Setting a goal and learning fast

[Erik Meyers]

I would say starting out with an understanding of modeling helps get you used to navigating Blender first by using selection tools and moving stuff around. Including getting used to some various modifiers. With that foundation you can quickly block out your main mesh before going into sculpting with stuff like the subsurf or the skin modifier attachment. All of that prep works goes a long way to saving you time sculpting when you have the basic shape. However, to do that you sort of need to know how to push meshes around.

Likewise if you want to do anything with the mesh you sort of want to retopologize it and doing that well can be more easily understood with a basis in modeling to help get an idea of the usage of the modifiers, selection tools, and simply how to place down vertices in a way to retopologize anyway.

At least trying to go through retopologizing felt much easier after doing through a few models in edge modeling type.

[Don Newman]

Like Erik said, knowing how to model comes in handy for retopologizing. If you blocked it out using modeling before sculpting it can also serve as a reference to go back to for how you want the topology to flow. You did make a duplicate for sculpting on, right?

[Don Newman]

Go the direction that most interests you because that is what you will be most motivated to work on. Modelling is really the core of everything, but from there you can branch out in a lot of different directions that aren’t as intertwined or dependent on each other aside from maybe rigging and animation. The flows are a great place to start and give a suggestion of what to learn and in what order which can be overwhelming in the beginning to figure out on your own but there is no reason you need to stick to them.

For me I wasn’t really interested in materials and lighting until I started sharing my work with friends and wanted to present it better so I took a break from the path I was on to get some basics of that under my belt. Going back to the 7 habits, switching things up can help give yourself a rest to digest the topic you were on and let it sink in for a bit before coming back to it. Also remember his final habit of create what you love and if halfway through a course you decide you want to focus in on painting UV textures there is nothing wrong with that.

[Author]

Posts