If you count art and technology as your favorite passions then you should definitely try becoming a 3D artist. This field takes creativity to a whole new level by incorporating technology to turn regular drawings into engaging and inspiring hi-tech works of art! The work of 3D artists is often featured on video games or used extensively in animated movies so you can choose to work in any field you’re comfortable with and there’s great scope for fame and fortune! I would tell that one the job that I really loved to do is being a storyboard artist Sydney.
Reality 101
A 3D artist needs to be familiar with drawing, painting and sculpture as well be competent in handling software like 3D Studio Max and Maya. 3D artistry combines images with technology to make them more realistic so they can be used for a wide variety of media.
3D artists are heavily involved in video game design as they create the important characters that go on to feature at the forefront of the game. Thus, being a 3D artist has a wide scope for creative development and is an extremely fulfilling career.
There are two different sub-divisions within 3D development:
- Concept Artists
- 3D Animators
Concept artists are responsible for the creation of the necessary images, usually characters that come with detailed specifications. A concept artist will be expected to ensure that his drawing is viable for production – it cannot be too complicated as this will take too much effort to animate. The drawings must also exactly fit in with the demands of the firm in charge and should be interesting and engaging. As a concept artist you will be expected to know how to use color effectively to grab attention. Moreover, you will have to be comfortable drawing a wide variety of things from humans to animals to weird combinations of the two as you never know what the industry may require! Concept artists are 3D artists while 3D animators are animation technicians.
Thus, a good 3D artist has a strong eye for details but is able to convey the key essence of a character in a simple way, thus making it easy for production. 3D artists usually work in the video game industry and are expected to create drawings for a wide variety of genres so they should be well-exposed to all types of art.
3D artists also have to make use of modeling software to create three-dimensional representations of their drawings. There are different forms of modeling including polygonal modeling, sculpt modeling and primitives modeling which are used to create different features.
3D artists work extremely closely with video game designers in creating the ideal game that suits expectations. It is thus a career that involves a lot of hard work and ardor. You cannot hope to succeed in this industry if you do not have patience as it will take a long time before you make a drawing that is exactly right. The key point here is that perseverance will take you to the top; remember that all good 3D artists started small but kept at it and are now reaping the benefits.
Thus a 3D artist needs to be good at drawing and has to be able to use modeling software efficiently to create the best possible version of a required character.
The Inside Scoop
The following is a checklist of qualities you should have in order to become a successful 3D artist:
1. An Appreciation for Art – There is no hope for you in this industry if you can’t appreciate all forms of art. So if the thought of looking at paintings and sculptures disgusts you, you should probably start looking for an alternate career! The very foundation of 3D artistry involves art of all forms and thus a fundamental appreciation of different forms of art is essential.
2. Patience – How fast do you lose patience? If you’re angry just looking at the question, 3D artistry is definitely not for you! In all art forms, patience is the cardinal virtue and 3D artistry is no different. Getting the perfect look for a character will take numerous trials and this is definitely a taxing process so you should only dive in if you’re sure you can handle the pressure.
3. The Ability to Obey – If you’re a free spirit when it comes to drawing then you may not enjoy the 3D artistry industry as it places numerous demands upon its artists. As a 3D artist you will be expected to exactly conform to the specifications set by the firm and if you ignore these you may not have a job left! Of course there is scope for freelance 3D artistry but in general you will be working for firms that know what they want and you’ll only be expected to deliver the best possible version of their visions.
4. An Appreciation of the Anatomy – As a 3D artist you will be creating characters to be animated and so they have to be moveable and this is a feature you will have to hone if you’re used to drawing static pictures. This entails an understanding of the basic motions of the anatomy of a human being or even animals. By knowing this inside out you will be able to apply it to your drawings and this will make it easier to animate them.
5. Exposure – If you’ve been drawing stick figures since you were five and haven’t really progressed to anything else, you should probably forget 3D artistry as it demands the knowledge of numerous types of characters. Sometimes clients may create a character based on a variety of human and animal features and you will be expected to create an image that adheres to these specifications! Exposure and experience are crucial to success in this industry; none of your projects will be similar and hence you need a large-scale appreciation of all possible creatures to truly give your best on each job.
If this checklist reads like personality description of you, then you’re definitely well on the way to becoming a great 3D artist.
Sweet Sensations
Say hello to a monumental creative career! 3D artistry will give you the opportunity to hone your artistic skills using technology so that you become a well-rounded artist. Moreover, the fact that you’ll be working on a wide variety of characters in different settings will give you a great deal of exposure that can only do wonders for your artistic eye.
This job also entails a great working experience as you can come in wearing whatever you want and you are not expected to be choked by a tie! Many associate this career with good times as it involves working on art using a computer, a feature that few other careers entail!
3D artists work on video games and on animated movies so there’s a good chance of your name featuring on the credits of a future award-winning visual experience! Moreover, great graphics can win great awards and so you stand a chance of being up on stage with the film industry’s greatest celebrities!
3D artists essentially shape the personality of their characters and can add little twists that are distinctive to them; thus your characters will be strongly linked to you, the creator, and the world will think of you when they’re enjoying the latest adventure your character gets into!
Working on movies presents its own perks as you may get a chance to meet that inspiring celebrity who’s voicing your character and this is obviously another major bragging right!
Challenges and Hurdles
Naturally this career is extremely demanding and even exhausting at times. You will be expected to deliver within a fixed time period and this is often a strenuous experience. You may also be spending a lot of time in front of a computer and thus eye strain and back injuries are common.
3D artistry also requires technological finesse in that 3D artists must be able to use modeling software effectively. This type of software can be hard to comprehend at first and thus a lot of time and energy needs to be devoted to understand how to use them best.
Fruits of Labor
Primary
Studies have shown that the salaries paid to artists in the video game industry are steadily increasing so this is definitely a career you may want to take note of!
In most cases your salary will depend on these five variables:
1. Experience – those who have spent a longer time in the industry will naturally earn more than those who have just joined.
2. Talent – if you’re good at what you do you can count on frequent increases in salary.
3. Chosen Field – those that work in movies and video game development will be highly paid as these are the most lucrative sectors. However, a low-budget movie or game will not earn you much.
4. Location – developed countries have higher wage rates in this field than developing countries as the demand for animated media is stronger in more developed countries.
5. Company (your employer) – obviously a job with a well-known firm will earn you more money than a job with a lesser-known one.
New entrants in the industry are paid an average of around $40,000 but this naturally increases with time and experience. Research shows that after just three years of working in the industry your salary can increase to $50,000. A further three years will lead to a salary of around $60,000. Artists who also work as animators reported a significant rise in their salaries from $40,000 to $60,000 after just three years. After six years your salary will cross $75,000.
Seniority pays the most and it is reported that senior artists can make anywhere between $80,000 to the enormous sum of $215,000 a year.
Thus money isn’t much to worry about in this line of work!
Secondary
With all that money, you’ll be living the high life in no time and your job description is definitely an excellent conversation-starter.
You’ll be the life and soul of the party when you start talking about your cool experiences working in the video game industry and if you’ve contributed to some famous movies, you can definitely expect better treatment when you start name-dropping!
This career is perfect if you’ve always wanted to be a little famous and your name on the credits is a great ego-booster that will have you the talk of the town if your work is noteworthy!
Plus, look out for all the freebies! Contributing to a video game or a movie definitely gives you the opportunity to get free copies of your work so you can make sure everyone in your friend circle is made aware of your awesome achievement!
Essential Tools
From Home
Naturally the very basic demand is the ability to draw realistic images that are interesting yet accurate. You can easily hone this skill by drawing everything you see as often as you can. Try drawing using a wide variety of styles as this will help you when you go on to work on different projects.
3D artistry demands technological competence so make sure you’re well-versed in the working of all the necessary software so that you don’t look foolish at the job! This can be achieved easily by practice; so the next time you draw something unique and interesting, try modeling it and then animating it using software. The necessary software is often easy to find online or in stores.
Check out the work of current 3D artists; this can be done easily by watching, rather than playing, your games. Notice the graphics and the way characters have been represented to get familiar with the prevailing styles.
From School
You should definitely take up a degree in animation as this will give you valuable experience with the requirements of the industry. Animation courses will teach you far beyond the rudimentary elements and this is always a bonus when you are starting a career in a technological field.
Courses in graphic design are also extremely valuable as they will teach you how to effectively convert 2D drawings into something that can be used in games or movies. These courses often cover drawing, design, photography, animation, illustration, calligraphy and technical drawing and are thus extremely comprehensive. However, such comprehensiveness is necessary for a good foundation to a career in 3D artistry.
At the Job
As usual, experience is the pivotal factor that can make a huge difference in your earnings. Hence, never turn down any jobs when you’re first starting out: yes, some jobs may demand weird characters or may deal with genres you have no interest in but they provide scope for creative growth which is a rudimentary necessity for success in 3D artistry.
To Conclude
By now you should have realized that 3D artistry is a career that promises creative expansion and a great deal of fun! Being a 3D artist will allow you to delve into the best parts of video game development as well as movie-development and is thus a great career choice. Instead of sticking to the usual routes, taking a chance with graphic design will take you to new levels of creative and technical acumen which can only be a good thing! Being a 3D artist will challenge you in many ways but the rewards are plentiful and this makes it an extremely enticing career choice. Thanks to the availability of resources and comprehensive degree programs, you should have no problem getting started!
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