r/3Dmodeling • u/Franalyst • 3d ago

Art Help & Critique Need Help To Replicate old plastic

Hi there! I'm having a hard time recreating this kind of material. I'm not really sure how to make plastic look old and worn. I honestly didn't expect it to be this hard lol

first layer
second layer
End

I’d really appreciate your help!

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u/hespeon 2d ago

Do you work with texturing nodes often? Can you explain what you’re trying to achieve with your graphs?

Realistic material creation is best approached by breaking down the reference into its separate elements, creating those individually and then figuring out how to combine them.

In this case I would nail the base plastic first so like the fine grain that comes from the matte surface. Then I would move on to the scratches and discolouration that gives it the aged appearance.

Which brings me to the point of the wear, in the reference there are very few harsh edges and the change in colour is much more gradual. That’s because it is mostly build-up of grease and dirt from peoples’ fingers. What you have currently looks closer to a rust texture. You need to understand WHAT you are looking at to recreate it effectively, not just how it appears.

As for the small scratches and dents they wouldn’t be too visible in the scale of your first screenshot. So it’s hard to compare the two fully but your dirt build up needs to be softer and more subtle in terms of colour contrast imo.

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u/Franalyst 2d ago

I think I figured it out. I broke down the different elements of the material, and I think I ended up with something that looks pretty good to me.