You should learn 3D if you're a 2D artist (?)
+ a few tips to get started
Okay, so I recently decided to update my background for youtube while I work on a video about lineart. Buuuuuuuut I didn’t want to just make a background like I did last time, I wanted to design it, what do I mean by that?
I mean that I’ve spent a shit ton of hours writing a briefing, finding references, sketching props, etc… It took me more than 10 hours to get to the final sketch!
But I’m now almost finishing the lineart, hopefully the colors won’t take me so long. So why am I talking about a random background if this is supposed to be about 3D? Because if I didn’t know the basics of Blender (a free 3D program) it would have probably taken me the double amount of time!
One of the things that I wanted to do is an… orthogonal (?) view of the background. Those cute little background cutouts, so I started sketching! And it was hard as hell. I don’t have a lot of experience drawing backgrounds like that, so drawing the general forms wasn’t that hard but keeping the proportions reasonable was a nightmare!
So that’s pretty much why I made this model and added a pre-made human figure with roughly the height of my character.
Now if I ever want to draw a scene in this background but from another angle I can just adjust the camera inside blender and have a good base to work with!
I know learning something completely new can be scary, but 3D is a tool that many professional artists use. And if you have the time I highly suggest you give it a try! Also here are a few tips if you want to try it for yourself:
Don’t make things more complicated than they need to be!
You can add as much or as little detail as you need. You don’t need everything to be on the scene, this is just a base you can use as reference.
Learn from others!
There are so many great tutorials on the internet on how to get started! Take some time to learn the basics of the program you choose and have fun!
Perfect is boring!
Unless you’re looking for an uncanny clean and perfect look, I highly suggest you don’t worry about following the model with 100% precision, add imperfections! They will make the scene feel more natural and lived in.
3D libraries
Also, there are many free 3D models you can use as reference online! Just don’t trace or copy them without giving proper credit!
Have fun
3D is just a tool to make your process easier and more enjoyable. You can use it as little or as much as you want! It is up to you.
So that’s everything for today friend! I hope you have liked our little chat and I hope to see you in another adventure!
From your weird art friend,
Puffy.