Learning Maya - Wasting my time?

[Klopek]

Hi all

I have a position on a game development team to learn 3D Modeling in Maya. I can't draw very well I think and not sure I'm very creative or artistic. My question is do I need to be talented in those things to be able to master Maya and start modeling some sweet characters, buildings, etc.

[gster123]

All depends on how much you want to do it....

[kscully22]

You could see how you feel with the team and you never know as you get into it the ideas might start flowing. Even if you cant draw write down the idea and ask someone else to draw it and you could look over there shoulder and point out what goes where. Good luck if you take it.

[mirek03]

there is no such thing as 'talent' it is a word people use as an excuse to not practise.

[gster123]

Originally posted by mirek03
there is no such thing as 'talent' it is a word people use as an excuse to not practise.

Dunno mate, I practice, practice, practice playing the guitar but I aint getting better now, where one of my mates dosent practice but can just pick it up and blast throught anything!

[Weyu]

Everyone can learn how to draw and everyone can learn how to use Maya, ofcourse there are differences between people tho, some people just learn faster.

Edit: I cant draw and I cant play any instrument, still I love to use Maya, so yes I think its mostly about commitment. :)

[publicFunction]

My 2D art sucs... There is no like between being a good artist and startingto learn Maya. Yes OK the majority of people in 3D come from Art backgrounds, but it is not a must. Talent, is better known as "being gifted".

[gster123]

Gotta say that I can draw a load better now from before I started to use maya, I apply the same principles, start from basics then move up.

[DotNet54]

Originally posted by mirek03
there is no such thing as 'talent' it is a word people use as an excuse to not practise.



you are right man , people say that they dont have talent
just as an excuse

every human being has a powerful brain , but the
only problem is they don't use it

all you need to learn Maya is pure interest and some
time

[myself44]

As everybody said, anyone could learn Maya, 'talent' is just a advantage for some ppl to learm faster, easier.
As for me, Im better at drawing than Maya, but I still try to learn it. I started 5 months ago and managed to acquire some modelling techniques.
Beginners like me just want to go faster, learn more. I understood that I just have to take my time and go step by step. (that mean I dont think about animating for now ;) )

I cant remember the number of tutorials, websites, videos, lessons I watched, but one thing is sure, I practiced without rushing and I cant model pretty welll now.

You should check out the VTM at 3dbuzz, then take some modeling tutorial at 3d-palace to learn the techniques then the rest is just practice.

Good luck
All glory comes from daring to begin, and not to abandon...



omg, guys, we could actually be philosophy teachers :blush:

[bruce dwyer]

we are humans, (forgive the asumption) the thing we are best at is creativity, we're so good at it that we dont even know when we are doing it ... we speak to each other, stringing a chain of images together that form a complicated story in an other creatures mind ... wow
yes talent "humph" perhaps it is just the capacity to accept complete failure and start again, to keep starting again to seek a way around if you cant go over. Those who claim to have no talent are those who have accepted failure out of lack of desire to continue (for what ever reason)
if you want it ... dont be lazy and dont ever give up, it takes time, but dont wait for it, chase it down, be relentless
well that my three cents worth ... I do go on dont I:p

[mirek03]

there's practise and there's 'informed' practise.., it is important that one has a teacher.., a teacher is a library, a library is knowledge, accumulated and passed down is over the years. To practise in an 'uninformed' way is to go over the same thing day after day never moving forward. One needs to learn 'said thing' and move on to next 'said thing,'.., the next step. How can you move on to the next step if you don't know what is.., if there is no 'library', no guide to show you the way.

One can learn from books, but a teacher is so much more personal, if one respects their teacher then one wants to perform better for them until one wants to perform better for one's self. With books there is the chance of misunderstanding, 'I'll do it tomorrow' and other pitfalls.

people say I'm gifted (in certain circles :) ) but I say, we are all 'gifted' but we all have different preferences in the same way we all have different personalities.

As Gster said.., 'it all depends on how much you want to do it'

I maintain, there is no progress without 'work'.., 'informed' work. (and lots of it, not just a few minutes here and thee spread over a week. Sure there are the 'geniuses' .., the truly 'gifted' such as 'DeVinci' but I'm trying to keep this post on planet earth. 'De Vinci s' are too rare to consider, and he probably worked a 28 hour day.

some very good things said on this thread.

'we are all humans' yes quiet an assumption, if only it were true, what a world? Its become such a lonely and cynical place. The first thing we should learn is to respect ourselves and only then can we respect others. (my 5 cents worth :) )

[gster123]

Originally posted by mirek03
there's practise and there's 'informed' practise.., it is important that one has a teacher.., a teacher is a library, a library is knowledge, accumulated and passed down is over the years. To practise in an 'uninformed' way is to go over the same thing day after day never moving forward. One needs to learn 'said thing' and move on to next 'said thing,'.., the next step. How can you move on to the next step if you don't know what is.., if there is no 'library', no guide to show you the way.




Thinks thas my problem with the guitar! I think that I never have the time for "Quality Practice time", as im spending too much time with other things.

[younglion]

Originally posted by Klopek
Hi all

I have a position on a game development team to learn 3D Modeling in Maya. I can't draw very well I think and not sure I'm very creative or artistic. My question is do I need to be talented in those things to be able to master Maya and start modeling some sweet characters, buildings, etc.
you dont have to be a great 2d artist or a good one inorder to be able to work in 3d, my only advice is that take a look at other peoples artworks (the ones which inspire you) and search online for some tutorials if you want to better your 2d skills. So basically practice, practice, practice thats the best way to learn.

[mirek03]

Thinks thas my problem with the guitar! I think that I never have the time for "Quality Practice time", as im spending too much time with other things.

All depends on how much you want to do it....

well said :)

[publicFunction]

Originally posted by gster123
...as im spending too much time with other things.

Society today pushes us to fast. Therefore feel obliged to have to do lots of things, to excel and succeed first time, this is not the case - step back and survey what you have in front of you and then get your target and power down head first and go for it, you'll be amaze at what you can achieve.

I agree with Steve tho, I feel I never have the time to do what I want, and do the things I must.

Life is a beach. But don't you hate getting sand in your food!!!

[DotNet54]

all u need is some interest and time

:p

[Weyu]

But as I'm sure you could be able to learn the program you must ask yourself if this is something you would like to work with in the future.

And have in mind that things will change over time perhaps you get a family or other things you must take care of, 3-D is something you need a genuine intresest for 3-d if you want to work with it.

[mirek03]

TIME?????!!!! lordy lordy, I some times wonder, DO we have enough time?? Every time I sit down to relax I feel like I should be doing something.., I feel like Im being chased by the time monster.., sometimes one just doesn't have enough time.., but the work still needs to be done and if focused, it gets done.?? time seems an illusion, almost like rubber, seems relative, don't really understand it. ?? all I understand is one has to work/practise and at times .., relax. one also needs passion, an artist without passion is a dead artist, dead man walking.

[bruce dwyer]

Drawing ... it is an interesting thing it is the act of breaking an object down into simple forms (circles, squares, ovoids elipses) finding the volumes locating the turning points etc and then setting them in relation to all the others that you have found and keeping a consistancy across your drawing / model. It requires that you extend your visual memory so that you can retain the form in your head as you turn from the model to the 'canvas' and back it requires that you gain an understanding of the things that you seek to draw / model to help with visual memory (it is very hard to remember that which you have no words to decribe ie any body ever tryed to draw / model a human back)
my point is .. I think, Whether you are using a pencil or a brush, a lump of clay or Maya ... the medium may be a skill in itself but the act is the same and requires mostly the same skill set excluding material diferences of course
..... Thats what I think ....

[Jim]

I highly recommend borrowing / purchasing the book

'Drawing on the right side of the brain' by Betty Edwards (translated in to numerous languages for over 20 years!!!)

This book is one of the best drawing books available.
The auther makes the statement that learning to draw, among other things teaches you how to see like an artist. I.e that being an artist is really about learning to see things as they really are, not how we think they look.

It works it really does!!!!

regards
Jim

[mirek03]

yes, it teaches you to see what is not there, posative and negative, ying and yang; chinese calligraphy is the example, the white of the paper is as important as the ink on it, none would exist without the other.

it was stolen from me from quite a well known artist

[Galadiel]

Originally posted by Jim
I highly recommend borrowing / purchasing the book

'Drawing on the right side of the brain' by Betty Edwards (translated in to numerous languages for over 20 years!!!)


I fully agree with Jim! :beer:

Gala

[bruce dwyer]

I'm with Them, an excelant book, my point was that wheather you use a pecil or not, maya is drawing too ... so it boils down to "all u need is some interest and time' ... I guess we will see your avatar/work around, if you decide to persue it ... good luck

[mirek03]

the lad seems to have dissappeared while the rest of us carry on lol.

there is alot of this, where someone, usually with no location, asks a question, which I can usually pick just by the title of the thread, and the question to me seems a little out of place or sarcastic, and then said 'new comer' dissappears??

never seen so much of it before??

[bruce dwyer]

it was an interesting thread after all ... i wounder what purpose it serves :p :beer:

[mirek03]

as was pointed out to me in no uncertain terms, and well placed it was.., this is the chat room, members lounge whatever, so we talk about whatever, not all in life should be too serious, i am sure you are already aware of that. sometimes its nice to just shoot the sh.....

ill be back at uni soon and wont have time for such 'pleasures'