3D software - worth the time to learn?

Christine Garner · 12 Mar 2019, 09:31

@sigross ZBrush 2019 looks really cool. It is known as NPR rendering (Non photo realistic). You can do that with Blender as well with different material types.

Christine Garner · 12 Mar 2019, 09:38

@sigross I felt like that for years as well. I wish I hadn't put off learning it for so long though.

sigross · 12 Mar 2019, 13:27

@Christine-Garner Yeah I had a go on blender. Essentially I'd like to learn them both. I do prefer the interface of ZBrush. But they're both complicated as a beginner. Once I know where all the buttons are I'll be able to get into it. I think it'll be worth the effort.

Christine Garner · 12 Mar 2019, 13:53

@sigross Hi I just happened to be online doing research for my blog so this is going to be a long reply sorry. Yeah they are complicated to begin with. I'd recommend doing a beginner level course for either first to get the hang of the basics. Once you have an understanding of the UI, how to navigate in 3D space and add objects it gets a little better. I did a crash course on CG Cookie (They have a Blender beginners series of videos) and followed some beginner courses on Udemy. It took me about 3 months to get the basics, but I'm still going through a course on Udemy. There are a few free ones on Udemy and around YouTube, but what really helped me was doing a crash course on CG Cookie which has a beginners series on Blender. There is a tutor (he's done some courses here on SVS Learn)- Marco Bucci, who uses Blender- I found a YouTube video he did of an overview of using 3D for 2D art here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PRiM1LAh2U
I read that Schoolism does a really good beginner course for ZBrush: https://www.schoolism.com/lp/introduction-to-zbrush-justin-goby-fields/
What I would have liked ideally to begin with would have been a course aimed toward 2D illustrators with no prior knowledge of 3d software describing the real world benefits of using 3D for helping the creation of 2D art and with a focused syllabus for the core skills needed without going too complicated. Most are aimed at gamedev, architecture or AAA concept art, but maybe one day someone will do that or I will find one.

Christine Garner · 12 Mar 2019, 14:05

Oh- just realized Marco Bucci HAS done a course for blender for using with digital painting-. https://marcobucciartstore.com/collections/online-workshops/products/using-3d-techniques-with-digital-painting. I should have read the YouTube description more.
There are also artists like Tony Leonard who demo using ZBrush for 2D line art https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHQvh0oCMCo

sigross · 12 Mar 2019, 14:52

@Christine-Garner Thats a great help. Thanks I'll take a look at those links. Cheers.

Christine Garner · 12 Mar 2019, 18:24

@sigross Cool Glad it was useful. There are a fair amount of Blender tuts and one by Justin Goby Fields on Skillshare as well, thought I'd mention it as lots of people use that site already and I think if you have a subscription you can watch any of the courses (I'm not affiliated with any of these links I've mentioned btw). https://www.skillshare.com/classes/Digital-Concept-Art-Designing-Creatures-Learn-with-Wacom/1752963798?via=search-layout-grid

Christine Garner · 13 Mar 2019, 21:56

I went into writing mode today and made an article about "Some Techniques for using Digital 3D Art Software for Digital 2D Painting, Illustration and Design workflows" if anyone feels like reading . https://medium.com/the-art-squirrel/some-techniques-for-using-digital-3d-art-software-for-digital-2d-painting-illustration-and-design-d7a6fb45ea5c. I think I was procrastinating about drawing peacocks today.

sigross · 14 Mar 2019, 05:27

@Christine-Garner I'll have a read of that. Sounds interesting. I tend to read crypto/bitcoin stuff on medium and forget there's a whole range of subjects on there!

sigross · 23 Jul 2020, 22:58

@Christine-Garner I've been getting more into blender since this post, had other stuff to make in between. I just bought The Grove so I can grow my own trees, which I'm quite excited about. There's also FLIP Fluids I'm looking at so I can experiment with liquids. Now that the grease pencil has been upgraded I can see many things in my mind that I can now make without having to spend a fortune.

Christine Garner · 24 Jul 2020, 11:44

@sigross Awesome! Thanks for sharing . I wish more people knew how amazing Blender is, it has come leaps and bounds just since i started learning it 2 years ago. I'm still learning about the things it can do- and I'm going to check out those things you mentioned they look really cool.

jdubz · 26 Jul 2020, 03:56

I may have posted this in another threat that was similar but if it helps anyone I think it's worth a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS1w8vldA0w

Kind of gives you a bit of an overview of how you might use this in the simplest way possible - setting up flat shade rooms just so that the lighting and proportions are 100% set, then you just export it as a jpg image and paint right on top of it.

This is a good reminder to actually jump back into it because I got some basics down and then just fell out of the habit

Jeremy Ross · 27 Jul 2020, 21:48

Hi @jdubz, also found this video helpful from Simona Ceccarelli using sketch up as start for her illustration. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2u7HFEp9M4

jdubz · 28 Jul 2020, 06:39

Nice - thanks for the input!

lora_chaudavis · 28 Jul 2020, 17:42

I want to recommend the artwork of Aaron Becker! He uses 3D modeling in his children's books illustrations in a way that is really inspiring and unique. He 3D models, the city, then prints out the outlines very faintly on watercolor, and paints it by hand. There is an interview on this that just blew my mind when I read it - http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings/?p=3255

Here are a couple of process images from the interview

Christine Garner · 29 Jul 2020, 09:05

I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, sorry if I did. Jama Jurabaev is a concept artist who makes lots of useful resources and tutorials aimed toward 2D artists getting into Blender. Anyone interested in the Grease Pencil and how to use 3D as a tool for environment design would probably find his stuff really useful. https://gumroad.com/jamajurabaev
If anyone is looking for beginner tutorials on making 3D characters and props check out Grant Abbitt on YouTube, he is a very good teacher. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZFUrFoqvqlN8seaAeEwjlw
Marco Bucci has been making some really interesting 2D to 3D with Blender videos lately. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff0aobJRSNc&list=PLLmXZMqb_9sayfQ22npe7Ip9RUUevTuU2

sigross · 29 Jul 2020, 22:23

@Christine-Garner Jama's stuff looks great. Have you used any of the kitbash3D sets? I was thinking of buying the Victorian kit for city backdrops to a story I'm drawing. I've got a lot of reference stuff already from regularly photographing London. But I'd like to try different lighting setups that you can't get from photographs.