Drawing skills

[Exterminator89]

Well... I have a friend in the field of 3d modeling in college and I know he has to take drawing classes.... so it probably is a good skill to have

[unrealwarfare]

of course you have to have good drawing skills. if you're planning to make a livible character from scratch, all the symmetry has to be correct. For example, you don't want your character's ears or nose to be too big, or his legs too wide. Drawing classes teach you how to draw good poses and everything of that sort. Plus, architecture skills is basically everything from designing a scene or an environment that looks realistic and won't actually collapse if it existed in real life (e.g. not too high). Of course, there is always concept art, unrealistic ideas too. Just throwing some ideas towards you...

[Dave Black]

I think it would be wise to actually become an artist...I mean, that's what you title will be.

Painting, drawing, sketching, concept art, photography, lighting, etc, etc, etc.

Take some classes.

Draw all the time. If you can't draw, you can still get a job, but you will find many many more opportunities if you have traditional skills.

-3DZ

:D

[treed]

thanks for all the advice everybody


treed

[Erikoinen]

The reason I became a 3d-artist wasn't that I had some skills on drawing.. My point is that yes, you can become an modeler even tho you wouldn't have much drawing skills. Allthough, you do need to have a lot patient, initiativeness and a will to do things. You are also going to have many, many hard challenges on your way to top.

Your drawing skills can be exploited when you have those very good 3D-skills. You can't do any 3D-things with just a great concept image.

So.. My conclusion is:
You can model even though you haven't drawing skills,
but drawing skills helps you out when doing characters and stuff.

...

Is this confusing enough? :-)

Ps. I'm not saying I'd be a super great artist talking here.

[treed]

yeah I get what your saying


treed

[alenll]

Still,I wish I can learn some drawing skills someday,because I know it will help me a lot,so this is not a thing we should discuss.
All I can do is to learning and learning and learning!

[Dave Black]

Not to mention, learning to draw just takes practice, and all you need is something between a stick and some dirt, all the way up to...gulp, pencil and paper!

I just draw when I have no computer handy, and I'd say it's not only fun, but it's always helped my artistic eye.

Just some thoughts. I'd just do it. No reason not to. You know?

-3DZ

:D

[Neox]

this is what i wrote at conceptarts to a similar question

"hmmmm sure drawing is helpfull, but you definately don't need it to be a good modeller, you need a good "eye" and a good knowledge. I learned alot anatomy and dynamic with books, i learned alot of stuff about colors and composition AND I don't think that anyone has to be good with the pencil to be a good modeller/texture artist, it all depends on what you want, to have a aim is much more helpful then a pen in your hand... just my 2 cents

i won a few prices and contests, i'm working in the business and i can't even draw a straight line... but i'm aiming on creating cool characters with a lot of life in em, thats what pushed me forward and not my missing drawing skills..."

[xynaria]

This question crops up a lot and I don't believe there is a stock answer that fits everyone as everyone has different skills and connection with what they are doing. The only real constant IMHO for most is looking and being able to see. Modelling in 3D for me is very different to drawing in having to consider mesh construction. Some find this hard whilst some can do it well but find drawing hard. Should being bad at one preclude pursuing further. It hasn't stopped some people. Another thing I would recommend is not drawing from other drawings or photographs, but from life and also trying to draw 'conceptually' .i.e. visualising your ideas. Apart from having something that is already to some degree stylised when drawing form other peoples work.. you are taking from something that has already either been translated from 3D into 2D, or only ever existed in 2D. 3D is all to do with volume and it's hard to realistically think that way using 2D sources. :)

[NikLG]

I think it is quite important to be able to draw, particularly life drawing.

3D is all to do with volume and it's hard to realistically think that way using 2D sources

If you learn to draw from life you can gain a good understanding of 3 dimensional form which I think helps a lot when it comes to modelling.
I started off in traditional animation, and a lot of that, especially character stuff, was all about drawing 'volumes' so that the characters didn't squash and change shape as they turned around etc. So maybe learing traditional animation is a good route to go down too ( drawing skills and understanding of form and volume )

( ..that said, I have always had a bee in my bonnet about 3D artists who can't draw.....and had many arguments with my peers about it )

[reitveld]

May not need to draw well, but think well in 3D.

[innervision961]

Here is my 2 cents....
In my opinion im a good "sketch artist" but as of now i suck at modelling, im still pretty new to it and all and i've been drawing for like nearly 15 years or more, but what you need for 3d is patience, when drawing whatever is in my head comes to life instantly and i can make an awesome character in like 10 minutes but i found that 3d frustrates me cuz its a much much slower process but the end results are so much cooler, but yes i think if your going for any artistic job be it (game modelling, animatino, or studio work or fx) good traditional skills will show how wide of a spectrum your work can cover

Peace!

[lebada]

man..i just saw one of my fav tablets(looked some up)..the wacom graphire 2(9x12) is 700 bucks canadian...holy shmokes...lol...it'll take me a lot of birthdays to get that...

[ceql]

Originally posted by Buggy166
man..i just saw one of my fav tablets(looked some up)..the wacom graphire 2(9x12) is 700 bucks canadian...holy shmokes...lol...it'll take me a lot of birthdays to get that...

hmm you must mean Intuous 2, the graphires are only meant to be like around $100US or so :p

[lebada]

umm...yeah..my bad..still tho....WOOOOW...lol...

do u actually see on the sketchpad itself what u draw(digitized) or do u only see on the screen.

i saw once a guy working with a sketchpad and was controlling a rigged character in max(maybe wasnt a sketchpad but it was something like it)...

2 more months to go till my b-day...maybe i should sell my winXP copy and a few games and make up 200 bucks..just in case my parents dont feel very giving...hehe:applause:

[powerwave3d]

You have to look at the screen using the Tablet. I just got one. The 9x12 is huge too, takes up a total of almost 20"x20".
They are really kewl, but for me anyways it's been a challenge learning to take my traditional drawing skills and using them with the tablet, there's a disconnect with my brain by having to look up at the screen and not down at my hand.
They do make ones that are digitized on the tablet itself, they are ridiculously expensive, like $2000 US.

[robin]

smoking weed can help you a lot

[lebada]

Originally posted by robin
smoking weed can help you a lot

i'd rather stay clean..i dont think i'll be able to do that at work to get my imagination going...soo...lol:D :thumbsup:

[Johnny_Scott]

I'm not taking any chances, thank the good lord that I was born with talent but I'm in the process of getting a bachelor in fine art BEFORE I goto graduate school for animation....just my two cent.

[lebada]

Originally posted by Johnny_Scott
I'm not taking any chances, thank the good lord that I was born with talent but I'm in the process of getting a bachelor in fine art BEFORE I goto graduate school for animation....just my two cent.

as u said..you were born with it...u are good at sumthing, u suck at sumthing else..i hate it..lol:p

[Sk0ll]

At last, the question I have always asked myself :)
I'm not really good at drawing, let's say I need to rub out every second line I draw.. :hmm:
But it seems like 3d is opening a new door.. to be able to resize, realign, move vertices again and again etc. until you get the desired result.
I've always been interested in 3d, and now I have 3dmax.. but it'll take a while to learn using it professionally..

Anyone here who can't draw good but still has made nice pictures with max or another 3d programs? would be nice to see some :D

-Sk0ll

[rayboy]

to get you started with drawing practice, try the links down the left-hand side of this page:-

http://www.fineart.sk/anat.htm

[secretasianman]

don't bring drugs into this.
drugs are a crutch and an excuse.
some people do good work with them, but to always have to use them to do something is an excuse for your addiction.
i would rather have a god given talent than to have to use somthing that to ones self helps.

but on the other subject, i have seen people that are relly good at 3d althought they have never used a pad to draw. i have also seen people who can't do either.
there are people that have the talent to see things clearer in a 3d aspect then others and never have to pick up a pencil.
drawing is one of the best ways to get your ideas out.
for some it is a relief.
if i wasn't allowed to draw then i think my life would be pointless.
my art no matter what it is is a release from the world, even though i don't make it big in the industry i'm still happy.

[Emergence]

If you wish to work in the 3d biz making creative descisions then figure and life drawing are the place to start.

may I introduce you to:

George Brant Bridgman (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0486227103/ref=ase_fineart-20/103-4243930-3991068)

& my personal fav

Andrew Loomis (http://www.fineart.sk/page_01.htm)

However you can get by without it as a td.
(I'm not saying that it's of no use to td's, I just know many who don't draw)
If you would prefer to work on the tech side of things then you might want to start out by reading this:

http://www.renderman.org/RMR/Books/infbeyond.pdf.gz

hope this helps some

-R

[dbclemons]

I'm not sure how much the actual exercise of drawing is required to become a better 3D artist, since some drawing is more design related than structural, but I will say that the disciplines are the same. To be able to draw figures and objects accurately on paper you have to understand what it is you're seeing, and how to get that down on paper. That understanding involves a sense of 3D. There's a sharing of skills between 2D and 3D, and you need to constantly work in both worlds. They complement each other. It's worth mentioning how greatly my learning of 3D has improved my 2D skills.

-David

[S_3D_A]

I have a different look on this subject. I originally many moons ago:) wanted to be a comic book artist but I found 3D or should I say 3D found me.

Anywayz I had a hard time thinking 3D that meaning that my mind set was 2d. It took me awhile to get it down in my brain that if I model a car that I had to model it in different views also.

Now I can say having an artistic background is a big help with the visualization process. And one of the traits of an artist is patience and the ever luming trait of perfectionism. :)

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