United3dArtists Archive

I am sort of curious. I taught myself to draw flowers and scenery while I was in Saudi. I even did a few cartoon characters in pencil.
It seems that everyone here is waaay above me on the talent and training scale.
I am thinking about getting a Wacom Bamboo to draw the figures on.
Is everyone here an Artist? Just wondering. Do I stand a chance making my own characters and scenery?

yes you definitely do ken. Just takes practice.
I am a software developer; modelling is not my strongest yet. But I can draw a mean Cube!

I think being able to draw, paint, sculpt, or do photography is an advantage in making 3D art. Knowledge of color theory, composition, and such are a big help. But, it is imagination and creativity that count most. Gain skill in a medium like TS/3D and general knowledge (composition, color), apply creativity and imagination and you'll make great images. Many fine 3D artists can't create art any other way!

People like Steinie, Prodigy, W!zard, and Marcel (and many others here, can't list everyone) have much knowledge, experience, and talent and they bring all of that to 3D.

You will be able to make characters. Beginning with no 3D knowledge I learned TS abd studied info. on the web and in the forums. I made a character. Not near Steinie's level but good enough. Here he is http://www.finis.phosphorgallery.com/Pa ... s2007.html"

3D'ers technical skills make some of the images here great. 3D'ers artistic talent makes some great. The best have both. Use your knowledge of drawing but build skill in the medium of 3D/TS to create images. The tech skills will come with study, practice, and experience. The concepts from that technical skill often transfer to other programs too!

You just need to think small, look around the room and pick something simple, maybe a desk, chair and try and mimic it in 3D, look at its construction, look at curves and edges, then textures and finally were the light is coming from
If you get chance look at the wire frame images for the old SMC contests on the TS forums, you'll be suprised how simple the models actually are

Guess I should learn how to spell first (Artist).
I think an inexpensive tablet is in my near future. Having a problem making a straight line with the mouse.
That should make things a lot better.
I have Truespace 7.61 Beta and Gimp for now. with those three, I should be able to do something nice and imaginative.

Yes definitely get a Wacom. It'll help you out immensly.

I'm in the same camp as Froo. I come from a programming background, but did go back to school and spent a few years at a local community college studing art. While I understand the technical aspects of it, coming up with interesting and expressive concepts is still very difficult. In many ways, art is not unlike sports. You have to continually train and do skill building excercizes if you want to get good at it.

A friend of mine who did manga style comic books, carried a notebook around with him everywhere he went and he would draw all the time. Even when we went out to eat, he'd be doodling on a napkin. If you want to be good, you have to decide to have that kind of dedication.

I've found it's all practice. Put some work in and you'll be amazed at what you can do. Grab the tutorials over at http://www.caligari.com" , especialy Jacks Organic modelling one, and the architectural one. After working through them you'll see an improvement in your work

Kenc3, what type of art are you most interested in and medium?


Using trueSpace with a program like Photoshop and a Painter program you can do almost anything!
I love the tablet for creating textures, the mouse feels like a brick and I don't draw with bricks.
However a mouse is very comfortable in the technical areas of Art (Architecture, Product Illustration, etc.
TrueSpace has many aides to help you draw staight lines even with a mouse!

To help you get started in 3D think in "shapes" when you model.
"Textures" can help bring out the details.
To work your magic in a scene "Light" is the secret weapon.

If you need help don't be afraid to ask. (In a school you would have to pay!!!)

What we do is the sum of our knowledge and practice.

When I was young I had a visual impairment that stopped me from sketching, but I could oil paint reasonably well. It took a few years but what used to look like Dali on acid became reasonable pencil sketches, at least good enough to get me through high school science.

Various demands of work and family turned off my sketching and painting until the desire resurfaced about 5 years ago. I use 3d and 2d tools to create imagery for some commercial and personal web sites. In a few months I am hoping to turn that into a business.

The sum of knowledge that creates all 3d tools and 3d art is substantial but we can learn it. It takes time and we can only learn a piece at a time. Patience and practice are the keys.

The other thing we need to succeed is the support of those who have walked before us. You will find the members of this community very supportive and willing to share so do not hesitate to ask questions here.

About 10 years ago I was in Taif Saudi Arabia. I had a high rocky hill right outside my front door and nothing to do after work. I decided I would try to draw it or something to keep busy. When we went to Jeddah I bought some books, pencils and paper. That was the beginning.
I drew a lot of flowers and most of the other things in the books. I became a bit good at it. I added colored pencils, later charcoal, and someother things. Soft pastels and oil pastels came early a few years ago then, I stopped.
I am looking at making my own Characters and scenery for games. I also have thoughts of making a few scenes just for fun. Nothing really in mind other than that at the present time.
I do look forward to learning Truescape and my game making program(DBP).
Now that I think about it, a nice 3D Flower would be very nice.

Kenc3,
A 3D Flower would be a very nice subject to start with. Why not start a WIP
and get all kinds of helpful hints and advise?

My favorite tool to this day is a pencil. As I grew older I started to add color with colored
pencils. I progressed to Dr. Martin Dye Colors, then water colors, gouache, acrylic, oils, alkyd oil on to
the computer age,
....Computer 2D Illustration, and finally 3D.
We all find many ways to be creative don't we?