Art Skills 3D Designers Should Have

The sudden rise in popularity of AI art on the internet has revived an age-old concern: will machines eventually replace humans? This question pops up often, as creators are haunted by the idea that their talents and skills won't make the cut anymore.

Photo by Milad Fakurian on Unsplash

But that's nothing new. We've seen an old method or medium replaced by a new one many times throughout history. Yet, the video didn't "kill" the radio, newspapers still sell, and comic books remain the essence of creative ideas that someday turn into animated films. 

So, why can't an artificial intelligence system replace humans? The answer is pretty simple. Although they are rational, fast, and accurate, AI systems can't reproduce human emotions. Additionally, they're not capable of working creatively, intuitively, or outside of the box. 

Successful designers usually spend years honing their skills, learning to be creative and understanding people and their senses. This article will present you with the basic art skills every 3D designer should have to start working in industries such as movies, advertising, or video game production. But before that, let’s have a look at the best 3D modeling software for 3D artists.

Best 3D Modeling Software for 3D Artists

There are a lot of 3D designing software that 3D artists can use in their tasks. The challenge is that most of them are either expensive or they take long for one to learn it. But the good thing is that some options available can be used to create designs easily. A good example of such software is SelfCAD. SelfCAD is one of the best 3D modeling software for several reasons. First, it is extremely user-friendly and easy to use. You don't need to have previous experience to use this program.

The software also has exciting features like the image to 3D, allowing users to convert images to 3D models. There are also 3D shape generators that one can use as a primitive for creating 3D models. SelfCAD also has powerful 3D sculpting tools like brushes that you can use to create organic 3D characters. If you want to generate 3D renders of your designs, SelfCAD comes with a powerful 3D rendering engine that users can use to generate interesting 3D renders of your design.

The software also comes with a powerful 3D slicer that users can use to slice their 3D models and get the Gcode you can send to your 3D printer. This slicer is easy to use, and you don't need to have previous experience in 3D slicing to use this slicer.  It's also compatible with most of the commonly available FDM 3D printers. There are also a lot of interactive tutorials available that you can use to learn 3D modeling. 

The Basic Art Skills Every 3D Designer Should Have

1. Creativity

Let's begin with the seed itself. The most crucial skill a 3D designer should have is the ability to generate fresh ideas and approaches. Most of the time, as a 3D artist, you will be asked to collaborate on projects centered around original artwork for employers or clients. 

Crafting original, visually attractive, and interactive designs requires a creative mind. A creative mind will also allow you to solve different problems with an out-of-the-box mindset and innovative solutions up your sleeves. 

2. Freehand Sketching

Every idea begins on a blank canvas. Depending on your medium of choice, it can be a notebook or a freshly created digital artboard—but every thought is sketched out first. 

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

You don't need to be Da Vinci, but some basic sense of perspective and proportions, as well as a brave, steady hand, are always good to have. Also,  with the internet being such a melting pot of free (or affordable) resources, gone are the days of attending pricey art lessons in order to learn the basics of sketching. 

Since most people in the creative industries understand visual cues better than written ideas, being able to present clients with an initial sketch will always help you explain your concepts more truthfully. 

3. Communication 

Art is a form of communication. So,  if an artwork doesn't convey a message, it feels like you're staring at an empty wall. To establish good communication between you and your art, you must be able to say things in a way that is clear and easy to understand. 

As a 3D artist, you'll need to talk to clients about the development of their projects or the technicalities of your work. Also, if you want to collaborate effectively with other artists on your team, you need to be able to express yourself clearly and efficiently. Most importantly, don't forget to listen. Listening is the key to a successfully communicated project. Once you hear all of your clients' needs, try to understand them and then present your ideas and approaches. 

4. Animation Basics

Creating movement in your artwork brings it closer to the third dimension and makes it more engaging for the viewers. Having this ability might be important for building virtual reality experiences or video games so that players have a more realistic experience.

Whether you decide to study Richard Williams' work through his Animator's Survival Kit first or just by carefully observing some of the best animated movies, series, and commercials out there, studying the basics is essential. Start by creating simple flip books or just by combining different digital movement sketches to get the experience of developing moving images. 

5. Rigging

Rigging is the process of putting together a character's skeleton for a 3D animated movie. This includes adding bones to certain body parts and describing the motion of those bones as the character walks, runs, or jumps. This technique will help you specify the relationships between body parts during motion. You can design complex structures with many joints and connections by using different programs, such as Blender or Maya.

6. Texturing

Remember when everyone talked about the fibers on Mr. Incredible's shirt when Incredibles 2 came out? That was the peak moment of 2018's animation, as Pixar set new standards for 3D texturing. Texturing is a crucial talent for artists because it helps them create more realistic and detailed pieces. It can be accomplished through the use of either original artwork or preexisting pictures as patterns.

Textures are essential to all 3D components as they also make them appear less flat. For example, car designers create metal-like textures for their models to look glossier and harder. 

7. Sculpting

The previously mentioned flatness of objects cannot be avoided without sculpting three-dimensional objects. Just like Michelangelo carved out his magnificent David, digital artists now sculpt their creations in software such as Mudbox or ZBrush.

However, sculpting doesn't revolve only around human figures. It is a process involved in so many different industries, from interior design and landscaping to video game design. In fact, every 3D object that shows up somewhere has to be sculpted first to look natural. 

8. Lighting

Light is an aspect that has been studied for centuries. From masters like Caravaggio all the way to Robert Irwin, lighting was something that made their artworks magical. Adding light to your composition gives your picture depth, which is important if you want the objects in your art to interact with each other and give the impression of depth and 3D space. Additionally, adding light to your artwork creates shadows, making it look more three-dimensional and, thus, more realistic. 

9. Particles and Liquid Simulation

Now to the more complicated part—physics. The knowledge of physics will definitely come in handy for creating elements like fire, water, or smoke in a 3D environment. Tiny details, such as particles, are what make 3D art so appealing and lifelike. Some of the most popular software for creating particle effects and liquids are Cinema 4D and Adobe After Effects. 

10. Compositing

Not to be confused with composing, this process involves layering different assets into a single three-dimensional picture. Different parts of the scene may be changed during the procedure, such as by adding textures, moving light and shadow, changing backgrounds, etc. 

Compositing is a powerful skill that artists can use to either improve their previous work or generate whole new images. An artist might capture multiple shots of a figure and then composite them with a custom-made background.

11. 3D Rendering

3D Rendering is the process of turning 3D models into 2D images. Artists use rendering to show clients what their finished artwork will look like. This ability demands attention to detail and knowledge of how light affects various materials, both of which are necessary for 3D artists.

Photo by Daniel Chekalov via Unsplash

Conclusion

Being a good 3D artist doesn't mean being a jack of all trades. In fact, if you decide to master all of the above-mentioned skills, you may easily become overwhelmed with the amount of work you need to do before you land your first role in the industry. So, before you decide to step forward, try out different things and see what works for you the most. Some 3D artists feel most comfortable just rigging or sculpting 3D objects, and most companies hire teams for different tasks. 

If you don't try working on different projects using various approaches, you will never know what rocks your boat. So, be curious, try out different mediums, and brush up on your skill set. At the end of the day, the more knowledge you have about 3D design, the more clients or employers will want to hire you.

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Enjoy powerful modeling, rendering, and 3D printing tools without the steep learning curve.

Need to learn 3D modeling? Get started with interactive tutorials.