There is one thing that people working with 3D graphics will not argue with. These are some of the basic qualities you need to be successful in any digital creation. It often comes down to elemental passion or drive, but there are many other qualities and tricks that can help you become the best of the best. To learn more about them, 3D World spoke to freelance creative director Anthony Ward, SouthernGFX director Glen Southern and freelance self-taught Rico Killiers.
A good specialist is good at everything
So what qualities are required to become a sought-after 3D artist? According to Ward, quality is about the flexibility of the skillset and the way it is applied. “It’s like a carpenter who only knows how to work with doors,” he says.
“In the end, the work will end, if you can make other custom-made wooden products, you will always be busy. The same can be said for 3D graphics. For example, it is not easy to be a specialist in sculpting only. ”
For Killiers, the devil is in the details: “I recommend attention to detail and a sense of perfectionism. You may not want to be too picky about the little details, but clients usually value attentiveness, the ability to identify hidden problems and solve them. ”
3D Artist
The advent of computers made it possible for humans to create unimaginable worlds in virtual space. Instead of the usual brush and pencil, master artists took up a computer mouse, and later a stylus and a graphic tablet.
We turned to experts and representatives of various companies to find out what candidates they see for this position in Kevuru Games.
- What knowledge and skills should a 3D artist have?
- What is the toolkit for a 3D artist?
- What are the company’s requirements for the level of education of potential employees?
- What are the requirements for work experience?
- Are there any special requirements due to the specifics of the company’s activities?
I would like to say right away that hire 3d artist is a rather capacious name for one profession. I’ve always worked in the gaming industry, so all my comments will be mostly related to game development.
Required skills for 3D artist
Fundamental
Everything that any 3d artist or sculptor needs to know, regardless of the specifics of the work. Shape, color, light, composition, etc. All the knowledge that is in smart books and taught in classical art schools and universities.
Specific
Depends on which area you like best. A character 3d artist must know and understand well the anatomy, the plasticity of the form, for those who are engaged in solid modeling (weapons, vehicles, etc.) it is useful to develop their engineering horizons. Environment artists will benefit from a knowledge of architectural styles.
This division is still rather arbitrary. For example, a character 3d artist might benefit from some engineering knowledge as he can work on a mechanical body part, while a robot artist can learn a lot from real-life anatomy. So interests always intersect.
Technical Skills
How well you know your work tool. I believe that good art is made not by knowledge of programs, but by fundamental and specific skills. But knowledge of programs will speed up your work and give you the opportunity to think more about WHAT you do, and not HOW you do it.
It is also necessary to develop such personal qualities as observation, since we often take real things as a basis, then we need to constantly analyze the world around us.
And last but not least is English. If you want to be at the forefront of computer graphics – you can’t go anywhere without English.
