Hi, i was wondering if anyone would have any useful advice for my problem. About 6 months ago i finished a course in 3d animation (it was only 10 months long). I really want to do this for a career but when i approached a couple of companies with my short animation they said my skill wasn't up there yet. So i've decided to focus instead on creating 3d models, as you can get work specializing and i'm naturally good at art.
Trouble is i just can't for the life of me motivate myself to work on this stuff. I don't understand it, i know with practice i could get good as some of my past character modeling i'm quite pleased with. But every time i sit in front of the computer to work on this character that i've only just started i just suddenly cannot be bothered and close the program down.
I've tried just aiming to do at least a minimum of 15 mins each day but when i've tried that i just ended buggering about and am glad when the 15 mins is up. The trouble is i feel like 3d modeling is difficult for me, even though it shouldn't be this difficult. Its been this way for the past few months, i keep trying but keep failing, i have no job and my life is going nowhere fast.
I feel like i have 3d artists block. Any suggestions?

This post has been edited by bottle_of_blues: Oct 1 2009, 08:43 PM

For me, when I have problems like that, I just have to go into it unmotivated. Eventually things will start to feel more interesting later on. Like for me, my class work or projects, I just need to start it. Push myself and to get it initiated. That will help start the process. Try that out, let me know how it works for you.

Hi and Welcome Bottle of blues

It is an awful feeling when you lose motivation.
Perhaps you could change what you want to do to start with, perhaps still 3d models, but perhaps looking at it from a different perspective.
Like if you think of it as work, or a way to make money or that it is a little difficult, perhaps simplify it and do something that you enjoy with it.

I do not know much about this kind of work, but what I am trying to say, is perhaps try and put aside all the reasons why you want to do this and try and do it just for you, no pressure or anything. That could help you feel better about it.

Trace

oh boy oh boy that is one heck of a career to choose. Blues, if you want to work in animation, you have to learn how to do everything in animation and more. That includes drawing. 10 months is certainly not enough to get your foot in the door. You need at least 7-8 years of experience and a decent portfolio to get a good job in the industry. That said, its not an impossible task, but you have to have a sheer love for animation to do well in it. I recommend you work on drawing basics along with your experience with maya or whatever rendering program you use so that you can visualize characters properly. Find a place, maybe art school, that can help you get better and learn more about your field. It takes time, but you can do it.

I'm sorry hwillis8, but that most likely does not apply these days, as I know a number of people who have gotten into the industry with only one to two years experience.

I have a friend who works as an animator for a gaming company, and for movies and games, the concept artists take care of the drawing aspects of things. I also know a number of others who work professionally as 3D animators, from hand-animating models, to motion capture.

7-8 years of experience? No way. My friends who now work in the industry only have a couple of years of experience. It's all about having a really good portfolio - and if you work hard at it, you can easily develop your portfolio in just one year.

These days, if you have a really great portfolio that showcases what you are able to do, experience really doesn't matter.


What field of animation required this for you, hwillis8?

Hi Bottle of Blues and welcome to DF,

I do have to go with the same suggestions that Trace has pointed out. It's like having writers block. You are struggling right now and maybe ask yourself if you are putting too much pressure on yourself. Try to practice on what you feel comfortable with and that you are good at right now, something fun. The fact that you were trying to give yourself 15 minutes at a time on working with your 3-d animation was a good step to take but since you didn't feel it worked for you then maybe just try to take things slow and easy, something that you don't feel pressured with and slowly things will come back to you where you will be able to get that motivation back.