I need some assistance.
Hello,
I'm here to ask you professional artist here to help me out with some kind of problems I have lately. As far as I remember correctly I started with 3d modelling, especially for the source engine, 3 years ago. In that time I mainly did mods and edits to default models or modelling some small stuff myself. I actually have experience in every kind of modelling, experience in uving and even texturing. I understand everything- but I think I ran into a problem now. Im working with 3dsmax now for 2 years and basically can do a full model including everything whats needed to get it into a game. However now after so much years of doing nothing very good in my opinion I want to get more into organic modelling. I have quite a small experience in zBrush and it seems like a powerful tool in the right hands. I tried mudbox and its quite interesting too. Sadly since I started exploring those two tools I never did anything good since then. Looking over some portfolios and basically seeing renders of awesome models makes me jealous and deep inside of me it makes me sad too. As far as I try to model something and run into a small problem I start to get pissed. If that happens I can actually call the project failed again. I want to model and learn more.. but at the same time I refuse to, when I model something. I watched every kind of tutorial but I dont have enough resources to get more into organic modelling. It happens quite often that I watch a tutorial and after finishing it im so inspired to do something my own and then it usually fails again. If people would ask me to show off my stuff in a portfolio, I dont really have to show off anything even that I model already for 3 years. This is depressing me even more which leads me to fail at the next project too. I want to learn but I dont know how. I seriously can't detect the problem, either I'am being too stupid or modelling just doesnt lies in my nature. I'd like to get more into character modelling especially for games using zBrush/ mudbox to sculpt the high poly version and bake down the normal maps and AOs. I dont know which tool I should use and where to start. I seriously dont know. I'm not really in the mood for paying 60$ for a tutorial over digital tutors or gnomon if I dont know if I will fail again. People keep telling me to learn the human anatomy and draw concepts/ or getting them from the internet but the best ones are located over in 3d.sk and this requires paying again. I think this sounds quite stupid but I think this is my last chance. Im not sure either if Im posting in the correct forum but I think soem moderators could move this. I'll hope to get some help getting into the right way.
best regards,
murphy
I'm here to ask you professional artist here to help me out with some kind of problems I have lately. As far as I remember correctly I started with 3d modelling, especially for the source engine, 3 years ago. In that time I mainly did mods and edits to default models or modelling some small stuff myself. I actually have experience in every kind of modelling, experience in uving and even texturing. I understand everything- but I think I ran into a problem now. Im working with 3dsmax now for 2 years and basically can do a full model including everything whats needed to get it into a game. However now after so much years of doing nothing very good in my opinion I want to get more into organic modelling. I have quite a small experience in zBrush and it seems like a powerful tool in the right hands. I tried mudbox and its quite interesting too. Sadly since I started exploring those two tools I never did anything good since then. Looking over some portfolios and basically seeing renders of awesome models makes me jealous and deep inside of me it makes me sad too. As far as I try to model something and run into a small problem I start to get pissed. If that happens I can actually call the project failed again. I want to model and learn more.. but at the same time I refuse to, when I model something. I watched every kind of tutorial but I dont have enough resources to get more into organic modelling. It happens quite often that I watch a tutorial and after finishing it im so inspired to do something my own and then it usually fails again. If people would ask me to show off my stuff in a portfolio, I dont really have to show off anything even that I model already for 3 years. This is depressing me even more which leads me to fail at the next project too. I want to learn but I dont know how. I seriously can't detect the problem, either I'am being too stupid or modelling just doesnt lies in my nature. I'd like to get more into character modelling especially for games using zBrush/ mudbox to sculpt the high poly version and bake down the normal maps and AOs. I dont know which tool I should use and where to start. I seriously dont know. I'm not really in the mood for paying 60$ for a tutorial over digital tutors or gnomon if I dont know if I will fail again. People keep telling me to learn the human anatomy and draw concepts/ or getting them from the internet but the best ones are located over in 3d.sk and this requires paying again. I think this sounds quite stupid but I think this is my last chance. Im not sure either if Im posting in the correct forum but I think soem moderators could move this. I'll hope to get some help getting into the right way.
best regards,
murphy
Replies
Practice, practice, and practice some more. Make a thread for your work so you can get critiques while you're making it. If it sucks, who cares? The important thing is you have the drive to improve it and are willing to take criticism.
Hey, thanks for the response. I never thought I'll get one. Sounds interesting and im definitely going to follow it. But is it possible to "learn" actually everything without any tutorials? Im quite skeptical about just practising.
Addition:
You can't expect to be modelling like the pros right off the mark. I takes many years of dedicated work and application to reach that level of ability. It will be painful at first, yes. Realise that your early work is probably not going to be up to scratch but treat every piece as a learning experience. Store you "shitty" work and for gods sake don't delete it. It will serve as an important progress yardstick. You will be able to look back at older projects and chart your improvement. This will keep you motivated to continue. Also try to finish something even if it seems like it isn't going well. Finishing is important.
Learn from your and others mistakes! You are here so look at other work, look at the comments which say whats not good etc.
And if you are not here practise and post your results here again
Tutorials help you in your workflow and show things you might not have known.
And if you find some Videos on Common Mistakes you should watch them.
And if you post your things here, be ready for hard critique.We may sound like assholes sometimes, but we want to help you in a sincere manner. If we didn´t want to help we wouldn´t comment you work.
One last thing: Look at reference!
After you´ve read that, fire up your modelling app and keep practising
Also, wall of text, wtf man. This is very hard to read. Press enter at each important idea.
Thankfully, one of my very first teachers told it to me straight and said, "You won't learn anything here that you couldn't learn on the internet for free. I'll just make sure you do learn it."
The most important thing I learned in school was how to get answers to my questions. First though, you need to be actually doing something so you have questions to ask.
I don't regret going to art school at all, but there's only one other person at my company with a 'degree in gaming.'
Keep modeling and asking questions. Are you trying to break into the game industry? All you have to do is prove that you're better than the worst artist at each place you apply to
heh, a job at a game industry would be a dream for me. Im actually going to do some stuff. Sadly my time is limited and school is bugging me too. Sadly my school ( grammar school ) isn't interested in 3d at all and I dont really want to change my school anyways. I'll teach myself with the internet and alot of practice now.
Play around until you can't figure it out... then look for answers in the Docs or the Internet. Once you get an answer or see some neat new trick... practice it until you can't figure out the next dilemma... then start all over with looking for answers.
It's a journey that only ends when you give up or die.
Or in short: "I've learned how the apps work, I want to start creating art, where do I go now?"
I think Greg (polyhertz) nailed it. You're discouraged because you've only tried a few times even if you've been at it for what seems like a few years, you've only scratched surface and only begun to start trying.
Know that the first time that anyone does anything, they're going to suck at it. It's one reason students are told that it's not the work you do in class that will land you a job its the work you do outside of class. It's not even the 1st, 2nd or 25th model you do outside of class that will land you a job.
You're going to create a bunch of crap, a LOT of it. But hopefully what you'll develop over that time is a more critical eye and a method to refine your models better than the last. You're not looking to match what is created in the tutorial, you're looking to apply the methods and techniques discussed in it, to your next model so it will be better than the last one you created.
You don't watch thousands of tutorials to figure out how to make thousands of objects.
What I think you need to do, is pick anything simple a crate, a chair, a table, a can, a wall, whatever and try to recreate it the best you can. Don't try to freestyle or improvise but stick to it as closely as you can.
Looking at your work and finding those areas that it is off from the original will help you develop your critical eye skills, which is what seems like you need in order to move forward.
I suggest this because it is incredibly hard to critique art when the person only has an idea, or is making it up as they go. So many people falter at that point because they expect some innate ability to take over and fill in the gaps. It doesn't work like that. You don't get over those humps by watching tutorials or relaying on others, you get around over and through them by practice.
The masters like Da Vinci did dozens of study sketches and paintings before sitting down to do the final piece. They didn't just sit down, have their eyes roll back in their head and magically stuff happened. It was hard work and practice.
Honestly its one of the things that pisses me off the most when people discount the hard work a person puts into their craft by saying "oh they've got a gift"... fuck off they put in a mother shit ton of hours into refining their skill, how about you attempt to understand what it took to pull that off instead of chalking it up to some ethereal force that guided them to a mystical result....
/end rant
I appreciate the criticsm. Thanks for the shortening too. I did never expect to sit down and simply do magic. I was possibly just impatient in some places. Im trying the best what I can do now- to get better- and better.