detail, even though as she said it's very hard to see in-game. Dat passion.

[@carllewis6745]

This is amazing Paige! Thank you for sharing!

[@Raine55]

This is really cool to see. Thank you for sharing!

[@WatercolourHazard]

That was an amazing look into the world of 3d art, thank you so much for this video. It's really interesting to learn how different members of the team work together to create a final product, and their specific roles.

[@d77droid]

Thank you! I fell in love with Hades art style! Really inspiring!

[@khoifishgames4837]

I love seeing the behind the scenes that goes into making a game! Thank you SGG!

[@yuyiskis]

Thank you Paige. You are so talented OMFG plus you nailed the artwork and it looks absolutely beautiful ingame.

[@beeflion]

Everyone on your team is so extremely talented! I absolutely love seeing the hard work and dedication everyone put into creating Hades, thank you so much for sharing! It’s 100% inspiring!

[@Nightmoore]

Your work is outstanding! Thanks for all the polish and effort you put into these characters. The game is a masterpiece.

[@arianwells9943]

It's amazing, you're all very talented!

[@BrianWohler]

Nyx is, by far, my favourite Hades character. I'm glad this overview used her as a model! ALL of the art in Hades is mind blowing--the characters, the music, the story... I love all of it. Well done team.

[@Singularity-vp9xo]

Thank you so much! the texturing was really enlightening! that second multiply of shadow really added an amazing sense of depth to the style :)

[@robertulbricht8125]

Fantastic work! I had no idea they were so detailed!

[@SharpEdgeSoda]

The way they paint the 3D models have so many vibes with tabletop mini model painting and I love it. Make something small on a table really pop, or, make a small 3D Model on a screen really pop.

[@RobbieTilton]

fantastic work. fun to see the lighting is static and set in the texture. it's a great look

[@jordan4longshaw]

So interesting to watch. Thank you for the video!

[@erinbwr]

This was so inspiring to watch! Thank you for sharing

[@dreidrey]

I loved learning about the process. thank you so much!!!

[@kaizokuonii51]

Love that you went above and beyond, the 3D model is spot on! It's a real pity we don't get to see enough of it in-game. But this amount of care and love is what makes supergiant so great!

[@mahalyaedwards3020]

So amazing! Thank you for explaining everything so well! I would love to work on art like this in the future, so this is extremely helpful!

[@TheFlyingEpergne]

absolutely insane, you are very very talented!

[@necrobooder]

Thanks a lot Paige, and thanks to the whole SGG team!

[@ZakDraper]

Wow. Gorgeous. Incredible work. I'm in awe!

[@PositronPlays]

This is awesome, thank you so much for doing this, amazing work!

[@tea-so3ol]

Thank you so much for this video! Not a game design/animation worker but the addition of line work on models is something I’ve never thought of before!

[@Vinissues]

Wow! Thanks for sharing it supergiant.Paige :D Such an amazingly simple but beautifull process

[@Alander787]

love the texture work!

[@VideoGameAnimationStudy]

I love this. Thank you so much for a fantastic, beautiful game.

[@SirCalalot]

Fantastic video and inspiring work! You are all incredibly talented and passionate and I'd love to see more Art and Design workflows from Supergiant. *Frantically scribbles more notes*

[@kaliu6]

Ha! I DID see the neon flecks you mention and very much appreciated their presence, glad they were highlighted here, hehe! Awesome video and awesome work on the game you guys!

[@goldenemperorofcurry]

Amazing work! I have no ideia how much detail this charactes have.

[@alantremonti1381]

You guys are a bunch of geniuses over there, for real.

[@ThunderRazorYT]

This is awesome. Thank you for sharing!!! Also, amazing job on Hades!!

[@Jasbones]

This is a fantic vid! Explains so much!

[@TaylaChan]

Paige your work is amazing!!!

[@troylowry4239]

Extremely talented That comparison at 8:20 looks amazing!

[@LaraWarriorWolf]

Incredible. Inspiring. Absolutely beautiful :D I would love to see how your retopo workflow looks like! Especially with the clothes.

[@SageAsuka]

I love that you posted this. I studied as an animator so I'm roughly familiar with the process, but it was a treat being able to see the linework stylization on the models up close! Also very funny that the base models are all Than and Meg. Never would have guessed, but honestly makes sense.

[@TheSevenFaces3]

Thank you so much for sharing this insight what a treat!

[@Philtho]

Beautiful job. I've only dabbled in 3D art and this is just amazing to me. The fact you can't tell it's 3D and retains the hand-drawn style shows how skilled you really are at doing this. Seriously, I'm blown away.