5 Tips to becoming a great 3D artist

Interested in a career in 3D Visualisation? Our studio manager Alan summarises his 10 years of expertise and has hand-picked his top tips in how you can achieve your dream job in the 3D industry.

• Love what you do

Fundamentally if you do not love what you do and you would not do it in your spare time for free, then it’s going to be difficult to get to the top of your field. Late nights are inevitable and deadlines are always tighter than you would like and you need to have the passion to produce work constantly.

• Learn from the masters

3D is an artform like any other and no more so than painters and photographers. Painters can build light on a canvas and make masterpieces through composition texture, light and shadow. Photographers use light to add life to a still image, and a lot can be learnt from the “Greats”. Look at paintings you like and study them, try and work out what it is that pulls you too it and try to use this thinking in your own work.

• Reference

Always, always use reference. The human brain is amazing at creating images and you might think you know how to draw an apple and what it looks like but you will be surprised. Try drawing a red apple with no reference just spur of the moment and make it as realistic as you can. Once you have done this, take that picture and compare it to a photograph or better a real apple……… way off right? We all think we know how something looks or how big something is but you will be surprised how your mind can trick you.

• Get and Accept Feedback (Prepare to Fail A LOT!)

Feedback is critical in any artform. Yes people are lovely but boosting your ego will not always boost your career. Be prepared for some harsh feedback, but never take it to heart, instead use it as inspiration for your next project. Even the best artists have their critics and the higher you go, the easier it is for people to criticise…… simply take it as a compliment!

• Pick a software but be prepared to adapt

You have to pick a software and you have to learn it well. With that said, you have to be able to problem solve. If you move companies you may find yourself having to learn a new piece of software and being able to pick up things quickly will certainly give you an extra edge on being the best artist around!