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Career guide’s need help!

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#1

[font=Calibri][font=Franklin Gothic Medium]Hi guys how’s everything, my name is Joel I’m 20 years old. I have been checking out your site for over a year now I have to say unbelievable art work I love it!!! But today I’m here for career guides. I love video game,3d movies and basically anything that have to do with art. but for the past year or 2 I have been siding on what career path I should take to maintain a stable life style. my aunts are RN nurse and they have been trying to get me to take a medical career, they want me to do 2-4 years of anything in the medical field and then pursue a career as a 3d artist. But I feel that might be a waste of time and energy. The reasons why they would like for me to pursue a career in medical is because they feel it would be a good career path and employers are always searching for new staff. and the fact that I’m black they feel racism might play a big roll in my hiring process as a 3d artist (they fear I might not have a stable job)on my behalf I don’t feel right studying something I’m only going to use as back up. My goals are to become a 3d artist/animator for video game or etc…. I’m constantly thinking about 3d art, creating the next big thing, what would be a great animation and on a day to day base I’m having concept art/ideas running through my mind. But I haven’t been practicing the way I would like to(constantly put studies off).(because I don’t know what to do where to start or if I’m going to make it).I would like to learn the human anatomy,3d packages and whatever it takes to get there so I could be the best in my field!!!

[font=Franklin Gothic Medium]But to be honest I’m starting to feel like they’re right, but I could still feel the need to be a artist and I just don’t know if my skills could get t the point I want it to be!!!<O:p></O:p>

[font=Franklin Gothic Medium]

(sorry about any miss spelling):smiley: :frowning:

[font=Franklin Gothic Medium]What should I do……?<O:p></O:p>

[font=Franklin Gothic Medium]Thanks for listening !!!

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#2

First career tip:

Don’t write resumes in black on dark grey. You would generally like people to read them.

#3

+1

#4

Your concepts look amateur, but your zbrush work looks great. (from what I can see of it.) It seems that to post that, you printed out the images, cut them, and scanned them onto your computer? why not simply export and upload the images from you computer? you could compile the different views on a program like photoshop,powerpoint, or- if your on a PC, Microsoft Paint? they would be much easier to see.
The concepts look like simple doodles, not something one would want to showcase or post on ZBC.

For learning human anatomy, books on the subject from an artist’s point of view don;t have to be expensive… “Anatomy for the Artist” by Tom Flint is 8 dollars, and yet presents a dynamic visual record of the fundamental characteristics and creative possibilities of the human form. For learning 3D packages, Digital-Tutors is only 45 dollars for a one month membership, and you have access to an online library of over 7,700 tutorials on many different 3D and 2D programs such as (but not limited to) 3Ds Max, Maya, Zbrush, mudbox, and modo. It is possible to learn the field of 3D and 3D animation cheaply, and those are some great places for you to start.
Most people who go to medical school can draw every bone and muscle in the human body perfectly.
And for your “constantly putting studies off” the only advice i can give you there is simply to say, Don’t.

There are one year programs at Vancouver Film School in 3D animation, game design, as well as basic Digital Design, and your parents may approve of a one year program in animation rather then a four year one at schools like Full Sail. And from the results of those schools Vancouver film school’s one year programs seem to have better results then Full Sail’s four years of purely theoretical training.

I cans see why your parents don’t think that Art is a good career path for you, if all they’ve seen is your concept sketches. try making sculpts from Professional Concept Sketches. As for zbrush work, they likely just don;t have a reference in 3D work.
As far as I know, racism has never been a problem in the 3D Animation field.

Good luck and cheers!

P.S. I’d have to agree with the others, don’t change your font color.

#5

hi there if you feel that this is what you like and what you want for a lifetime career then i encourage you to start from now since it is wonderful but still hard and challenging field and what your family says about a backup career is not true in my opinion. and also dont listen to those whom will tell you that you want have a job in that field because you r black the only thing that matter is to impress directors with your demo reel and to do that you have to start now and you have to work hard… good luck!!

#6

I dont know about you guys, but this is the 1st time Ive heard someone worry about racism in digital arts career.

The only thing that people here care for is,
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
CAN YOU SHOW ME THE PORTFOLIO?
HOW MUCH PAY DO YA WANT?

Its not really matter ever if youre green or blue.

If it`s really that much of a matter, going outside the state can be an option.

About the Medical career, it might be interesting to know that most physician I know of have one hell of an amazing anatomy accuracy,
They cant design, cant paint that well, but you can almost guarantee that they will draw every muscle accurately

#7

Forgot to mention,

Considering what kind of site this is, I don`t think that many people will told you to go for the medicine

#8

thanks guys…thanks!!!:laughing:

#9

Do it…!

First of all, let me tell you something: Your work right now is awful… just like everyone else’s first doodles in zbrush… But that’s easily solved practising 5 or 12 hours a day :smiley:

[font=Calibri][font=Franklin Gothic Medium]I’m constantly thinking about 3d art, creating the next big thing, what would be a great animation and on a day to day base I’m having concept art/ideas running through my mind
The big thing i think will take at least five or six years of your life… if you are willing to pay that prize, everyone has something that even hollywood doesn’t have: - A great story -, and everyone wants to watch those great stories.

If you want to do some Cg by your own I reccomend you watching the “Pidgeon Impossible” podcasts, in youtube…

What else can i tell you… well, I used to be a graphics designer, with a little enterprise… Now I am a “Cg artist”, starving but REALLY happy :smiley:

#10

shairing1.jpg i dont know about online tutorials. i think youre too far behind for that to work. most people that get somewhere in this field by being self taught are obsessed and have been doing it out of compulsion from the start. they dont say things like, im putting my studies off when talking about the software. they dont use words like procrastinate. and it complex. really really complex. you cant just pick up maya and fly with it. based on your zbrush posts, you need schooling to teach you at tleast the basics of 3d packages and photoshop and you need to be pushed and submerged.

but im not saying that you should do it… yet…

im a fullsail grad,and i have to say, ive seen alot of people spend upwards of 40 50 k on a degree without any artistic ability… regardless of imense technical aptitude… and ive seen them suffer… at least not be able to grab a job. you have to understand form, detail, conceptualisation, marketability… taste.

you need art training before 3d training. without the understanding of one the other is pointless. also you need to train. your hands are your tools… and they need to be practiced so that they can develope. its the same with anything… football, dance, literature, acting… muscles need to be broken in and refined.

plus, you need to know what your getting involved in. talk to anyone you can on here that knows something… because you are in trouble if you listen to people that want to placate or tell you what you want to hear, and youre in trouble if you listen to your parents talking about racism, obviously way off base. alot of the most successful artists in this industry are from all over the planet and from every race culture and creed you can imagine. you are in trouble if you wing it as well.

this forum is for some prety heavy hitters… well, everyone really, but some of the artists that frequent this site have worked on the very movies and games you talk about loving… so to go willy nilly into this forum is not necesarilly wise (along with my spelling) but… you want to build a report and a name. dont get a name for being brash and ill informed and definately dont talk about silly things like racism being an issue with employers… these are your potential employers and that could be quite offending to imply… though im sure your family has reason to believe these things from their own experiences… believe me, that is not the case where this is concerned. nobody sees you anyways. they see your skill. SKILL the key word. you need to become skilled. in whatever you do, you want to be a master. and lord of the rings was made by master right. bruce lee mother ****ers with a mouse and a wacom tablet.

fullsail is a school you could look at, but beware… they are tough and many dont make it out of that school with a degree. be patient. and above all keep your eyes on the details. form and detail. look at everything and think about how to recreate it. draw like theres no tomorow.

if you trully want this!

but im telling you this… im someone that you have to contend with for the job… and i dont sleep. i eat this stuff. i drink this stuff. i breathe it. and my demos not finished yet… im not even working… ive been working on it for a year, studying every single post on this site as they are posted. and i still dont think i have it perfect yet… and ive put more time and energy into it than most people ive met have put into anything. that should tell you what it takes.

dont kid yourself

but believe in yourself.

ive been winning drawing contests since i was a kid. and im still scared stupid.

but so far, the experience… just working with 3d is rewarding. and it is really easy to love this work and be satisfied. and from what i hear, if your good then so is the pay.

the image ive posted is a model before its ever even reached zbrush. it takes time to refine, trust me.

but dont be afraid if its what you KNOW you really want. just do it. but dont slack.

cheers

#11

for instance… and i dint post my non zbrush work to advertise or anything, but i want you to get an idea… for instance, when modelling there are different ways you can do it… but if you want to be able to animate it you have to build it properly. you need to learn how to create propper topology. you need to know about edge loops. this is something you wont learn from a training video, though there are some out there. gnomon school is a great place for resources. remember that name. they are a great source for the best tutorials by the people that do the most high profile work. i learned how to model a head from the guy who modelled the train from, “polar express” and who modelled the ogre in the first harry potter movie and who modelled the blue guy from “the watchmen” haha. gnomon. remember that. but mostly there is a workflow that you need to learn.

workflow. thats something you cant learn from a tutorial. pipeline. another one.

these things are immensly important. for instance, always start with a scetch. prepro… preproduction. you dont want to find yourself in the middle of a model and realise the scetch doesnt translate very well into a realistic model. it happens. ive been there. and there isnt any backing up… without alot of time and energy… weeks.

you also need to learn how to work. naming conventions, how to lay out your texture uv’s, easy ways to create maps. specularity, bump, diffuse… these are easily learned in a class that focusses on the topics.

you want to start from the basic form and slowly work towards the details… another lesson not taught in tutorials… which can be very expensive… mainly because, if you want to learn it all youll be spendind thousands of dollars and spending just as much time regardless.

the picture i posted is to show, first taht im not a hack though its nowhere near complete, and second to explain a little about these processes.

this model hasnt made it to zbrush. youve started with zbrush. i dont think thats a good idea. zbrush is for refinement, at least with my process. you can create a propper edge flow through zbrush… but you cant learn why thats important and how to draw it until youve spent some time actually modelling your edgeflow from scratch. the reason for edgeflow is so that when a model moves, it should deform smoothly… if you dont have propper e.f. then you will see distortions and some thngs you wanbt to do just wont be possible.

also… the snakes. a thing like that is not easy. ive spent 2 weeks laying out 70 snakes and its still not finished. now, maybe i didnt need to lay each individual without duplicating, but its my own aproach for greather authenticity and yada yada. but thats prety much the quickest way i know how to do it. and i had to know rigging. rigging. another thing that is hard to understand without schooling. but a tool you can use for a million different things. posing… t-pose… modelling in sections… box modelling… proportion and how to clean it and tweek it fast instead of slooooooowly… which happens too often if you dont know what your doing.

all of this lingo… its all commonplace. everyone on this site knows these words. c.g. is no less complex than medicine. believe that!

so think about it carefully.

#12

aaaaand… im sorry, i really want you to get a good idea, because it sounds like you want this… there are other areas of c.g. that dont involve drawing. like rigging, animation, texturing, dynamics. if you go to school you can try each one of these things and see what your good at and what you like. i have a friend that loved to draw anime characters yet fell in love with rigging… and hes amazing. but he doesnt use zbrush… but he could, well maybe he does, its been a while… you can create blend shapes so easily with zbrush. but school, in my oipinion, is a must.

#13

I agree with most stuffs you said, except this one.

Box modeling and Patch modeling are still around, and still needed to be learn
but since the introduction of 3D sculpting, and advanced retopology
they are starting to die out
especially with organic models

I used to spent weeks just creating a decent mesh for a character
But ever since 3D Sculpting has enter the main stream,
I just go straight in to create the form, then retop to get the base mesh

3D has become more flexible, ones can find the path and method that suit oneself

But what matter is the underlying skills and knowledge of the arts itself

#14

youre right… , but i feel like learning topology through polygonal modelling helps develope the understanding better… because you can animate and rig n these 3d packages. its easier with zbrush to pose and model, but when i went to school they still were teaching nurbs. and using nurbs helped me refine my ability to think out the shape and how to create it for movement. also, how to deal with the complexity of messing with things like cv’s or little dots that represent blah. and polys and box modelling will give the practice needed. it will help you learn what zbrush is doing. why it is an advanced form of c.g. modelling. learn the reason for quads insted of tris or five sided. specifically, what the program is doing. how it is computing. besides… he still has to know maya or max. what can you do with a perfect model if you cant animate it or add hair or set up a scene ? also, hard surfaced modelling is still easier with maya, in my opinion. hes got to know that it is one part of a larger picture. each tool needs to be learned and mastered.

max and maya or …?

you have to learn these… period. zbrush can do AMAZING things… i LOVE ZBRUSH!!! but you cant make a movie with zbrush alone. you cant make a perfect movie without it either. well, you can, but it wouldnt make sense. its like using a lighter insted of a grill to cook a steak.

sometimes i find it more usefull to go in with my hands and move each individual point… there is still an average that happens with zbrush. maya and box modelling is more manual… but “I” tell the the vertex where to go in maya. and when i need maya i have it as an option. alias wavefront forever!!!

plus, rendering.

here, in my humble opinion are a few names you need to know… maya, zbrush, photoshop, shake, after affects, and mental ray

with these programs you can do everything you can imagine in the 3d world

im just trying to give “blink” an explaination as to why or why he should go for it. and if he wants to do it, an idea of what to look for, think about, and watch out for. he said he needed help. so help the guy. at least hes honest.

#15

You do know that Maya is now owned by Autodesk right?

#16

of course i do… but im loyal… it will always be alias’ maya to me.

#17

who cares who owns it, it has the worst interface ever eighter way, the only soft that beats it is blender when it comes to the least intuitive design.

#18

wow slocik, nice work… i like your stuff alot. well, i have to admit, i was taught on maya and its what ive been using… but what do you think is the most intuitive?

#19

Whichever you learned first:D
In my case im in the sad position of having cinema 4d as the most intuitive one.
No one works with it :frowning:
I think maya isnt all that bad, to me 3dsmax is far worse.
I just cant get over the whole modifier thing.
Cinema 4d relies on icons and easy use where 3dsmax consists of text
and modifiers.
I havent tried hard to learn it its just so confusing and i rather get stuff
done in that time working with cinema.

#20

To Blink, Im sorry that this is starting to become a different discussion thread now, but Ill continue with this conversation.

In my opinion, Maya`s interface are somewhat self explanatory, but once I started to become better at it, I started to feel that its not working well enough for my liking

The only reason Maya are taught as a standard 3D tool, is because

  1. It`s a complete 3D package
  2. It`s has the highest share market from years of usage

But that doesnt means that its the best

After I graduated, I hated it so much that I have to look for something else,
After reading on reviews and customer stories, I goes for XSI even when I don`t know how to use it.

But whats important was that most 3D applications share the same roots. If you learn the 3D basic in one application, youll automatically know how to do things in different packages.

If you know how to use Maya or 3DsMax, your chance of employment will rise.
However, bigshots companies doesnt really care, if you can work on 3D but cant use the packages that they were using, they will train you to use them.
Some companies even specify on which software user will have a better chance in getting a job with them.

ex, Atlus - 3DsMax, Level5 - XSI, Tri-Ace - Maya., etc