Where to get textures for environments? for portfolio or in a job

HatPoweredSpyCrab

Hi there guys!!

Just that, where do you guys get the textures for your Portfolio pieces. Recently I made some hand painted props for a school project but I felt awful trhough all the process because it wasn't my texture!!! :poly122: Good God it wasn't a portfolio piece.
But it came to my mind: Would it be legall or morally right to just google some textures and use them on my portfolio pieces?
Thanks to PC I know that a lot of you guys make your own textures with Zbrush or just paint them with awesome ie bricks. But is there a known legal stock texture that I could use for a piece? (for a portfolio piece or in an actual job). Do you guys encourage this practice? How do you guys approach this?

Thx in advance
cheers!!:)

ZacD

http://www.cgtextures.com/
You can also use photos from flickr if you obey the photos Creative Commons license.

Also I tend to layer and paint of top of multiple photos, if you alter a photo enough where it's beyond recognition, there isn't anything you can get in trouble for. Also I'm sure there's some legal rights that if content is modified heavily enough it's free to use, derivative works?

osman

If the owner of the textures/photos is OK with you using them, then there's no problem at all. You don't even have to hide it or blend them or change it, just make sure it looks kick-ass. I never understood why people felt guilty for simply using photo-sourced textures. Only feel guilty if it looks like shit or if you used it without permission.

MeintevdS

Also just always make sure you give credit where credit is due. If you use someones concept to model from just credit them and mention it's not your own concept you worked from. Same with textures really if you borrow something just make sure you clearly state that the texture work isn't yours and it's just the model you've made.

What I don't understand is that you say this:

Recently I made some hand painted props for a school project but I felt awful trhough all the process because it wasn't my texture!!"

And then continue asking where you can get textures so you don't have to make them yourself .. If you felt bad for not using your own textures, than I say, go make awesome textures yourself to dress up your models!

Equanim

I find a lot of stuff on http://www.123rf.com as well.

Never be worried about using found materials as long as it's legal. Time is everything in a professional environment and using photo sourced textures, even just as a base, can save a LOT of time.

If your phone has a decent camera (a few megapixels) keep it with you and start shooting good texture examples that you see in your daily life. You'll have complete control over what's in the shot, how many shots you have, they can be high rez, and you have complete ownership of it. I can't recommend this enough.

Also, start building a texture library. The more projects you do, the less you have to hunt for good textures and the faster you can get things done.

Justin Meisse

the best thing about hand painted textures is you paint them yourself... by hand!

ExcessiveZero

Justin Meisse wrote: »

the best thing about hand painted textures is you paint them yourself... by hand!

I tend to use a pen on a tablet, but whatever gets the job done :poly124:... I oddly usually resort to using a rag (first time I started doing this was infact a old pair of underpants) and my hand a lot in traditional painting.

but photo sourced textures with manipulation can be needed depending on the style, I think its good to learn both, photo source is a good excuse to take up photography and carry a camera with you all the time.

http://www.texturepilot.com/

I love this site myself, was posted here a short while back and I just fell in love with it, so many good textures.

HatPoweredSpyCrab

Thx guys for the detailed answers:)
I will tatoo those nice tips in my head

MeintevdS wrote: »

Also just always make sure you give credit where credit is due. If you use someones concept to model from just credit them and mention it's not your own concept you worked from. Same with textures really if you borrow something just make sure you clearly state that the texture work isn't yours and it's just the model you've made.

What I don't understand is that you say this:

And then continue asking where you can get textures so you don't have to make them yourself .. If you felt bad for not using your own textures, than I say, go make awesome textures yourself to dress up your models!

Yes that's my Ultimate Goal!!

Michael Knubben

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=free+textures

It may seem passive-aggressive to link to lmgtfy, but really it pales in comparison to posting here when the bare minimum of effort would've gotten you the results you wanted.

It shows a lack of respect for people's time, or an over-inflated sense of yours.

Jian Lee

If hand painted texture, must "totally" create by own, cannot simply copycat others work. ...if it?

easterislandnick

MightyPea wrote: »

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=free+textures

It may seem passive-aggressive to link to lmgtfy, but really it pales in comparison to posting here when the bare minimum of effort would've gotten you the results you wanted.

It shows a lack of respect for people's time, or an over-inflated sense of yours.

The guy was asking if people photo source and is it legal. legit questions. Your response was not passive aggressive but plain aggressive. Unwarranted aggression in my opinion.

We photo source as bases for textures at work and for dirt overlays etc. We use cg textures as it's okayed by legal. Try not to slap photos directly onto models but use them as starting points for your own work.

Michael Knubben

It was rambly, but here are the questions I see:

Where do you get your textures?
*confusing sentence about handpainted textures he... didn't handpaint?*
Is there a known legal stock texture that I could use for a piece?

LRoy

I think he means he took a handpainted texture and applied it to a mesh.

Something like this maybe

something he didn't paint and applied it to a sword he built. which is not cool unless it was painted specifically for that purpose.

XilenceX

Well in that case there are plenty of good hand painted textures at gametextures.com and if you pick a subscription that allows commercial use you can legally use them in all your projects.

If you are like me and don't like subscriptions you can just pay for a month and then cancel the subscription in your account menu straight away. Then download the new textures you like and come back in a few months.