Hi Guys,
I'm currently looking into the game animation business and was wondering about my drawing abilities, how good do i need to be?
I know that if i wanted to do character design i need quite good drawing skills, but if i want to look at 3d animation or even possibly 2d specialisation do i need to be a talented drawer?
Thanks for your help.
Thanks parka [:)]
At the moment I don't have any artwork to show, my scanner broke down and I lost my work on the PC...
I'd say I need some work, I can see it all in my head (which i was hoping animating can bring out) but when i try and draw it, it never comes out the same.
I think i'll look into a short drawing class, gets the skills up.
Thanks for the help!
No worries champ! You know, I know exactly what you mean about seeing it all in your head, but not really being able to get it out onto paper or something. A good way to battle that is to just keep practising. I like your idea of drawing classes, that should help out heaps! Just keep bulding the skill though and taking every chance to draw something; anything! It can be so frustrating, but you've just got to keep at it is all. Let me know when you're scanners working again! I'd love to check out some of your stuff.
Have a good one!
-Parka
Hey Parka!
I checked out your website, you've got some real talent, I couldn't hold a candle to your work.
Depending on how important drawing ability is I want to go to QANTM next year as well!!! - if they don't bring in FEE-HELP I can't go [:(]
I've spoken to a couple people and I get varied results.
Some say if your not a drawer you?ll still be fine, but with this field it does help a lot if you can and you?ll have classes during the course for it (that was from tamarind taylor), others say you need good skills for storyboards and more so the final concept sketches...
I could imagine at the moment i'd draw some crappy character then be like "give me a minute i'll just show you in 3d".
Furthermore I heard that there are different sections with the animators that do different stuff, so a 3d animator, storyboarder, concept artist etc...I tend to believe Tamarind seeing she just finished the course and has massive talent!
Well the research into the subject continues, fingers crossed.
OOH! You're wanting to go to QANTM too?!?! That's awesome! And if that's the case with the course, then don't be too worried hey. Take up some drawing lessons and just practice as much as you can and you'll be set!
So you're in year 12 this year? Woot.
Good luck with your research then! I'll catcha later.
Bai!
-Parka
I have seen what comes out of qantm and I know how they work.
They have 1 trisemester of life drawing in the whole 2 year course, they teach very basic things.
You get a choice of 2 3d lecturers that teach you how to use the programs. They will try and teach you the basics and get you to do exercises. They have a lot of computers at qantm but only a few are good etc...I know most people get annoyed at the computers because of speed and so on...
So if you can't afford to go to qantm it is not a bad thing at all.
It is better to enrol yourself into life drawing classes somewhere else and take them whenever you want them.
Also why not read the manual and internet tutorials on cgtalk and save $15,500 a year? You could own your very own workstation with the money you have saved from not going there.
Your design and drawing skills are going to be very important.
Having good drawing skills helps you express your imagination much more clearly and helps speed things up.
The basic knowledge of how things are connected, weight and move will help you greatly in animation to make stuff move better so it doesn't look stiff or something bad.
I also think taste is more important than talent and skill combined. Which qantm clearly does not teach.
The ability to make stuff that is appealing enough to get people to employ you...if you think about it, it kinda does come down to if you have good taste, style and good work flow.
So here is a thinking process you might want to have while making your stuff to be like industry standard:
Does it look fantastic? (if no, find out how to make it better..ask people)
Does it look like eye candy? (even if it's a monster design)
Does it look like/better than the MARKETABLE work in that awesome game that just came out? (you must look at what is out there and make stuff that can compete with it... set higher goals, look at what is popular and find out why it is popular)
Do you think will want me to work for them with this quality of work?
All of the above is yes?
Then put that in the folio pile.
A lot of companies get folios coming in all the time so if it's not really good it's going to the bad pile and their thoughts will be like "...next".
Work is like food... if it tastes bad people won't buy again.
Anyways have a good read of http://www.androidblues.com/FAQ/
start at : I'm aiming for a career in 3d cg, but I have no idea where to start. What are some of the best schools to go to get a diploma in cg?
Hey,
That was really good advice... it's good to know what's going on. Thanks for that.
Hey Dsreaper, just in regards to fee help, my brother was explaining to me that somehow you can get sponsorship from gaming companies and then work with them later? Do you know anything about that?
Hmm... Well! I'll catcha later.
Oh, and sorry about being SO off thinking you were in year 12! I just assumed... but yeah.
Bai now!
-Parka
If you want in on some life drawing classes, and just a plain ol' good group of like minds, get along to sessions held by the Queensland Animators over at Wooloongabba. It's once a fortnight and well worth getting to. www.qa.org.au Associate yourself with QA too. It's a great group, and you'll get along to some good events and meet some tops people.
Queensland College of Art over at Southbank probably also holds regular life drawing sessions. Look about campus for flyers, or ask at admin downstairs. They should be able to point you in the right direction.
Aloriael, thanks for the insight, It was really good advice! [:)]
I went to the open day and the PC's didn't look half as good as the specs I was given, animators didn't even have LCD the programmers had better PC's by far!
Hey Parka, I haven't heard of that where they sponcer you, that's not to say it doesn't exist i've just never heard of it, I'd suggest asking qantm or a game company and see what they say. Haha it's cool 9 out of 10 ppl at the qantm open day were in year 12, my mate and I felt really old! It was funny we got on well with a lot of staff because were the same age [:p]
Brain, thanks for info on drawing classes and QA [:)]
Yesterday I was offered a more permanent position where I work atm so I'll be staying put instead of moving into Animation.
Thanks so much everyone who contributed it really helped [:)]
Best of luck next year Parka!
Laterz!
quote:Originally posted by parka
Hey Dsreaper, just in regards to fee help, my brother was explaining to me that somehow you can get sponsorship from gaming companies and then work with them later? Do you know anything about that?
I don't remember ever telling you anything like that! More like you could probably easily get work experience at any of the local game dev companies.
quote:Originally posted by parka
Whatever! You totally told me something about getting sponsored by a company for fee help, then you work with them for a while to pay them back? Don't you twist your words around child!
But h'anyway, are you feeling any better? And I thought you were coming over tonight?
Meh, catchoo later,
-Parka
Nope, I never said that .... unless .... was I drunk at the time?
No, I have a throat infection, I'm sure the next australiangamer podcast will be just peachy ... I'll pop over soon.
Hey champ!
I'm looking to get into games animation as well, and I was talking to this guy from the Uni that i'm wanting to get into to study animation, and he was telling me that he noticed animators are those people that do have good drawing skills as it helps to figure out movement, proportions, and all that jazz. Something about understanding the way a person is put together. Getting into this kind of field then, I guess, it's always good to have some kind of drawing history because it is a fairly artistic business.
How well do you draw at the moment as it is? I'd love to see a couple of your pictures if you have any. It's always good to get critique from others to see where you're at, I reckon.
Have a good one!
-Parka