Do you guys take breaks from modeling/drawing?
polycounter lvl 8
If so, how long? "Fresh eyes" as it's called. I've created a fair amount of content recently, but I worry that the quality will diminish if I just keep creating "detailed" piece after piece. Thoughts? Should I give my brain a few days to breathe?
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For example am I queuing for a Dota2 right now, as I felt the past 20 mintes was very unproductive for me.
As for long term, which I guess is what you are asking about, I just took a month of vacation with next to no 3D at all. I did read here every day, followed articles etc, but I didnt create anything myself, because I felt close to burning out, having worked a little too hard the last year.
I dont feel in a position to give advice on this stuff, but at least, for myself, I would enjoy the "creating fair amount of content" for as long as it felt right, and then take a break when I lost the energy for it, simply.
Are you afraid you will lose your "winning streak" if you dont stop?
How long and how often you take your breaks is an arbitrary matter I think. Personally, as long as I am having fun with what I'm doing, I will keep doing it. But the moment I feel like I just want to rush through something just to get it done as opposed to doing it properly, I stop what I'm doing and I a take a couple of days to do something else (probably outdoors if I can help it).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique
I'd even say try different styles if you feel things are getting too stale, e.g. when working on solely realistic characters, mix it up with an old school model only using a 512 diffuse, or even try some props
For example I've been getting into making real props. It's basically 3d modelling but irl. I find that the skills translate quite well between different mediums.
I do still try to do some actual 3d modelling at home, but it's quite hard to do the same thing you do at work for 40+ hours a week at home.
Abidius - Fortunately I get out quite a lot. Definitely agree that as soon as it stops being passion, breaks must be had.
Inflict3D - Time to get an egg timer! Not a bad hint at all!
Torch - That's a fantastic idea. Currently I've been working on a lot of personal projects, as opposed to work stuff. I think as soon as work stuff is back in order, I'll have some more variation!
Komaokc - Been trying my hand at drawing again. Definitely a great skill to have. Thanks.
Thanks guys, you've all put my mind at ease! Might take a few days off to just recouperate, maybe try out some different art-forms.
That's a great idea, I'm probably going to start doing that. Thanks!
My new weird hobby is exploring abandoned places. I went off of a trail with a friend in LA to check out a abandoned nazi sympathizer compound that is now completely coated in graffiti a few weeks ago. We took a ton of photos and climbed all over it and had a snack break on the roof. Once the weather hopefully cools down I plan on going to other places to snap some more photos
This gives me time to digest and look at the work with fresh eyes when i come back
Also when I am not doing freelance work I rarely have the enthusiasm to do full projects , I just practice techniques instead.
On the other hand, when you mature and realize this is just a career, and you do it to pay the bills. Other aspects become more important. When I started, I did not mind crunching on the job(I was a grinder). Fast forward and now outside of work, I don't bother doing 3d or anything related, also goes for playing games. Point being, dealing with family and other personal matters, you start to analyze there is more to life than creating art on a computer.
In all if you want to break in and are devoted to this field, grind like a mad man, this industry is competitive, so you are in control of how long it takes you to break in. It can be 1-3 years or 5-9 years. One advice I got, "The more you do, the more mistakes you find"
Break are good for you, just make sure the break doesn't become the norm.
Like you said, it really depends on the situation. I know guys who have done the grind for year after year, sometimes for nearly two decades and still see it as the best life decision they have ever made and that this is truly the best job ever. Guess its person to person, as I do not see myself losing the passion any time soon and I have definitely been on a hardcore grind for nearly 4yrs straight, granted I am only 20yrs old though...
As for breaks, I am a technical artist for that specific reason. One task, such as hard surface modeling becomes redundant for me. I need to change it up and always be learning to not burn out. As a tech artist, I can do everything from program, shaders, animation, rigging, modeling, texturing, etc. That, and mixing it up with sports and hobbies, and making sure I spend as much time off the computer with family as I can. Watching shows, exploring, food adventures, etc. Its important to also grasp the knowledge around you, especially as an artist for games. We need to be able to create believable worlds and if we aren't in touch with the world around us to begin with.... Then there is a serious disconnect during development (AKA spending 80hrs a week indoors).
It has also happened often where I wind up working on something, get stuck, take a step away for a few days, and discover something in the real world that directly or indirectly gives me a solution to my problem. Breaks can also be nice to allow for those sorts of possibilities.
I agree with Add3r when he says it varies from person-to-person. I'm currently doing character art for (paid) work, then more 3D for class, and I don't feel like fusing out.I love this stuff. It's fantastic artistic release, if nothing else.
Either way, when you make it your career, you still do it at work and need to stay up to date. My point being, thinking in the long term. Is worth doing other stuff in your 30s and 40s that does not involve sitting in front of the computer 16+ hours a day.
You just have to not be the guy that just let down a project because it is in "Stand By".
Seems like most here like to occupy secondary projects or more to keep the art going. But I feel for myself, it's fun to have that stuff and I do. But it's definitely good to just unplug everything completely. Because starting out as a traditional artist. Art was something I did when I was bored. Never for money or for fame, the need to brag, show-off, etc. If I had to ever put my state of mind in a place like that. I think I would hate doing art and would never do it again in my life.
its good to have hobbies outside of it, I like metal detecting atm but I have way too many hobbies to list and do them all at the same time, also do secondary projects on whims like others have said, its pretty fun that way, right now I am grinding through C++ tutorials and MIT computer science lectures on the side so I can be a better coder for unreal engine 4.
Learning new stuff on the side keeps it fresh for me, there is no greater joy for me than the acquisition of skill.
Matt, if people modeled solely for fame, I feel that most of the art around here would come off as... vapid? Probably the best way to put it.
Keeps me from going crazy
1,5 hours of uniterrupted work, 30 minutes of uninterrupted rest. Then repeat. Never work more than 8-9 hours. Take weekends of if you can. If you can't try to make some space for yourself.
It's like a final test, if I don't pick up anything then it passes. Altho the majority of the time there is always something so I run through this test a couple times.