Tracking My Progress

[njc6425]

Hello Everyone!!

This is my first post here on conceptart.org although I do frequently post over at polycount.com. So I guess Ill start with some background info before getting to my artwork .

My name is Nick, I am currently studying 3d game art and design in Melbourne Australia. Quite recently I came to the realisation that my art skills are...well terrible and that it needs to change. Apart from when I'm at school ill be giving 3D work a miss and focusing entirely on my 2D work.
My goal in life is to one day make video games with some close friends, personal, meaningful games that we just enjoy making. I am keen to continue practising my 2D skills as much as possible.

My schedule is hectic at the moment but I am going to try my best to dedicate at least one post a day from now until...well I hopefully won't stop. Id love to hear feedback from all you talented artists out there and can't wait to begin .

So here is some of my past work:

Paint Over of an Alien i sculpted:
[IMG][/IMG]

Hand Painted Texture practise:
[IMG][/IMG]

Alien Concept Sheet:
[IMG][/IMG]

Hand of Truth Concept:
[IMG][/IMG]

These are just a couple of things I have done over the past year. Just so this post isn't too boring. Now for my Progress.

16/07/2012:

Some Dragon Nest Concepts for my Game: Dragons!
[IMG][/IMG]

Quick Life drawing/ Value study
[IMG][/IMG]

Thats it for today, thank you for anyone who proceeds to comment and critique.

Nick

[keeptime]

Just out of curiousity, are those nests supposed to be self-contained or are they the opening faces of a cave or mountainside? It'd be interesting to see more signs of them being inhabited as well, like maybe shedded skin or animal corpses littered around the outside. That being said, I think #3 is the most interesting.

I'm probably nit-picky considering you said Hand Of Truth is an old concept piece, but the messy outlines on the hands and sloppy painting of the arm really distract from your work. It'd be great to see it more cleaned up.

[njc6425]

The nests are kind of like floating islands that the dragons land on. Yeh i might add more detail Number 3 is my favourite too, more interested shape. Thanks for the feedback, yeh line work is a bit of a pet peeve of mine, am trying to shake that habit

Heres a couple of things from today, just two 10min paintings. Rough as guts and not happy at all with them

Scene from Avatar:
[IMG][/IMG]

Some Person:
[IMG][/IMG]

[Hezebeth_040795]

The Alien is my favorite

I think the first step in learning how to draw is not grabbing a pencil and doodle right away, but to start notice. I mean, pay more attention to things around you, collecting reference images from photograph and magazines (i have fun doing that). It helps your brain to nurture the ''art sense". And of course doodling comes a little bit later.

You should really check out this,
http://www.artnatomia.net/uk/index.html

Awesome face anatomy. Helps a lot with sculpting, animation, drawing and painting Here some of my experience: Ignore the latin names. Pay attention to 2 important muscle groups - those around the eyes and those around the mouth

You are in 3d game art design?!?!?!? O_O That's my dream! Next year I'm going to college! But I'm confused between 3D game art and Fine art, really, I don't know what to choose T.T Do they teach any drawing class in 3d art course ?

[njc6425]

Thanks so much for the kind words, i like the alien too (just wish i could draw that good, had to sculpt that first then paint over). That link is amazing!!! thanks so much, going to do some studies tonight for sure

Ill give you some advice that I've learnt while doing this course. (Although every course is different this will always apply). You can always teach an artist how to use a new tool (Zbrush, Maya, Photoshop) as long as they're traditional skills are good then it will transfer through to these new 'tools'. I wish i knew this beforehand, but i know it now and hence this thread.

If you are a great or even okay artist then a 3d game art course probably won't be so bad, my course only does 3d work so its not too helpful for people like me in that sense. Had i known what i know now i would have done a traditional course then the 3d art course.


Thats just my experience, it is of course different for everyone. (I know some really terrible artists for example, that are awesome 3d artists). Ive gone about it the wrong way, i know the programs and the technique and pipeline...now i just need the skill. so practise practise practise

[njc6425]

Been a busy weekend, been sketching in my sketchpad. will upload pictures later tonight. Gonna do some work in photoshop tonight. Might do some character stuff, like silhouettes Just an update