What was your first modeling project? Second? Third?

[Burem]

I'm also a novice and I've been learning at a rate I find more then acceptable by just modeling whatever floats my boat. Recently I decided to model a chimera - sure it dosen't look professional but I've learned alot along the way. Remember, even if it dosen't turn out perfect you can always keep the WIP and go back to it when you have the skills to make it better.

The only thing I personally steer clear of is humans. I've modeled a few but it gets immensely frustrating because we all recognize a human very easily and if one part is just a little off it will drive you mad.

Anyway:
1st no-tut was an ogre's head (Easier then a human head IMO.).
2nd was a simple robot.

[Xabre]

Hi Brian,

I am still a newbie at modeling too and I know what you mean by trying create things that are to complex.

First: Command Carrier (got deleted half way due to an accidental format)
Second: Moya (ship from television show Farscape)
Third: Scarran Dednught (another ship off Farscape)

Suggestion: Try to model one of those robots from pictures and not on blueprints. Hope it helps.

[Nerd_Pack]

Guys--


Try modelling something that you draw yourself. Alien characters, animals, props, it doesn't really matter, but it helps out immesurably if you model something that you designed yourself. It takes a lot of patience to learn modelling as I'm sure you're aware, and I've found that whenever I work on something I drew it's a lot easier to work on the hard stuff. That, and you can draw proper edgeloops and cut it up however you want to make things easier. whenever I make human-like characters I always stop when it starts to get detailed and chop off the arms and legs and head/neck and hands and feet and work on them all individually and stick 'em back together later. With your own drawing it's easier to do that.

Good luck learning!

[Athey]

It was QUITE a long time ago, but if I recall correctly, the first major 3d project I ever attempted was a dragon. Didn't come out too terrible considering I had no idea what I was doing, and that I was using 3d Studio 4 for DOS and had no undo command. haha. ^ ^;

I recall also making a lava lamp real early on, but I don't remember if I did that before or after the dragon... Definetly a simple object. heheh.

That waaas.... seven years ago. So the details are a little faded. I'd never touched 3D before, and there weren't really a lot of tutorials on the net for 3D stuff. I just played around with the software and tried to make stuff. Had NO idea what I was doing. ^_^

Anyways, as for what you should do, it's hard to say...
The whole modeling somthing you drew yourself can be good, but only if you're good at drawing (for all I know, you are, I'm just throwing this out in case)

I find that it's very important to have as acurate reference as possible, and people who's traditional skills are a little lacking, tend to make less-than-acurate reference images. Mostly they just shoot themselves in the foot when they try to model from a poorly drawn image.

Characters and animals generally require some very solid understanding of form and anatomy to get right, so if you don't feel you've got a firm enough grasp on that stuff yet, more mechanical/prop-type items are probably an easier choice.

Another option is to model some toy or model you've got laying around. Like a figureine or something you might have on your desk. That way you've got the real, 3-dimentional physical object right in front of you and you can turn it around and examine it from all angles as you work.

Anyways, good luck ^_^

[Nerd_Pack]

The whole modeling somthing you drew yourself can be good, but only if you're good at drawing (for all I know, you are, I'm just throwing this out in case)

I find that it's very important to have as acurate reference as possible, and people who's traditional skills are a little lacking, tend to make less-than-acurate reference images. Mostly they just shoot themselves in the foot when they try to model from a poorly drawn image.

Characters and animals generally require some very solid understanding of form and anatomy to get right, so if you don't feel you've got a firm enough grasp on that stuff yet, more mechanical/prop-type items are probably an easier choice.



I didn't consider it from that angle, that's definitely a good point. If you can't draw... learn haha. It's good to know. But there are also tons and tons of blueprints out there you can work from, pretty good characters, vehicles, that kind of stuff, there's a forum in here with nothing but blueprint links.

check it out

[pauljs75]

Or if you can't draw so great, there's always the possibility to use actual modeling clay. Not always a bad idea either, since you'll then have a tangible 3D object that you can manipulate and study before working with the virtual one.

As for what to start out with... Something simple enough so that you don't get fustrated, yet complicated enough that it keeps your interest. I'd say to try modeling a few random objects that you have on hand. Then you can take what you learned from making those and apply it to your next model.

As to what I started out modeling? Probably the same things you're bored with. Cars & airplanes. But they're more of the made-up concept variety.

[tufif]

The first thing I ever modeled was a wrench. Very simple, but it was 3d and looked like a wrench and I was dang proud of it :)
My second project was a sword, and from there I got into tables and buildings and furniture and robots and stuf. I'm only now getting into modeling organic creatures. I always did it as a hobby though, so I never really dedicated myself to it until recently.
The easiest project I ever did was a bowling ball. :)

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