I'm currently heading up a small RTS project (meaning I help with the programming, do all the writing and everything else we can't find someone else to do) and I have a modeler and a concept artist. They're both doing it out of interest and goodwill, not because they're being paid, so I don't want to get either of them offside, they were hard enough to track down in the first place. My dilemma is this. My concept artist has done some good work. I passed it onto the modeler, but he requested that he get more angles, leaving nothing to guesswork. I relayed this to the artist, who then said that he thought it was ridiculous and that the modeler should use a bit of imagination and the supplied written description. So what do I do? I'm hoping there's a well defined and accepted standard boundary of responsibility that I can maybe suggest to one or the other. They're both as keen to get into the industry as I am, so hopefully that might work for me. So, does anyone have any advice on how to sort this out or do I start looking for new people again?

Generally the concept artist will produce orthographic drawings that the 3d artist ought to be able to import into his 3d package of choice and use as reference planes for modeling. As long as the concept artists produces at the very least a top, side, and front view with one perspective drawing, that ought to be enough. If the 3d artist is still newish and needs more information then your concept artist should be a team player and supply it.

Point out to your concept artist that 3D artists often become 3D artists because they have no real artistic ability with 2D art, and that the 3D artist probably has a lot less experience modeling humanoids than the concept artist does drawing them.

Quote: Original post by sunandshadow
Point out to your concept artist that 3D artists often become 3D artists because they have no real artistic ability with 2D art, and that the 3D artist probably has a lot less experience modeling humanoids than the concept artist does drawing them.

Thats so wrong its surprising to hear someone say it. 3d utilizes so many basic skills from traditional art (perception, learning anatomy, light and shadow, analyzation ect. ect.). You wouldn't say "sculptors become sculptors because they have no real ability to draw", and 3d is technical, digital sculpting.

[Edited by - slowpid on September 11, 2008 7:21:20 PM]

Quote: Original post by slowpid
Thats so wrong its surprising to hear someone say it. 3d utilizes so many basic skills from traditional art (perception, learning anatomy, light and shadow, analyzation ect. ect.). You wouldn't say "sculptors become sculptors because they have no real ability to draw", and 3d is technical, digital sculpting. I would try to educate yourself before you talk about something you dont have any knowledge of.

I don't think she actually meant it. It is making the concept artist feeling more empowered and thus more willing to work. Simple psychology [wink]

shoot, I appologize to S&S.

Personally, I would ask the concept artists to do a side, front and back reference as well as a thumbnail or two of the general poses and 3/4s view of the character (this is a standard character sheet), and if the 3d artist cant model off that then maybe just find a new 3d artist.

Uh, heh, no problem. I mean I have actually met some 3D artists who got into that type of art specifically because they either couldn't draw well or did not like drawing. 3D art is indeed complicated, but is the average volunteer 3D artist actually good at it, or do they still have a lot to learn just like the average volunteer 2D artist? If you're not paying your staff you have to work with what you can get. I have also met some professional 3D artists who are marvelous at drawing, and others not interested in drawing but marvelous at sculpture or animation. At any rate yes, I thought it sounded like a plausible flattering thing to tell the concept artist to make them want to be more helpful. I remember being an egotistic young concept artist, lol.

I draw, sculpt, and have done 3D modeling, and I think it's actually really interesting the psychology which goes into an artist choosing to specialize in one medium or another. Drawing and sculpting in my personal experience use quite different parts of the brain. and 3D art is more mathematical, like perspective drawing, while traditional sculpting is more kinetic. (At least in terms of softer materials like clay, wax, and soapstone. Sculpting with sheet metal is over on the mathy side with 3D.) There's also minor physical handicaps like permanently shaky hands or colorblindness, and personal aesthetic preferences like for simple elegant curves vs. strong geometry vs. photorealism, or subtle grays and sienna tones vs. vivid color, all that stuff influences and artist, maybe without their noticing it, to prefer one medium or another.

Wow, thanks for the quick replies guys. Someone else suggested to me I put them in contact with each other and let them come to an agreement themselves. Might try this.

From my experience, it always pays to draw out each important perspective in 2D before modeling in 3D. It's far, far, far, far easier to tweak elements of a drawing than a 3D model. In 2D, if you don't like the result of a line, rub it out and tweak the curve in a few seconds flat. In the polygon environment, you would likely need to select elements, delete them, select other elements, extrude them, align them, smooth them, etc, to reconstruct the same line.

Simply put, if your concept artist doesn't supply these perspectives, it falls onto your 3D modeler to sketch them. That really doesn't seem like the best way to allocate the work.

If it were me, I would tell my concept artist to draw the most important perspective in normal detail, then provide rough outlines of the other important perspectives. At least enough to get the general shape.