(Student) Requesting Short Term Advice regarding 3D art
high dynamic range
HI! This is my first time here, base jumping off from CGHUB as my usual haunt.
Writing this in the wee hours of 2:41 am.
My art background is negligible (I think), but I was wondering if I could get some short-term advice from some professionals here (I can't seem to contact the art people from my previous internship at this time, for some reason. That and I'm scared cuz I think they're demi-gods, BUT that's a different story.)
I'm (Brian C.) a sophomore at USC's Interactive Media Division minoring in 2D Art for Games, going into my fourth semester. I've decided, and have, made my winter break literally a Maya bootcamp. I started off as a 2D only person, but especially with the Final Games Projects here at USC (Paradox Shift, Blink, The Bridge, etc), they are mostly transitioning to 3D game assets. {Of course, this is with the intention that these students are mostly looking for jobs at companies who are used to developing games in a 3D engine)
I've had previous Maya experience, but the last time I really touched it was in August of 2009 during a two week bootcamp. The past two weeks, I've hunkered down in my apartment and gone through most of the chapters in "Introducing Maya 2011" by Derakhshani. Part of this is because I want to not be slogged down by the 3D animation and modeling class they have here for the Animation School that I'm going to have to take for my grad reqs (The class goes slowly), and because I'm preparing myself for 3D pipeline work for one of the Advanced Game Projects,"[ame="
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wkpr-IhEfI"]Tales from the Minus Lab[/ame]" (which I am now, Thank God, signed on as a volunteer)
Now, I'm not absolutely sure if I'm doing "things right." I guess I should elaborate what I am capable of at the moment.
Last month, had an art test with a developer in Downtown LA. Had to just model out, in a week, a (8000 tris or less) tank from the orthos they gave me. This was literally my first time touching maya in about 2 years since Junior year of Highschool. Kinda freaky, but I guess they sorta liked it cuz they brought me in for an interview. After the interview, I definitely got a sinking feeling that I needed to get my 3D capabilities up and running to "useable as asset" ASAP. A lot of the discussion during the interview revealed that I had more 2D inspiration and penchant than 3D, and 'V' (lead artist) advised as a general rule that I should expand my capabilities this early on in my paltry-excuse of a career and generalize a bit: be good at both 2D illustration stuff and 3D art asset making. The company has said they'd be willing to test me again before the summer, since the interview was for a spring position and I said I couldn't do Spring, so they'd put me as a summer candidate. So below is that tank, with permission from their team, that I did for the test.
At least from my self analysis, I am comfortable doing just hard-surface modeling. Whether I can actually get that model to be fully UV textured and whatever else I need to do it so it can be used, in say, a UDK game or Unity, I don't know. Animation, I have no clue if I can do it . . yet. On a more holistic description, I love doing 2D character art and some enviros, so on a 3D standpoint, I'd love to eventually get into organic modeling. I have Mudbox on my rig, but I know it may be inadvisable for me to even begin to do preliminary learning on Mudbox (or ZBrush for that matter) until I master the basics of Maya, but if I continue on through my 3D education, I'd love to eventually get into it.
Hence the self-bootcamping through the Introducing Maya 2011 by Derakhshani. I've gone through the Poly and NURB chapters, the UV texturing chapters. I have not touched at this moment: Animation, Rendering, Dynamics FX, and Lighting Chapters. I question whether I absolutely need to do the undone chapters during the break, because I'm trying to get some work out that is not any of the practice files from the book, so I can show "Hey, this is by my doing, my effort, etc etc" My immediate plan right now, even, is to model and texture and finish a concept for a steampunk minotaur that I have drawn and ready to go. Something simple and sweet.
So now I'm wondering:
-What do I need to do either now or during the next semester (not long-term) so I can get ready for (near) professional, 3D art pipeline work so I can make full assets for a game? [If you have the time] is there anything I can do during the longterm to get ready right out of college? This might be more elucidated through my personal website to extrapolate where I am right now, skill wise.
- Am I doing anything inadvisable? Is there something I should not be doing at the moment?
- Mudbox vs ZBrush? Which one should I use? I have student access to Mudbox, but ZBrush has to be purchased from my situation at the moment.
Writing this in the wee hours of 2:41 am.
My art background is negligible (I think), but I was wondering if I could get some short-term advice from some professionals here (I can't seem to contact the art people from my previous internship at this time, for some reason. That and I'm scared cuz I think they're demi-gods, BUT that's a different story.)
I'm (Brian C.) a sophomore at USC's Interactive Media Division minoring in 2D Art for Games, going into my fourth semester. I've decided, and have, made my winter break literally a Maya bootcamp. I started off as a 2D only person, but especially with the Final Games Projects here at USC (Paradox Shift, Blink, The Bridge, etc), they are mostly transitioning to 3D game assets. {Of course, this is with the intention that these students are mostly looking for jobs at companies who are used to developing games in a 3D engine)
I've had previous Maya experience, but the last time I really touched it was in August of 2009 during a two week bootcamp. The past two weeks, I've hunkered down in my apartment and gone through most of the chapters in "Introducing Maya 2011" by Derakhshani. Part of this is because I want to not be slogged down by the 3D animation and modeling class they have here for the Animation School that I'm going to have to take for my grad reqs (The class goes slowly), and because I'm preparing myself for 3D pipeline work for one of the Advanced Game Projects,"[ame="
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wkpr-IhEfI"]Tales from the Minus Lab[/ame]" (which I am now, Thank God, signed on as a volunteer)Now, I'm not absolutely sure if I'm doing "things right." I guess I should elaborate what I am capable of at the moment.
Last month, had an art test with a developer in Downtown LA. Had to just model out, in a week, a (8000 tris or less) tank from the orthos they gave me. This was literally my first time touching maya in about 2 years since Junior year of Highschool. Kinda freaky, but I guess they sorta liked it cuz they brought me in for an interview. After the interview, I definitely got a sinking feeling that I needed to get my 3D capabilities up and running to "useable as asset" ASAP. A lot of the discussion during the interview revealed that I had more 2D inspiration and penchant than 3D, and 'V' (lead artist) advised as a general rule that I should expand my capabilities this early on in my paltry-excuse of a career and generalize a bit: be good at both 2D illustration stuff and 3D art asset making. The company has said they'd be willing to test me again before the summer, since the interview was for a spring position and I said I couldn't do Spring, so they'd put me as a summer candidate. So below is that tank, with permission from their team, that I did for the test.
At least from my self analysis, I am comfortable doing just hard-surface modeling. Whether I can actually get that model to be fully UV textured and whatever else I need to do it so it can be used, in say, a UDK game or Unity, I don't know. Animation, I have no clue if I can do it . . yet. On a more holistic description, I love doing 2D character art and some enviros, so on a 3D standpoint, I'd love to eventually get into organic modeling. I have Mudbox on my rig, but I know it may be inadvisable for me to even begin to do preliminary learning on Mudbox (or ZBrush for that matter) until I master the basics of Maya, but if I continue on through my 3D education, I'd love to eventually get into it.
Hence the self-bootcamping through the Introducing Maya 2011 by Derakhshani. I've gone through the Poly and NURB chapters, the UV texturing chapters. I have not touched at this moment: Animation, Rendering, Dynamics FX, and Lighting Chapters. I question whether I absolutely need to do the undone chapters during the break, because I'm trying to get some work out that is not any of the practice files from the book, so I can show "Hey, this is by my doing, my effort, etc etc" My immediate plan right now, even, is to model and texture and finish a concept for a steampunk minotaur that I have drawn and ready to go. Something simple and sweet.
So now I'm wondering:
-What do I need to do either now or during the next semester (not long-term) so I can get ready for (near) professional, 3D art pipeline work so I can make full assets for a game? [If you have the time] is there anything I can do during the longterm to get ready right out of college? This might be more elucidated through my personal website to extrapolate where I am right now, skill wise.
- Am I doing anything inadvisable? Is there something I should not be doing at the moment?
- Mudbox vs ZBrush? Which one should I use? I have student access to Mudbox, but ZBrush has to be purchased from my situation at the moment.
Replies
I don't think you're doing anything wrong per say... You just need more time put into your craft.
I'd recommend starting a project and posting your progress here at PC. There's a ton of amazing artists here willing to give critiques and helpful suggestions. You're going to need a solid portfolio piece to blow people away. If you want be ready by summer. You're gonna have to grind a bit (oldschool/vanilla world of warcraft style grinding :P) As many hours a day as you can schedule in to work on 3D, do it.
Pick a subject that you are really passionate about. Since you have such a short time I don't recommend making up your own concept. Find a piece of concept art or subject that exists and then do your interpretation of it. The biggest thing to remember is: pick something you can realistically finish within the timeframe.
I find zbrush to be amazing when it comes to artistic freedom. However Zbrush is not at all user friendly imho. If you're used to maya then mudbox has the same controls and will be easy to get used to. It really comes down to your own personal style. I started off using only maya and now I'm learning max and xsi.
A teacher once explained it to me like this:
3D apps are like paint brushes, and what painter only uses one brush for an entire painting? The more tools you have in your toolbox the better. Different situations will call for different tools. Learn your tools well, and then learn even more tools.
When I was fresh out of school the blizz rep I talked to said to me "We only hire people who can 1up the guys already working for us." So that's our competition. Aim for AAA quality and you can't go wrong.
Good luck!
P.S. if you start a project thread here, PM me the link and I'll subscribe to it.
I'm going to feel so torn. Definitely I've gotten word from the people I met at Blizzard during my time there and peers to just "Work, work, work" and I'm really torn between wanting to be a 2D illustrator/concept guy and having to do 3D at the same time.