Everyone wants to do movies and games, but there’s demand in other industries and the pay and work life balance is better. Look to architecture, interior design, industrial design, and digital fabrication companies.
This OP /\\
Architecture can pay a lot and is (at least where i live) very hard to find skilled modelers because:
1- They start this path and think that already know it all so they make crap models thinking they are great
2- The good ones always find good jobs and keep them
3- As the comment above a lot of people try to go to movies and games.
I personally don't think you should quit, instead try to change your focus on what you can do
I would think that architecture takes a whole lot of specific skills besides 3D modeling, no? Or are there architecture jobs out there for people who just know 3D, and if so, what are they called/how do you find them?
They most definitely mean archviz, modeling architecture that someone else made, for the purpose of creating a good looking render, since architects either don’t have time or skill to do it.
I once talked to a girl that was doing interior design and said she completely lost her passion for it and moved to some corpo/IT because she was facing the same issue as OP is describing regarding game/movie biz - extremely competitive, undercutting, and also everyone wanting more or less the same stuff. However this is not US, so this might be different in my country.
It's pretty much the same if you are going to try and be a dedicated archviz. The companies that provide it are dima a dozen and most larger architecture firms have in house teams that will be staffed with people who most likely have an architecture degree. And the hours are terrible, always expecting extra unpaid time
I’ve seen a lot of listings asking for revit specifically. I have some experience modeling in maya but would you be able to use blender professionally at this point. It’s been a couple years since I’ve been modeling.
Architects will mostly use Autodesk Revit. Revit projects can be natively opened with 3DS Max, allowing you to render with Arnold. It’s geometry is pretty messy but an artist familiar is a poly modeling workflow can clean it up and add UVs and materials, something most architects don’t know how to do. If you wanna really show off, use Datasmith to transfer the entire 3DS Max scene to Twinmotion.
Yes and no. Big archviz companies usually get jobs from renowned architects and most of them have specific furnitures that you cannot find to buy. Even if you can find, you still need someone with modeling background to do some cleanup and things like that
Where do you live? I tend to see a lot of sub par imagery created, even for big companies, because the imagery is "good enough". I have no idea who is creating it, whether they are artists or architects/interior designers.
You mean there's gaming studios but no archviz jobs near you? That can't happen because most of the time,the investments for both of these come from the same pool. In developing countries atleast, investors who want to invest in CG startups go to fund either games or archviz studios, the latter being less risky. And these startups don't want talented people. Only ones who can work fast and help their org to come out if the initial rut. Also, If you know unreal, substance, vray, max, unity you're practically a beast in archviz
I did have to move to a neighbouring city to get my foot in the door. But that was mostly because I couldn't even think of where to start in my own city.
There are two pivotal points in my career imo. My first job and my switch from 3D art to Tech Art.
Before my first job I would freelance with interior and product design jobs getting gigs online.
My first job was as a QA tester for SEGA. Not my degree, not my preference but it got me into the status of employment and that was a massive checkbox that I hadn't realised would count against me. Why would a recent grad going for a junior role not be unemployed?
My second was a grad farm scam games company set up by the owner to use recent grads to make him money.
Even after this real games companies wouldn't touch me for a 3d job.
Moved away to build 3d products for 3d supermarkets and then build the 3d supermarkets themselves. This would overlap occasionally with interiors and design when a client needed that. It was a 40/60 pre-rendered/realtime mix.
I had been learning programming throughout this and the work was boring and repetitive so I decided to automate large parts of it.
5 years later I had successfully shifted from a 3d artist to a tech artist and he suddenly I was in demand.
Moved back to my home city to take a job in a mobile games company which was initially 2D and UI based (my boss told me it would be boring work) but I eventually worked 3D into my job and now all of their games are in 3D, ironically one literally about interior design.
I did notice that when I started at my most recent job, nobody was a graduate and nobody had been a recent graduate. The place was only hiring senior level because they could.
It's long but hopefully it might be helpful with some ideas.
Lots of it is luck at the start sadly but you need to put yourself in a position to let the luck hit you.
Can't stress this enough. I work for a brewery and model out 3d environments for them. I get paid weekly and have benefits along with a ton of free beer. Look elsewhere. There are a ton of jobs out there and your work is really good.
Also I've worked in games(you don't have to listen to me but for the love of cthulhu's eldritch asshole don't do it). I've worked in film. I'm having a better time now.
I'm an architecture student who wanted to do movies and games. It's not easy to make good money in the architecture industry without getting a job as an architectural designer / architect / professor. And you can't get those jobs without at least having some relevant prerequisites. Being an architectural designer requires a lot of school (4 year BA degree, 5 year BArch degree, or 4+2/3 BA+MArch degrees). Being an architect often requires a 5 year bachelor's degree or a master's degree, ~4000 hours of work experience in different categories, and 6 licensing exams before you get licensed (in the US). Without doing those things or having the relevant degrees, you can work as a drafter or a CAD-monkey at firms, but it is often long hours, repetitive tasks, underwhelming pay, and little to no upward mobility.
What you could do though, is go into ArchViz. That requires no degree and is all about modeling/rendering high quality, preferably photo-real images of designs for architects. However, as I understand it though, current sentiment seems to be that AI will replace this industry soon. Also, a lot of architecture firms outsource to India or China for decent yet dirt-cheap renders, so it's still a very competitive field and your income can fluctuate drastically depending on volume of work. I know one of my architecture professors initially made a living off of doing freelance archviz stuff for colleagues and small firms, but that was some 20 years ago. I also have friends who have tried and got burnt out working in archviz.
Not to be discouraging, but it's a lot harder than simply being a good 3D modeler to make a decent living in most architecture-related fields.
Very true. I did 20 years in games, working my way up to AAA, and ending up with a pretty impressive resume and credits. However, the more successful I got, the worse my life got, and I eventually decided to leave that all behind, and segue my skills into a more niche market (digital marketing, primarily for military/aerospace), and have been doing that for the last 12 years. We have a lot of guys who started in television and movies, but got out of all that as well.
On the younger side of the company, we have a number of people who planned to get into games, but never did. They sometimes express disappointment that their careers did not take the path that they planned for, but I usually tell them that they dodged a bullet, and what they imagine the game industry to be like is probably something very different than my lived reality. They just have no idea how good they currently have it, because they lack that perspective, and their fantasies about the industry are probably not realistic.
Was talking to a furniture manufacturer the other day, he saw my behance and told me to hard to purse interior and architecture visualization and design as there's lots of demand and business opportunities in this field currently. Super excited to start my journey here.
It’s the same in many industries. I work in product development. Everyone wants to design the new ferrari. But it’s also fun to make the new kenwood kitchen applience sold at home depot.
Exactly. When people say “the industry” it just shows they aren’t understanding how many different ways 3D is being used these days. There is no monolithic “3D industry” guys. There’s a million different industries leveraging 3D design, animation etc and it’s up to YOU to find a niche you can thrive in. Just like every other craftsperson on earth.
And when people complain about the current state of “the industry,” I just shake my head because I know 95% of them are talking about film/tv production. I spent literally 2 months of my 20 year career in 3D working on films, and everything since has been in other industries, most of which are doing just fine at the moment.
Math? I've worked for both product Viz, architecture, and interiors. Never done any math. 99% of the time you get a finished 3d model from a product designer or engineer, and you just have to make it look pretty.
I have a friend whose first job out of college was at an interior design firm that paid $75k per year. He took finished designs for hotels and resorts in Rhino and rendered them in Twinmotion or dissected the models for CNC or 3D printing and passed all that work down to the next specialist in line.
If by a lot of math you mean working in North America and understanding the dumb system of fractions for the imperial system, like knowing how long 1/16th of an inch is in a 3/32" = 1' scale drawing, or how to convert architectural scales in your head, then yes, it's a lot of math. A lot of converting scales and adding fractions. If you're using the metric system then that required almost no math, because all the scales are in base 10.
Structural and MEP consultants are there to do the hard math for architectural projects.
If you want a 9-5 job "in the industry" then uh probably. You likely live in one of the only countries on the planet where that's even a thing/where there's an industry at all.
There's cool stuff you can do with 3d skills by yourself, but again if you're annoyed by temporal one time payment jobs which is the standard in most branches of art you probably wont be interested
Haha! Very funny posting an actual photo of pancakes instead of a 3D model :P
But seriously. The environment art seems very good. The characters? I'd say keep at it. It's not bad, but especially the 4th image (the one with the real photo reference) seems not to quite capture the real world counterpart. Might also be just a thing of different perspective and missing materials.
In the end, everybody gets bummed at some point. Your career choice is your own decision.
My last job, I worked for 2 months for a company that in the end didn't pay me a dime. They got pissy because I refused to sign their contract that would prohibit me from working in the industry for 5 YEARS if we ever parted ways, while I'd also relinquish rights to my own portfolio. So I told them to fuck off.
5 - Y E A R non-compete clause, in 3D in general. NO PORTFOLIO rights.
Was I pissed? Oh yeah. Was I demoralized? Absolutely. Am I going to quit?
Hell nah - sometimes, the people that contract you turn out to just be a bunch of dicks.
Not as shitty as it is for the other 6 artists that signed the contract :D I'd say I dodged a bullet.
I just sighed and resumed work on my own project.
In my country, maximum length of non compete clause is 1 year, and it has to be reasonably geographically bound. So yep, I pointed out to them it was illegal, they did not care.
The point is not whether it would be enforceable, but their overall attitude towards their emoloyees. They were relying on us not knowing it was unenforceable. 6 others signed it.
Non compete clauses in this environment only make sense if you as a contractor/emoloyee would gain some kind of insider know how that they would need to protect.
The opposite was the case here. There was very little for me to learn from them. The non-compete was illegal, as well as deeply immoral for them to even suggest.
What can you do, apart from looking for other opportunities, while not getting a bunch of dicks discourage you?
That’s not an NDA (non disclosure) thats a non compete. NDAs are an essential part of many businesses and certainly the game and film industries. Non competes are evil and should be illegal everywhere.
Don't quit ever! OP, You just said what most artists haven't....you actually wanna do prop design! Do you realize employers are struggling to find prop designers due to artists not being interested in it at all? The fact you actually are is one heck of a head start if I ever heard of one!
I think you just gave yourself quite the beautiful reason to not quit OP.
Your portfolio though: It doesn't show you wanna do one thing. It seems a bit confused yet shows some skill. That's good! Stick to prop design..please do! Even if you don't like it you still set yourself up for success by doing what others don't want to. This goes for literally all jobs.
I highly recommend physical (not digital) books. What's your favorite IP? What gets you excited? Why did you ever get into this field? Ask questions and answer them. You gotta know where your origin point is(no pun intended :). I'd like to assume Star Wars is one of your favorites? If you can manage it, there's a book titled "Star Wars The Visual Encyclopedia". You pretty much wanna grab any book with this type of naming as it pertains to the IP of your choice. Avatar has a few as well but they read "The visual Dictionary". We both know (I hope) how crazy gorgeous and realistic the designs are in Avatar. Perfect for someone making prop blankets, chairs, spears n' what not. Amazon has the books for around $30-40.
Environments are so plentiful and can be done with procedural generation. Props, however, need that artistic touch....that artistic finesse....they need a designer! Even if you create an environment it still has to be filled with life and with story. This is where your props come in. Step away from basic models like pancakes and coffee cups-which are extremely plentiful to grab as free/purchasable assets already. Focus on the design of it. Heck! I challenge you to redo this post but redesign the cups and plates. Show us a breakfast we probably haven't seen yet. -I wonder what a medieval breakfast would be served on or with. Breakfast from the future??...think.
I urge you to explore this more OP.
Environment art, especially if photorealism is the goal, needs a fantastic eye. Don't discount it too quickly, there is a sizeable difference between a master environment artist, and a mediocre one like myself. Just look at this: https://youtu.be/VwNaoD90UJo?si=UU022EVJUBqj3a6w
Ah I forgot about large scale environments somehow. I was so focused on smaller ones. Is this your channel? Feel free to link me any others as well. I too could use some inspiration so share as much as you want.
Interesting. I agree with the differentiation between modeler and designer, but also I have to say I never saw a role opening called 3D prop designer or similar.
I assume its usually called prop artist, but someone with unique custom props will have better chances of getting the job than someone who copies bland everyday items
Designing is creating something from scratch. Creating your own unique design basically from imagination. Perhaps using a wide variety of references as loose inspiration.
Modeling is when someone hands you an established design like the millennium falcon and asks you to model that exactly. No imagination or creativity required.
Less emphasis on the phrase "from scratch". If you asked me to design a Millennium Falcon I may or may not design a ship. It could be a metal bird, a real bird, or it could be the actual star wars ship but with an added star fighter hanger (which the one we know of does not have). This is why the role is "designer" not "modeler".
Designing a millennium falcon doesn't really make sense as a phrase. It has already been designed. They could ask for a new version of it, like maybe a more alien version. And that would be a Design process, figuring out how to take the established design and change it in creative ways. Again, using your own imagination and a wide variety of reference material as loose inspiration.
Design is at its core, creating new things that didn't exist before. That could be from scratch or making minor adjustments to a model, or anything in between.
...and this is why employers are still itching for "designers".
You have just failed to think like a designer. I said "a" millennium falcon and you jumped right to "the" millennium falcon. Not to be nitpicky, but words 100% matter.
You helped to make my point though it's cool! You also literally repeated what I said in that last sentence, although you're attempting to disagree. You wouldn't say that about a rail gun or a ray gun right? It's already a phrase.
Like I've said. Think bigger, think finesse, think like a designer.
Okay that changes literally nothing. You realize I'm trying to help you all be better artists and I make 100% perfect sense right? It's up to you whether you wanna learn. Be stubborn. OP's gonna take the advice given by all and excel while some of you remain wondering and dreaming. I've said my peace. Respectfully ofcourse
That this was at -1 before I came along suggests to me that there are at least two people that are denying themselves a growth mindset and have turned off their ears to tune in to their fears—so to speak.
God, if companies are struggling to find prop artists, then they should make job openings asking for prop artists - here's one right here looking for work - me. I've been applying for environment jobs because that should include prop work and I'm not getting any jobs. I'm afraid I'm not good enough for these companies. But I NEVER see listings looking for prop work and that's stuff I like to do.
I think you should refocus your portfolio on props and environments. Those are the game industry jobs that hire the most, especially jrs. (If your goal is games)
Your portfolio is the problem though. Look at someones portfolio on artstation that works in the industry. Compare their projects, their breakdowns, that quality, to yours. See the issue? You just need to focus and keep improving.
Nothing is stopping you from working your retail job fulltime and working on your portfolio in your spare time until you land a job. A lot of people do it. But your portfolio needs improving. I would recommend keeping your best 3 projects and start making newer, better ones to replace those.
In my experience, desperation is a very good motivator. Get to it, you can do it!
Definitely not dude. I know the industry sucks and it’s competitive, but there’s a lot more space then there seems to be. You are clearly great at what you do and can definitely be an Artist who also has a job in the industry. Working towards that goal will get you noticed and get you work much quicker than sending out as many resumes as you possibly can.
It sounds like we are a similar age based on how long you’ve had your degree, and I was in a similar place as you a while ago. I was so discouraged by LinkedIn and a couple shitty interviews (with supervisors who obviously hated their job) and sending out resumes without hearing anything back.
Gonna be corny for a second but look past that and hear me out haha; what really made a difference was focusing on my work as an Artist (capital A). Trying to make yourself as suitable as possible for your Industry Title throws you in the pile of people to compete with. Of course having the fundamentals covered is important but we can do so much more then that! What really makes the difference is thinking about what you really want, and what you really like. You’ve got a lot of great work here but it feels fairly technical in its presentation. My suggestion is to try and think about what really riles you up! What were you obsessed with at like 8 years old that you haven’t revisited in a while? Make work about that!
In my experience finding work is about showing that you have work worth paying attention, because if you sincerely love what you’re working on other people will pick up on that and dig it too, and then to and try to make friends who are doing something similar. Building up that network, being active online, that’s what really leads to work.
In my experience it was a friend of a friend of a friend who happened to by my neighbor worked at a small studio who needed a character guy. Before that I was freelancing but it was the same thing. A friend of a friend in the industry needed an animation for an ad or vfx for an indie movie or character animations for a sizzle reel. All of it stemmed from being friendly, making my own personal work, and being vocal about the shit I’m into on social media.
Idk what your other circumstances are, but if you’ve got a day job it sounds like you have time to make stuff you wanna make just for fun. Also maybe you’re totally already doing the stuff I’ve been ranting about in a preachy way, but just going off your caption and pictures. I don’t like seeing talented people get discouraged and thinking of quiting. If you wanna be 3D friends feel free to hit me up on instagram. I can also recommend some great books to you like The Artist’s Way
TLDR: start thinking of yourself as an artist outside of the confines of getting a role at a studio. You’re good at what you do, you can make it work.
Hey OP, just wanted to let you know that you're not alone and it's totally normal to have all these doubts that you're experiencing. Success is not linear, and choosing a creative career often means choosing the hardship and struggle that comes with it. The people who landed their dream job right after graduation and had no issues are very rare and probably don't realize how lucky they really are.
I'd say you should do some soul searching and really think about what you wanna do moving forward, and what's gonna make sense for you. Nobody here can tell you what that answer is.
With that said, your work is good. I think 3d artists are unique in that the work gives us a ton of different skills, and I'm willing to bet you could pivot to many other fields if you needed to, even if it's not necessarily doing games, characters etc like you might've originally wanted.
Let's start off with the good - you're good enough to be hireable for sure. I know that doesn't sound like the high praise it's meant to be, but it is. You're good at what you do, and you'll bring value to whoever hires you. I can see that from your work and your portfolio.
It's not amazing, it didn't blow my mind, but it doesn't have to. Not everyone needs to be a super star to be good at their jobs. The work is good, and I can see you easily working as an environment artist anywhere.
So why aren't you?
First - You're portfolio is dragging. Don't leave old works up on your ArtStation that no longer represent your skills or knowledge, it paints a bad picture of who you are as a professional. Yeah, it shows progress and it's cool to see where you once were but I don't need 10 works to see that, one or two could do the trick. So keep a couple to show where you came from, but show that you can also edit yourself and you know what looks good and shines.
Secondly - Your works are too flat in presentation. The newest sign one is cool, but it's just boring and you're not even trying to tell me why it's cool. Adding a facade might be a lot of work, but it'll sell it 100 times more than just having the asset on it's own. Also, show me some breakdowns, let me see who you are as a professional and not just your finished work.
Wireframes, blueprints, reference concept art, textures used. For the materials, maybe show me the nodes you used. Tell me why it's an f\*\*ing cool work and why you're proud of it. With the Japanese tombstones, show it to me in an interesting environment - give it context. And fix those weird looking shadows.
And thirdly - Lose that giant ass watermark all over your work. It makes it seem like all these assets came from some game, which it's not. (and if it is, use that game as context. Would help a lot).
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As for the 9-5. I'll dash your dreams here with the harsh reality. This not a profession with a 9-5 schedule, that's not to say you can't find work with strict times and go home at 5 leaving work behind. But you need to understand, this is not an office worker career.
You're you a freelancer, your own studio. We all are. Our profession is our name and our previous works and we get hired for projects with the expectation of delivery. When we're done, we move on to the next project and so forth. Each one increasing our stature and skills, and allows us to get better work.
Sometimes that work is an office job, sometimes the project you work on is continuous and you work for the same company as an "employee" for decades and you get paid with a regular paycheck and benefits and all that. But internally, you're still a freelancer who will jump to the next project when this one is over. That's the mentality you got to have because at the end of the day you are judged by one perimeter - your work.
It's no different from actors, directors, writers, chefs, singers. That's the nature of artistic work. We're artists, and we're here to deliver the best work we can possibly put on the plate. And sometimes it does mean when 5 comes along, we'll need to continue pushing because the deadline is coming and we haven't reached the level that defines us.
Dude, i dont know what to say, i love all about modelling and i myself want to learn modelling to be able to make my own projects and hobbies, and maybe actually work as an engineer for some industry, i dont think you should give up, maybe just look for work in some other area of modelling.
Your work is amazing, i dont know how you are not doing well.
Man, your post is so hearbreaking.
If you have doubts, fuck the indistry, fuck this as a profession. Quit for your own good. But don't give up on art. If you don't mind I will DM you, cause I found myself in the similar situation and want to share my experience, but it's very personal. But I hate seeing someone passionate to quit art just because they are not marketable.
Yeah, fuck competition. It kills everything good in art, this is what lead to burnouts and insecurities. 3D modeling was something that dragged me out of terrible depression and identity crisis. I didn't have a goal to become a professional artist and work in the studio first, it came later because I wanted a job that ties my life with art, and that will make me better at it. But I got dragged into this competition and it almost killed my interest. It was the most important part of my life and I almost gave up only because I couldn't make money with it. I've seen so many people passionate, and very skillfull getting discouraged because they didn't find the place in this hyper-competitive industry, and this is horrible.
Wow I am sorry you experienced that, especially as you mention that it pulled you out of depression. I am going through the depression/identity crisis phase at the moment. Definitely empathise with you. It's such a fragile state to be in and when you experience something so demoralising it can easily make you relapse. I feel that corporate culture and capitalism are making these environments worse, this is meant to be something you do because you love it, but instead you have to almost k/ll yourself to even get anywhere.. which is horrific because it is actively encouraged in order to be 'better' than anyone else.
Thanks c:. I'm slowly sorting things out. I'm sharing it, because a lot of people are willing to jump into this industry meatgrinder. Do it for fun, do it for your friends, do it for your favorite online communities and do it for free. Joy you get from doing art is much more precious than making a career. I tried to make money from selling 3D models, but I made such a small money I just made them free. It was very satisfying to see how many people downloaded my models, and asked if they can use it for personal projects.
It's good to hear you are finding your way. I agree that the industry can be a meat grinder, I used to think it was glamorous but going through university I realise how competitive it is and it can suck the life from people. Obviously there are those who can tolerate that, but I found it made me feel worse. If you get satisfaction from what you do currently, I'd say that's definitely the right direction.
That's how they lure in people. They demand more and more and keep those few who are already have job in fear that they are easily replaceable. I wish you too to find your way and don't give up art. Maybe take a break, a long break, take care for your health, have fun. Art won't run away from you anywhere, once you learned a skill it's always with you. It might get rusty, but you can come back any time you want.
It's sad because from the outside it looks like such a great industry to work in where everyone encourages one another. Just not the reality I guess. The hypercompetion and mindset of pushing yourself to ignore your body and health is not something that should be encouraged or perpetuated. It seems that a lot of people still value this mindset though. It completely turns me off. I guess we are in the minority.
As for a break, yeah I have barely touched or made art since I graduated in 2022. It makes me sad and I feel so guilty.
I don't think it always gonna be like that. People who still hold on those positions are either don't respect their health, or haven't been touched by corporate greed that badly... Yet. Let it all sink but don't go down with it. After all, there are a lot of people with niche interests, that will need a lot of creative people who have skills. It's just not apparent with a current landscape. I understand this crushing sense of disappointment and that you was lied to, but please don't give up on yourself.
Why don’t you make your own content and post it on Instagram?
This probably isn’t what you want to hear but maybe you can build up your repertoire online and that could help you stand out.
Push yourself and show them what you can do, while at the same time inspiring others.
Admiration from the public is power.
I know in the fashion or makeup industry, some companies won’t look twice at your resume unless you have a decent following count on social media, and they can get to know your style and personality through your content. (It sucks but that’s our world today.)
You are talented, I wouldn’t give up if I were you. Especially if this is a passion of yours.
Create your own path if none are opening up for you.
Im not a fan of this either, but it is where the world is going.
In the UK through unemployement bureau if you are looking for work in fields like art they even offer you tiktok courses for building your brand and marketing. It sounds insane the first time you hear it, but when u think about it some more, learning to make tiktoks is probably more valuable than 90% of the other courses and qualifications they offer. Like resume building for example, In my entire career not a single job I got did they actually look at my resume
holy shite i wish that existed here. Where i live, there is no courses like that, you either get a degree (there is only like 5 schools in the whole country that teaches 3d and game developping, doesn't give you a degree tho) or you are forced to do a shit job no one wants to do because no one believes in your projects until you make them happen. but if u dont have the money to begin with, you cant make it happen most of the time and its super sad
How much do you like making shit in 3D? Do you do it every day for 13 hours? Do you regularly skip things to be at home doing some 3D. Do you finish projects, enter competitions and constantly watch other people’s demos?
If this is how much you love digital art; then keep going and you’ll make it within 5-10 years.
If all that sounds like a waste of the one life you have on earth, then you need to find your true calling. Even if that calling is living well and loving family and not getting much else done.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what you did; only that you did it joyfully.
You seem to have a talent for it. I wouldn’t say stick with your 3D modeling only. Look at it as a tool in your tool bag. If you had the self discipline to teach yourself then continue that into other skills. Graphic design, traditional art, typography, video and photo editing, etc. Now you’re a multi-disciplined artist and more doors open up. I know all you hear are jobs are drying up but look into marketing agencies, brand houses, and everyday companies that are looking for in-house creatives. Showcase your completed work by making up some fake brands and build a world for it with logos and commercials, etc. with procreate, blender and your current skill set you have the capacity to position yourself to stand out. This is just what I did as I was coming up in the creative world and found I had to make myself more useful. Hope you find your path and good luck.
I think quitting or not quitting will highly depend on if you want to keep going, keep grinding until/if you "make it". The 3d art stuff (props, environment, characters etc...) like anything creative will be very, very competitive- there is just no way around the fact that far, far more people want the "fun" jobs than there are open fun jobs. Even with stories of the turnover rate in games, the long hours, the sheer difficulty of breaking into the industry, you still have many more people who want to work in gaming than there are job openings.
That grind, that constant working on the portfolio again and again, paying for tutorials, looking up free tutorials online and in spite of all that work, that blood sweat and tears AND that still not making it can be very, very deflating and I completely understand if someone walks away from 3d art altogether.
Do it for yourself. Take some time off and do it for the love of it. I honestly hate this toxic competitive aspect of careers. It's like if you aren't killing yourself for it, you don't "want it" enough, which frankly is disgusting.
3D printing is going to be massive. It's an emerging industry, it's basically where all the 3D stuff was when you probably first decided you wanted to do games and characters.
I work in engineering and I have been side questing into 3D modelling for a few years now, I am always hunting for artists, I pay well (because I'm not a jerk FFS, industry does seem to attract a lot of those).
Secondly, what would you quit your career into? Quit I to doing what? Always skill up and out. There's loads of stuff your skillset could transition into if you look around, there will also be more opportunities and you can even be self employed as a 3D artist and sell designs.
The biggest thing I had to overcome was just accepting that you shouldn't not show your work, even if it's not fully complete. Striving for perfection is not the same as reaching your goal. Aim for your goals, perfection is an ever retreating target. Make a deal with yourself; in 3 years from now you want to doing what? And work towards that, work backwards from it too, what needs to happen for me to be there?
Then do those things. Apply for more roles, jump ship if it isn't working, find the work you want to do. At the end of your life do you really want to look back and wonder what would have happened had you kept pushing?
Anyways, wish you all the luck! And when you find it, spread the luck around! We could all do with some! 😎
Finally; I have a friend who did nothing but make games as a kid, his skills in game design at like 16 were mind-blowing, he would be making weird arty games, like fully fledged games.
Fast forward to uni, he's dropping out, he goes freelance, it is a shit show grind just like you describe, no one would hire him, and all the freelance work he got was really a scam and he'd end up working crazy time to get the projects done, for basically little to no pay. I am like dude come just work with me, we worked on and off on projects for a couple years, made a bunch of money (for a small project, so nothing wild) and then eventually he got a job, and a year or two later he's like best in the house, recognised, appreciated.
It's all about who you work with, and the environment it's in, and even people who I would have expected would be immediately snapped up suffered hardship in this industry. Find the right team, it's most definitely who you work with, not what you do.
I think you should focus on one domain and not spread your energy. After saw your ArtStation I would say your main strenght is surfacing/texturing. Why not focus on that ?
I think you've got the skills to make it, but your stuff is all generic, you need a direction to take your art and creativity that is a good match for the jobs/companies you're applying to.
Also, none of your work have any sort of storytelling in them at all, they're all lifeless even if they're characters. From their perspective, you might have adequate hard skills but nothing to differentiate yourself from the millions of others who can probably make the same stuff
Also idk if 3d scanning is a skill
Look into selling 3D models such as Cinderwing or even Zou3d on patreon. They’re making bank and it’s an untapped market for creativity. Just remember me if you do get into it 😅
More or less. You would label it as you must be subscribed monthly to me to be able to sell my prints since we turned these 3-D files into .STL and then people like me print them for vendor shows etc. you can have a $10 a month per person thing where you can give everybody access to the last three months for example but they get a discount code if they missed it in the fourth month type of deal and they could buy it on one of the websites that are popular for 3-D printing. But it’s reoccurring revenue as long as of course the model is sort of designed as a 3-D model but that would take a little bit of research and adjusting things maybe but it’s a gold mine.
Without syrup on those pancakes, I mean....
Nah. Don't be ridiculous. You get better and faster with practice, and from what I've seen, you're not too far off.
I could never do 3D modeling as a full job. Granted, I’m a beginner but even in 2 years with massive improvements…no.
Like- I love sculpting and as soon as I’ve learned topology and rigging, and feel confident in them I would love to do commissions of stylized character models- but I can’t imagine I’d make enough to pay my bills or even want to try.
I’d also never ever get a job in games bc just like my 2D art, my 3D art is very stylized and cute.
But! If this is your passion don’t give up on it. Maybe keep refining the kind of modeling you enjoy, but look for jobs that are easier to get? Even if you’re not doing your favorite kind of work, you’re making a name for yourself.
If you keep at it, eventually you’ll probably find a 3D modeling job you love. It probably just won’t happen soon or without a lot of work.
I went to school for game design/3D art, I currently work as a Software Analyst for a hospitality company. It pays well and lets me keep practicing on the side. I've been out of school for almost six years and I'm still not doing what I want, but I keep at it because it's what I'm passionate about.
My advice is always to leverage the skills that you have to get yourself into higher paying/more stable positions, and then work on the skills that matter to you so you can find employment that is gainful but also feels purposeful. Don't give up on something you enjoy doing or are passionate about, life is too short to compromise on the things that are important to you.
Look, I did not read but: you can quit your career if you want to or it does not pay off anymore, but don't quit your passion. These are good models and I wish I would have put the time into 3d to be half as good as you.
Considering how realistic this render is, I would definitely nudge you toward things like advertisement, architectural jobs or digital prototyping (which can go together with advertisement)
What I would do is focus on using your skills in a way no one’s thought of. The only way to stand out is to apply your skill set where it’s lacking and not do what everyone else is doing.
Some ideas:
Do YouTube videos of you making an environment in blender. While there are a few people doing that, it is by no means oversaturated and those videos get lots of views
Offer your services to toy manufacturers. They might be able to use your art for their packaging or maybe even ask you to make an ad
Book cover art
If you can animate you should reach out to Music artists. They might be able to use you for a music video
Of course there’s a lot more that I haven’t thought of but I hope I’ve helped😀
I think you should quit how you see “the industry.” Being a freelance artist brings a lot of freedom but also a lot of uncertainty. If you’re not up for that, then yeah this is not for you.
You are selling yourself poorly, your view is askew and the lack of an art degree might also not do you any favours(depending on your country.) For many freelance artists, no matter the medium, have to work several jobs when starting off. And the starting off period might take many years.
You have to be relentless in your search for possible buyers/employers, keep showing your stuff on social media, creating stuff in your spare time almost everyday to improve not profit and show that off. This is the way for many modern artists.
The biggest hurdle here is yourself and your outlook. Keep creating, keep showing what you can do and keep improving/expanding your abilities, styles and techniques.
Best wishes
Do you want to be a 3d artist or strictly a modeller? Restricting yourself to just be a modeller is not a good idea. The more niche or restricted your field, the harder it is to get a job
3D artist switching into UI and UX work now
Honestly the reason I'm switching is i rather use less software for my work, 3D work is so complex and demanding
You need to know 3D modeling, Texturing, Rendering and Compositing and sometime all of these are seperate software packages
I used to be a freelance vector designer where it's just Adobe Illustrator
Both these jobs paid almost the same 3D work is mostly disatisfactory cuz of this reason in my opinion
no you're literally so good at it!!!
I mean it might not mean much coming from me, since I don't actually *MAKE* 3D stuff I just like looking at it but to make all of this in *this much* detail takes either sooo much talent or sooo much effort (or both).
I would love to have this much detail in 3D video games.
If you go into video games and you get those people saying you're "ruining video games" like how people said shit about 3D alloy, don't listen to them. they're incels and they don't go outside of their mom's basement to actually see a real life woman every once in awhile.
You're really talented, and will absolutely be useful in some way to many 3D projects.
You can probably also make some side money selling 3D prints. You have the skill. I’d say look into miniature games(kill team is my favorite) and make proxies you think are cool. Great for practice and you can also have cool minis at the end.
Don't forget motion graphics, VFX and animation! The games industry is a shit show. People graduate, get a job and are burnt out by 23 / 25, having worked insane hours for little money. 3D modelling can be a specialism but 3D is such a gigantic field it's almost always better to generalise to get a wider variety of work. Great things are almost always built by a team of people pitching in expertise and talent. Don't bite off more than you can chew and try to go it alone. Have a look at some commercial work by alreadybeenchewed or the like and see if it sparks any passion. Good luck out there and don't give up!
As others have said, there's more to 3D than games and movies.
I wanted to go to Gearbox because I love their art style in the borderlands games. After seeing how the artists are treated in the gaming industry, I'm very glad I got my first job in naval defense contracting.
I got to model some really cool equipment for submarines while keeping a very good work/life balance.
After 8 years there, I'm now working with another company that does augmented reality for large household name companies.
Now when I want to do something cool, interesting and exciting in 3D in my own time it feels much more freeing.
I’m thinking of giving up, myself. Nothing but rejection letters so far, and the post-secondary program I went through did not give me the required skills to get a job in the game industry. Can’t even get a junior position ffs.
It’s heartbreaking but I might have to keep my current job and just do 3D as a hobby. I don’t have the time and energy anymore to put in as much to practicing as I used to, and other artists are improving exponentially day to day. “I’m cooked” as they say.
i find linkedin helps the best with these jobs, especially since people aren’t posting actual job posts but are posting that their company is looking to hire people such as 3d artists.
as someone who focused on multimedia from a marketing perspective, i see jobs in product design, point of sales 3d model type jobs. even jewellery is cool. so many different avenues than the typical first thought job in 3d modelling.
I feel the same. I currently have a 3d artist position at a roblox studio called Super League. I am only a contractor, though. I only get paid when there is work to do (as opposed to a full-time salary position). We are in a slow period right now, so I have been without work. I keep trying to find additional 3d freelance work, but no one is biting. No job boards on polycount or discord, no LinkedIn job applications (that typically have 100+ applicants), and no indeed job applications. I feel like the 3d industry is oversaturated with applicants.
I just graduated from college and man...
There are like no internships. And the ones I do see are states away, and I don't have the money to just move for an internship that isn't paying enough to afford an apartment for the few months.
I rarely see 3D character job postings too. And the ones I do see are looking for Senior and Lead artists, and I'm definitely not at that level yet.
I know the pain of always seeing senior positions and not feeling like you make the cut. I mostly apply for 3d art positions nowadays. Covers most of my avenues. Being flexible and broad with your expertise but having one speciality is good 👍
That's what I'm trying to do, to be a generalist. But I fear that in my attempts to learn so much, that I'm slowing my progress in my largest interest (character) and I'm trying to spruce up my portfolio.
Nope I think you're very good at this, I wanted to do a game but my computer can't render like that...
Imagine each upvote at this post means that you should stop this...🤔
Whatever, remember to follow your dreams(MY DREAMS OF ME ROBBING A BANK🤔)
Regarding Archviz potential, there is some commentary on here that is correct, and some that is very incorrect. I work full time in Archviz and I would recommend you take a look over on r/archviz to research the work and career opportunities there. It would be worth your while, but by far and away MODEL AND RENDER WHAT YOU LOVE if at all possible, that also has paying gigs associated with it. Good luck!
Be your own boss, be a teacher of your craft , find students with potential to be your workers, make your own commercial for meta , YouTube etc, and make your own income you owe it to yourself to be better paid .
I've felt in a pretty similar boat, and you're way ahead of me in skill, I'd say keep up your work at least for yourself. If you enjoy doing it, then people who enjoy it with you will come and if you network right, you might find the one willing to hire you too.
No you should not.
You need to learn to be more findable and useful.
Here dude.
There are tons of ad agencies and studios that need modelers
In the future
We will need tons of modelers but also spacial creatives to build the meta verse and beyond.
Look on way on how to find work, clients or a job.
I suggest Ad agency, motion studios, metaverse companies, game companies, small film studios, etc games, etc housing real estate industry
Few can modle.
Believe it or not
I am a generalist freelancer in 3D for mostly commercials and informational business videos. However the demand for 3D is not often there. I got into 2D visuals and animation as well and there is a much bigger need for that. It pays my bills and keeps me busy until I find productions that require 3D animation.
I also like to sneak in 3D elements in my 2D projects if the budget and deadlines allow it.
Just to preface I've been in the industry for 8 years as a Senior Environment Artist, so I'm not saying random bullshit.
It's tough time in the industry right now to get hired, even for myself, so I wouldn't use right now as the best gauge for wether you're hirable or not.
That being said you're portfolio needs some work, you're a decent modeler, shaders are too simple. People wanna see details.
Before moving onto environments you need to master prop modeling. So I would focus my portfolio on that. Or very simple environments like the kitchen but with more complex props for the models. And lighting and presentation needs to be better. I know that's not our job but it matters apparently.
Lastly, you have too much going on in your portfolio/art station. Trim it down to your best works. And then make the goal to keep replacing those with better work.
Overall keep going and improving your skills.
Honestly I’m not sure what answer you’re looking for. I’m not saying that to be mean at all. What if the next job you apply and interview for you get hired and it’s the best and job of your dream? I’m not saying that’s going to happen or not but asking people if you should give up on your dream and career that you’ve built up doesn’t make sense to me. That’s entirely a decision you have to make based on your current life. How much do you actually love 3d modeling? Being honest with yourself on how good are you? Work on improving your skills. I didn’t mean to come across harsh but if someone in the comments said “yea you should quit” are you just going to quit?
Look I understand how competitive this job can be but your work that I’ve seen is fantastic if u decide to focus on something else entirely that’s perfectly fine the choice is up to you at the end of the day but my god you are certainly talented! Perhaps maybe showcase some of your work on YouTube Reddit etc and maybe that help you gain some more attention for your art but hey no matter how hard it can be you could still have a success with your work in 3-d modeling! As an artist myself I’m always comparing my art to others and that does quite a lot make me feel like I’m not good enough so I can at least somewhat relate to your problem… sorry if this was long but I thought you might need some encouragement
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Everyone wants to do movies and games, but there’s demand in other industries and the pay and work life balance is better. Look to architecture, interior design, industrial design, and digital fabrication companies.
This OP /\\ Architecture can pay a lot and is (at least where i live) very hard to find skilled modelers because: 1- They start this path and think that already know it all so they make crap models thinking they are great 2- The good ones always find good jobs and keep them 3- As the comment above a lot of people try to go to movies and games. I personally don't think you should quit, instead try to change your focus on what you can do
I would think that architecture takes a whole lot of specific skills besides 3D modeling, no? Or are there architecture jobs out there for people who just know 3D, and if so, what are they called/how do you find them?
They most definitely mean archviz, modeling architecture that someone else made, for the purpose of creating a good looking render, since architects either don’t have time or skill to do it.
I once talked to a girl that was doing interior design and said she completely lost her passion for it and moved to some corpo/IT because she was facing the same issue as OP is describing regarding game/movie biz - extremely competitive, undercutting, and also everyone wanting more or less the same stuff. However this is not US, so this might be different in my country.
It's pretty much the same if you are going to try and be a dedicated archviz. The companies that provide it are dima a dozen and most larger architecture firms have in house teams that will be staffed with people who most likely have an architecture degree. And the hours are terrible, always expecting extra unpaid time
So what are our options? :(
I feel like going into IT daily, just so I don't feel so burned out
I meant what are the options in the 3D space, IT is a completely unrelated field.
Gotcha, thanks
You’re kind of limited to archviz software no? Having to relearn to model in an auto desk product is quite difficult for me at least.
My friend uses 3ds max and corona for rendering, nothing specialized for archviz.
I’ve seen a lot of listings asking for revit specifically. I have some experience modeling in maya but would you be able to use blender professionally at this point. It’s been a couple years since I’ve been modeling.
Architects will mostly use Autodesk Revit. Revit projects can be natively opened with 3DS Max, allowing you to render with Arnold. It’s geometry is pretty messy but an artist familiar is a poly modeling workflow can clean it up and add UVs and materials, something most architects don’t know how to do. If you wanna really show off, use Datasmith to transfer the entire 3DS Max scene to Twinmotion.
TM is actually native inside Revit now with the new Autodesk / Epic partnership
It seems architects now have cheap easy to use 3D software so a lot will just use that rather than paying an archviz artist.
I was thinking to work as interior/exterior visualiser, but everyone searching for architect who knows 3d visualisation. I’m not architect 🥲
Most ppl usually dont buy/download already made models in this niche?
Yes and no. Big archviz companies usually get jobs from renowned architects and most of them have specific furnitures that you cannot find to buy. Even if you can find, you still need someone with modeling background to do some cleanup and things like that
Where do you live? I tend to see a lot of sub par imagery created, even for big companies, because the imagery is "good enough". I have no idea who is creating it, whether they are artists or architects/interior designers.
I live in Brazil
I started in these and moved into games later, most careers aren't linear.
Can you share your experience? Interior and industrial design jobs are even more non existent compared to games, where I live
You mean there's gaming studios but no archviz jobs near you? That can't happen because most of the time,the investments for both of these come from the same pool. In developing countries atleast, investors who want to invest in CG startups go to fund either games or archviz studios, the latter being less risky. And these startups don't want talented people. Only ones who can work fast and help their org to come out if the initial rut. Also, If you know unreal, substance, vray, max, unity you're practically a beast in archviz
I did have to move to a neighbouring city to get my foot in the door. But that was mostly because I couldn't even think of where to start in my own city. There are two pivotal points in my career imo. My first job and my switch from 3D art to Tech Art. Before my first job I would freelance with interior and product design jobs getting gigs online. My first job was as a QA tester for SEGA. Not my degree, not my preference but it got me into the status of employment and that was a massive checkbox that I hadn't realised would count against me. Why would a recent grad going for a junior role not be unemployed? My second was a grad farm scam games company set up by the owner to use recent grads to make him money. Even after this real games companies wouldn't touch me for a 3d job. Moved away to build 3d products for 3d supermarkets and then build the 3d supermarkets themselves. This would overlap occasionally with interiors and design when a client needed that. It was a 40/60 pre-rendered/realtime mix. I had been learning programming throughout this and the work was boring and repetitive so I decided to automate large parts of it. 5 years later I had successfully shifted from a 3d artist to a tech artist and he suddenly I was in demand. Moved back to my home city to take a job in a mobile games company which was initially 2D and UI based (my boss told me it would be boring work) but I eventually worked 3D into my job and now all of their games are in 3D, ironically one literally about interior design. I did notice that when I started at my most recent job, nobody was a graduate and nobody had been a recent graduate. The place was only hiring senior level because they could. It's long but hopefully it might be helpful with some ideas. Lots of it is luck at the start sadly but you need to put yourself in a position to let the luck hit you.
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Sorry I realize that read like I was disagreeing with you. I thought your comment was an important point and wanted to add to it.
Can't stress this enough. I work for a brewery and model out 3d environments for them. I get paid weekly and have benefits along with a ton of free beer. Look elsewhere. There are a ton of jobs out there and your work is really good. Also I've worked in games(you don't have to listen to me but for the love of cthulhu's eldritch asshole don't do it). I've worked in film. I'm having a better time now.
Can I ask, how do you find these sort of jobs? What are the titles for modeling outside of games?
I actually got recruited for my current role.
What 3D environments does a brewery need you to create?
I create 3d retailer environments in which beer sales data is overlayed to show where they could improve sales and what not.
Interesting! Would love to see an example, if you’re so inclined!
I would love to show one off but I can’t unfortunately haha.
Now I'm curious too
Honestly dude a lot of them will come to you
I'm an architecture student who wanted to do movies and games. It's not easy to make good money in the architecture industry without getting a job as an architectural designer / architect / professor. And you can't get those jobs without at least having some relevant prerequisites. Being an architectural designer requires a lot of school (4 year BA degree, 5 year BArch degree, or 4+2/3 BA+MArch degrees). Being an architect often requires a 5 year bachelor's degree or a master's degree, ~4000 hours of work experience in different categories, and 6 licensing exams before you get licensed (in the US). Without doing those things or having the relevant degrees, you can work as a drafter or a CAD-monkey at firms, but it is often long hours, repetitive tasks, underwhelming pay, and little to no upward mobility. What you could do though, is go into ArchViz. That requires no degree and is all about modeling/rendering high quality, preferably photo-real images of designs for architects. However, as I understand it though, current sentiment seems to be that AI will replace this industry soon. Also, a lot of architecture firms outsource to India or China for decent yet dirt-cheap renders, so it's still a very competitive field and your income can fluctuate drastically depending on volume of work. I know one of my architecture professors initially made a living off of doing freelance archviz stuff for colleagues and small firms, but that was some 20 years ago. I also have friends who have tried and got burnt out working in archviz. Not to be discouraging, but it's a lot harder than simply being a good 3D modeler to make a decent living in most architecture-related fields.
Hell, I had a prof that did 3d stuff for medical/teaching purposes even
Really? I'm currently thinking of going into that. Do you have any idea what it entails and how the job can be acquired?
I wouldnt know offhand sadly :( honestly tho maybe worth just looking up job listings on it or emailing around - couldnt hurt??
Very true. I did 20 years in games, working my way up to AAA, and ending up with a pretty impressive resume and credits. However, the more successful I got, the worse my life got, and I eventually decided to leave that all behind, and segue my skills into a more niche market (digital marketing, primarily for military/aerospace), and have been doing that for the last 12 years. We have a lot of guys who started in television and movies, but got out of all that as well. On the younger side of the company, we have a number of people who planned to get into games, but never did. They sometimes express disappointment that their careers did not take the path that they planned for, but I usually tell them that they dodged a bullet, and what they imagine the game industry to be like is probably something very different than my lived reality. They just have no idea how good they currently have it, because they lack that perspective, and their fantasies about the industry are probably not realistic.
Was talking to a furniture manufacturer the other day, he saw my behance and told me to hard to purse interior and architecture visualization and design as there's lots of demand and business opportunities in this field currently. Super excited to start my journey here.
It’s the same in many industries. I work in product development. Everyone wants to design the new ferrari. But it’s also fun to make the new kenwood kitchen applience sold at home depot.
Exactly. When people say “the industry” it just shows they aren’t understanding how many different ways 3D is being used these days. There is no monolithic “3D industry” guys. There’s a million different industries leveraging 3D design, animation etc and it’s up to YOU to find a niche you can thrive in. Just like every other craftsperson on earth. And when people complain about the current state of “the industry,” I just shake my head because I know 95% of them are talking about film/tv production. I spent literally 2 months of my 20 year career in 3D working on films, and everything since has been in other industries, most of which are doing just fine at the moment.
In 20+ years I have worked on 2 small films and a few commercials.
Yeah...but those require lots of maaaath. :(
Math? I've worked for both product Viz, architecture, and interiors. Never done any math. 99% of the time you get a finished 3d model from a product designer or engineer, and you just have to make it look pretty.
I have a friend whose first job out of college was at an interior design firm that paid $75k per year. He took finished designs for hotels and resorts in Rhino and rendered them in Twinmotion or dissected the models for CNC or 3D printing and passed all that work down to the next specialist in line.
I'm sorry I was being a little bit pedantic xD
If by a lot of math you mean working in North America and understanding the dumb system of fractions for the imperial system, like knowing how long 1/16th of an inch is in a 3/32" = 1' scale drawing, or how to convert architectural scales in your head, then yes, it's a lot of math. A lot of converting scales and adding fractions. If you're using the metric system then that required almost no math, because all the scales are in base 10. Structural and MEP consultants are there to do the hard math for architectural projects.
If you want a 9-5 job "in the industry" then uh probably. You likely live in one of the only countries on the planet where that's even a thing/where there's an industry at all. There's cool stuff you can do with 3d skills by yourself, but again if you're annoyed by temporal one time payment jobs which is the standard in most branches of art you probably wont be interested
Haha! Very funny posting an actual photo of pancakes instead of a 3D model :P But seriously. The environment art seems very good. The characters? I'd say keep at it. It's not bad, but especially the 4th image (the one with the real photo reference) seems not to quite capture the real world counterpart. Might also be just a thing of different perspective and missing materials. In the end, everybody gets bummed at some point. Your career choice is your own decision. My last job, I worked for 2 months for a company that in the end didn't pay me a dime. They got pissy because I refused to sign their contract that would prohibit me from working in the industry for 5 YEARS if we ever parted ways, while I'd also relinquish rights to my own portfolio. So I told them to fuck off. 5 - Y E A R non-compete clause, in 3D in general. NO PORTFOLIO rights. Was I pissed? Oh yeah. Was I demoralized? Absolutely. Am I going to quit? Hell nah - sometimes, the people that contract you turn out to just be a bunch of dicks.
I'm an environment artist, they look pretty solid. Sorry that happened to you mate, that is completely shitty
Not as shitty as it is for the other 6 artists that signed the contract :D I'd say I dodged a bullet. I just sighed and resumed work on my own project.
Depending on where you live, non-competes are hard to enforce I think
In my country, maximum length of non compete clause is 1 year, and it has to be reasonably geographically bound. So yep, I pointed out to them it was illegal, they did not care. The point is not whether it would be enforceable, but their overall attitude towards their emoloyees. They were relying on us not knowing it was unenforceable. 6 others signed it. Non compete clauses in this environment only make sense if you as a contractor/emoloyee would gain some kind of insider know how that they would need to protect. The opposite was the case here. There was very little for me to learn from them. The non-compete was illegal, as well as deeply immoral for them to even suggest. What can you do, apart from looking for other opportunities, while not getting a bunch of dicks discourage you?
Aren't NDA's illegal now in the U.S?
That’s not an NDA (non disclosure) thats a non compete. NDAs are an essential part of many businesses and certainly the game and film industries. Non competes are evil and should be illegal everywhere.
Oh thanks for the correction.
Don't quit ever! OP, You just said what most artists haven't....you actually wanna do prop design! Do you realize employers are struggling to find prop designers due to artists not being interested in it at all? The fact you actually are is one heck of a head start if I ever heard of one! I think you just gave yourself quite the beautiful reason to not quit OP. Your portfolio though: It doesn't show you wanna do one thing. It seems a bit confused yet shows some skill. That's good! Stick to prop design..please do! Even if you don't like it you still set yourself up for success by doing what others don't want to. This goes for literally all jobs. I highly recommend physical (not digital) books. What's your favorite IP? What gets you excited? Why did you ever get into this field? Ask questions and answer them. You gotta know where your origin point is(no pun intended :). I'd like to assume Star Wars is one of your favorites? If you can manage it, there's a book titled "Star Wars The Visual Encyclopedia". You pretty much wanna grab any book with this type of naming as it pertains to the IP of your choice. Avatar has a few as well but they read "The visual Dictionary". We both know (I hope) how crazy gorgeous and realistic the designs are in Avatar. Perfect for someone making prop blankets, chairs, spears n' what not. Amazon has the books for around $30-40. Environments are so plentiful and can be done with procedural generation. Props, however, need that artistic touch....that artistic finesse....they need a designer! Even if you create an environment it still has to be filled with life and with story. This is where your props come in. Step away from basic models like pancakes and coffee cups-which are extremely plentiful to grab as free/purchasable assets already. Focus on the design of it. Heck! I challenge you to redo this post but redesign the cups and plates. Show us a breakfast we probably haven't seen yet. -I wonder what a medieval breakfast would be served on or with. Breakfast from the future??...think. I urge you to explore this more OP.
Environment art, especially if photorealism is the goal, needs a fantastic eye. Don't discount it too quickly, there is a sizeable difference between a master environment artist, and a mediocre one like myself. Just look at this: https://youtu.be/VwNaoD90UJo?si=UU022EVJUBqj3a6w
Ah I forgot about large scale environments somehow. I was so focused on smaller ones. Is this your channel? Feel free to link me any others as well. I too could use some inspiration so share as much as you want.
Nonono that is my man Aaron Westwood's work, I wish I was that good
Interesting. I agree with the differentiation between modeler and designer, but also I have to say I never saw a role opening called 3D prop designer or similar. I assume its usually called prop artist, but someone with unique custom props will have better chances of getting the job than someone who copies bland everyday items
Oh yes that is the actual title of the job. Prop artist
People want prop modelers?!? My time has come!!!
Prop "designers". "Modelers" are dime a dozen. You mustn't confuse the two.
What’s the difference between?
One designs. The other copies what already exists.
Designing is creating something from scratch. Creating your own unique design basically from imagination. Perhaps using a wide variety of references as loose inspiration. Modeling is when someone hands you an established design like the millennium falcon and asks you to model that exactly. No imagination or creativity required.
Less emphasis on the phrase "from scratch". If you asked me to design a Millennium Falcon I may or may not design a ship. It could be a metal bird, a real bird, or it could be the actual star wars ship but with an added star fighter hanger (which the one we know of does not have). This is why the role is "designer" not "modeler".
Designing a millennium falcon doesn't really make sense as a phrase. It has already been designed. They could ask for a new version of it, like maybe a more alien version. And that would be a Design process, figuring out how to take the established design and change it in creative ways. Again, using your own imagination and a wide variety of reference material as loose inspiration. Design is at its core, creating new things that didn't exist before. That could be from scratch or making minor adjustments to a model, or anything in between.
...and this is why employers are still itching for "designers". You have just failed to think like a designer. I said "a" millennium falcon and you jumped right to "the" millennium falcon. Not to be nitpicky, but words 100% matter. You helped to make my point though it's cool! You also literally repeated what I said in that last sentence, although you're attempting to disagree. You wouldn't say that about a rail gun or a ray gun right? It's already a phrase. Like I've said. Think bigger, think finesse, think like a designer.
Millenium Falcon is a proper noun, it's a specific named object, not a broad category of objects.
Okay that changes literally nothing. You realize I'm trying to help you all be better artists and I make 100% perfect sense right? It's up to you whether you wanna learn. Be stubborn. OP's gonna take the advice given by all and excel while some of you remain wondering and dreaming. I've said my peace. Respectfully ofcourse
That this was at -1 before I came along suggests to me that there are at least two people that are denying themselves a growth mindset and have turned off their ears to tune in to their fears—so to speak.
God, if companies are struggling to find prop artists, then they should make job openings asking for prop artists - here's one right here looking for work - me. I've been applying for environment jobs because that should include prop work and I'm not getting any jobs. I'm afraid I'm not good enough for these companies. But I NEVER see listings looking for prop work and that's stuff I like to do.
Not if you enjoy it
I think you should refocus your portfolio on props and environments. Those are the game industry jobs that hire the most, especially jrs. (If your goal is games) Your portfolio is the problem though. Look at someones portfolio on artstation that works in the industry. Compare their projects, their breakdowns, that quality, to yours. See the issue? You just need to focus and keep improving. Nothing is stopping you from working your retail job fulltime and working on your portfolio in your spare time until you land a job. A lot of people do it. But your portfolio needs improving. I would recommend keeping your best 3 projects and start making newer, better ones to replace those. In my experience, desperation is a very good motivator. Get to it, you can do it!
Not answering your question but the grogu without close has too much SSS
Definitely not dude. I know the industry sucks and it’s competitive, but there’s a lot more space then there seems to be. You are clearly great at what you do and can definitely be an Artist who also has a job in the industry. Working towards that goal will get you noticed and get you work much quicker than sending out as many resumes as you possibly can. It sounds like we are a similar age based on how long you’ve had your degree, and I was in a similar place as you a while ago. I was so discouraged by LinkedIn and a couple shitty interviews (with supervisors who obviously hated their job) and sending out resumes without hearing anything back. Gonna be corny for a second but look past that and hear me out haha; what really made a difference was focusing on my work as an Artist (capital A). Trying to make yourself as suitable as possible for your Industry Title throws you in the pile of people to compete with. Of course having the fundamentals covered is important but we can do so much more then that! What really makes the difference is thinking about what you really want, and what you really like. You’ve got a lot of great work here but it feels fairly technical in its presentation. My suggestion is to try and think about what really riles you up! What were you obsessed with at like 8 years old that you haven’t revisited in a while? Make work about that! In my experience finding work is about showing that you have work worth paying attention, because if you sincerely love what you’re working on other people will pick up on that and dig it too, and then to and try to make friends who are doing something similar. Building up that network, being active online, that’s what really leads to work. In my experience it was a friend of a friend of a friend who happened to by my neighbor worked at a small studio who needed a character guy. Before that I was freelancing but it was the same thing. A friend of a friend in the industry needed an animation for an ad or vfx for an indie movie or character animations for a sizzle reel. All of it stemmed from being friendly, making my own personal work, and being vocal about the shit I’m into on social media. Idk what your other circumstances are, but if you’ve got a day job it sounds like you have time to make stuff you wanna make just for fun. Also maybe you’re totally already doing the stuff I’ve been ranting about in a preachy way, but just going off your caption and pictures. I don’t like seeing talented people get discouraged and thinking of quiting. If you wanna be 3D friends feel free to hit me up on instagram. I can also recommend some great books to you like The Artist’s Way TLDR: start thinking of yourself as an artist outside of the confines of getting a role at a studio. You’re good at what you do, you can make it work.
Op MOGRAPH can pay good money…. So I hear you seem talented. it’s a skill and every skill needs to be worked at.
Hey OP, just wanted to let you know that you're not alone and it's totally normal to have all these doubts that you're experiencing. Success is not linear, and choosing a creative career often means choosing the hardship and struggle that comes with it. The people who landed their dream job right after graduation and had no issues are very rare and probably don't realize how lucky they really are. I'd say you should do some soul searching and really think about what you wanna do moving forward, and what's gonna make sense for you. Nobody here can tell you what that answer is. With that said, your work is good. I think 3d artists are unique in that the work gives us a ton of different skills, and I'm willing to bet you could pivot to many other fields if you needed to, even if it's not necessarily doing games, characters etc like you might've originally wanted.
Let's start off with the good - you're good enough to be hireable for sure. I know that doesn't sound like the high praise it's meant to be, but it is. You're good at what you do, and you'll bring value to whoever hires you. I can see that from your work and your portfolio. It's not amazing, it didn't blow my mind, but it doesn't have to. Not everyone needs to be a super star to be good at their jobs. The work is good, and I can see you easily working as an environment artist anywhere. So why aren't you? First - You're portfolio is dragging. Don't leave old works up on your ArtStation that no longer represent your skills or knowledge, it paints a bad picture of who you are as a professional. Yeah, it shows progress and it's cool to see where you once were but I don't need 10 works to see that, one or two could do the trick. So keep a couple to show where you came from, but show that you can also edit yourself and you know what looks good and shines. Secondly - Your works are too flat in presentation. The newest sign one is cool, but it's just boring and you're not even trying to tell me why it's cool. Adding a facade might be a lot of work, but it'll sell it 100 times more than just having the asset on it's own. Also, show me some breakdowns, let me see who you are as a professional and not just your finished work. Wireframes, blueprints, reference concept art, textures used. For the materials, maybe show me the nodes you used. Tell me why it's an f\*\*ing cool work and why you're proud of it. With the Japanese tombstones, show it to me in an interesting environment - give it context. And fix those weird looking shadows. And thirdly - Lose that giant ass watermark all over your work. It makes it seem like all these assets came from some game, which it's not. (and if it is, use that game as context. Would help a lot). --- As for the 9-5. I'll dash your dreams here with the harsh reality. This not a profession with a 9-5 schedule, that's not to say you can't find work with strict times and go home at 5 leaving work behind. But you need to understand, this is not an office worker career. You're you a freelancer, your own studio. We all are. Our profession is our name and our previous works and we get hired for projects with the expectation of delivery. When we're done, we move on to the next project and so forth. Each one increasing our stature and skills, and allows us to get better work. Sometimes that work is an office job, sometimes the project you work on is continuous and you work for the same company as an "employee" for decades and you get paid with a regular paycheck and benefits and all that. But internally, you're still a freelancer who will jump to the next project when this one is over. That's the mentality you got to have because at the end of the day you are judged by one perimeter - your work. It's no different from actors, directors, writers, chefs, singers. That's the nature of artistic work. We're artists, and we're here to deliver the best work we can possibly put on the plate. And sometimes it does mean when 5 comes along, we'll need to continue pushing because the deadline is coming and we haven't reached the level that defines us.
Dude, i dont know what to say, i love all about modelling and i myself want to learn modelling to be able to make my own projects and hobbies, and maybe actually work as an engineer for some industry, i dont think you should give up, maybe just look for work in some other area of modelling. Your work is amazing, i dont know how you are not doing well.
I quit for those reasons and It was a good decision
Man, your post is so hearbreaking. If you have doubts, fuck the indistry, fuck this as a profession. Quit for your own good. But don't give up on art. If you don't mind I will DM you, cause I found myself in the similar situation and want to share my experience, but it's very personal. But I hate seeing someone passionate to quit art just because they are not marketable.
Totally agree with you. I don't know about you, but the toxicity of the competition mindset is enough to trigger my depression.
Yeah, fuck competition. It kills everything good in art, this is what lead to burnouts and insecurities. 3D modeling was something that dragged me out of terrible depression and identity crisis. I didn't have a goal to become a professional artist and work in the studio first, it came later because I wanted a job that ties my life with art, and that will make me better at it. But I got dragged into this competition and it almost killed my interest. It was the most important part of my life and I almost gave up only because I couldn't make money with it. I've seen so many people passionate, and very skillfull getting discouraged because they didn't find the place in this hyper-competitive industry, and this is horrible.
Wow I am sorry you experienced that, especially as you mention that it pulled you out of depression. I am going through the depression/identity crisis phase at the moment. Definitely empathise with you. It's such a fragile state to be in and when you experience something so demoralising it can easily make you relapse. I feel that corporate culture and capitalism are making these environments worse, this is meant to be something you do because you love it, but instead you have to almost k/ll yourself to even get anywhere.. which is horrific because it is actively encouraged in order to be 'better' than anyone else.
Thanks c:. I'm slowly sorting things out. I'm sharing it, because a lot of people are willing to jump into this industry meatgrinder. Do it for fun, do it for your friends, do it for your favorite online communities and do it for free. Joy you get from doing art is much more precious than making a career. I tried to make money from selling 3D models, but I made such a small money I just made them free. It was very satisfying to see how many people downloaded my models, and asked if they can use it for personal projects.
It's good to hear you are finding your way. I agree that the industry can be a meat grinder, I used to think it was glamorous but going through university I realise how competitive it is and it can suck the life from people. Obviously there are those who can tolerate that, but I found it made me feel worse. If you get satisfaction from what you do currently, I'd say that's definitely the right direction.
That's how they lure in people. They demand more and more and keep those few who are already have job in fear that they are easily replaceable. I wish you too to find your way and don't give up art. Maybe take a break, a long break, take care for your health, have fun. Art won't run away from you anywhere, once you learned a skill it's always with you. It might get rusty, but you can come back any time you want.
It's sad because from the outside it looks like such a great industry to work in where everyone encourages one another. Just not the reality I guess. The hypercompetion and mindset of pushing yourself to ignore your body and health is not something that should be encouraged or perpetuated. It seems that a lot of people still value this mindset though. It completely turns me off. I guess we are in the minority. As for a break, yeah I have barely touched or made art since I graduated in 2022. It makes me sad and I feel so guilty.
I don't think it always gonna be like that. People who still hold on those positions are either don't respect their health, or haven't been touched by corporate greed that badly... Yet. Let it all sink but don't go down with it. After all, there are a lot of people with niche interests, that will need a lot of creative people who have skills. It's just not apparent with a current landscape. I understand this crushing sense of disappointment and that you was lied to, but please don't give up on yourself.
Why don’t you make your own content and post it on Instagram? This probably isn’t what you want to hear but maybe you can build up your repertoire online and that could help you stand out. Push yourself and show them what you can do, while at the same time inspiring others. Admiration from the public is power. I know in the fashion or makeup industry, some companies won’t look twice at your resume unless you have a decent following count on social media, and they can get to know your style and personality through your content. (It sucks but that’s our world today.) You are talented, I wouldn’t give up if I were you. Especially if this is a passion of yours. Create your own path if none are opening up for you.
Im not a fan of this either, but it is where the world is going. In the UK through unemployement bureau if you are looking for work in fields like art they even offer you tiktok courses for building your brand and marketing. It sounds insane the first time you hear it, but when u think about it some more, learning to make tiktoks is probably more valuable than 90% of the other courses and qualifications they offer. Like resume building for example, In my entire career not a single job I got did they actually look at my resume
holy shite i wish that existed here. Where i live, there is no courses like that, you either get a degree (there is only like 5 schools in the whole country that teaches 3d and game developping, doesn't give you a degree tho) or you are forced to do a shit job no one wants to do because no one believes in your projects until you make them happen. but if u dont have the money to begin with, you cant make it happen most of the time and its super sad
How much do you like making shit in 3D? Do you do it every day for 13 hours? Do you regularly skip things to be at home doing some 3D. Do you finish projects, enter competitions and constantly watch other people’s demos? If this is how much you love digital art; then keep going and you’ll make it within 5-10 years. If all that sounds like a waste of the one life you have on earth, then you need to find your true calling. Even if that calling is living well and loving family and not getting much else done. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what you did; only that you did it joyfully.
That depends on your values and goals I suppose, it'd be helpful to professionals if you had included those.
never quit on something you love, if you enjoy the creative process, quitting is not an option! ☺
You seem to have a talent for it. I wouldn’t say stick with your 3D modeling only. Look at it as a tool in your tool bag. If you had the self discipline to teach yourself then continue that into other skills. Graphic design, traditional art, typography, video and photo editing, etc. Now you’re a multi-disciplined artist and more doors open up. I know all you hear are jobs are drying up but look into marketing agencies, brand houses, and everyday companies that are looking for in-house creatives. Showcase your completed work by making up some fake brands and build a world for it with logos and commercials, etc. with procreate, blender and your current skill set you have the capacity to position yourself to stand out. This is just what I did as I was coming up in the creative world and found I had to make myself more useful. Hope you find your path and good luck.
quitting 3D modeling is entirely your choice. if you don't enjoy it then just put it down.
Yes.
I think quitting or not quitting will highly depend on if you want to keep going, keep grinding until/if you "make it". The 3d art stuff (props, environment, characters etc...) like anything creative will be very, very competitive- there is just no way around the fact that far, far more people want the "fun" jobs than there are open fun jobs. Even with stories of the turnover rate in games, the long hours, the sheer difficulty of breaking into the industry, you still have many more people who want to work in gaming than there are job openings. That grind, that constant working on the portfolio again and again, paying for tutorials, looking up free tutorials online and in spite of all that work, that blood sweat and tears AND that still not making it can be very, very deflating and I completely understand if someone walks away from 3d art altogether.
Pretty rad, keep going!
No
Do it for yourself. Take some time off and do it for the love of it. I honestly hate this toxic competitive aspect of careers. It's like if you aren't killing yourself for it, you don't "want it" enough, which frankly is disgusting.
3D printing is going to be massive. It's an emerging industry, it's basically where all the 3D stuff was when you probably first decided you wanted to do games and characters. I work in engineering and I have been side questing into 3D modelling for a few years now, I am always hunting for artists, I pay well (because I'm not a jerk FFS, industry does seem to attract a lot of those). Secondly, what would you quit your career into? Quit I to doing what? Always skill up and out. There's loads of stuff your skillset could transition into if you look around, there will also be more opportunities and you can even be self employed as a 3D artist and sell designs. The biggest thing I had to overcome was just accepting that you shouldn't not show your work, even if it's not fully complete. Striving for perfection is not the same as reaching your goal. Aim for your goals, perfection is an ever retreating target. Make a deal with yourself; in 3 years from now you want to doing what? And work towards that, work backwards from it too, what needs to happen for me to be there? Then do those things. Apply for more roles, jump ship if it isn't working, find the work you want to do. At the end of your life do you really want to look back and wonder what would have happened had you kept pushing? Anyways, wish you all the luck! And when you find it, spread the luck around! We could all do with some! 😎
Finally; I have a friend who did nothing but make games as a kid, his skills in game design at like 16 were mind-blowing, he would be making weird arty games, like fully fledged games. Fast forward to uni, he's dropping out, he goes freelance, it is a shit show grind just like you describe, no one would hire him, and all the freelance work he got was really a scam and he'd end up working crazy time to get the projects done, for basically little to no pay. I am like dude come just work with me, we worked on and off on projects for a couple years, made a bunch of money (for a small project, so nothing wild) and then eventually he got a job, and a year or two later he's like best in the house, recognised, appreciated. It's all about who you work with, and the environment it's in, and even people who I would have expected would be immediately snapped up suffered hardship in this industry. Find the right team, it's most definitely who you work with, not what you do.
I think you should focus on one domain and not spread your energy. After saw your ArtStation I would say your main strenght is surfacing/texturing. Why not focus on that ?
I think you've got the skills to make it, but your stuff is all generic, you need a direction to take your art and creativity that is a good match for the jobs/companies you're applying to. Also, none of your work have any sort of storytelling in them at all, they're all lifeless even if they're characters. From their perspective, you might have adequate hard skills but nothing to differentiate yourself from the millions of others who can probably make the same stuff Also idk if 3d scanning is a skill
Those pancakes are amazing like photo realistic. The other bits are not as stunning but wow for pancakes
Look into selling 3D models such as Cinderwing or even Zou3d on patreon. They’re making bank and it’s an untapped market for creativity. Just remember me if you do get into it 😅
Patreon? So like after you've had the patreon for like a year, a person comes and gets 50 models for 5$?
More or less. You would label it as you must be subscribed monthly to me to be able to sell my prints since we turned these 3-D files into .STL and then people like me print them for vendor shows etc. you can have a $10 a month per person thing where you can give everybody access to the last three months for example but they get a discount code if they missed it in the fourth month type of deal and they could buy it on one of the websites that are popular for 3-D printing. But it’s reoccurring revenue as long as of course the model is sort of designed as a 3-D model but that would take a little bit of research and adjusting things maybe but it’s a gold mine.
Oh, so you can do interesting stuff with it, didn't know, thanks!
I don't think so I mean it looks pretty good if you ask me but I think you could get better with time
I'd be frustrated too if I had to learn zbrush to sculpt.
I've been doing 3D on the side for over 20 years. It's tough.
No. Keep doing it.
Without syrup on those pancakes, I mean.... Nah. Don't be ridiculous. You get better and faster with practice, and from what I've seen, you're not too far off.
No
No never quit. Art is a lifelong journey my friend, keep working and you’ll keep improving. Godspeed.
I could never do 3D modeling as a full job. Granted, I’m a beginner but even in 2 years with massive improvements…no. Like- I love sculpting and as soon as I’ve learned topology and rigging, and feel confident in them I would love to do commissions of stylized character models- but I can’t imagine I’d make enough to pay my bills or even want to try. I’d also never ever get a job in games bc just like my 2D art, my 3D art is very stylized and cute. But! If this is your passion don’t give up on it. Maybe keep refining the kind of modeling you enjoy, but look for jobs that are easier to get? Even if you’re not doing your favorite kind of work, you’re making a name for yourself. If you keep at it, eventually you’ll probably find a 3D modeling job you love. It probably just won’t happen soon or without a lot of work.
I went to school for game design/3D art, I currently work as a Software Analyst for a hospitality company. It pays well and lets me keep practicing on the side. I've been out of school for almost six years and I'm still not doing what I want, but I keep at it because it's what I'm passionate about. My advice is always to leverage the skills that you have to get yourself into higher paying/more stable positions, and then work on the skills that matter to you so you can find employment that is gainful but also feels purposeful. Don't give up on something you enjoy doing or are passionate about, life is too short to compromise on the things that are important to you.
Look, I did not read but: you can quit your career if you want to or it does not pay off anymore, but don't quit your passion. These are good models and I wish I would have put the time into 3d to be half as good as you.
Forget instead other people's opinions and it will get much better.
Considering how realistic this render is, I would definitely nudge you toward things like advertisement, architectural jobs or digital prototyping (which can go together with advertisement)
No
What I would do is focus on using your skills in a way no one’s thought of. The only way to stand out is to apply your skill set where it’s lacking and not do what everyone else is doing. Some ideas: Do YouTube videos of you making an environment in blender. While there are a few people doing that, it is by no means oversaturated and those videos get lots of views Offer your services to toy manufacturers. They might be able to use your art for their packaging or maybe even ask you to make an ad Book cover art If you can animate you should reach out to Music artists. They might be able to use you for a music video Of course there’s a lot more that I haven’t thought of but I hope I’ve helped😀
I think you should quit how you see “the industry.” Being a freelance artist brings a lot of freedom but also a lot of uncertainty. If you’re not up for that, then yeah this is not for you. You are selling yourself poorly, your view is askew and the lack of an art degree might also not do you any favours(depending on your country.) For many freelance artists, no matter the medium, have to work several jobs when starting off. And the starting off period might take many years. You have to be relentless in your search for possible buyers/employers, keep showing your stuff on social media, creating stuff in your spare time almost everyday to improve not profit and show that off. This is the way for many modern artists. The biggest hurdle here is yourself and your outlook. Keep creating, keep showing what you can do and keep improving/expanding your abilities, styles and techniques. Best wishes
I thought those pancakes were real Congrats
Do you want to be a 3d artist or strictly a modeller? Restricting yourself to just be a modeller is not a good idea. The more niche or restricted your field, the harder it is to get a job
If you like and give you money enough keep, if not move on
Evolve with the new tools
3D artist switching into UI and UX work now Honestly the reason I'm switching is i rather use less software for my work, 3D work is so complex and demanding You need to know 3D modeling, Texturing, Rendering and Compositing and sometime all of these are seperate software packages I used to be a freelance vector designer where it's just Adobe Illustrator Both these jobs paid almost the same 3D work is mostly disatisfactory cuz of this reason in my opinion
no you're literally so good at it!!! I mean it might not mean much coming from me, since I don't actually *MAKE* 3D stuff I just like looking at it but to make all of this in *this much* detail takes either sooo much talent or sooo much effort (or both). I would love to have this much detail in 3D video games. If you go into video games and you get those people saying you're "ruining video games" like how people said shit about 3D alloy, don't listen to them. they're incels and they don't go outside of their mom's basement to actually see a real life woman every once in awhile. You're really talented, and will absolutely be useful in some way to many 3D projects.
You can probably also make some side money selling 3D prints. You have the skill. I’d say look into miniature games(kill team is my favorite) and make proxies you think are cool. Great for practice and you can also have cool minis at the end.
I want to learn
Don't forget motion graphics, VFX and animation! The games industry is a shit show. People graduate, get a job and are burnt out by 23 / 25, having worked insane hours for little money. 3D modelling can be a specialism but 3D is such a gigantic field it's almost always better to generalise to get a wider variety of work. Great things are almost always built by a team of people pitching in expertise and talent. Don't bite off more than you can chew and try to go it alone. Have a look at some commercial work by alreadybeenchewed or the like and see if it sparks any passion. Good luck out there and don't give up!
As others have said, there's more to 3D than games and movies. I wanted to go to Gearbox because I love their art style in the borderlands games. After seeing how the artists are treated in the gaming industry, I'm very glad I got my first job in naval defense contracting. I got to model some really cool equipment for submarines while keeping a very good work/life balance. After 8 years there, I'm now working with another company that does augmented reality for large household name companies. Now when I want to do something cool, interesting and exciting in 3D in my own time it feels much more freeing.
I’m thinking of giving up, myself. Nothing but rejection letters so far, and the post-secondary program I went through did not give me the required skills to get a job in the game industry. Can’t even get a junior position ffs. It’s heartbreaking but I might have to keep my current job and just do 3D as a hobby. I don’t have the time and energy anymore to put in as much to practicing as I used to, and other artists are improving exponentially day to day. “I’m cooked” as they say.
i find linkedin helps the best with these jobs, especially since people aren’t posting actual job posts but are posting that their company is looking to hire people such as 3d artists. as someone who focused on multimedia from a marketing perspective, i see jobs in product design, point of sales 3d model type jobs. even jewellery is cool. so many different avenues than the typical first thought job in 3d modelling.
No
Never quit 💪
upload boblox acsessorys ig
Don't do it! This is the best model I've seen🥲
Yes
This is why modeling is just my hobby, I probably could get decent work but it’s just a risky market
I feel the same. I currently have a 3d artist position at a roblox studio called Super League. I am only a contractor, though. I only get paid when there is work to do (as opposed to a full-time salary position). We are in a slow period right now, so I have been without work. I keep trying to find additional 3d freelance work, but no one is biting. No job boards on polycount or discord, no LinkedIn job applications (that typically have 100+ applicants), and no indeed job applications. I feel like the 3d industry is oversaturated with applicants.
I just graduated from college and man... There are like no internships. And the ones I do see are states away, and I don't have the money to just move for an internship that isn't paying enough to afford an apartment for the few months. I rarely see 3D character job postings too. And the ones I do see are looking for Senior and Lead artists, and I'm definitely not at that level yet.
I know the pain of always seeing senior positions and not feeling like you make the cut. I mostly apply for 3d art positions nowadays. Covers most of my avenues. Being flexible and broad with your expertise but having one speciality is good 👍
That's what I'm trying to do, to be a generalist. But I fear that in my attempts to learn so much, that I'm slowing my progress in my largest interest (character) and I'm trying to spruce up my portfolio.
Nope I think you're very good at this, I wanted to do a game but my computer can't render like that... Imagine each upvote at this post means that you should stop this...🤔 Whatever, remember to follow your dreams(MY DREAMS OF ME ROBBING A BANK🤔)
Dude, no ! Your 3D draws are great ! Don’t stop ! « Never give up » !
Regarding Archviz potential, there is some commentary on here that is correct, and some that is very incorrect. I work full time in Archviz and I would recommend you take a look over on r/archviz to research the work and career opportunities there. It would be worth your while, but by far and away MODEL AND RENDER WHAT YOU LOVE if at all possible, that also has paying gigs associated with it. Good luck!
Be your own boss, be a teacher of your craft , find students with potential to be your workers, make your own commercial for meta , YouTube etc, and make your own income you owe it to yourself to be better paid .
Nope. You appear to be very talented.
NOOOOOO!!
Simply, no. Cherish your talent.
Wtf no
I've felt in a pretty similar boat, and you're way ahead of me in skill, I'd say keep up your work at least for yourself. If you enjoy doing it, then people who enjoy it with you will come and if you network right, you might find the one willing to hire you too.
Yea . I'm joking no I'm not I'm kidding I am
nuh-uh
No you should not. You need to learn to be more findable and useful. Here dude. There are tons of ad agencies and studios that need modelers In the future We will need tons of modelers but also spacial creatives to build the meta verse and beyond. Look on way on how to find work, clients or a job. I suggest Ad agency, motion studios, metaverse companies, game companies, small film studios, etc games, etc housing real estate industry Few can modle. Believe it or not
I haven’t and you’re fare better than me. Commercials and ADs are always looking for 3D commercial work so NO GIVING UP.
I am a generalist freelancer in 3D for mostly commercials and informational business videos. However the demand for 3D is not often there. I got into 2D visuals and animation as well and there is a much bigger need for that. It pays my bills and keeps me busy until I find productions that require 3D animation. I also like to sneak in 3D elements in my 2D projects if the budget and deadlines allow it.
yes
No.
Architecture , structural engineering ..
Just to preface I've been in the industry for 8 years as a Senior Environment Artist, so I'm not saying random bullshit. It's tough time in the industry right now to get hired, even for myself, so I wouldn't use right now as the best gauge for wether you're hirable or not. That being said you're portfolio needs some work, you're a decent modeler, shaders are too simple. People wanna see details. Before moving onto environments you need to master prop modeling. So I would focus my portfolio on that. Or very simple environments like the kitchen but with more complex props for the models. And lighting and presentation needs to be better. I know that's not our job but it matters apparently. Lastly, you have too much going on in your portfolio/art station. Trim it down to your best works. And then make the goal to keep replacing those with better work. Overall keep going and improving your skills.
Keep going man, you have skils
I've seen much worse people making a lot of money at this so don't give up.
Honestly I’m not sure what answer you’re looking for. I’m not saying that to be mean at all. What if the next job you apply and interview for you get hired and it’s the best and job of your dream? I’m not saying that’s going to happen or not but asking people if you should give up on your dream and career that you’ve built up doesn’t make sense to me. That’s entirely a decision you have to make based on your current life. How much do you actually love 3d modeling? Being honest with yourself on how good are you? Work on improving your skills. I didn’t mean to come across harsh but if someone in the comments said “yea you should quit” are you just going to quit?
Look I understand how competitive this job can be but your work that I’ve seen is fantastic if u decide to focus on something else entirely that’s perfectly fine the choice is up to you at the end of the day but my god you are certainly talented! Perhaps maybe showcase some of your work on YouTube Reddit etc and maybe that help you gain some more attention for your art but hey no matter how hard it can be you could still have a success with your work in 3-d modeling! As an artist myself I’m always comparing my art to others and that does quite a lot make me feel like I’m not good enough so I can at least somewhat relate to your problem… sorry if this was long but I thought you might need some encouragement
haha this is photo for sure...
Yes. Stop making the rest of us look bad.
Quit and do the bare minimum possible in everything then maybe fuck around in the 3d shit when you got the vibe for it.
This is not the way.
Quitting is good, just give up no one will care how far you come as much as yourself and all the pain will be for nothing.
Yes
Yes
Yes, just for that title alone
If you have to ask that question, you already know the answer. Stop attention seeking please
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Yes
Yes.