Strange question
Most 3D artists are amazing 2D artists as well. Their drawings are amazing and they seem to easily convert their 2D concept art to 3D art. And making it even better.
I have been studying 3D very hard the last 8 months. I'm full of Gnomon Workshop and other DVD tutorials, as well other traditional (text) tuts (3D total and others from the web). Unfortunately, i still can't achieve decent results when starting from zero. For example, i'm good with texturing or modifying an existing model, but i can't create one out of my head or a sketch.
I'm also terrible with 2D drawing, even stickman looks awful. I have been reading and trying to learn how to draw, but the more i try, the more frustrated i become. It's terrible to not be able to make things go out of your head.
I would like to hear your opinion, since i'm pretty desperate.
I have been studying 3D very hard the last 8 months. I'm full of Gnomon Workshop and other DVD tutorials, as well other traditional (text) tuts (3D total and others from the web). Unfortunately, i still can't achieve decent results when starting from zero. For example, i'm good with texturing or modifying an existing model, but i can't create one out of my head or a sketch.
I'm also terrible with 2D drawing, even stickman looks awful. I have been reading and trying to learn how to draw, but the more i try, the more frustrated i become. It's terrible to not be able to make things go out of your head.
I would like to hear your opinion, since i'm pretty desperate.
- Should i give up?
- Should i read more about 2D?
- Should i try more?
- Can a 3d artist be bad at 2D?
- Should i give up from organic modelling and focus on architecture/props?
Replies
A lot of 3D artists, since they're used to the tools, find it harder to describe in 2D the things that they get "for free" in a 3D package (like lighting, for example).
In answer to your questions:
1. No. Unless you want to.
2. Yes. Definitely, if you want to become a true artist first and foremost.
3. Yes. Pretty much everyone can always try more.
4. Yes. I see it every day.
5. Only if you find architecture/props more interesting. Chances are you will create better art when doing something that really interests you.
3D modeling is more of the same, the more you do it the easier it gets, but you are always going to come to a part in the process where you need to force yourself to finish.
In the paras we did 70 on our knuckles minimum....
...on broken glass, getting beaten with iron bars and set on fire. The name calling was the worst tho.
but meh atm im working at aome web baised autocad automation tools, no need for shape creation there
If you want to do characters, doing some figure drawing classes will improve your 2d art and improve your character modeling skill significantly as you will have a much better grasp of the forms of anatomy.
Basically, I see it as there being 3 things going on with a 2d+3d artist:
2d rendering/technical skill (how to shade, light, represent forms, etc effectively)
3d modeling/technical skill (how to model forms, light, create shaders, etc effectively)
Artistry/Knowledge (knowledge of forms, color theory, lighting theory, etc)
The third part is something you learn through exploration and practice. It is much quicker to work on that in 2d than in 3d, so ultimately the more 2d work you do, the better you'll become as an artist. It is certainly possible to reach a high level of artistry without the 2d, but I think especially the more you do 3d you'll feel a desire to be able to speed up the ideation process by taking it to pencil and paper.
So don't give up unless you want to do so. If you really have the mettle to do this kind of thing on a professional level you will muster on through it.
You should read up more on everything. Like I said, I suck at anatomy and drawing, but I still have a bunch of drawing books, read tutorials, etc (my problem is practice
If you'd rather do architecture and props, do that. I make guns and robots and planes and shit and love the hell out of it. I'm not that interested in characters - I dig robots, I dig armor, but there is something about fleshy bits that doesn't interest me in a fundamental way. I know some people who really enjoy architecture, some really enjoy cars, some really enjoy terrain/natural environments, and some really enjoy characters - its important to find what you like the most, because that is what you will practice and improve the most on.
(also not great at 3d :P)
That said, very far from everyone seems to be a fantastic 2d artist at the same time. In my experience doing 3d tends to eat up so much time, barely anyone doing it has the time to evolve other more traditional ways of making images. I know I only jot down designs every now and then - no more oil painting, no more life studies, yada yada. But I guess my point is that I think they *could* be great, if they pursued it. On top of that you say you can never create something from scratch, which sounds a bit worrying to me. So my question to you, before you decide what to do, is what drives you to do 3d in the first place?
*amazed I got this far, very drunk, damn mojitos again*
The most vital ingredient for becoming very good (art, drawing ,3d, sculpting,...) is PRACTICE.
And that usually means many years, the more years you spend practical on art related things the more you will evolve and the more independent perhaps you might end up.
Tutorials especially DVD's often promise or imply that it will make you instantly better and yes in some cases it might answer some things that would otherwise take lots of time to grasp but its always just an excerpt of a big big experience.
Get yourself into some course, university, job or trainee position in order to swim with the learning stream - because just watching tutorials wont do much - you have to exercise and execute things on your own to make your own experiences and techniques.
Most artists I admire or respect often say that they started very early with art, mostly in their early childhood days. The ones that decide to do art in high school or teenage days often suffer from bad drawing skills and no patience - sure they 'can' become great as well - but the difference in experience is still there and the determination of the ones that started earlier is often way more solid.
And hey...a lot of people in this industry can't draw very well but are still good texture artists and modelers
He convinced me that you dont really need to be able to draw anything to make really awesome stuff. I would link to his work but im not sure he wants me to say who he is. :P
Dont give up if you like what you are doing.
Maybe I'm out of place posting links here (sorry if so), because I'm surprised nobody posted this yet, but it's one of the most famous 2d digital painting tutorials on the web. Hopefully once you read it you will understand how important fundamentals and practice are.
Also, I'd recommend starting with still lifes (fruits and whatnot) instead of shooting for more complex subjects like humans.
2d is hard, but most art is, and it takes a very long time to get a comfortable grasp of it (I'm not there yet). Keep at it and you'll get it (as everyone else said here).