3D is no longer a hobby, working under pressure
polycounter lvl 11
Im a senior in HS and I spent a lunch period explaining to the art teacher at my new school about what I do in 3d (and had to explain it a bit), showed her my gallery and she thought it was excellent and said I can use it for my focus for AP 2D design (since its not physical 3d).
Now I have a problem. She was completely for getting some type of software on her mac machines so she could see me in action, and we worked together to get the Maya student version only on my machine. Sadly I do not like sculptris and mudbox isn't very friendly for me to learn because it feels wayy too different, so I cannot sculpt at school with her class set of pen tablets.
We can all admit that the most basic base mesh process of creating characters isn't that interesting at all, and generally looks like low quality crap. I have a problem with people watching me shape a cylinder to match a horses leg and they say "what are you doing..." (im the only one in the class actually doing 3d other than sketchup kids). Of course they don't see how much different the end result looks from the start, because I have no actual reason to have the finished mesh open on my computer. And this leads to paranoia and im just not in a situation where I want to work.
My second issue is working under pressure, because its required. Now before I get the "get used to it, if you want to be an artist you have to work under pressure", its not the work pressure, its the idea pressure. I LOVE being told what to make because it gives me a no excuse reason to learn something. She basically told me to make 12 works of art based on my focus (and 12 of ANYTHING that involves art), and my focus is 3d characters. I cannot for the life of me think of 12 things to make on my own out of no where, most of the stuff I make on my own is because im obsessed with a game or the theme of a game that I have to take the edge off.
And the final thing is we have a 3d printer at our school that is called the makerbot thing-o-matic. Its not a super great printer and can only deal out some shapes decently, things like chin overhangs it cannot handle because it prints in layers from top up, so when nothing supports it it sinks down.. She (and I) thought itd be cool to make a mini statue of our school statue out front, until I printed my undead bust on her printer and realized gravity is the printers worst enemy. So I am uncomftorble working in class because not everyone understands it, and I don't know how I can convince her this statue isn't going to work (and the detail of the statue is a bore, and THAT wouldn't even be picked up by the printer)..
Sorry had to vent that out
I feel so crammed and busy now because I HAVE to do it...
Now I have a problem. She was completely for getting some type of software on her mac machines so she could see me in action, and we worked together to get the Maya student version only on my machine. Sadly I do not like sculptris and mudbox isn't very friendly for me to learn because it feels wayy too different, so I cannot sculpt at school with her class set of pen tablets.
We can all admit that the most basic base mesh process of creating characters isn't that interesting at all, and generally looks like low quality crap. I have a problem with people watching me shape a cylinder to match a horses leg and they say "what are you doing..." (im the only one in the class actually doing 3d other than sketchup kids). Of course they don't see how much different the end result looks from the start, because I have no actual reason to have the finished mesh open on my computer. And this leads to paranoia and im just not in a situation where I want to work.
My second issue is working under pressure, because its required. Now before I get the "get used to it, if you want to be an artist you have to work under pressure", its not the work pressure, its the idea pressure. I LOVE being told what to make because it gives me a no excuse reason to learn something. She basically told me to make 12 works of art based on my focus (and 12 of ANYTHING that involves art), and my focus is 3d characters. I cannot for the life of me think of 12 things to make on my own out of no where, most of the stuff I make on my own is because im obsessed with a game or the theme of a game that I have to take the edge off.
And the final thing is we have a 3d printer at our school that is called the makerbot thing-o-matic. Its not a super great printer and can only deal out some shapes decently, things like chin overhangs it cannot handle because it prints in layers from top up, so when nothing supports it it sinks down.. She (and I) thought itd be cool to make a mini statue of our school statue out front, until I printed my undead bust on her printer and realized gravity is the printers worst enemy. So I am uncomftorble working in class because not everyone understands it, and I don't know how I can convince her this statue isn't going to work (and the detail of the statue is a bore, and THAT wouldn't even be picked up by the printer)..
Sorry had to vent that out
I feel so crammed and busy now because I HAVE to do it...
Replies
I don't really know how to reply to that. HS (and even some colleges) rarely put so much effort into the assistance of a single student interests, for that if it was me in your situationI would have been incredibly grateful.
Admittedly your hobby is now work, which is never that fun to occur. However is 3d art your ideal career? (I think you said so anyway) And you are a senior in HS which means it will become your work very soon anyway.
I dunno I find it a bit weird, maybe you are in a big city. I grew up in a small country town and had total "Big Fish - Little Pond" syndrome, so if somebody came up to me and asked, "What are you doing?" I wouldv'e replied, "CHECK IT OUT I'M MAKING A HORSES LEG OUT OF A CYLINDER, THAT'S SO BOSS RIGHT?"
-Ahh, High School days...
Its the pressure of having to create 12 things myself, I am horrible at developing ideas and I wish I was told what to do or handed a concept.
I don't mind modeling in my first period with the other AP students because theres only 7 of us that have the entire lab to ourselves, but later in the day I go back to her class and sit in during her freshman intro digital class and I have to model in front of them also.
I have the same effect when I paint in photoshop at school, I have to come up with an accurately and proportional basic blockout at home in order to paint at school, and I bring it on a memory stick and polish it at school. I can't start with nothing because I feel like someones wathcing me and ill screw up.
I guess ill just have to power through the ugly base modeling stage and once they see the end result they'll understand. Next time they'll think "I wonder what hes making now."
Im saying, end result after zbrush = really cool and interesting
Base mesh = boring and "wtf are you making..."
And Mudbox really shouldn't be that big of a deal to adapt to. I mean, it's like Maya! Sure, I prefer Zbrush, but it's not like you can't do the same stuff. And what's this about base meshes? If you're looking to do stuff quickly then just sculpt whatever you need from a sphere or take 2 minutes to make a z-sphere base mesh. Retopo/remesh later.
And if it's that big of a deal then do as much work as you can at home too. You will survive!
1. Knight in obsidian armor
2. female samurai
3. sci fi stealthy ninja
4. sky pirate
5. steampunk inventor
6. space zombie
7. technomancer (wizard using technology)
8. battle ostrich
9. magma man
10. a non-cliche demon
11. a conquistador
12. punk rock guy with a green mohawk
I came up with this in a few minutes, spend a few hours brainstorming your list, figure out how much time between now and the due date and make up a schedule.
(if you think this is pressure just you wait)
Here you go. Instant character ideas two at a time.
Chill.
Do a basic shape/form of the statue in question, overhangs and all. Then point out the problem areas to her. Hell write a whole paper on how it wont work if you have too. I did on model formats and cross conversions from different software versions and how they cock up constantly.
Haha LRoy, thats awesome
Id prefer to work at home and not be publicized, and for the most part I do. But I really don't know how shed feel if I just sat around in her class lol.
While im here, how do big budget 3d printers print arms and stuff? Dont they have to place plastic on nothing?
But it usually takes me a weekend to nolife on entire project, and then I'm out of juice and slowly texture it during the week. I probably jut feel so busy right now because I have to study for the act and do some homework almost every night, I can't get into the groove to start a project. I look forward to tryingstuff I haven't though, like a zombie nurse lol sounds fun. But if I think I just tell her I can't do much work in her class shed let me do other class assignments so I have more time after school
err zbrush has a mac version as far as I know
otherwise if you're allowed to install software /can ask tech ppl to do it, go for bootcamp and get windows installed
just my $ 0,02
Who the fuck cares? The first time you show a finished piece nobody is going to give a shit that the 'creative process' doesn't always have showable WIPs.
As for 3d printing, you can try slicing your mesh at joint areas and posing the individual pieces to avoid overhangs and such.
If you're for some reason really worried about showing your work, get FRAPs or something and record some of your sculpting.
Thank your lucky stars you have this much support and assistance from your highschool. It's a rare thing
Lol not what I mean't by pressure. I can only get 2-3 hours in a day, while they probably work fulltime.
Even a not very pinpointed "make something like..." is all I need. I guess ill just try completely varied things that ill learn something in each of all 12
And that you can't think of enough ideas to span the year?
My first world problem is that I don't have enough time to work on all of the random crap that I want to make!
It's probably not the greatest idea to list a ton of projects that you'd like to do throughout the year, could potentially lose interest in your current project knowing what your future projects could be like, just think of one good one for the time being, get it done.. Then move on and brainstorm for the next.
Seriously dudes, if you feel like making one of these threads, hold off, pour yourself a scotch and wait for you balls to drop!
I think the real problem is that you have too much freedom. If there is someone else in your school or class that draws characters that you might enjoy modeling or talk to someone to come up with cool ideas.
I'm barely 22, and we didn't even have computer labs.
Yeah, but sometimes the beginning of our collapse
What happens with these kind of threads? there are too many similar topics lately.
That was a great way to put it.
So today I was overly tired and was in a careless mood and I just busted open maya and modeled to model and finished off the trojan helmet (school mascot) that we're going to print for teachers to use a paperweight or something. It wasn't THAT bad with other AP students, but modeling in front of the digital one kids still annoys me, though there is one kid who sits behind me who was EXACTLY like me in 9th grade, he has his own tablet at home and uses blender, so I guess for the sake of him ill let him be inspired? Once the teacher sends out blender to the doc on everyones computer I won't feel isolated.
Other than that I think the pressure is great because Im forced to make stuff, but I got to make ideas bleh. I found a .txt file that I forgot I had in my characters folder of all the things I thought would be fun to make:
I-robot
gryphon
blood elf
sterling archer
gatekeeper
The punisher
Of course I wouldn't want anyone seeing me making a blood elf at school, but other than that I need to find something in each idea that I can learn new from it.
besides anyone who works with art and media understands there is a process to doing everything, and your not instantly going to get good looking results, a base mesh your working on is no different than a 2d artists thumbnails in there sketchbook.
though if you feel pressure of others watching you work just be glad your not in some kinda performing art. Man it is a bitch to play in-front of a crowd when your not too happy with your songs yet or feel your guitar playing isn't tight enough.
This is actually something I didn't expect. I had never really worked around other people. So when I got hired, it took me a few days to actually get used to working with others being able to watch. Now, I don't even notice.
It's a different story when you are working around like minded people though and i can see where frell is coming from. I was doing some lower poly stuff the other day while some relatives came round and when they came to see what i was doing, with my reference on the other screen, i got asked why it looked nothing like the picture(in quite a critical way, from a fucking relative?!) so i had to zoom out, unhide everything and sort the scene out to show them.