Dumb question?

[Fist]

Hey guys,

I was wondering something that you may find dumb, but i'll still ask away.

Do you need any drawing skill to actually start making 2d/3d stuff?

Let's say, i can barely draw something with a pen, and i highly doubt that's something to learn (it's something you start your life with imo, like a native skill). Would it STILL be possible to effectively draw 2d/3d stuff? I'm sure there's many tutorials out there, but would "oldschool drawing" still be necessary?

I dont know how it works in game studios/etc, so anyone with former experience or thoughts is welcome to answer!

[Scorpion]

yes you need skill fist, but its more good eyesight and good knowledge of geometetry. If your really want to get into graphic designs as a career, I suggest taking a class at your community college.

Its more mathmatical then it is artsmanship. Hope you did well in Geometry class.

It is good to have some paper drawing skill though. Alot of companies and designers like to see the idea or a rough outline of it on paper before they commit computer time to it.

[ThriKreen]

It's all a matter of practice. 10% skill, 90% practice.

Having some sort of innate drawing skill is like a lazy excuse for most people who can't draw. Taking a figure drawing course helps LOADS because you train yourself to visualize how things look, like bodies and how perspective works.

Once you get the basics down, you can draw, or model, anything.

Best way is to buy a sketch book, some pencils (I recommend the animator blue ones, because you can avoid erasing a lot) and NEVER STOP DRAWING.

Start by drawing basics first, i.e. on the public transit, just do stick figures of people sitting around. Then flesh it out for their body mass, then the chairs, clothes, etc. Do it in stages.

For drawing people, learn how the body is constructed (ooo Biology) and how it moves. How muscles work. Heck, nude photos of models are great for this, as you get a naked body to look at in various poses from all angles. Then move on to practicing clothing. Then draw the same figure from different poses. Ref art is great for this stuff.

The sad part is, after doing all this, you'll never be able to look at porn the same way, since you're now used to all this nudity. =)

Basics like this help immensly when dealing with 3D art, as obviously if you can visualize something in 3D, you can then model it and make it look "right".

[Fist]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I don't want to make a career out of this. To be honest, i always wanted to draw but i sucked at it so i never got the motivation to keep trying.

After hearing from you guys, i figured giving a shot at 2d/3d might be fun.

But since i have a full-time job, courses are out of the way for awhile.

So i guess the oldschool method of buying a book, pen, and keep trying over and over is STILL the best method to learn even if you have 0 skills? :)

I know Ferret did lots of good stuff even tho he barely drawed before. I thought it was more "genetic-like" stuff.

[blue]

creativity for the win.
you can posses the know how... but if you dont know what to make... your no where better than you were before.

[Fist]

Hmm what do you mean by creativity?

I always have ideas of what to draw..my problem is: i cant put it the right way on paper. It's just plain ugly. Like if i wanted to draw my cat, or my girlfriend, it seems good in my head, but i just can't do it right on paper..

[blue]

here. for example.
i can do 3d rendering of homes. i think it comes out pretty damn good.

but i can never come up with a look that i like.
i'll throw it over to my friend steve (an architect intern) and he has great ideas on what to do...

he cant do it in 3d. but he comes up with some great ideas... me? i can draw it. but i cant design it.

make sense?

i lack creativity. i cant just sit down and think of an object to draw / model etc. i can however, mimic anythign you give me if i have the time and the will power.

thats what i mean.

[Fist]

Yeah i understand Blue.

I'm like the architect from your work..i got plenty of ideas, my problem is just that i can't put it on paper (computer, whatever).

Just wanted advice/tips from you guys ;)

[Scorpion]

When it comes to the gaming world there are basically 3 sides to every team Fist.

You have the creative side, they come up with the storylines, the lore, ideas for what the world should look like etc.

You have the coders, they take what the creative side does and basically make it happen, they are the technical side and often have clashes with team creative on what can and can't be done.

Then you have graphics, they take from the creative side and coders and give everything visuals. Again they have clashes with everyone on what can and can't be done.

If your just looking to get involved with the gaming industry perhaps graphics is not the best path for you if your a highly creative person. I personally work for simutronics in the creative design team. You can find alot of my work in the upper level areas of Dragon realms and Gemstone III, and you will see a SHITLOAD of my influence in Hero's Journey if the coders ever get their asses in gear.

[Fist]

I'm in the gaming industry sir ;P

I'd like to draw more for myself than anything else..i don't think i'd make a career out of it. You know, just something you can do when you feel like it ;)

My career, for the moment, is oriented toward network admin. Think it'd be better to keep going that way instead of changing paths everytime i get bored ;)

[Scorpion]

>>I dont know how it works in game studios/etc, so anyone with former experience or thoughts is welcome to answer!
<<

That comment led me to believe you weren't ;p Don't you talk with your co-workers?

[Fist]

I work for Ubisoft sir.

Do you know how big it is in here? We have about 1000 employee here.

I dont even know everyone in the network team (30-40 ppl here in Montreal..and we have a few around the world). I dont know anyone else personally that works on games. And we have a few games in development.

I thought it'd be easier to ask here rather walk in there and say "Hey, can anyone answer a few questions for me?" =)

[Scorpion]

hehe, well make friends and get one of them to teach ya then!. I envy you having an Ubisoft gig. I hear they actually pay their employees rather then work on the "volunteer" system.

Been working for Simu since I was 15 (started off as a player representative then moved up into game master status when I turned 18) And they pay their "employees" from a profit pool. They have like 20 people in house and the rest of us are all volunteers around the world hehe.

[Fist]

Yeah we get paid. I dont do voluntary stuff ;P Not for 40 hrs a week at the very least.

Just apply to Ubisoft man. They hire tons of new people each week. Just this morning, i saw like 20 new people. Last week had about the same. Etc..

The main office is in Montreal, Canada. Lots of ppl who work here dont even speak/understand french. Only thing is to know if you want to move. They usually pay for the move, visa, etc..

Just let me know if you want to apply, i can always send in an app for you.

[Scorpion]

Don't get me wrong about Simu though. I LOVE working for them, they are an awesome company who does some great work. They offer inhouse positions but most of us don't take them because its more or less a side project for us all.

Me personally I need to get my drive to get a degree back before I become a fulltime employee.

[Fist]

What do you do now for them?

And do you have a regular job?

[Scorpion]

I am on the creative team, I do roleplaying events, item creation, area design and monster creation.

Currently I don't have a regular job, but usually I do ;p I'm in the process of moving to florida right now so not really actively searching for a job here.

[Scorpion]

If you've ever played Dragonrealms. Alot of the areas in the 4th (island province) are my design as are the creatures.

[ThriKreen]

There's a lot more mixing and overlap between design, art and programming than Scorp lets on for a game studio. The more you know about the other two areas the better you can design around limitations to get the most potential out of the game.

For instance, David Gaider, the lead designer/writer for Bioware, wrote the story behind SoU and HotU, did lots of great dialogue for Deekin, and also wrote HK-47's dialogue from KOTOR. Not to mention the stuff in BG and BG2. He knows his stuff.

"Yeah, but if you can write, you can make games, right?"

Well, no, it's not just a matter of writing. Remember - these are RPG style games, meaning multiple choices are offered to the players. You need to be able to think ahead and expand all these branches when the player picks one, and have the NPCs respond accordingly. THAT sort of writing style takes a lot of skill to work in, as you need to be able to make the results flow properly and give the players a range of choices without making it feel like you're restricting them into a set linear path.

Then there's seeing other community members for NWN offer 2000 poly SWORDS to people (avg is supposed to be under 250).

At any rate, you're just starting out and curious, touch everything you can, get a taste for it all - some areas will spark your interest so focus on them.

[Arsonic]

I'm the best exemple here fist... i cant draw a cow without legs and head with a pen but i can make decent stuff in 2d (well i think so) =) anyway i always hated drawing with a pen even at college but like someone said before i would say practice... i've been ****ing around with photoshop for some time now... and i still learn everyday.. anyway if you need some hints let me know =)... you should learn flash and 2d =) or 3d and help me out with that cause i sux ass in 3d =) i can barely make a cube :) just find what you better in ... everyone have part of "arts" that they are better then others... anyway first of all we should go play golf first so you can see how bad i'm ;)

let me know when you free next week we'll go play after i come back from fishing =)


YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO