When did you start to learn CGI and when did you start to work in industry?

Deniell

Hi everyone,

For a long time I've always read articles about artists that start to learn since their 16 or 17 or even since their childhood if we talk about concept art for example but I can't remember article where someone start let say about in their 25 or so. I'm 22 - beginner in 3D modeling and it's sometimes discouraging to read this. Not because I think that it's too late but because it can take me several years to achieve some 3D modeling job. Also I have to work so there won't be so much free time.

Is there someone who was in similar situation like me? I think it can be useful also for someone who is in my situation now. And it doesn't have to be 3D, it can be anything in CGI.

poopipe

I started in 1996  and got my first real CG job in 2004 - I worked as a programmer for 3 years after graduating from university before that.

Things are very different now - back then you were learning in a vacuum. There was no YouTube, books were expensive and not always that great and you had no real reference points to see how good you were getting.
These days theres so much support from communities like this and free educational content on the Web that a couple of years is plenty to get to a reasonable standard if you have the artistic talent to begin with

ned_poreyra

> When did you start to learn CGI and when did you start to work in industry?

6 years ago - not yet.

sacboi

If memory serves probably 2004, would have been in my early 40s at the time however working outside the entertainment sector doing automotive pre & production visualisation. 

EDIT:

A tip, start posting work here or elsewhere, peer review can be a standalone catalyst in firing up the passion too 'Git Gud'   

Popol

I think I opened 3dsmax for the first time in 2009 and got into the industry as a character artist in 2014. I went to a video game art school in Belgium but the majority of the stuff I learned was from Polycount.

Taylor Brown

Started at 26 with the intent of getting good enough to be employed and got my first job a few months ago at 28. That's with a wife, child and at the time of studying, a full time manual labor / management job. It's always possible to break in, just not probable

TheGabmeister

Deniell said:

I'm 22 - beginner in 3D modeling and it's sometimes discouraging to read this. Not because I think that it's too late but because it can take me several years to achieve some 3D modeling job. Also I have to work so there won't be so much free time.

Is there someone who was in similar situation like me? I think it can be useful also for someone who is in my situation now. And it doesn't have to be 3D, it can be anything in CGI.

I was in a similar situation, the same age as you back in 2016 when I started seriously doing 3D. From my experience, it took me about 2-3 years to improve by dedicating at least 3-4 hours of conscious learning every weekday.

Just keep pushin' and pullin' those polygons. With the proper guidance, you'll eventually get there.

RyanB

I started playing with POV-Ray when I was 24 and working as an electronics technologist.  I spent two years doing that and some basic graphics programming.  Then I took a part-time 3DS Max course which led me to a year-long film school program in 3D.  By then, I was 27.  Got my first job three months after film school in 2000.  I've been working in games for 19 years now.

Deniell

Thank you all for answers. I'm glad there are people who made it to industry and for those who haven't yet... don't worry, we will make it!

oglu

It took me around 7 years to get employed.