3D Art - Whats your story?
polycounter lvl 10
I'm fairly new to the forums and all my topics have been about me and getting myself into a more professional work flow.
But looking around the forum there seems to be a lot of interesting things going on, I've caught glimpses of people talking about how they learned, how they got deals and jobs, etc.
EDIT: I forgot to put up my 'story'
I've been interested in game development since I was 8, mostly inspired by PS1 games like Spyro, Crash bandicoot, etc. I started learning the basics to making 2D games about 10 and was making crappy pac-man clones by 12. Then I slowly got into making 3D games, started paying more attention in maths, getting physics calculations from my science teachers, trying to put them to work in my games. Its only int he past 2 years that I've been learning how to make current gen 3D games, I'm only now taking 3D Modelling seriously, I used to make hideous topo-screw ups and think "I'm amazing!" when I started looking for guides on animating and texturing I came across this forum, and so its only very recently that I have been trying to get on a professional level with 3D modelling.
So I've been wondering, and spare no details if you have the effort to type it.
Whats your story?
How did you get into 3D art / game development / design?
What were you doing before?
Looking forwards to reading,
Bombshell
But looking around the forum there seems to be a lot of interesting things going on, I've caught glimpses of people talking about how they learned, how they got deals and jobs, etc.
EDIT: I forgot to put up my 'story'
I've been interested in game development since I was 8, mostly inspired by PS1 games like Spyro, Crash bandicoot, etc. I started learning the basics to making 2D games about 10 and was making crappy pac-man clones by 12. Then I slowly got into making 3D games, started paying more attention in maths, getting physics calculations from my science teachers, trying to put them to work in my games. Its only int he past 2 years that I've been learning how to make current gen 3D games, I'm only now taking 3D Modelling seriously, I used to make hideous topo-screw ups and think "I'm amazing!" when I started looking for guides on animating and texturing I came across this forum, and so its only very recently that I have been trying to get on a professional level with 3D modelling.
So I've been wondering, and spare no details if you have the effort to type it.
Whats your story?
How did you get into 3D art / game development / design?
What were you doing before?
Looking forwards to reading,
Bombshell
Replies
But I took some life-drawing classes while studying animation, and that stuck with me. I really liked nerding out over anatomy, figuring out costumes, design, proportions and all that stuff. So after I dropped out of animation, I worked all sorts of non-art random-ass jobs, while doing 3D in my spare time, minicomps on GA mostly.
Did this for 3 years, then finally I was hireable and got a job. Now I'm a character artist.
And he lived happily ever after.
From there, I found out about CGTalk and started playing around with Lightwave. By '05 or '06 I found that I was actually interested in CG as a whole, but game art more specifically. Since then, I've been slowly teaching myself with the aid of forums like Polycount.
Aside from that, I've always had a very artistic streak and I've been doing traditional art for as long as I've been able to hold a pencil. That's something like 20 years now. I only recently got into painting, having never gotten a chance to do it because the costs were too prohibitive.
Since I live in Brazil, even though I always loved video games and always wanted to work with it, there's no future for one who wants to follow this path here.
Two years ago, Ubisoft announced that was coming to Brazil, and would start a branch here. At that moment I was 21 and was already working at a Bank for 2 years, but still, when I read this news, there was no other way but to change everything and start working to make my dream come true.
So I started attending to college, on a programming course, because at the time, I thought that was the fastest way and I always liked programming anyway.
Since then, after one year and a half sticking to this plan, I decided to unite a group of guys, my classmates, to create a little game and start learning how to work with it. As we were into a programming course, there were a lot of programming guys, and none artists, therefore I voluntarily offered myself. Then, and only then I realized how many different positions there are to work in this industry and got amazed by the Game Art path.
After that, I dropped out of the college, sold my car, rode a new computer and started attending to courses (first English,then drawing and now game art also).
Nowadays, Ubisoft have already gone from Brazil, but my dream have become an objective, and now I seek to work in another country, wherever I get an opportunity.
I just wish I had more free time, probably next year I'm going to quit my job, since my game art course will be finished! :poly136:
Went to school, learned how to become a business programmer (Cobol, SQL, Access & Co), but that was too boring, then having no clue what a portfolio is, I went to AIFL and studied animation. After that I moved from character modeler to technical artist. I now lead a small team of TAs.
Kept at it ever since. Went to AIE in Melbourne to study the game side, but a lot of studios have closed in Australia and its hard to find the jobs. Looks like the indi scene is picking up here, but since I couldn't get a job after applying everywhere, I work now in a call centre still trying to get art done when I can and hopefully land a job in the design field after so long looking for something. Kind of depressing, really. I want nothing more than to design for a job
here's mine, kinda lengthy
I have a traditional art background with an ND and HND in graphic design and illustration. Decided not to do a degree top up as graphic design was annoying but looking back I learnt alot of valuable lessons which really helped me later in life. Originally I wanted to get into comic book art, then it went towards animation (not 3d) at the end of the course. Was part time sales assistant at a gamestation concession to keep myself close to games and then went full time after uni. My Brother then got a job in brighton at Climax studios Brighton (now BlackRock) and I thought thats what I wanna do too. So spent my time learning the software and workflows. Worked my way up to store manager and then they decided to bring in a lady from London to takeover and demote me even though we were constantly at the top of the companies revenue????? She was an idiot and the worst boss ever and the whole store went downhill, it gave me that push though to get the portfolio out there and get a job in games.
got my first interview at Climax studios portsmouth for VFX, went in not knowing a thing about it but got the job and worked there for 1.5 years. loved the job to death but didnt enjoy living up there as it was so expensive. I was gonna be bought onto the character team soon but my ladies parents went bankrupt and she had to move back home and I didnt last long without her so left to try and get work closer to home and start learning character art properly.
spent alot of sleepless nights due to leaving a good job during the recession and no jobs open anywhere, everywhere closing their doors, living off savings, moving back home. Eventually I was confident enough to go freelance and a year later Im still freelancing.
wow, massive wall of text, sorry
Just for clarification, Crazyfool? did the freelancing work out good as a career choice?
yea its going really well thanks, bit scarey at the start but it gets easier
Back in 2003 I built a single level mod and tried to pass it off as a last minute art project in college. It got a good response so I decided to dedicate my senior year to building a complete game as my graphic design thesis. In retrospect, I bit off way more than I could chew building a game myself (with no experience.) Never the less, I created an indie game called Foreverhood in 2005 using on the doom engine (like id tech 1 doom engine). After I graduated, I went back to doing graphic design and got into tattooing.
The recession hit here in the states and my tattooing gig folded up shop. My folks, not being the greatest fan of my line of work talked me into going back to school for a masters degree in something art related (that made money.) I could only think of how challenging designing and creating art for games was and if I had the chance to do anything else as a career, that would be the most satisfying.
However, I was 15 years behind the times in terms of content creation. So after weighting my options, it made sense to go back to school and be taught how to use a 3d program instead spending 5 years trying to figure it all out on my own. I did that, graduated and now i'm here.
What? I'm not enough woman for you!?
I studied graphic design at college, using a very early version of Photoshop/illustrator. Got a job doing web design. Started "making" music, using a DOS sequencer called FastTracker II. Found Truespace 2 on a magazine coverdisk and got into messing about with 3D. Then got hold of 3DS Max 4, back when it was made by Kinetix, before Discreet. Did computer game design (Read: Game art production) at university.
I've come along with all of them, doing all of them in a professional capacity in some form or another. My freelance work is mostly graphic design, but I do work 3D (Not strictly game art, but close) gigs, and currently am.
I guess I'm naturally drawn to indie game development, because of my wide creative range, which I do in my spare time. Would love to make strides in making that fulltime and eventually stop working freelance. Nearly finished our first real game
I enrolled at Ex'pression College for Digital Art (where I still attend). I wanted to use my passion for digital painting to make textures for games. However after taking 3D Modelling 1, I fell in love with modelling. I'm currently teaching myself Zbrush while attending classes.
Uh... that's pretty much it.
You should get into rigging. Then you'd be boning models all night.
A+
In 9th grade, I somehow found adam's name somewhere. I sent him an email asking for what I should do and he sent me here. After a couple months of just looking at other peoples work I started my first project. Took me 2 months about to make a door. I had to redo it a ton of times aswell as being in school. Made a couple other objects through high school but I found that I didn't have a lot of time with classes and sports.
All through high school I was trying to plan where I was going to go to college. Thought I had it figured out but didn't end up getting accepted to that school so last fall I ended up taking a semester at community college. Then I applied to an art school in LA. I've been hear since January. Greatest decision of my life.
I would just say that you should underestimate the "art" in 3d art. Just because it is on the computer doesn't mean that you should know traditional art.
But hell... I don't have a job yet. I just know that next fall when my classes go from traditional to 3d... I'm going to be way ahead... but at the same time I won't feel like it is a waste of time. That's all I can ask for.
It was fun. Eventually I spent way more time making shit for games than I did actually playing them.
edit: lmao swizz