Like others have said your scaling on some of these textures is way off. Even if you are going to box map a metal texture to an object you still don't want to skew that texture. The freeway overpass is a good example of that. I think more importantly you need to watch your pixel density and set a standard for the piece. You have several fuzzy, low pixel density, props right next to a sharp, high pixel density, prop. All this does is make it even more apparent that these are not specialty made textures.
It does sound like your doing this environment as a backdrop for a character or animation. With this in mind you may want to tweak these things or else its going to take a lot away from everything else going on.
One thing i'll say straight off is don't put anything in your portfolio that you haven't given your all, if you've cut corners employers will notice and it reflects badly on you (AKA you won't get hired).
You don't seem like you're at all bothered about fixing the problem areas that people have mentioned about this project but instead appear more focussed on moving on to other things, fair enough, but i wouldn't put this anywhere near your portfolio unless you want send people away.
I would say that It's more at the reflection stage at this point for how to improve on the next piece of work.
Probably this might not make it in the final rendition of my portfolio.
However I wouldn't mind finding a skill building practice of some sort to naturally find inconsistencies rather than myself having to forcefully look for each and every single one. It does inhibit stress for it not being a normal process.
Textures are incredibly muddy and the models are primitive. I would recommend racer445's texturing tutorial on next gen hard surface and some modeling tutorials from Eat3d.com
I agree with tda. Why don't you focus on a building and polish the hell out of it instead of trying to tackle the whole scene. It would look better on your portfolio to have that one asset looking awesome that and environment that needs a lot of work.
My advice on this piece would be to slow down, scale down, and work on your fundamentals before tackling something like this. Let's look at this box dumpster thing:
So right off the bat, the fact that I did not know what this object is makes it a failure. I think it might be a dumpster, but that is because it has a bunch of other stuff around it. If you isolate the object, it's just a box. So just start from scratch on this. First, you will need references of dumpsters (I'm just going to carry on assuming this is a dumpster, if it's not this same process should be applied to almost everything anyways). Once you have the references, just pick one that you like, and start modeling, and really spend some time trying to make it look right. If you do get it right, the object should be recognizable as dumpster, with no texture and out of context. Once you get the dumpster modeled correctly, you can then start thinking about the texture (your texture isn't done properly at all, but that's sort of irrelevant when step 1 was done incorrectly).
I'm starting to learn to use more reference in my work lately. For a big scene like this, it was challenge all in all. It wasn't self made project btw, but more of an assignment from my teacher.
Overall for me there is good things I do and bad things I do.
Seeing the work that my other classmates did, this was a cut above, but not portfolio or demo reel quality.
might be a good idea to pick a prop from this and give it some serious loving. at the moment what your showing is pretty weak and hurried looking.
Say take the dumpster, barrels, or pallet. do a high poly. and then a bake and textures.
Start a thread for it and get some feedback as you work. take it slow and make sure each step is well executed before moving on.
Did your teacher say you had to build a low-spec scene? To be honest, your teacher doesn't seem very good. Has your teacher ever worked in the industry in the last 8 years?
Even PSP games and DS games support 100,000 tris in a scene; I just don't understand how building such a simple scene can build any skills for environments at all. There is no other marketable low-spec that demands 100 polygon scenes... I think even the N64 and PSX could support more geometry than this scene has.
Also, always compare your work to that of professionals and strive for that quality. If you continue to base your improvements on your classmates, then you are simply going to progress too slowly.
High poly isn't what you need to focus on. First you need to make a proper low poly for this scene, the counts are just way too low; where next-gen games have 2 million triangles in a scene or more, depending on shader complexity.
2 million triangles in a scene on the PS3, 360, or PC is considered low poly by today's standards.
High poly isn't what you need to focus on. First you need to make a proper low poly for this scene, the counts are just way too low; where next-gen games have 2 million triangles in a scene or more, depending on shader complexity.
2 million triangles in a scene on the PS3, 360, or PC is considered low poly by today's standards.
what i was trying to suggest was getting a solid grounding in modelling. starting simple with 1 prop and doing it well. Doing an entire scene at this level is running before you can walk.
first you need to buy eat3d's old damaged pillar, and the next gen texturing techniques dvd, then you need to make a prop in that style. Hell, you might as well make an old damaged pillar, like everyone else! You'll learn so much from focusing on a single finished asset about modelling, uving, texturing, lighting and rendering, then you can apply that to your future work
I really feel sorry for you cooljay. The motivation and determination is there but your work falls far below even the most basic lines, yet you're still confident.
Start asking questions please, if you see something you like and wonder how they did that don't try and recreate it (and cut corners) and say what it is, make it right and if you can't ask the creator how they did so and so. Im really concerned as to why someone like you can't do decent stuff with your ability to usually listen to criticism and actually take advice from people. You absorb knowledge very fast and never give up, which is great, but you really need to try and apply and push yourself.
When I first came here my work was pretty much a joke, and I always saw others' work and I would say "I wish I could do that", and then one day I got the balls to ask some of these amazing artists how they do stuff, and I was surprised they answered. Ever since I ask everyone all about stuff to try and grow and develop my workflow more!
A good example is with your characters, you're so determined and you try and bring out every detail and get the character done, which is good, but Im baffled by your ability to proceed in a project when your wireframes are far from basic.
You seem very hopeful of the future and you're starting your portfolio and I would like to stop you before you go too far and tell you to get your act together before you get crushed by employers.
Im really not trying to be harsh, but no one else will say it, but your work is very poor. To put it blatantly its the quality I see when people try 3d and have never done it, and then usually go back to their usual hobby.
Its really something with you, most people will have problems with criticism, attention to detail, motivation, or confidence and it will reflect in their work. But you have all of these! Theres no reason for this Cooljay!
Keep going and try to recreate things from games/other (good) artists, and don't settle for anything that doesnt look decent, if you have a question PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE ASK US, don't let a problem throw the quality of your work in the ground. You've built a hefty reputation here as the guy that when you post we sigh, any progression from you will be noticed greatly. So keep going, make it your soul goal to impress us!
Listen to aces suggestion, I think watching other artists will really help you (how did the blender character tut on cgtuts not though?)
I've talked to you a bit here and there and I've helped you, but I had to say this
For me I miss small- medium details. I'm not making excuses as some claim. I certainly not only need reference, but I need to practice better observational skills
Notice that despite having reference at the time I still missed the little things
You missed some of the big things too bud, like general proportions =\
The gun was progression though, ill give you a plus on that/
Thanks, it still might take a lot more modeling with reference to get decent though. Even after school I will need to practice more despite I'll be paying back loans.
You're not listening.
Push your skills now, or school would have been a waste of time.
By the time you graduate, you need to have a professional looking portfolio.
You are selling yourself short and making modeling harder than it has to be.
That's the thing though. Crits are never positive, and as an artist that just comes with the job. Let's take a step back. Instead of continuously posting new stuff, let yourself rework some of the old stuff, or at least take a new project seriously.
In the game developing community, shitty and even subpar work rarely get positive comments. And great work is endlessly applauded. It's too easy to think your work, starting out, is really good. All these people that get positive comments already weather the shit storm of making crappy art.
No one here has called your work shitty or told you cannot get better from here. The only "tough love" so far has been people telling you why your work wouldn't be accepted by a company. Which is a whole lot better than a company telling you they don't want your work.
If you want to continue posting your work here for criticism then we all would be content to continuously give it. But if you want your work lauded then there's always the blender forum.
If you want to continue posting your work here for criticism then we all would be content to continuously give it. But if you want your work lauded then there's always the blender forum.
Or deviant Art or Game Artisans.
I once took a drawing class in college where teacher would call peoples art crap and scribble or cross out things on top finished drawings people spent tens of hours on. But people actually learned a lot more from tough love like that. Some kids dropped his course and did poorly in other art classes, but the bad students that started at the bottom of his class had a really great grasp of proportions, anatomy, perspective, etc.
We've told you what you can improve on, take the time to completely understand their comments, even if you don't agree with them. You miss a lot of large things and blow stuff off. Either stick too it and put a lot of effort into, or forget about getting a job in the industry, studios aren't going to be as nice or helpful.
You should also try focusing on one step at a time.
Find yourself a project that interests you, like a TF2 hat/weap. and make it outside of school.
I think you're trying to do everything at once without really taking enough time for each step.
Forget about texturing right now. Get your mesh topology to be accurate to your reference. Then, move on the next step. If you model-texture, update the model, re-texture, you'll just get lost.
I'm at school too in 3D, and it's easy to get lost quickly by trying to do everything quickly. Take your time, you don't have any time constraints. Use that extra time to make sure you understand every step, and ask your questions as they arise.
As crits are never positive, they can be taken positively. And I'm not sure if I'm the first one to say this, but from what I've seen Cooljay, you have taken every damn crit like a professional should. I just wanted you to know I expect and respect that from any artist that takes anything he does seriously.
Also, as for the taking time part. The way I've picked up CG is by making baby steps through the whole process of modeling, texturing, rigging, etcetera and I'm still learning. The learning never stops. If I were you I would drop everything except pure basic modeling and UV-ing. Once you've got those things mastered, you can make a step towards texturing and keep on doing that untill you're familiar with anything photoshop, roadkill, crazybump, maya, max, zbrush related. (whatever you're comfortable with)
From what I've seen from you, you're not taking the time to get to know the process of making a good game model and it shows in every thread/post you make. I suggest making 1 thread with your progress and post a daily screenshot of what you did and add a small description to it, so you can check back later.
From what I have heard/read companies are looking for a portfolio that show what you want to do, character, environment, weapons etc. focus on one thing. If you want to do props then make some sweet props but to me it sounded like you wanted to do characters and not environment at all. So my suggestion is just focus on your characters for your portfolio and do not put environment in there at all.
i wouldn't bother modelling the ears/hands just sculpt them in zbrush/mudbox and you'll have a much easier time unless you're teaching yourself topology or something
kinda seems like you're giving yourself a lot more work then you should for your level. maybe do something a lot smaller like a single asset.
and yeah i'd listen to what everyone's said and actually do what they're saying. i think you should definitely check out that eat3d pillar dvd like ace said
you could copy that pillar exactly and even though it would be unoriginal it would be craploads better than this
Replies
But one thing I do want to say, is watch the scaling of your textures. Those bricks are HUGE.
It does sound like your doing this environment as a backdrop for a character or animation. With this in mind you may want to tweak these things or else its going to take a lot away from everything else going on.
You don't seem like you're at all bothered about fixing the problem areas that people have mentioned about this project but instead appear more focussed on moving on to other things, fair enough, but i wouldn't put this anywhere near your portfolio unless you want send people away.
Probably this might not make it in the final rendition of my portfolio.
However I wouldn't mind finding a skill building practice of some sort to naturally find inconsistencies rather than myself having to forcefully look for each and every single one. It does inhibit stress for it not being a normal process.
cheers
So right off the bat, the fact that I did not know what this object is makes it a failure. I think it might be a dumpster, but that is because it has a bunch of other stuff around it. If you isolate the object, it's just a box. So just start from scratch on this. First, you will need references of dumpsters (I'm just going to carry on assuming this is a dumpster, if it's not this same process should be applied to almost everything anyways). Once you have the references, just pick one that you like, and start modeling, and really spend some time trying to make it look right. If you do get it right, the object should be recognizable as dumpster, with no texture and out of context. Once you get the dumpster modeled correctly, you can then start thinking about the texture (your texture isn't done properly at all, but that's sort of irrelevant when step 1 was done incorrectly).
Overall for me there is good things I do and bad things I do.
Seeing the work that my other classmates did, this was a cut above, but not portfolio or demo reel quality.
Also if that thing under the lee's clothing sign is a door why is it floating off the ground?
Say take the dumpster, barrels, or pallet. do a high poly. and then a bake and textures.
Start a thread for it and get some feedback as you work. take it slow and make sure each step is well executed before moving on.
maybe try some tutorials
http://cg.tutsplus.com/tutorials/autodesk-3d-studio-max/how-to-create-a-video-game-dumpster-the-complete-current-gen-workflow/
Even PSP games and DS games support 100,000 tris in a scene; I just don't understand how building such a simple scene can build any skills for environments at all. There is no other marketable low-spec that demands 100 polygon scenes... I think even the N64 and PSX could support more geometry than this scene has.
Also, always compare your work to that of professionals and strive for that quality. If you continue to base your improvements on your classmates, then you are simply going to progress too slowly.
2 million triangles in a scene on the PS3, 360, or PC is considered low poly by today's standards.
what i was trying to suggest was getting a solid grounding in modelling. starting simple with 1 prop and doing it well. Doing an entire scene at this level is running before you can walk.
Start asking questions please, if you see something you like and wonder how they did that don't try and recreate it (and cut corners) and say what it is, make it right and if you can't ask the creator how they did so and so. Im really concerned as to why someone like you can't do decent stuff with your ability to usually listen to criticism and actually take advice from people. You absorb knowledge very fast and never give up, which is great, but you really need to try and apply and push yourself.
When I first came here my work was pretty much a joke, and I always saw others' work and I would say "I wish I could do that", and then one day I got the balls to ask some of these amazing artists how they do stuff, and I was surprised they answered. Ever since I ask everyone all about stuff to try and grow and develop my workflow more!
A good example is with your characters, you're so determined and you try and bring out every detail and get the character done, which is good, but Im baffled by your ability to proceed in a project when your wireframes are far from basic.
You seem very hopeful of the future and you're starting your portfolio and I would like to stop you before you go too far and tell you to get your act together before you get crushed by employers.
Im really not trying to be harsh, but no one else will say it, but your work is very poor. To put it blatantly its the quality I see when people try 3d and have never done it, and then usually go back to their usual hobby.
Its really something with you, most people will have problems with criticism, attention to detail, motivation, or confidence and it will reflect in their work. But you have all of these! Theres no reason for this Cooljay!
Keep going and try to recreate things from games/other (good) artists, and don't settle for anything that doesnt look decent, if you have a question PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE ASK US, don't let a problem throw the quality of your work in the ground. You've built a hefty reputation here as the guy that when you post we sigh, any progression from you will be noticed greatly. So keep going, make it your soul goal to impress us!
Listen to aces suggestion, I think watching other artists will really help you (how did the blender character tut on cgtuts not though?)
I've talked to you a bit here and there and I've helped you, but I had to say this
The gun was progression though, ill give you a plus on that/
word
You're not listening.
Push your skills now, or school would have been a waste of time.
By the time you graduate, you need to have a professional looking portfolio.
You are selling yourself short and making modeling harder than it has to be.
In the game developing community, shitty and even subpar work rarely get positive comments. And great work is endlessly applauded. It's too easy to think your work, starting out, is really good. All these people that get positive comments already weather the shit storm of making crappy art.
No one here has called your work shitty or told you cannot get better from here. The only "tough love" so far has been people telling you why your work wouldn't be accepted by a company. Which is a whole lot better than a company telling you they don't want your work.
If you want to continue posting your work here for criticism then we all would be content to continuously give it. But if you want your work lauded then there's always the blender forum.
Or deviant Art or Game Artisans.
I once took a drawing class in college where teacher would call peoples art crap and scribble or cross out things on top finished drawings people spent tens of hours on. But people actually learned a lot more from tough love like that. Some kids dropped his course and did poorly in other art classes, but the bad students that started at the bottom of his class had a really great grasp of proportions, anatomy, perspective, etc.
We've told you what you can improve on, take the time to completely understand their comments, even if you don't agree with them. You miss a lot of large things and blow stuff off. Either stick too it and put a lot of effort into, or forget about getting a job in the industry, studios aren't going to be as nice or helpful.
Find yourself a project that interests you, like a TF2 hat/weap. and make it outside of school.
I think you're trying to do everything at once without really taking enough time for each step.
Forget about texturing right now. Get your mesh topology to be accurate to your reference. Then, move on the next step. If you model-texture, update the model, re-texture, you'll just get lost.
I'm at school too in 3D, and it's easy to get lost quickly by trying to do everything quickly. Take your time, you don't have any time constraints. Use that extra time to make sure you understand every step, and ask your questions as they arise.
Also, as for the taking time part. The way I've picked up CG is by making baby steps through the whole process of modeling, texturing, rigging, etcetera and I'm still learning. The learning never stops. If I were you I would drop everything except pure basic modeling and UV-ing. Once you've got those things mastered, you can make a step towards texturing and keep on doing that untill you're familiar with anything photoshop, roadkill, crazybump, maya, max, zbrush related. (whatever you're comfortable with)
From what I've seen from you, you're not taking the time to get to know the process of making a good game model and it shows in every thread/post you make. I suggest making 1 thread with your progress and post a daily screenshot of what you did and add a small description to it, so you can check back later.
kinda seems like you're giving yourself a lot more work then you should for your level. maybe do something a lot smaller like a single asset.
and yeah i'd listen to what everyone's said and actually do what they're saying. i think you should definitely check out that eat3d pillar dvd like ace said
you could copy that pillar exactly and even though it would be unoriginal it would be craploads better than this