Catchup

Easy now, I started a new blog and emailed the address, but will add here instead... week 1

I feel that I learned a lot in the first year, not just 3DS Max, and theory but more importantly I learned how to learn better... If that makes sense?  What I mean is that I was in a comfortable (yet not sociable) routine, putting a lot of hours into university work while exploring & learning at the same time.

I can spend a lot of time working but I want to try and manage that time better.  Setting regular short term goals which I can say are "finished" and move onto the next thing.  I have a bad habit of obsessing over the current thing and getting slightly lost.  I'm going to take a step back and rethink my routine.

first thing - have a purpose to each piece I do.  What I have often been doing is "doodling".  I'd start drawing something and not really know where I'm going.  I'm not saying I don't learn anything at all or enjoy it, but it is just bad practice and the results are powerless as I have no real goal, or reason why it should work.

Here's a doodle I did.  Even though I like it myself I could understand that not many others would.  I should be trying to make a quality picture.  Many of my doodles start with what I consider strong lines and tones... Otherwise I would just start all over as it is a quick process.  What I need to do is use that skill better and actually finishing images.

This picture was a "fail" as I know it's a doodle, By default a doodle has no goal, its just a random brain fart, doodling is what you scribble out when on the phone.  On the plus side it is a very quick process and helps develop judgement, technique, and calmness (is great for a break).

But year two is a step up.  One of my main goals is to set myself more personal projects - Including managing my time better and working on my portfolio.  That's the reason I played around with blogger a bit - A little practice.  I thought a serious portfolio shouldn't have weekly rants about random crap (these blogs I do).

Another mini-project thing I have been doing involves http://www.posemaniacs.com/ it's a pretty popular site for us Game Art students and is a pretty simple site.  I'm spending about twenty minute some mornings drawing quick 30 second human figure in Photoshop.  It's great for developing judgement (where and how to draw the lines), speed (every second counts), the eye (many poses and perspectives and orientations), and is a pretty nice way to wake up a little.

There is also a second bonus as it gets me acquainted with using references - Which I often don't use, and my work suffers... It used to feel like copying.  But the Mona Lisa had reference, and that's a pretty good painting.

As for 3D work I am going to try and learn a lot of different things.  Me poppy bought me Marmoset for me birthday, and it's pretty damn easy to use. I plan to go back over Mr Pickton's tutorials as there was a lot I didn't impliment/learn and will be very useful.

High poly modelling, Zbrush, more 3DS Max, and UDK are all pretty vital to learn... Gonna leave Maya until it's vital too.  So some personal 3D projects would be a good idea.