Pros: How did you get to where you are?

[BS-er]

This question is focused toward modeller/artists who are making a living with their art, but I'd appreciate input from anyone who considers themselves a skilled "digital" artist.

I'm curious if education and courses played a big role in your development, or were you mostly self-taught through years of using the various tools and learning the ropes in using them.

I'm curious of there are some aspects of your skills and knowledge that would not come so easy learning on your own, and the classroom or tutorial experience was a big boost.

Also did you find that free or reasonably priced tutorials and guides made a big difference in your development.

Anyway it is a broad newbie question, but in any new undertaking I like to get input from those who have already traveled the path.

[d3cl4n]

Good question(s). I'd also like to hear from some industry professionals.

[Craig Lewis]

Personally, I found games education to be extremely helpful. I didn't learn a whole lot at college, the majority I would learn at home in my spare time, however, the encouragement and support from teachers was great. I personally don't think I'd have found a job so quickly if I hadn't been to college.

The only thing you can't really learn on your own is working together as a team. That's one of the cool parts of college/university.

As for tutorials. There are some great ones around, but there's also a lot of rubbish. The paid ones are obviously better. I've only paid for one tutorial, but I thought it was fantastic.

A big help for me was also posting on here. Getting advice and criticism on your work really helps you to improve.

[Talon]

The only role game art education played in getting me a job was that one of the part-time lecturers on my course ran a local games company and he ended up hiring me. I've found university education on the subject to be lacking and outdated (although I started the course after having worked on game mods for 2 years so I had a bit of a leg up on most of the other students and some of the teachers - take that for what you will).

Working on mods was what really set things going for me. Having to work in a team and get things into an engine really makes you learn fast and properly. It also lets you become a bit of a game development polymath and I think that helps a lot - you have to do a lot of your own R&D and study the game's content to see why and how things work.

Along side that, game art forums and general self-teaching/study is where I think it's at. Getting crits from - and being able to study models by - some of the best game artists in the world on game art communities is pretty much the best resource of inspiration and help that I can think of.

I've always tried to steer away from tutorials for the most part unless they're on more technical subjects (i.e. I'll look at things like "how to bake normals in Max" and not "how to model a colt 1911"). I don't really like doing something but not understanding why to do it a certain way and I think it's only really through making the mistakes yourself and figuring out what does what that you can get a full understanding of the way things work.

I've only been a pro for a year so far, btw, so again, take all this at face value only :P

[d3cl4n]

Thanks to you both!

Craig:

I didn't learn a whole lot at college [...] I personally don't think I'd have found a job so quickly if I hadn't been to college.

Does this mean that you learnt most of the things you knew then on your own? But found that the degree got you hired?

Talon:
In your post you never mentioned whether you went to college and/or university.

and some of the teachers

^ Priceless.

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Also, following on from my question to Talon. Has anybody studies games design through to a university level or did you find that college and independent learning was enough. I ask this because I'm currently toying with the idea of university to better my chances/skills if needed.

Once again, thanks .

EDIT: I'm from the UK. College = 16-18, University = 18+.

[Talon]

I did an HND in 3D Animation at college which is what got me into 3D in the first place. I stumbled into game art half-way through the course by getting involved in a mod. A lot of what I learned there (basic modeling, unwrapping and texturing, rigging) was self-taught from just messing around with the programs.

I then went to uni where I've done the first 2 years of a degree university course in Computer Games Art and I got taken on by one of the part-time lecturers at my uni to work at his company for my "work placement" sandwich year, which I'll be finishing on Friday. But again, what got me there was self-taught*.

I've just accepted a job offer from Rockstar Leeds, so I won't be going back for my 3rd (final) year to finish my degree.

I think I can honestly say that nothing I did or learned in university got me either job.


*When I say "self-taught" I mean it wasn't taught to me in paid education. I've picked up a ton of stuff from the good folk on forums like these - and other bits and pieces online - that I wouldn't have had a chance in hell of learning if I was studying by myself in isolation.

[sarge mat]

Originally Posted by Talon

I've just accepted a job offer from Rockstar Leeds, so I won't be going back for my 3rd (final) year to finish my degree.

Congrats man That’s great news.

[d3cl4n]

Congrats on the Rockstar job.

I suppose in a way it's a shame that you won't be finishing your degree, but surely working for a big name company will be better the have on your CV. How did you get offered the job?

[Talon]

Cheers

Declan: One of the dudes there saw my folio site and gave me a nudge that they were looking for people, so I applied.

[Reverenddevil]

I would say that schooling gave me the foundation to move forward with 3d. I would not have been able to sit here and teach myself all the stuff. So it gives you a goal and discpline to get things done and learn it. I know I could of saved myself a ton of money but it gave me the confidence, courage and basic know how of getting 3d art done.

I look back and what I learned in school wasnt that great compared to what I learned outside of it. I to found forums and proper tutorials and learned what questions to ask by doing. Things at first made no sense to me. I was so lost and intimidated and at one point didnt want to model because my stuff was such crap and I saw others was good. I realized I just needed to model and texture no matter how crappy it would come out, because that process would give me the questions, I needed to get the right answers and move forward in my understandings.

Some people can sit at home for 8hrs a day and read books or what not and in a year or so they have it down. I like the structure of classes to learn though, but that is just me.

I was working in the gaming industry before I went to school but doing production/producer. I wanted to do the art side of it and landed my first gig at a local company. I saw a posting and applied and got hired.

Everyone is different, it is the individuals desire to want to learn and understanding the content that moves people forward. If people want to sit around and play WOW or whatever for the whole day then they will get what they pay for in art, which is nothing. It is up to the person to learn and do something with that knowledge.