Learning the right way - I need help
Hello, I'm GenericGoodguy and I just wanted to ask how I should go about learning to create 3d game art. I've spent countless hours reading different tutorials and watching videos on Digital tutors but I feel like i'm not absorbing the information (specifcally faces) I think I have this problem because I keep doing small bits of each aspect of 3d art and never focusing on just one part - for example , 30 mins of modeling then uv, sculpting, texture etc without actually understanding any of them in depth. So which aspect should I focus on first? I need to build a solid foundation and then move onto the next logical choice, instead of cramming my head with tons of different information.
fyi my level is pretty much beginner (I've only been modeling for 5-6 months and progress is slow, I have a hard time watching videos due to my attention span (I just want to get stuck in..which doesn't go to plan) I can read tutorials and I learn from those better but I haven't found a lot of decent ones.
tl;dr Which aspect of 3d art should I devote my time to, the one after that etc and how can I speed up my learning process.
Also if anyone has personal experience with teaching themselves I would really like to read about it (maybe you have a website, on this site or even write some of it for me here)
Thanks for any help.
fyi my level is pretty much beginner (I've only been modeling for 5-6 months and progress is slow, I have a hard time watching videos due to my attention span (I just want to get stuck in..which doesn't go to plan) I can read tutorials and I learn from those better but I haven't found a lot of decent ones.
tl;dr Which aspect of 3d art should I devote my time to, the one after that etc and how can I speed up my learning process.
Also if anyone has personal experience with teaching themselves I would really like to read about it (maybe you have a website, on this site or even write some of it for me here)
Thanks for any help.
Replies
Well, the school I went to was pretty terrible..so I guess you could say that I taught myself.
For tutorials...I hope your not *just* watching them. Even if they are fast paced and you have to pause every 20 seconds...follow along. Do what they do as your watching it. It keeps you awake and focused...and you also do it for yourself...youll retain what you learn a little better.
Modeling, UVing, texturing, sculpting...all go hand in hand really. Keep following different tutorials and learn what you can, and the whole time...don't just think about the tutorial itself...think about how what your learning can be applied to other things...
For instance....when I was first learning...My entire understanding of basic poly modeling came from following the Joan of Arc character tutorial (just google it..its easy to find). I didn't finish the tutorial..but once I finished the modeling part...I thought to myself...."oh yeah...I bet I can make a car using the same idea." I just built and built on that foundation.
Also keep in mind..yes theres a lot to learn...but even most pros here are still learning new things all the time...you can't learn everything....just take in as much as you can as you go along.
Hope that helps.
while it's great to read a lot of tutorials, doing that makes you a great reader, not a great artist.
The number one suggestion I can make is to come up with specific projects and use those as skill-checks.
For every hour or so of tutorial reading/watching you do, you should be spending 4-5 hours actually making art (these are example numbers and are prone to change, especially as your skill increases - you'll find tutorials are less useful and doing is more useful, but early on when you don't even know what half the buttons do in 3ds Max/Maya/Zbrush, tutorials are more important).
Set reasonable, tangible, goals that can be easily evaluated - ie, making a specific model of car suitable for a street racing game, or making a Borderlands-style character, or building, rigging, and animating a robot.
From there, as you progress down the path of these projects, you'll start quickly identifying what areas you struggle with, and will be able to focus your research.
Finally, when learning on your own, it's important to counteract a piece of advice given to a lot of college students - do not overspecialize! College students are typically told to pick a specialization and focus their efforts on that particular discipline, to train up those skills to a professional level, as most college courses give you a bite-sized introduction to a lot of skills but push none. As a self-learner, it's important for you to mimic that wide college exposure in your studies so that you don't develop blind spots - for example, a huge part of character art is modeling topology that actually deforms well, which is not a skill you'll pick up unless you're messing with rigging and animating from time to time (even if you're no good at it).
I'm entirely self-taught and have a business degree - I took a 10 week Maya class in school but that was the only 3d class I ever took. It's certainly doable, but the key is to do a lot. You have to work out the bad and make a ton of mistakes, and then learn how to avoid making them in the future.
But, don't stress out--everyone has been in this boat, and its easy to feel overwhelmed. Look at what you would like to do in the industry and start your learning there. Do you want to make characters? Do you want to make environment legos? Do you want to make levels out of those legos? When feeling overwhelmed it helps to focus on a smaller aspect of game art, get good at it, and then let new challenges bleed their way into your skillset, one new thing at a time. Eventually you cover a lot of ground this way, while potentially getting good enough in your comfort zone to get hired by someone. The big risk with learning this way is "falling back on your comfort zone too much", but given how much there is to learn, anything tricks you can employ to build confidence are pretty valuable. Goodluck!
There is no easier way to put this then "Start making 3d models." With that in mind, and good practice, you will realize where you are going wrong and what is the right way to learn and make models.
Also seeing your portfolios was a real boost to my movitation.
Out of curiosity what software are you trying to learn it in?
I think the best thing you can do is get familiar with Autodesk Maya, polygon modeling within Maya and UVing.
It is free for learning.
Make sure you know how to use Photoshop. Start simple and build up until its a cakewalk and the only challenge is time.
I've been using 3ds max, i've been meaning to try Maya for a long time. I'll look into it later today.
As a beginner you want to start very small. Like an oil barrel or a crate, and go through the whole process. Hipoly (if applicable), low poly modeling, UV'ing, baking, texturing. For me, I learnt the most when I took my projects/props to completion. I had quite a few abandoned pieces when I was learning because I bit off more than I could chew.
So start small and work up and try to take them to completion. And of course, getting feedback on work on this forum is also valuable when you're self taught, because you don't have any peers or teachers to talk to.
I find Maya to be easier to work with, but this is just my opinion. I wont tell you to drop Max for Maya, but it never hurts to try both and see what you find easier and or more comfortable to work in.
Also more importantly, think about the studio's you would love to work for...be it Blizzard or Valve...ect, find out what application they prefer. This way you can pick the application to initially specialize in which can later on help you with employment in studios you have an interest in.