Hello guys.I'm glad to be part of your community.So... i have a problem.I think serious problem :-/ I'm 20 years old guy who have passion for games,design,3d etc.I want to do models for games,games such like GTA,MOH etc. I love it! But the problem is that i dont have traditional art skills and i'm reading that if someone doesnt have traidional art skills he cant go ahead. Is that true? I need advice,my dream is to be a modeller,thats all i want. Right now i'm confused but still learn maya :) Yeah maya is my favourite 3D program :) Ok guys thats for now.Thanks in advance and.. of course sorry for my bad english.Its not native :-/

I'm not a designer, but i felt like replying because I'm in the same boat as you are (programmer who wants to get more into modelling :)

So, here are some hints:

1) Take some drawing courses. Pen & paper. See how it turns out. I think it's very useful to have some of those "traditional art skills".

2) Buy yourself a tablet & pen, force yourself to use it for photoshop tasks and 3D modelling.

3) Now, point 2) may sound strange to you. "tablet & pen for 3D Modelling?! Duh!". Take a look at zBrush if you're really into modelling. I use maya, too, but it's hard to do artsy stuff. zBrush on contrary feels more like sculpting. You can also prototype well in maya, finally import the prototype into zBrush and work on the details. Well, i don't know how much bucks you're willing to spend, but it's not even too expensive.

4) Join art communities and find some friends there. Like deviantart. There are different ones around, also smaller ones. For one, you'll get some inspiration and learn some techniques by looking at the work of others and you can let yourself be critizised, which is good, because someone else can tell you how to improve.

5) Finally, if you're ready to show off, make a website, a blog, or something, share your work with the rest of the world.


Hope this helps a bit, good luck! :)

Hmm, should probably be in Visual Arts, meh..

A few other good 3D communities are Polycount and CGSociety.

Quote: But the problem is that i dont have traditional art skills and i'm reading that if someone doesnt have traidional art skills he cant go ahead.

The reason for this is likely because alot of high-end models (like the kind you'd see in an XBox360 game) often require alot of detail and accurate proportions to really make full use of their platforms capabilities, so knowing anatomy and having those "traditional art skills" definitely helps, whether your making a mystical leather-clad gnome, or a die-hard space marine. Now you can acquire those skills by taking courses and/or through alot of practice, the end goal either way is the same, to be able to make good quality models.

Now as for tools, it really depends on what your comfortable with. Alot of people have their preferences (and are happy to suggest their favorite tools), but they might not be for you. I'd suggest trying out a few other programs to see if your more comfortable with them, keep in mind that they have different features and capabilities, and that you don't have to stick with just one tool, thats what exporting is for. There's a big list of 3D software available Here in the Visual Arts Forum.

If you know what something should look like, then you should be able to construct it in a modeling program without having much artistic ability. Some models will be harder to construct without such ability, but practice can overcome that.

I recommend finding free download models of the objects you want to build. Make sure the model polygon count is close to what you want to build. Load it into your modeler, study it carefully, then start your own. Load the reference model again any time you're unsure of how to proceed. Or if possible, just keep it in the same scene as your own. And obviously, don't clone parts of the reference model onto your own, or you won't learn anything.

Moving to Visual Arts.

Quote: Original post by mayaguy

...But the problem is that i dont have traditional art skills and i'm reading that...

nobody drew or sclupt good when they first started, just practice a lot and you'll learn in time.

you have incredibly good fine arts faculties in Bulgaria, I'd sugest taking a few classes on basic drawing/painting and lots of sculpting, since you want to be a modeler.