Wouldn't it be nice if you could just,
follow a course step by step,
add that image to your portfolio,
send it to a studio or architect and start getting work?
Unfortunately, I would be lying if I said it was that easy.
There is more to 3d than creating the odd good-looking image. Clients hire consistency over good images. They need to know you are reliable and will deliver every time.
There are 3 steps to being able to deliver top-quality images consistently to clients.
Follow these 3 steps and life will be easy. Try to jump to the next one before you are ready and you can fail fast, believe me, I tried.
Understanding the basics of how to use the tools. The most overlooked and where people try to get to the next step, or worse step 3, without really getting their foundations right. You need to have confidence in your tools.
Developing skills in certain areas, such as 3d modeling or creating materials. Your basic knowledge will take you so far. If you want to get to the next level you need to have a deeper understanding of the key areas.
Creating some remarkable images for your portfolio. Don't get me wrong you could just jump to step 3 and render some great images for your portfolio. But without the foundations and the skills from steps 1 and 2, you aren't set up for long-term success.
You are going to turn up to a studio or start on a client project with a tight deadline and learn the hard way you should have nailed steps one and two.
Start with 1, then 2 and then 3 to create a solid foundation for your career, long term.
Once you understand the tools and begin to develop specific skills. You need to ask...
How are you going to stand out and differentiate yourself from the thousands of other CGI artists?
The answer is deliberate practice over a sustained period of time. The best writers you know write regularly, the best runners run regularly and the best artists create art regularly.
You can't be a 3d artist that doesn't create 3d!
If you want to be top of the list when a client is looking for a 3d artist then get creating. Set a time, for example, 6-8 am every weekday. With these 10 hours of 'creating' time per week why not aim to create 5 new images by the end of the year. Share them in the Facebook group for feedback and upload them to your portfolio each week.
Don't worry about being great, be good regularly.
Render On!
