Learning modeling alone - Hard background path - Need guidance

Paquette_e

Hi Everyone!

First thing first, I want to mention that I originally post this message on CGsociety but because of no answer after several days and still feeling very lost, I've decided to post it here. I hope I'm not offending any rule of the forum. Thank you

My name is

maximumsproductions

So I'm a student myself. A knuckle head really.. Terrible artist to be down to earth with myself. but I'll try to give any information I can that I've collected from more experienced artists.

Threads a little long and I'm busy with class so not going to take too much time with response. But these threads pop up a lot though yours is quite genuine!

Tablet
First off get use to the intuos! A medium is perfect and personally cintiq and intuos are kind of different tools imo. But as I've found out recently intuos is universal while cintiq is way overkill and slows me down on many processes. Flip side is cintiq is fun and keeps learning fresh with some advantages in Zbrush and few points of texturing.

Sites:
http://www.digitaltutors.com/11/index.php
http://eat3d.com/
https://www.3dmotive.com/library_guest
http://www.thegnomonworkshop.com/
Classes:
http://www.futurepoly.com/3DModelingOnline.aspx
http://workshops.cgsociety.org/courseinfo.php?id=509
http://www.gnomonschool.com/programs/online_training/
http://www.zbrushworkshops.com/

Read Polycount Wiki.

Inspiration
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=121379

You said you'd pay money to people here to mentor you? Edit your thread and emphasize that at the bottom. I'm sure someone here would help for quite the deal.

Similarly there's a Polycount Google Hangouts.
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2083819&postcount=881

Keep all your art simple, 3d - create a crate AKA a box. Nail your fundamentals. Same with characters - anatomy, then stylized when you mastered anatomy.

Books are up in the air subjective but here's my input.
Art Book Inspirations (Mine is the The Hobbit and Roger Dean art books for example)
Real world reference books (Medieval is my passion for example)
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Visual-History-Fighting-Man/dp/0756665418"]Warrior: A Visual History of the Fighting Man: R. G. Grant: 9780756665418: Amazon.com: Books[/ame]
Field Guides of Vegetation and Architecture Dictionaries are another example

Fundamental Books
Color and Light - James Gurney
Figure Drawing - Andrew Loomis
Atlas of Human Anatomy - Stephen Rogers

Sorry, rushed everything, Probably missing stuff etc. but hope this helps you in some way. Good luck

Paquette_e

Thank you for the answer Maximumsproductions even if you were busy with school! I have edited my original post, as you've suggest, to put a little more effect on looking for a coach.

Tablet
The interesting thing about the cintiq is to not worry about the eye on screen not on paper compare to the intuos, maybe I'm just not enough habit yet to my Intuos.

Sites
I'm already a Subcriber of Digital Tutors since more than a year now, already watch hundred of hours of tutorial, this website is crazy and very inspiring!
I'll also add your list to my personal ressource, thank you!

Polycount
I have already look at every post like the ''newcomer'' and the ''College or not college''. I have posted this tread to give a more personal look and get a more specialized advice.

Sincerely, thank you for these kind words, I'm taking them with lot of respect, I've just ordered Color And Light from James Gurney as you suggest me. I wish you a lot of succes in your study!

passerby

Really post often in the pimping and previews section of these forums, that are is meant for people to post work have people give them critisms or compliments on.

Don't think you really need one person as a pernally couch, but can get input and help from the whole community.

Also there is a polycount Skype group chat that I can add you too if you pm me your Skype name.

Paquette_e

Hey guys,
I'm still looking for a ''coach'' in my learning process and I'm still ready to pay for it if necessary. Leave me a message if you're interested, all the info are in the original message.
Thank you!

Gnutmi

Join the Hangout's mate. Why would you pay for one guys opinion, when you can get feedback and help from an entire army of polycounters live for free. I haven't joined hangouts in a while, but I rembember it as the place where 8-10 hours flew by while ppl where doing work and giving me advice.

Also as others mentioned just post on the forums and show your work to as many people as possible. It's all about getting feedback and learning.

JamesTKirk

I and many people I know have learned 3d by ourselves. It's totally possible! There so much information online these days!
I also suggest you start WIP thread. Many people will help you as you model.

Paquette_e

Thank you guys!

You made me understand: It's all a question of Self-Confidence. I think I just need to trust myself and what i'm doing more, to have trust and be confident about what I'm doing. It's something hard to do and a long process but i'll work on that. I think I have all the tools to reach my goal but my weakness with my self-esteem is pushing me to always re-think about what i'm doing and if it's enough good.

Thank you for the wise words!

ivanzu

Post your WIP's on polycount.And get a pet they help a lot.

Joost

I dropped out of high school when I was 17. 1.5 years later I got my first internship and now, just having turned 21, I'm working at a relatively big studio. It CAN be done, you just need to put in the time and effort. It can get very lonely though. There were times when I was too depressed to work, which made me more depressed because I did REALLY want to work.

As for specific advice:

Don't get a cintiq, get an intuos. Chances are that's what you'll use at your job too. And it never hurts to save money.

The best tutorial sites (in my opinion) in order:

1. POLYCOUNT WIKI
2. 3dmotive
3. eat3d

And definitely post everything you make on p&p on polycount.

Ruz

work harder, its the only way. i have been working hard since 1995 in cg and am still not happy.
you don't need no coach, just put the hours in and post in P&p. there are no easy shortcuts

ivanzu

He could probably replace modo with blender.

iconoplast

The $50/month is for the full Adobe suite. Photoshop and Lightroom have a combo deal for $10/month. (Photoshop alone is $20/month for some reason known only to marketers.)

Paquette_e

Wow thank you everyone for those kind words, very inspiring!
I'm going to rethink at my strategy and at my learning program, I'm using the student edition of 3Ds Max. I already own adobe Cs6 Master (buyed when i was in graphic design school), Substance and Zbrush.

Some people has contacted me in private to ask me more information about my weekly schedule, what i'm learning etc... Would it be a good idea to create a thread and expose my entire year schedule, what i'm learning, which books i'm reading etc, updating it every weeks, kind of a blog of my 3D learning process... Maybe it could inspire some other people? Because yes i've browsed the Wiki quickly but I think that a real experience from a person who did and expose the step by step could be a rich resource for maybe a futur modeler and help him to build his own program. Or maybe I should directly start a blog on my personal website...

What do you think about it ?

ivanzu

Start your improvement thread in P&P section,you will see massive difference in 1 year.

PyrZern

Hey there, and welcome to Polycount.

I highly recommend you start a sketchbook or art dump thread or something. That way we can see what you can do and how you can improve yourself.

Paquette_e

Thank you all for the reply, I'm now going to post in my W.I.P thread, you can follow me right there: http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=137087