NEWBIE - beginning of a project
Good day artist and modelers
I am very very new to this world and am doing 3d modelling on a very basic modelling program.
I am looking for a new challenge and want to learn a lot, and this website has shown me tons so far. I want to build a sci fi scene, with nice details and very nicely textured models, preferably a mechanical element in the foreground or a robot.
How do one start off doing this the right way. I know my way, just build the main thing you want to model and decide afterwards on textures and scene. Is it the right way to sketch it all out, color it and decide on everything before you start on a single line on the computer. How do one decide on detail what to model and what to fake with textures. How do you look at a object and decide this texture and that texture will work. I really really want to learn more and ANY help will do. I absolutely love this website and one day i want to be as great as these people on this forum.
do you take examples of what others have done, alter the ideas and make your own, or how do you create and invent your own stuff. For these past years,I've been using reference images and modelling stuff that actually exist. It is really hard for me to just design. Is there an easier way to do this. I use this very simple program, but im really pushing this program to its edge and also have a lot of new programs on my library what i want to learn if the time comes.
My last project looked like this, http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=81&t=20385&sid=65fc9d06ecb651f4684ee3fd0841ce92
I want to improve on my skills, and any advice would help or ideas on a sci fi scene layout.
I am very very new to this world and am doing 3d modelling on a very basic modelling program.
I am looking for a new challenge and want to learn a lot, and this website has shown me tons so far. I want to build a sci fi scene, with nice details and very nicely textured models, preferably a mechanical element in the foreground or a robot.
How do one start off doing this the right way. I know my way, just build the main thing you want to model and decide afterwards on textures and scene. Is it the right way to sketch it all out, color it and decide on everything before you start on a single line on the computer. How do one decide on detail what to model and what to fake with textures. How do you look at a object and decide this texture and that texture will work. I really really want to learn more and ANY help will do. I absolutely love this website and one day i want to be as great as these people on this forum.
do you take examples of what others have done, alter the ideas and make your own, or how do you create and invent your own stuff. For these past years,I've been using reference images and modelling stuff that actually exist. It is really hard for me to just design. Is there an easier way to do this. I use this very simple program, but im really pushing this program to its edge and also have a lot of new programs on my library what i want to learn if the time comes.
My last project looked like this, http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=81&t=20385&sid=65fc9d06ecb651f4684ee3fd0841ce92
I want to improve on my skills, and any advice would help or ideas on a sci fi scene layout.
Replies
I gotta say that boat is awesome hehe :P
There was a environment competition called the Unearthly Challenge not so long ago, why dont you study their WIP threads:
http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?t=55763
its quite simple start blocking out the overal scene and then in new scenes start model induvidual objects and import them to the scene file and replace the blockout.
Its ok to use others concepts if you ask them and generally they will say it is fine. If you do, you need to say its designed by whom wherever your work is shown so they get credit for their design.
Start drawing some, and you might be able to do your own designs lol all it takes is some creativity.
Are you intrested in game art or or just 3d art when asking how to decide what to just texture and what parts you should actually model?
you model everything that adds to the shape and texture that does not. if you do lowpoly your work will look better when its got the same amount of detail all around, keep it consistent. you gotta think about how close something you make will be to the screen/monitor because if its always going to be far away it does not need as much as something close, simple. an rts unit does not need the same amount of detail as a fps unit.
textures need to be consistent so you try your way for one object for example and then if you base the rest of the stuff from that it will have a consistent look and hopefully not look like crap :P
GL
but to answer some of your Qs
there are many variations but this is mine
start with a concept, block it out with rough geometry, as little as you can get away with just to get a feel for scale form and composition, then do some paintovers to refine the feel and idesa within that geometry, this will help make sure that the details you want will work with the scene. at that stage block out the individual meshes that will make the scene, then refine them, texture blah blah blah.
lighting for me is an ongoing thing you need to see it so at first get some rough lights in and revise these as the scene evolves
basically dont stick like glue to the original concept there will always be things that come up and dont work in 3d that even the best concept artists couldnt foresee