Reply To: [ENDED] BC1-1801 – January Class Homepage – Getting Started with 3D Modeling & Blender

[Grady Pruitt]

Something else I thought I’d share… One thing that having this class has done for you is provided you with a place to get (and give) feedback.  While you can get some here, you might actually find it easier to find feedback (maybe even faster) other places. For example, there’s a number of groups with Blender as a focus on Facebook. Another great place is BlenderArtist.org. Some places aren’t as great at “catering” to new users, but you can still get some valuable feedback.

Feedback is important. Sometimes, we get so close to our projects that we start to overlook something that might be obvious to someone else. Finding even 3 or 4 people you can ask for feedback can really do wonders to helping make your work better.

Sometimes, though, people are too general in asking questions. They ask a question, but don’t provide enough details or any visual reference to help illustrate the problem. If you are trying to get feedback, try to be clear on what you need help with and if you’re having a problem, pictures and/or blend files go a long way to helping to find what needs to be done to fix a given issue.

If you’re nearing the end of a project, it can still be helpful asking for more general help. When you are going general, try to give some clue as to what you see is the point of the image or the intent behind the image. It may be obvious to you, but it might not be obvious to someone else.

On the other side, when giving feedback, try to take into account any stated intent.  Nothing annoys me more than when I have a stated intent and I get feedback that goes contrary to that intent. (Believe it or not, it happens all the time.)

And on any feedback you get, it’s ultimately up to you whether to take it or not. I’ve had a number of times where I got feedback that I didn’t think was right for my project, but upon reflect, I realized that it was exactly what I needed.  It helps to keep an open mind.  At the same time, though, just because someone says something about your piece doesn’t make them automatically right.  If at first you don’t agree with it, let it sit for a day or two. And if you still feel it’s not right for what you want to do, then don’t take it. It’s your art. Let your vision for it be your guide. 

If you’re unsure, it can be helpful to ask someone who’s opinion you’ve come to trust.  It may be that they’ve offered you advice in the past that at first you didn’t agree with but ultimately decided to follow. After the same person has given you advice you’ve followed (or you trust them because you’ve watched their tutorials or read a book from them), if that person gives you feedback, you’re more likely to take it in the future even if you don’t think you agree with it because they haven’t steered you wrong before. (Similarly, someone who keeps giving you bad advice that ignores any stated intent you provide is likely someone you’ll start to ignore when they give you any advice.)

My point is, just as me, Kent, and others have given you advice throughout the course, keep seeking advice on your future projects.  Advice taken can only make your work stronger, both on the piece you’re working on as well as future pieces.

And don’t limit yourself to “just” Blender artists or even CG artists. A lot of the streamers I watch on Twitch don’t even use Blender, but I like watching them for style, composition, color theory, techniques, and more. And I think I said something on one of the posts this month about wood grain. Guess what? That tidbit came from someone that works in wood and has influenced the way I’ve modeled and textured everything I’ve done since learning that.  In fact, seeing how things are made in the “real world” can give you ideas on how to model them in CG.

So in addition to using plenty of references, make sure you’re also getting lots of feedback to make your work better!