Oil artist enters 3D CG
9 messages in this thread
Jennifer-
Welcome!
<<What do you mean by "re-inventing the 3D wheel?" Would love to chat with you
about the program. I am an artist working in oils who has become interested in
computer-aided design and animation>>
By "reinventing the 3d wheel", I mean that I get so eager to apply the program
to my particular area, I often neglect to do the absolute common-sense
essentials – like working through all the excellent tutorials. Then I end up
beating my head against the wall on some detail that was clearly explained on
p.137. Once you "know enough to be dangerous"., it's sometimes hard to go back
and do the tutorials.
BTW – since you are apparently a "traditionally trained artist", if you don't
already have it – you should get Fractal Painter X2 , and a Wacom
pressure-sensitive tablet – you will go absolutely nuts. This program uses
traditional artist's tools and paper textures (all totally customizable),
including oils – but you are painting with light! If you have a reasonably
fast computer and plenty of RAM, using the Wacom pen is as close to working
with a real drawing tool as it's likely to ever get.
I grieve because I have so much neat software that I don't have time to explore
for purely artistic reasons. My husband asked me the other day, if I "wasn't
interested" in doing "real creative work" with these tools … I looked at him
incredulously, and asked if he was willing to give up his whole 5-10 min/day of
my attention so I could do so – or if I should take it out of the kids' time?
(he asked if I could document that he was actually getting 5-10 minutes …)
Is Donald prepared to be a "3D widower"?
I am moving this conversation to the "Take 5/General" section of the Asoft
forum, hope it's OK with you – but you'll have a chance to get input from all
sorts of people who are friendly, and more knowledgeable than I am (also it
doesn't cost as much as email). Just address your forum messages to "ALL", and
experts will magically materialize (well, not exactly materialize, given the
nature of the medium), but they will respond.
Have fun!
Gayle G de N, SAVANTES
Hi Gayle, Welcome from a former oil pusher. I laid down my oil brushes about
three years ago to pursue this 3D stuff. Be warned, the motion element is
perhaps the most intriguing of possiblities for a painter.
Michael B.
I'd agree there …
I introduced 3DS anims to a couple of friends a while ago and they are complete
addicts now.
The ability to model the movement of apparently real objects can be an all
encompasing experience for the not-so-used-to-it !
Now we can illustrate our dreams. The only problem I now have is that my
rendering capability is falling way behind by a factor of 8.
Oops. I'm not the oil artist … the artist is Jennifer Schwartz, wife of
member Donald Schwartz. I was responding to her query, which I quoted in the
beginning of my note.
But … with some traditional-tools experience myself – I wonder if others
don't miss the tactile aspects – like hands in clay, the smell of oils and
turp, charcoal smudges on your face?
Working with light is exciting, and multiple levels of "undo" are practical,
but until output media can live up to "how it looks on the monitor", I don't
think I'll feel fully compensated for giving up the non-visual sensory aspects
of traditional techniques. What do y'all think.
As a previous freelance illustrator, I'd have to say in general no. The only
real execption to the is sketching w/pencil or pen. I'm afraid I still remember
airbrushing a scene after forgeting to turn on the ventalation; there are
things more un-amusing than sneezing bright grass green for a couple of days,
but I haven't experienced them in a while ;^). I guess for me the creation
expereince has always be more mental (no puns, please! <g>).
John Stetzer
JWS
A "mentalsmith" no doubt. <g> We like good mentasmiths.
Michael B.
>>I wonder if others don't miss the tactile aspects
Absolutely. My hands really miss working. A year or so ago I had a project
designing an elaborate transforming table for a yacht. I designed it in ACAD
3D then rendered it in 3D Studio. The clients OK the design and then I had the
wonderful task of actually building the design. My hands were so happy for
almost two months. Yes, I really miss the tactile.
As I go into my 3rd year with 3D Studio I am beginning to notice that my
process is becoming more and more like painting.
Michael B.
I've been an artist my hole life oils, patels, water colors, air brush,
charcole, pencils and so forth. I have to say I don't miss the mess. I think
there is a hole ball park to open up to. I find that 3ds3 is a great programe
to explore the possibilities. Some of my images have qualities of being oil
painted. For an example look at my image Heavan.zip in the utilities dir in
asoft, don't ask me why it's in this dir but it seem to have quit a few down
loads.
Mike White [SDP]