References for creating 3D Environment props and objects

kevingamerartist

Hi everyone,
So I'm curious, when you create props and other objects for 3D Environments, do you always use reference images while 3D modeling?

I would think if it's an environment that doesn't really exist within our world, more like a fictional world, then we wouldn't be able to use reference images as much. Or am I wrong here?

Any feedback on this is greatly appreciated. Thank you

Meloncov

Even if you're creating something imaginary, you still want reference. Look at similar objects or locations in the real world. If you're making a space ship interior, look at submarines and the space shuttle. If you're making a laser gun, look at real-world rifles.

Look at Star Wars. Vader is pretty much a shinier version of Samurai armor. The guns are literally world war II weapons with some spacey bits stuck on.

musashidan

Not looking at refs is hampering your own efforts to achieving believability.  As @Meloncov says, even in fantasy things are based on our percieved reality, otherwise they couldn't really exist at all, because you can't really imagine something that isn't referenced in your brain to something else. A good example is the little green Man phenomenon : humans continually perceive extra terrestrials as humanoid because that's the way our brains are wired. If you can give me an example of any environment or prop that you can imagine that isn't similar to something that already exists, I'll be impressed.