What do suggest to this young artist?
polycounter lvl 8
Hi, i'm 17 and i'm a young artist.I'm interested with create to game environments and i want to create a new portfolio with levels so looks like architectural to grab new works what do u suggest to me what i'm do?
My Skills;
Environment modeling,texturing,baking low to high
My Skills;
Environment modeling,texturing,baking low to high
Replies
Create environments that show you know PBR. Something like a raining city intersection is a good example. Or create a very detailed car with PBR metals, steering wheels, chairs etc.
Though if you want to have a more solid footing and want to get a degree... I say go with either fine arts or programming. Both are very desirable skills for 3D artists/industry in general. Fine arts will teach you the ways of composition, color theory, etc. Programming will allow you to get into tech art (the route I went), program your own games for independent development, and even works as a backup job opportunity if you want to leave games.
PBR, hard surface fundamentals, baking, composition, color theory, and ability to set dress and design interiors from start to finish. Concept or no concept. The ability to create a believable environment is not an easy task.
Oh and never give up, and don't fall into the trap of becoming bored with a piece/jumping from unfinished project to unfinished project and not seeing it through to textured and in-a-game-engine finish. Finishing is just as important as developing, and you want to show your employer you won't help contribute to development hell
Come up with environments and props that can be handled in real time. This will teach you how to manage your polycounts and textures in addition to other things such as lighting.
Buy game engines such as Unreal Engine 4, Cryengine or Unity as you'll need them to support your physically based workflow.
This is such a minor thing and its terribly easy nowadays. Some years ago
you had to learn how to render things, this is all obsolete now.
What does he care about PBR when hes starting doing art?
Also if it is the current state of texturing, then this is pretty
much the same statement as "Just learn how to do 3D art"
What he should do is check out as many tutorials as possible to get
the technical skills going in about everything 3D related, and
never stop looking at other peoples work, think about why and how
they made it.
Dont limit yourself on polycount or even 3D work, your eye for
aesthetics grows over time, and it is what ultimately makes you a good artist.
If you are somewhere, on the bus in school wherever, look
how materials, the reflections and how they behave.
Sites like http://abduzeedo.com/ give you very varied art related stuff every day, and its important to see those even if you
do not ever want to attempt doing something like that. Its the big picture. Also check out ctrl.paint for some art fundamentals.
All those general art things will help you greatly in your 3D art
later. Without a sense for composition you will never be able to
create buildings that look good and make sense per example.
Also check out maps for FPS games. Call of duty or CSGO for the steam workshow marketplace to get a feel how spaces are in games, because its different than real life.
I was just suggesting for him to learn PBR as it is a workflow tailored to next gen consoles so consider it a head start into the game industry. It's not a point worth fighting I think.
Getting a good working high to low poly workflow down I would say is far more important, that whole process of start to finish final is far more complex than doing PBR which can essentially be done by following cheat sheets.
PBR doesn't mean shit without decent maps.
His post even said he does "baking low to high" so I take it he's already aware of it. Doesn't mean he can't improve on it, but I wanted to suggest something else to go with it that I still consider important (if he didn't already know).
Your modeling seems pretty good. It's much farther ahead when I first started at 17.
Some suggestions:
1. The image sizes should be more consistent. Some are too tiny or not big enough. You want people to see your work, not dig up a magnifying glass.
2. Don't stick your assets in a pure black background. This provides bad contrast and makes your assets hard to read. Go for a grey.
3. Focus on quality, not quantity. Having lots of assets is nice but you only want to show your best. If you're doing environments, just have 3 or 4 very good showcases.
4. I think your textures could be pushed more. Right now, they seem kind of generic. Look at more real world references to get an idea how stuff like rust, or wear and tear create amazing detail on materials. I know even I have a hard time getting it right too.
5. Include your name and email on every portfolio piece. A recruiter might be passing by your website, see something they like and download the image. But, if your name isn't there, they wont remember you!
6. Are your environment pieces post processed? They look like they have some kind filter edited into them like photoshop. Unless it was done in the engine, I would avoid this.
7. Where are your lights? I don't like the ferris wheel scene because it lacks shadows. I also suggest reading up on the design elements and principles of art. Many of your art pieces to me lack a theme and are boring on the eyes.
I think you have a lot of potential. Work hard and keep posting art on polycount and you'll be ready for the game industry in no time! Also, here are some good links you should read:
Jon Jones: Your portfolio repels jobs
Polycount wiki on portfolios
What should be in your portfolio?