02-20-2014, 05:44 PM
Haha, it's all good. Well there is no right answer. I find there is a lot of information out there on the web to be able to teach yourself quite adequately, but there isn't a lot that explains in simple terms in one place how it all fits together. We all tend to muddle along for a year or two and eventually figure out what we should have been doing all along.
I think for either graphic design, concept art or illustration a study of fundamentals will help you. Graphic design is a little different, you probably wouldn't need as much anatomy for example, but then again it is a very different field.
For concept art, a lot of people really overlook the design aspect of it. It's actually why I prefer the term concept design over concept art. Concept design actually has very little to do with art. It is a tool used to get a product at the end of a production pipeline. Many people starting out get fooled by this fact. The emphasis is on design iteration and speed more often than not. The process is less important, the design is the most important.
If you more enjoy the process of painting, and taking time and care with your work, creating stories, building narrative,then illustration will be more your thing.
Basically you would probably be better working on your fundamentals first. First drawing and line. This one is actually more important than the focus it is given sometimes. If you can draw anything well, you are a step ahead already. Then volume and form. Values, Anatomy, perspective, composition, colour. So yes start with those. I do want to emphasise that you shouldn't stop doing fun things as well as this more study oriented stuff, but at first the more study you do the stronger your skills will become. I think doing 3d for money is a great idea. You will keep your skills fresh and you can use your 3d to help your 2d base images, for perspective and composition etc.
For your folio, well to be honest realistically you won't have much worth showing in the first year or two at least, but I think it is a good idea to get into the habit of cycling new pieces through your folio all the time. So every month or two, try and finish one illustration or character design or vehicle, whatever, as good as you possibly can. Add that to your folio. Then keep doing it every month or two. Once you have 10 pieces, start swapping out the worst old ones for the best new ones. Keep doing this and eventually your folio will start getting much better in overall quality as your skills improve with study.
I started with 30 minute to 1 hour speedpaints of random things every night about 4 years ago just to start drawing after 10 years of not. It helped but it isn't the most efficient way of improving and I wasn't very serious. About 2.5 years ago I got serious and I then began to learn about the fundamentals and started doing studies here and there. Never went hardcore on the study myself like some daggers here, but I've mostly just built up skill by continuing to paint a lot. I did one online course with cgma for environment design. I recommend doing some online courses as well, cgma is good, especially for the fundamentals, but they are a bit pricey. There are cheaper options out there likeand go to every white cloud world workshop that runs here in wellington. They run up in Auckland occasionally too, and for around 300 dollars for a weekend I highly highly recommend them.
I've been getting much better in the last year, with a lot of hard work, so it can be done. Other than that, just perseverance, and realising that as long as I keep enjoying the process, I will manage to do something with this art thing.
I think for either graphic design, concept art or illustration a study of fundamentals will help you. Graphic design is a little different, you probably wouldn't need as much anatomy for example, but then again it is a very different field.
For concept art, a lot of people really overlook the design aspect of it. It's actually why I prefer the term concept design over concept art. Concept design actually has very little to do with art. It is a tool used to get a product at the end of a production pipeline. Many people starting out get fooled by this fact. The emphasis is on design iteration and speed more often than not. The process is less important, the design is the most important.
If you more enjoy the process of painting, and taking time and care with your work, creating stories, building narrative,then illustration will be more your thing.
Basically you would probably be better working on your fundamentals first. First drawing and line. This one is actually more important than the focus it is given sometimes. If you can draw anything well, you are a step ahead already. Then volume and form. Values, Anatomy, perspective, composition, colour. So yes start with those. I do want to emphasise that you shouldn't stop doing fun things as well as this more study oriented stuff, but at first the more study you do the stronger your skills will become. I think doing 3d for money is a great idea. You will keep your skills fresh and you can use your 3d to help your 2d base images, for perspective and composition etc.
For your folio, well to be honest realistically you won't have much worth showing in the first year or two at least, but I think it is a good idea to get into the habit of cycling new pieces through your folio all the time. So every month or two, try and finish one illustration or character design or vehicle, whatever, as good as you possibly can. Add that to your folio. Then keep doing it every month or two. Once you have 10 pieces, start swapping out the worst old ones for the best new ones. Keep doing this and eventually your folio will start getting much better in overall quality as your skills improve with study.
I started with 30 minute to 1 hour speedpaints of random things every night about 4 years ago just to start drawing after 10 years of not. It helped but it isn't the most efficient way of improving and I wasn't very serious. About 2.5 years ago I got serious and I then began to learn about the fundamentals and started doing studies here and there. Never went hardcore on the study myself like some daggers here, but I've mostly just built up skill by continuing to paint a lot. I did one online course with cgma for environment design. I recommend doing some online courses as well, cgma is good, especially for the fundamentals, but they are a bit pricey. There are cheaper options out there likeand go to every white cloud world workshop that runs here in wellington. They run up in Auckland occasionally too, and for around 300 dollars for a weekend I highly highly recommend them.
I've been getting much better in the last year, with a lot of hard work, so it can be done. Other than that, just perseverance, and realising that as long as I keep enjoying the process, I will manage to do something with this art thing.