Your warm-up exercises for rigging and 3D modeling

pols_kulpt

There's a video where successful artists are interviewed for their daily routines. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spAbVkwuw1k

Among the responses, warm-up exercises were mentioned frequently. The artists expressed how they don't like to start off "too cold." Exercises like chicken-scratch circles and lines before a session are common for drawing, but this doesn't seem to be a common practice for rigging and modeling. 

As a 3D artist, how do you begin your sessions? Do you use warm-up exercises before going in? If so, please do share!

Alex_J

I don't think 3d is as dependent on hand-eye coordination as traditional art. Maybe sculpting, to some degree. But you can just start on your work, and press undo if you need. So why scribble circles? Maybe for some people, it's more like a short meditation, to help get the mind in the zone.

For me, warmup means I sit for a bit, thinking, getting the entire project in the head before starting work. Decisions you make now effect how things will go a month from now, so you don't want to just start winging it. Even on a simple project, it helps to write down your plan and jot down notes at the end of each work day about what you did, and what you plan to do tomorrow. This helps the next days "warm up" go quickly, and mitigates forgetting shit.

Ruz

I tend to got to mc donalds , have a large coffee ,complain a lot then, then start work

zachagreg

I draw DnD maps for an hour or I do speedsculpts off a simple 1-2 sentence concept usually from http://artprompts.org/ But honestly it's a lot of what Ruz does too. Coffee, shovel cereal in my mouth while I try to wake up.

kanga

2 laps of backstroke then a quick freestyle stretch.

sacboi

...dependant on the time of day and/or mood, a tot or three of OP Rum plus a few wrist swivels too loosen up my carpal tunnel plagued extremities O_o

kanga

sacboi said:

... a tot or three of OP Rum .....

Gotta give that a try!

pols_kulpt

Alex Javor said:

I don't think 3d is as dependent on hand-eye coordination as traditional art. Maybe sculpting, to some degree. But you can just start on your work, and press undo if you need. So why scribble circles? Maybe for some people, it's more like a short meditation, to help get the mind in the zone.

For me, warmup means I sit for a bit, thinking, getting the entire project in the head before starting work. Decisions you make now effect how things will go a month from now, so you don't want to just start winging it. Even on a simple project, it helps to write down your plan and jot down notes at the end of each work day about what you did, and what you plan to do tomorrow. This helps the next days "warm up" go quickly, and mitigates forgetting shit.

you described it much better than I did - moreso a way of getting started on a day's work. thanks for your input! I'm going to try this out on my next session.

For me, since I'm still starting out, I've been opening up my web browser to research tutorials on simple things. I do it for about thirty minutes and the exposure of productivity gets me into the headspace of modeling. It's a nice way for me to gain little tips & tricks too.

Thanks for your input, everyone! These are great responses. Some of them gave me a chuckle or two

Spag_Eddy

Wake up. Try to beat my girlfriend to the kitchen so I can selfishly make myself a cup of coffee first. Boop the pets on their cold wet little pet noses. Collapse into my office chair where I know I will be spending the next 12-14 hours of my life. Sigh loudly and over-dramatically. Spend about 10 minutes contemplating the significance of my tiny existence in this grand universe. Realize I'm wasting time and begin surfing the internet and inevitably end up wasting more time in the process. Eventually I move on to the good stuff.

I usually start by watching 3D art-related videos from people I'm subscribed to on Youtube on one monitor, whilst browsing people's art on Artstation on another. After about 30 minutes or so of doing this, I feel inspired AF and nestle into work mode where I become a wizard and conjure up many a 3D mesh throughout the course of my day. Having a project in mind and staying committed to that project until its end is very essential to the overall process - at least for me. I go into each day with a pretty good idea of what I wish to accomplish. The videos only help to support that initial pushing of the gas pedal. 

Youtube is great, though. The amount of new and old content is endless and serves as great motivation and a great way to jumpstart the creativity and functionality of we artists' brains. Every time I watch a video, it fills me with a sense of wanting to better myself, which then drives me to create and succeed. It's a great way to start the day!

Hopefully this makes sense. My girlfriend beat me to the coffee maker thingy this morning.

poopipe

I take the piss out of render programmers to relax myself.  

I do this a few times during the day to break tension - it's highly therapeutic

NikhilR

I know a lot of artists here get laid prior to doing 3D art.
I'm thinking it helps with undertanding anatomy.... for models of birds that is, and maybe to an extent dinosaurs.

But the best warm up is gathering good references me thinks.

pols_kulpt

Spag_Eddy said:

Wake up. Try to beat my girlfriend to the kitchen so I can selfishly make myself a cup of coffee first. Boop the pets on their cold wet little pet noses. Collapse into my office chair where I know I will be spending the next 12-14 hours of my life. Sigh loudly and over-dramatically. Spend about 10 minutes contemplating the significance of my tiny existence in this grand universe. Realize I'm wasting time and begin surfing the internet and inevitably end up wasting more time in the process. Eventually I move on to the good stuff.

I usually start by watching 3D art-related videos from people I'm subscribed to on Youtube on one monitor, whilst browsing people's art on Artstation on another. After about 30 minutes or so of doing this, I feel inspired AF and nestle into work mode where I become a wizard and conjure up many a 3D mesh throughout the course of my day. Having a project in mind and staying committed to that project until its end is very essential to the overall process - at least for me. I go into each day with a pretty good idea of what I wish to accomplish. The videos only help to support that initial pushing of the gas pedal. 

Youtube is great, though. The amount of new and old content is endless and serves as great motivation and a great way to jumpstart the creativity and functionality of we artists' brains. Every time I watch a video, it fills me with a sense of wanting to better myself, which then drives me to create and succeed. It's a great way to start the day!

Hopefully this makes sense. My girlfriend beat me to the coffee maker thingy this morning.

Thank you so much for putting in the time to type this all out! If you don't mind me asking, what are some of your recent favorite Youtubers and artists on ArtStation that you get started with a day's work?

I've actually picked up on the planning a day's work recently, thanks to your sharings. It's actually helped me out!

Also I'm glad that the animals are a part of your routine hehe 😄 and you can't forget to boop the snoot, very important. 

pols_kulpt

NikhilR said:
But the best warm up is gathering good references me thinks.

Oh I agree, thanks for your input! 

& lol you all are funny xD