Show Reel

Well finally after an semester of doing 3D modelling at uni I have something which I'm happy to show off to people. I completed my demo reel after a few days worth of work and 3days worth of rendering. 

Uni Thoughts

On another note I've had a few people over the last semester at uni ask why I'm relatively good at what I do, so I thought I might share my thoughts on the topic and what has helped me get where I am. Firstly the quality of my work is very average compared to what comes out of the top schools and universities but I think I can improve with strong self guided learning. Also most average universities tend to focus on a very broad range of skill whether it may be web design, graphic design, motion graphics, 3D etc. This can be of advantage because students who don't have a clue what path they want to head down can be guided along by the uni, however it also effects a students opportunity to specialise thus limiting their skills and opportunities on getting job positions at higher levels earlier. 

However enough Chit chatter about the problems with universities and more talk about how to get better at 3D. There is a very simple answer to this question but how you go about approaching it can be very complex. The answer is to practice and practice lots. When I was young I had the opportunity to play the guitar, I figured that by practicing for half an hour every day I would get good at it, and I did. Since then I have moved on from playing the guitar and like to express myself through visual mediums but what I took away from my experiences of playing a musical instrument is that "practice makes perfect". No one should ever underestimate the power of practice as it can open up many doors and lead you new places.

The real problem with practice is that there isn't a real easy way to go about it. However if ur passionate I believe nothing should stop you from achieving your goals. While I've been doing 3D a few things have helped me along the way:

• Picking up traditional mediums such as drawing and sculpture have helped me the most because it helps me to think broadly and develop an artistic eye. This means that I can put details into any art work I make with more thought and realism. The things that most people don't usually notice which make an artwork more meaningful, l I can include in my work.
• Another thing I found helpful is to do tutorials every opportunity I have, especially tutorials which are structured with some form of syllabise and not just one off tutorials. These help develop your skills in specific mediums and help train your mind to learn how to troubleshoot when things go wrong. 
• Another point would be to get involved and pick others brains for information. Joining a club or forum really allows you to get feedback on your work so that you can develop more and find out where you're going wrong.    
• My final point would is that you should be really passionate about your work and pour you love into it because it will help you create work that is unique and of top quality.

I really hope that the things I wrote down today may help people who are slightly less experienced and guide them in doing something they love.