Is 3D modeling a visual art?

[JeffX99]

Do you consider 3D modeling to be closer to sculpture or visual arts? Just curious as to what others think.

[Meloncov]

Huh? I've always considered sculpture to be a visual art. Granted there's a strong tactile element to it, but the same could be said for painting.

3D modeling definitely resembles sculpture more than any other art form, though.

[s.ketch]

Creative geometry.

[Sidharth Chaturvedi]

I'd consider 3D modeling a purely visual art, as opposed to a plastic one, which would cover sculpture and traditional painting. I'm not entirely sure what you mean by visual art here, though.

[tobbA]

Well, I can see it... So I guess that makes it visual.

The difference with "live" sculpture being that it's digital rather than plastic.

[tobbA]

Well, I can see it... So I guess that makes it visual.

The difference with "live" sculpture being that it's digital rather than plastic.

[Raoul Duke]

Not sure if I understand the nature of the question.

It is digital sculpting. Sculpting is a visual art form. Seeing as how you can't smell it, taste it or hear it.

[Stoat]

Hm. Creating objects feels very similar to physical sculpture. A lot of the tricks of the trade are the same (for example, making sure you frequently check your object from all angles so you don't make a sculptural howler).

But thinking back to the modeling I did, I seemed to spend the bulk of my time on textures, lighting and camera work.

I must say, 3D was easily the most fun I ever had at work. Until the tools got so complex I felt lost.

[Slothboy3000]

For me sculpture is all about navigating 3 physical dimensions with my hands and in the end digital sculpting is all created on a flat surface. So yeah - all the feeling, smell and taste(?!) that you get with actual sculpture is not there, just leaving the visual aspect.

[egerie]

I hope this thread won't go down into some kind of "what is art" debate but with a sculpture twist.
Anyway, I personally believe it's akin to sculpture. That said, when I was in fine arts, my teachers didn't even consider ANYTHING made with a computer to be art... especially not 3d modeling (mind you, that was 14 years ago). I think it's just a tool, like a chisel and hammer, even if you don't put your hands on piece itself. It takes the same kind of reflection and thought process when shaping something. In some situations, it also require anatomical knowledge and/or the ability to think in 3D.
What I miss the most when modeling in whatever software package, is the stereoscopic view we have when working straight on a piece of material (from real life I mean). A screen feels terribly flat at first and you have to orbit a lot more then IRL so your brain can pick up on the topology. At least that's what it felt like when transitioning to digital

I gotta run but this subject is really interesting. Thanks Jeff!

[QueenGwenevere]

Eh? Isn't sculpture a visual art? I mean, sculpture is primarily meant to be Looked At, no? If something in the real world is a three dimensional object primarily meant to be handled (sat on, driven, used for food preparation, used as a marital aid, etc,) then it's probably not sculpture. If it's primarily meant to be Looked At, it's probably sculpture, and hence visual art.

But I'm not sure I'd equate 3D with sculpture anyway. With 3D on a computer, there is no real tangible object you can handle physically, all you can physically do with it is look at it - everything else is virtual. And what you're actually looking at is pixels on a 2D screen...

So what you're really dealing with is a 2D representation of a 3D concept that only exists in the abstract and intangible world of code... So in a way, you could say 3D art is closer to drawing a picture from imagination, in that you (or the computer) are taking something that only exists in an intangible way and rendering it as a 2D image. (A 2D image that looks 3D by virtue of the same rules that make any 2D image look 3D...)

Or something. (I haven't had my tea yet this morning.)

[JeffX99]

Interesting replies...and for the most part similar to how I feel about it.

Just for some clarification...I teach 3D Modeling...in a college Art Dept. I raise the question because I'm usually dumbfounded by students who do not consider it under the auspices of "art", whether visual (2D) or sculptural (3D). Not that my students argue with me on the point, it just strikes me as odd they don't even consider the question.

On the whole sculpture being a visual art....sure, it is primarily, but there is a significant difference between something that exists in 3D space vs. 2D (or essentially 2D). That was where I was drawing the distinction between "visual art" and sculpture. Sorry for not defining better up front.

IMO modeling exists somewhere between 2D and 3D...it is of course visual and relies on fundamental visual principles...it can also be helpful to think in terms of both subtractive and additive sculptural methods of working while developing the model.

Thanks for the responses...I've just been interested in what others think about it.

[yochanan]

It's certainly a visual medium, but art seems to be a very vague word with no clearly defined, universal meaning that everyone can agree on as far as I know (so any debate about what constitutes "real" art is really just opinions on what a word means based on personal preference, which makes no sense at all). Here's what Merriam Webster says though:

Definition of ART
1
: skill acquired by experience, study, or observation <the art of making friends>
2
a : a branch of learning: (1) : one of the humanities (2) plural : liberal arts b archaic : learning, scholarship
3
: an occupation requiring knowledge or skill <the art of organ building>
4
a : the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects; also : works so produced b (1) : fine arts (2) : one of the fine arts (3) : a graphic art
5
a archaic : a skillful plan b : the quality or state of being artful
6
: decorative or illustrative elements in printed matter
See art defined for English-language learners »

It's definitely visual and it fits the above definition, so I don't see why it wouldn't be a visual art. In terms of dimensions it's obviously closer to sculpture than painting, and with 3D printers it becomes even more vague. At the end of the day, they're all just words though. Oh well, back to learning how to visual art!

[darkness2012]

I do Agree with Yochanan.
But, if u dig deeper into the 3D it's more like this:
Poly Modeling = Visual
Zbrush = inbetween Sculpture Visual

[PxelSlayer]

For me, personally, it dosen`t really matter. Why put a stamp on it?

I love 3D. I admire all those models that are both technically well executed ( poly count, polygon distribution etc) and artistically pleasing (well made textures and an intriguing, interesting and refreshing design). It`s a very delicate combo of those two.

Plus, working in 3D teaches you A LOT. I can`t get over how useful it is to make sculptures (both digitally and traditionally) for one to understand masses, how they relate in space, how they wedge into each other or separate from one another etc...I think it`s the best way to study anatomy.

I would definitely love to learn more about making models and textures, UV mapping and all that. Maybe, with time, I will. And now that Jeff has exposed himself, he can expect 1001 question spammed PMs...

[Bacn]

Very odd question to ask, as it implies sculpting isn't a visual art. But if you mean whether it's closer to sculpting or more traditional artistic mediums I would say it's closer to drawing than sculpting because even though you're not working with a 2D image, the 2D image is what you're working up to. At the end of the day you're left with a flat, nifty picture and I don't see why how you got that picture matters from an artistic perspective.

[JeffX99]

Didn't read the whole thread didja?

[JFierce]

If your creating something from the ground up out of nothing based on your imagination/creativity. Yeah I'd say it is is personally. Pixels, polygons or not. I'm sure the feeling someone who makes 3D models gets when creating characters can be akin to drawing a 2D character.

But I'm not an expert on 3D modeling and its creation so I'm not going to step beyond that basic view.

[SandyMan]

At least the way I see it, it would be analogous to the painting/digital painting situation; it's like sculpture only that you're sculpting 0's, 1's and polygons.....yet its sculpture at heart.

I don't have a lot of expertise in this field, so i'll quote good ol' wikipedia:
''Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Traditionally, sculptural process have focused on carving and modelling, generally in stone, metal, and wood, but since modernism shifts in sculptural process have led to an almost complete freedom of materials and process''

So from what I understand, yes, it's still sculpture.

[Robert.B]

what century is this?

[Brashen]

So what happens when we you use a 3d printer to bring it into our tangible world?

[Chipsterology]

Anyone who's tried that Zbrush 4 and played with the Dynamesh feature (creating from a sphere to a fully detailed model) and a few of the other classic Zbrush machinations should instantly be convinced of the 3 way marriage between digital 3D modeling, traditional sculpture, and of course, visual arts.

So what happens when we you use a 3d printer to bring it into our tangible world?

I don't think a lot of people have seen these yet even though they've been available for years. There is an online service that will print your model out and send it to you.