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Looking For a Mentor

i know its kind of random to ask some one to Mentor you but With the Industry Been so Broad With so many specializations i find it really hard to Get the answers i am looking for from my teachers and or Google searching where i have to Sift through 7 different ways of doing something that hardly relates to what i want to know hoping to find the answer.

hence why i am Looking for mentor's that specialize in the fields i hope to work in one day, that can put me on the right path.

i know it is asking a lot for some one to spend there time helping a total stranger for nothing, so i promises not to waste you're time with questions
that i could have found my self if i spent 10min looking on the net.

That been said,
i am still deciding What i should specialize and i find it really hard because i want to learn everything.
  • Environments
  • Hard surface
  • Character
  • Everything UDK
  • Post effects
  • Game VFX
  • Zbrush

if you are skilled and are willing to help me out with questions and such when i have them inbox me.

Replies

  • Torch
  • drazeni
  • drazeni
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    perna wrote: »
    What makes you think that artists possess secret information that is not shared online,
    but that they would be willing to share with you and you alone in private, at the expense of their own time and energy?

    Also, if you don't know what you want to specialize in yet, it's simply because you lack experience. Keep working, and it will come to you.

    1. there are things that people haven't bothered to Shear there knowledge about in tutorials, or there are multiple tutorials that don't suet you need's and you find it hard to apply there solution to you're problem.

    2. some people like to pass on there knowledge and i always find having verbal conversation and a 1on1 with some one easier to learn from then reading for hours and hours through forums.

    3. yes that is true gaining experience in those area's and finding out about how the industry works in regards to those area's would be key in deciding what id like to Focus into.
    but i find that having someone i can go to and ask how there experience in that area of the industry has been would also be a great place to start from.

    and as for Why should some one spend there time and effort on some one they don't know, i am not some 15 year old kid i am 26 i and am Dedicated
    i have already Finished a Trade and Mastered it for the most part,
    i was making roughly 100k a year before i decided i wanted to do something i love and i am passionate about and this is it.
  • Joao Sapiro
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    Joao Sapiro sublime tool
    drazeni wrote: »

    1. there are things that people haven't bothered to Shear there knowledge about in tutorials, or there are multiple tutorials that don't suet you need's and you find it hard to apply there solution to you're problem.

    2. some people like to pass on there knowledge and i always find having verbal conversation and a 1on1 with some one easier to learn from then reading for hours and hours through forums.

    3. yes that is true gaining experience in those area's and finding out about how the industry works in regards to those area's would be key in deciding what id like to Focus into.
    but i find that having someone i can go to and ask how there experience in that area of the industry has been would also be a great place to start from.

    and as for Why should some one spend there time and effort on some one they don't know, i am not some 15 year old kid i am 26 i and am Dedicated
    i have already Finished a Trade and Mastered it for the most part,
    i was making roughly 100k a year before i decided i wanted to do something i love and i am passionate about and this is it.


    1- You cant expect tutorials to spoon feed you everything you need to know , those are only gained throu experience. You come across as lazy with that remark.

    2 - The wonders of the internet is that there are COUNTLESS video tuts, lots of good info that will make anyone that starts from 0 get the best basic knowledge ever. 10 years ago there wasnt 1/10th of that and people still managed. Use the advantages that this era has.

    3 - You expect someone to handhold you throu the whole process instead of trying to gain knowledge on your own , again , comes across as lazy.

    Your last remark doesnt seem like a 26 years old, boasting about his past earnings and overall grammar , if you have so much money why dont you use it to go to a decent FX school ?
  • Bek
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    Bek interpolator
    You might find there are paid online classes that would suit you. Alternatively, google will soon offer helpouts which are 1 on 1 versions of google hangouts; I'm sure many artists will be willing to mentor others for a fee.

    Apart from that you WILL have to read a lot, you won't find a tutorial for every single thing you want to do... tutorials teach you the concepts, you figure out how to apply that knowledge to your project.
  • SnowInChina
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    SnowInChina interpolator
    well, if you were making "roughly 100k a year" you should have enough money to pay for private lessons

    but, that aside, if you really want to learn about all the stuff, there's more than enough information around
    for specific questions we have a Wiki with tons of information and the technical talk section where you can drop your questions without beeing laughed at
  • Torch
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    Torch interpolator
    perna wrote: »
    Don't claim to have passion and dedication, get off your ass and show it.

    Wish there was a 'like' button on the PC forums, bravo!
  • Zocky
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    Zocky greentooth
    I'll agree with most people here. I don't post a lot here, especially not my works, but when i do, there's always someone giving me amazing suggestions and i learn tons of new tricks and how to do things that i would never even consider it as possibility, even if it's so simple when you think about it.

    So yeah, i'd say just pick a subject, start working on it, post your work here, and ask for specific questions, if you have any problems with approaching anything. You'll learn tons of stuff this way, no question about it.

    As others said, there are tons of usefull info on polycount wiki too, and there's Vertex book (and V2 coming soon too iirc), and there are also other sites with great articles and tutorials....

    So dunno, might sound a bit arrogant of me and sorry for that, but i think at this point, where you can't find almost anything, and so many people willing to comment on your works and help you out....i just don't think personal mentoring is really required. Sometimes it may help, sure, but i think if you are willing to put some effort into it, you'll find enough resources around web + posting stuff here and people helping you with comments.

    At least that's the way i see it...
  • drazeni
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    1- You cant expect tutorials to spoon feed you everything you need to know , those are only gained throu experience. You come across as lazy with that remark.

    2 - The wonders of the internet is that there are COUNTLESS video tuts, lots of good info that will make anyone that starts from 0 get the best basic knowledge ever. 10 years ago there wasnt 1/10th of that and people still managed. Use the advantages that this era has.

    3 - You expect someone to handhold you throu the whole process instead of trying to gain knowledge on your own , again , comes across as lazy.

    Your last remark doesnt seem like a 26 years old, boasting about his past earnings and overall grammar , if you have so much money why dont you use it to go to a decent FX school ?

    if you read my original post i was not asking to be hand held i said i wouldn't ask questions i could find the answer to my self. i am not looking to be handheld i am looking for straight forward answers i am paying to go to a Uni and sometimes my teachers don't have the answers most have only worked for small App game's company, i did not post asking for a mentor Lightly i did it because i spend Roughly 9-16 hours a day studying and when i spend 5 to 6 hours trying to find out how to make something work and i still haven't got it at that point it would be nice to have some one to ask not have to post a forum thread and sit around hoping for a reply that helps.
  • drazeni
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    Zocky wrote: »
    I'll agree with most people here. I don't post a lot here, especially not my works, but when i do, there's always someone giving me amazing suggestions and i learn tons of new tricks and how to do things that i would never even consider it as possibility, even if it's so simple when you think about it.

    So yeah, i'd say just pick a subject, start working on it, post your work here, and ask for specific questions, if you have any problems with approaching anything. You'll learn tons of stuff this way, no question about it.

    As others said, there are tons of usefull info on polycount wiki too, and there's Vertex book (and V2 coming soon too iirc), and there are also other sites with great articles and tutorials....

    So dunno, might sound a bit arrogant of me and sorry for that, but i think at this point, where you can't find almost anything, and so many people willing to comment on your works and help you out....i just don't think personal mentoring is really required. Sometimes it may help, sure, but i think if you are willing to put some effort into it, you'll find enough resources around web + posting stuff here and people helping you with comments.

    At least that's the way i see it...

    yeah i am the same i don't like to post my work unless i think its good enough to show to other people but i will try to from now on.
    i never really got into the whole forum thing so i find it hard id rather jump on a hangout and actually talk to some people but that seems to be down alot atm.
    yeah i have read almost the whole 1st vertex its amazing i cant wait for number 2.
    and yeah i usually troll through the wiki to find awesome stuff.
  • drazeni
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    Bek wrote: »
    You might find there are paid online classes that would suit you. Alternatively, google will soon offer helpouts which are 1 on 1 versions of google hangouts; I'm sure many artists will be willing to mentor others for a fee.

    Apart from that you WILL have to read a lot, you won't find a tutorial for every single thing you want to do... tutorials teach you the concepts, you figure out how to apply that knowledge to your project.

    yeah i have DT but its hard to find the time to spend actually doing the classes i mostly just watch the video's that apply to what i am doing in some way, i know its just one of those things you gain over time how to apply all the concepts to what you are doing and i am getting there.
    thanks for you're input
  • LRoy
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    LRoy polycounter lvl 13
    if you want people to mentor you for free you probably shouldn't brag about how you used to make 100k/year
  • Torch
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    Torch interpolator
    LRoy wrote: »
    if you want people to mentor you for free you probably shouldn't brag about how you used to make 100k/year

    Can't pay, but it'll look great on your resume...
  • seth.
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    seth. polycounter lvl 14
    your post confuses me, you are passionate and determined but not passionate and determined enough to look on the internet?

    Honestly if your tutors cant answer your questions then quit the uni, its not worth the money.

    All of the things that you mention, put them in a list from most enjoyable to least enjoyable and work from there, its that simple. Get a few DVD's from eat 3d or a sub to digital tutors, or pick one of the other knowledge providers and work through some tuts.
    Show your work for crit and ask questions that are pertinent to your work, and you will get there if you are as passionate and dedicated as you say that you are.

    TL;DR: man up and knuckle down and you wont need a mentor.
  • drazeni
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    seth. wrote: »
    your post confuses me, you are passionate and determined but not passionate and determined enough to look on the internet?

    Honestly if your tutors cant answer your questions then quit the uni, its not worth the money.

    All of the things that you mention, put them in a list from most enjoyable to least enjoyable and work from there, its that simple. Get a few DVD's from eat 3d or a sub to digital tutors, or pick one of the other knowledge providers and work through some tuts.
    Show your work for crit and ask questions that are pertinent to your work, and you will get there if you are as passionate and dedicated as you say that you are.

    TL;DR: man up and knuckle down and you wont need a mentor.

    i don't want to sound like an ass because i did ask the question but i also said more then a few time's i was not looking for for a mentor to ask questions that i could find the answer to my self using the internet. there are things that people haven't made tutorials for there is also the aspect of learning from ones experiences in the industry that you cant really get from a forum.

    and yeah you are right about leaving i am already in the process of Swiping to Industrial Design there is not enough regulation and to many Game's Courses that don't teach you enough for 15k a year
  • Neox
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    Neox godlike master sticky
    why not ask these questions here on the forum, with examples showing where your troubles are?

    teaching costs a lot of time and effort, what do you give back to your mentor?
  • drazeni
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    Neox wrote: »
    why not ask these questions here on the forum, with examples showing where your troubles are?

    teaching costs a lot of time and effort, what do you give back to your mentor?

    haha i am just not big on forums never have been, it wasn't so much to be tutored i was looking for some one i could ask the odd question every now and
    again.

    and if some one were to spend there time helping me id probably do the same if they needed help with anything,
    i may not be a master of 3d but i am a Boilermaker welder so i know how things are built and put together in real life and how they should look i have worked military Ship construction yards, Quarry's, Malty story complex's and a lot more. so if any one ever needed help with that id be more then willing to help.
  • almighty_gir
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    almighty_gir ngon master
    looks like you're throwing up all your own barriers to learning.
  • Fwap
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    Fwap polycounter lvl 13
    This forum will give you more than a mentor could. You have so many great minds collectively sharing work and giving honest experience driven critiques and comments here.
  • WarrenM
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    Yeah, basically what you get by posting questions here is a hive mind of experts who can answer you rather than one dude. I'm not seeing the advantage of a mentor here. Crowd source it, it's faster AND if someone is full of crap then someone else will call them out on it. If you're only asking one person, you have to assume that what they're telling you is correct.
  • RexM
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    Post your work, doesn't matter how simple it is, post it and explain what you are having trouble with. There are a lot of threads which also deal with stuff in a way where if you don't want to post a new thread, you don't have to. :)

    The 'how you model dem shapes' thread springs to mind, and threads like that. Once you've exhausted your options and learned what you've needed through threads like those, then make your own thread. When you post on a forum, you effectively have multiple mentors looking over your work and giving you advice and critique.

    The fact that you are on polycount means you've already found a mentor, which is this community. Not being used to posting on forums doesn't really matter if you truly want to learn how to make game art, you get used to it and realize what is more important to you; being complacent and putting up artificial barriers to your learning like gir has mentioned, or buckling down, realizing your weaknesses, and addressing them in any way possible.

    Throw that complacent nature out the window. :\
  • Spiffy664
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    Spiffy664 polycounter lvl 6
    I am sure I am just rehashing whats already been said, but in this community you don't need mentors, polycount IS a mentor. Quite literally hundreds, if not thousands of them. All joined together as a massive database of knowledge ready for you to suck down with all your "dedication" and "passion". Cant figure out something some specific? Screenshot it, explain it, and watch answers and probing questions flood in. And polycount is not alone - their are dozens more sites just like this for other topics, or more specific topics.

    Like countless others here, the internet is my only mentor and I learn at 30 megabytes per second.
  • Justin Meisse
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    Justin Meisse polycounter lvl 18
    Pick a project and do it - don't expect tutorials for everything. The learning comes from solving the problems you come across on your own. You will get more help if you are, say, modeling a gun and you hit a snag halfway through than you would if you come to the boards asking "how do I model a gun"


    When I think back to how things where when I started I have to shake my head, it's so easy to find out the info you need. I mean, streaming video! I remember when that started hitting the web, I thought to myself "if only I was born 10 years later, I would have had it so easy".
  • skankerzero
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    drazeni wrote: »
    1. there are things that people haven't bothered to Shear there knowledge about in tutorials, or there are multiple tutorials that don't suet you need's and you find it hard to apply there solution to you're problem.

    A reason for that is people not posting on forums. If people don't post and make their knowledge available to the public, then it stays a secret.

    Your desire to not post on the forum and have a mentor is only causing the very issue that is frustrating you.
  • almighty_gir
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    almighty_gir ngon master
    i think there's been a bit of a resurgence in people posting their workflows lately. some great stuff from Gav, Tits, Hazardous etc.

    the idea that knowledge is not freely available irks me a little, i don't think it's entirely true. the biggest barrier right now is the shift to PBL systems, and even that is becoming less of a hurdle as more people are talking/have talked about it.
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