3D Artist Feeling Stuck on a Plateu. Please Advise.
I work on Ever Jane, and I love it. Though it doesn’t make enough $ to pay the bills, and since I work remotely, its a little more difficult to grow. Not impossible, but different than being around a team of artists to grow with. The game also uses a handpainted/PBR workflow, but the things I work on can never extend beyond their wishes, as its their work, and their money. Though I *should* be taking the things I make and su-purb-ifying them, but I don’t. Maybe I feel worn out from working on them or like “what’s the point” sort of attitude.
I use a ton of maya and photoshop. I never make any sort of high poly assets to push to a bake. Normal maps are handmade andI bake out shapes using quixel. I then do my best to create the specular/gloss maps in photoshop and compose the marmoset shader and model within unity, save it to a prefab, and export.
I became a 3D artist because I didn’t wish to work a day in my life. I wanted my work to be my passion, and it is, it just isn’t fulfilling two things right now: paying the bills. And learning time. I *feel* like I *should* be working in 3d Coat, or Zbrush, or Substance. Or I *should* learn them so they help my workflow and become a more well rounded artist. I’ve started a few personal projects. Some with large scopes, some smaller, in hopes to grow my talent and development in 3d art.
Arrianna’s Castle is a largely overscoped idea where I wish to design a level you can walk around in and experience looking at a castle. Its a fantasy castle. I love the colors and feelings of it. The idea is to make the castle, put it into UDK, light it, and get a stronger hold on using unreal and PBR texturing and realism. Yes. over scoped. But I still think of the project and somewhere in my heart of hearts I still want to make the castle and experience grandness.
Another project I started is a handpainted cartoony environment. Right now, it looks like a coloring book on purpose. Next step is to grayscale hand paint everything, and put some final touches on it. Its a tiny 3D island environment in unity. This one I started for myself because its for a game I want to make, but it also is because I wanted to get better at using unity and handpainted texturing. This one I don’t think I have trouble continuing.
Finally, and here’s another brunt of my problem. I need money. I don’t mean this like, I’m not surviving, but I mean I’m not “living”. The difference between working to earn a paycheck and survive and working to live and enjoy life. I’m tired of living paycheck to paycheck. Its exhausting. I’ve picked up a job at my favorite cafe as a barista, and I mostly do this because I enjoy it. It gets me off my butt and interacting with other people, but just like everjane, its not enough to pay the bills… and i’ve got a nice sum of student debt too. And now might even have to start getting a car payment.
Also, I’m terrible at keeping myself to a schedule. When it comes to scheduling with other people, im reliable, but i’m not reliable accountable to myself. In the morning, I am not in a hurry. I’m the only one in charge of my day, and I tend to dilly dally, and then notice the delay when i’m working past 6pm into the wee hours of the night. I’ve gotten better about this, but it occasionally still happens. Getting my butt out the door and to a cafe seems to help, but still I tend to end up leaving at 10am instead of like 830.
Basically, life is hitting the fan and my finances can’t keep up with it.I want my 3D art to be my livelihood, at least double what it is now. I’ve never really considered what I would do otherwise, mostly because I don’t want to really *do* anything else but make great art and interact with amazing people. I love seeing my art come to life on the screen, but I feel stuck in my finances, lacking growth in my 3d art, and missing college classes because I had more 3d artists to interact and grow with on a daily basis.
I think I would do better in a studio. Other people relying on my to get my stuff done is good. Though I don’t feel qualified in skill for most positions.. Hence the wish for more growth. I’ve got great heart and optimism.. But that doesn’t always pay the bills or fulfill growth either.
It’s funny too. If I look at my art from last year, I know I've grown. Tons. Just maybe not in the ways I wish with PBR texturing, substance, 3d coat, high poly modeling, (and even marvelous designer, which I really love, but it has a steep monthly cost)