Thanks you guys.

Yeah, I'm putting in about 10 hours a day on Maya. Before work from 4 am and after work until about midnight or sometimes, well, you get the idea.

I find I actually learn the most by having to fix what I'm doing wrong, or where I've missed something. (You guys can read about this in my last post today in the newbie thread after finally figuring out on my own to some degree that I had screwed up my floating room scene in order to have it now finally fixed.) That and re-doing the same projects over and over again before moving on to others more advanced. Truthfully, being an artist in 2d for a very long time professionally, I know how easy it is for someone to wanna jump in and model the Delorean off the bat.

It was actually the first mistake I made when iI started my schooling. All I was supposed to do was an 8 foot room that was moderately photo-realistic with simple props. They would have been ahppy with a cardboard box in the middle of a room if it were done well. And my instructors told me this. I instead proceeded to get lost modeling a 90 by 100 foot space room orbiting a gas giant out the window. Then blowing out the scene after creating 10 thousand individually lit stars...then while spending 3 hours going outside the room to start deleting them after their light blew out said scene ( I threw them-in scale -out into the cosmos), I got lost in space and couldn't get back to my room.

Another hour just searching for my stage and zooming in. "Nope, another star."

Lost that version as I hadn't saved it or incrementaled it.

My point is...I am so committed to the software now. I get sheer joy, even though I know I'm doing basic stuff right now ( I remember before I became a professional storyboard artist picking up my first art book- so I keep that very much in perspective)in just creating something like that pitcher, or lighting a room properly, or a screwdriver...I don't even care. It's art. And It's Maya. And at some point, I'll be able to snatch the pea from my masters hand.

I am simply enjoying the journey, and really just thank you guys for everything to this point.

Best,

Travis