If you are getting into 3d art there is no doubt the first question you are going to have is “Is it Hard”. As someone who is self-taught and continuously learning, I can confidently say it is not hard.
Creating 3d art is becoming easier with advancements in technology and software. While some of the burdens have been lifted it still requires not only artistic ability but technical know-how as well. 3d art is not difficult but learning the fundamentals of how it works is a barrier that can stop some people from getting into it.
In this article we will discuss what is involved with 3d art, what can be hard about it, what is easy, and some ways you can help improve your skills in it quicker.
What is 3d Art
There are many aspects of 3d art that as a beginner you may not even know exist. Each of these aspects in themselves are careers that a single person does. Mastering them all can be a large task. Some of the broader aspects include.
- 3d Modelling
- 3d Sculpting
- Texturing
- Animating
- Composition
- Lighting
Each of these involves very different artistic knowledge and technical skills. This is not to say you can’t learn them all. After all, this is where the term 3d Generalist comes from.
Having knowledge in all these aspects is quite useful provided you go into it knowing it is going to take time to learn them all.
Each part in some way can touches on another, while you may not be able to master them all you will have knowledge that can assist with each.
What Makes 3d Art Easy
3d art is challenging however I believe it is easier than 2d art. There are enough online resources that anyone can learn with some patience and perseverance. While this is of course subjective the parts that you are likely to find easy about 3d art include:
- The perspective and size can be easier to grasp
- Easier to make changes and fix errors
- Easy to pick up if you are not artistically inclined
- Very structured in the way you can approach it
- You model everything separately
Perspective and Size is Easier to Grasp
When drawing or doing many forms of art it is easy to get size or perspective wrong.
With 3d this is very easy there is no guessing you can overlay pictures to get proportions correct and use actual measurements to dictate the size of things. There is no guessing required as you move an object around a scene.
It’s one less element that you need to focus on which is a huge bonus.
Easier to Change and Fix Errors
If something looks wrong in almost all aspects of 3d it is very easy to go in and change it to correct things. It’s not like a single incorrect stroke can ruin a picture. You can just keep making adjustments until something looks the way you want it.
It doesn’t matter if it takes a long time (I can assure you it will at first). You can keep working at something until it looks right without fear of ruining it.
Easier to Pick Up if Your Not Artistically Inclined
You do not have to be good at art as a 3d artist in fact a lot of work involves interpreting other people’s concept art. You do not need to be great at drawing to be good at 3d. They are very different and from personal experience involve different skill sets.
Having an artistic flair can be advantageous, however if you don’t have one 3d art is a lot more forgiving. You can simply just keep trying until you get it right.
I personally have never enjoyed art as I’m not good at it, but there is something about 3d art that I just find easier.
Very Structured in the Way You can Approach It
3d art requires some technical skills in order to be able to do it, as such these present a very structured way of approaching it.
For example, a modeling workflow you can adopt would be to first block out the model with very broad basic shapes. You then start sculpting those shapes step by step upping the resolution until you get to the really fine details.
While it can take some time to get used to, the structured approach requires following a specific set of steps that can be very formulaic and removes some of the guessing work.
You Model Everything Seperatly
Unlike other mediums such as 2d you don’t model everything at once.
For example, if you were modeling a character you don’t necessarily have to model them with clothes. You create a separate model for the clothes, a separate model for the hair, a separate model for the eyes etc.
This means you can adjust the clothes so they look right without affecting the body. You can also create several sets of clothes and swap them out until you are happy.
What Makes 3 Art Hard
3d art can be difficult especially at first and there are several reasons for this they include.
- It requires knowledge of how 3d works
- There is a fair bit of terminology to learn
- It can require knowledge in more than one 3d software
- You are required to work within parameters
It Requires Knowledge of How 3d Works
3d art is a very technical task. It isn’t as simple as simply putting a line on a piece of paper. You have to learn a lot about how it works before you can even start understanding how to create anything.
This can be one of the biggest deterrents to people the initial learning curve is certainly a big factor.
With advancements in technology and software, a lot of this burden is being lifted. Programs such as Nomad Sculpt for mobile or Zbrush for desktops have made this vastly easier for beginners. It has removed some of the emphasis on modeling and focused on simply sculpting a model as if it is clay.
There is a Fair Bit of Terminology to Learn
Like most professions, there are acronyms and terminology that is uniquely used in 3d art. Learning the basics is essential if you stand a chance of understanding 3d.
This can be intimidating as people who have done 3d for years use it without regard to beginners. This can make some learning material harder to follow.
It Can Require Knowledge in More Than One 3d Software
One thing that will become very apparent very quickly when getting into 3d art is that there is not one program that does every aspect of 3d well. Usually, you will rely on a suite of programs to make things easier.
This means in some cases you will have to learn multiple programs to get your desired results.
You can quite easily use only one for example Blender but it has limitations you will find yourself working around.
Personally, I primarily use 3 Blender, Zbrush and Quixel Mixer.
It Requires You to Work Around Parameters
Because 3d art is a very technical task you will constantly have to work within the rules it dictates.
A great example of this modeling. Programs like Zbrush or Nomad Sculpt very easily allow you to create models with greater polygon counts than some programs allow. You are required to reduce the polygons in order to import them in other programs to texture or animate.
This is referred to as retopology which is a specialization within 3d itself.
3d is riddled with these kinds of workarounds and can make it difficult.
How 3d Art is Becomming Easier
There are 2 big reasons why 3d art is becoming easier. This is because of Technology and Software.
Technology
3d art has been around for a long time and technology has advanced a lot over the years. 3d art is a very computationally heavy task for a computer. The more a computer can handle the easier it becomes.
You are required to use fewer workarounds to create your art and what used to take days to render can now take only minutes.
Software
The software to create 3d art over the years has only gotten better and better. Tools have been upgraded to make things easier, whether it’s through new software or updates.
Software developers have had decades to refine, upgrade and introduce new tools that have made 3d vastly easier. Blender for instance was released in 1994 and has been regularly updated since.
How You Should Approach 3d Art
My best advice would be to do it slowly. You can’t learn it overnight and find good tutorials. Personally, I would recommend Blender Guru’s Donut Tutorial he has kept this up to date as Blender has evolved over the years. It has become famous and is one of the most recommended tutorials I’ve seen for Blender anywhere.
Other than that I recommend you check out my article on this here outlining the steps I would personally take.
Conclusion
3d art is easy provided you are patient enough to get through the technology hurdle. Like all art it takes practice but something anyone can pick up and have fun with. With a little perseverance, I guarantee you it isn’t as hard as some people may say.
It’s fun and a personal passion of mine. You could say I’m obsessed.