Need Advice On Developing A Better Workflow
polycounter lvl 8
My workflow sucks and is in dire need of retooling. It takes me an awfully long time to complete a single project (and remains the only reason I'm currently stuck at a dead end job). I'm not sure if it's the way I tackle a project, my stringent perfectionism, or both. Seriously (somebody help me out), what methods are optimal in developing a better workflow? How do you usually approach a project from start to end?
I'd appreciate any help ... thanks!
I'd appreciate any help ... thanks!
Replies
Automation helps
Yup, pretty much this.
If it can be scripted, bound to a hotkey, done with a better tool, or otherwise automated, it's worth the trouble to do it. Even if it feels like a waste of time initially, a small investment of time at the outset of a project or as part of a larger effort to make your workflow better is a worthwhile effort.
This is why tools like Substance Designer and Painter, or things like Zremesher are important tools to have in your repertoire. You can use them to speed up the work you do so you're not wasting time on steps that can be easily be automated.
Also, don't underestimate the importance of planning. A well-planned project with very specific goals and milestones will go much faster because you'll always have a point of reference for what you need to be doing at any given time.
If you can plan how you're going to accomplish a certain goal at a specific point in a project, you're going to save a lot of time when it comes time to do whatever that task is. For example, you could do research and plan how you're going to model a specific part of a mechanical model that you think will give you trouble and take longer than other parts, and this will save you time when it comes to making that part because you'll know exactly how to proceed instead of having to experiment and find the best method.
Before you change anything, determine if you actually have a workflow, or if you do things by random. Figure out time sinks.
When you make changes, do them gradually. If you introduce too many changes at once, you can get problems gauging impact, as benefits and drawbacks of your changes may negate each other. Small tweaks is the way to go.
+1
Its easy to get stuck in a feedback loop on a sculpt, especially with anatomy sculpting I find. Sometimes youve just gotta learn to stop making tweaks, have confidence in your own ability and start polishing it off.
As of new tools, they may help also but not that much imo. You could spend a lot of time on them just to find they do the same you already did before. So don't expect anything magical.
After all you just have to accept the risks. Your perfectionism may promote you on a new level/job. Meanwhile you may be laid off couple times for not being productive enough.
Every Sunday, I take a few minutes to reflect on the prior week and try to streamline anything that was giving me sticking points or slowed me down. And figure out a way to automate or, at least, speed up.
Thanks for asking, DireWolf. My interface was customized with short cuts a long time ago, so that not a problem I need to address. I guess I'm struggling with the design process itself about how exact a model needs to be to the reference image. After blocking out the model, I can spend hours, weeks, and even months trying to replicate the image and only then get bored and start the next project only for the exact same thing to occur.
Hopefully, spending time on this forum will help develop those skills necessary to complete my projects.
They key here is that you need to work on the whole model together. Don't polish just 1 area but instead learn to touch your entire piece equally and keep moving. At least this way, whenever you stop, your whole piece would be on a similar level and you can step back and call it done at any stage. Which often happens in production.
Smalll mistakes that are repeated often are the most expensive mistakes over the long term.
"If you find that the quality of your art is too low then improving that area through clever practice can also speed everything up or make the effort you need to put in seem less." I think you've hit the nail on the head with that statement, kanga. The quality of work I used to produce was poor at best, but over the past several months, I've learned several techniques that have substantially improved my work. However, it still takes me a while to finish a model.
I will post updates on another thread shortly and welcome critiques. I can't wait to receive y'all's reviews.
Nice ... that's what's up! Thanks for the advice, DireWolf!
Is the fact that your workflow is slow the only reason you're stuck in a dead end job?
I'm gonna go out on a limb and see if I can sense what you're really looking for. Because it feels like you put so much on the line on whether you will succeed on making the greatest art ever if not you're stuck in the dead end job.
This is a hugely detrimental way on any creative endevour.
So here are my thoughts on your situation:
* Don't treat your artwork like it's "all or nothing", it will make the process miserable and you'll end up hate working. Because you will be afraid of failing. You should be happy to fail, because it will make you a better artist.
* Do what you think is fun, not what you think will get you out of your current situation. Embrace your situation. Make your NOW tolerable. That's often also an added bonus of being deligent on working TOWARDS your goals, not necessarily achieving them.
* You are a beginner, treat yourself like it. Don't take off bigger projects than you can chew. If you can't finish what you start in 4 weeks, it's too big, regardless if you can only work 1 hour a week. Only do projects that you can finish in under 4 weeks. After 4 weeks you find yourself 50% there? Do another project that's half the scope.
Part of being a beginner is the Dunning-Kruger effect; beginners think they are better than they really are. Part of it is that you see artwork on Polycount and you KNOW each step of the process to create the artwork so it gives the illusion of it being simple. It's not.
The reason I'm writing this is because I was in your exact position, asking the same questions 10 years ago. Someone on Polycount told me the exact same thing and I managed to get a job not 3 months after.
Anyway, I thought I'd just pass it along, hope it's useful, if not c´est la vie!