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Originally Posted On: https://blog.vertexschool.com/how-to-master-professional-game-character-modeling/

 

Learning to achieve professional 3D character modeling often takes time, practice, and education. It is possible to speed up the process of going from beginner to professional, but you’ll need the right set of tools in your pocket. To help you on your character modeling journey, here are the top five tips that will help you achieve game-ready characters from start to finish.

5 Tips to Achieve Professional Game Character Modeling

1. Start Simple 

One of the best things that you can do to achieve a more professional look for your game characters is to start simple. This may sound counterproductive, but starting with a simple base for your character will allow you to develop the details later. Stitching together basic primitives will give you a broad overview of proportions and a rough shape to develop from.

 

2. Don’t Waste Detail Work 

It may seem that professional work is in the details, but if you’re a beginner, be sure not to waste your detail work in the wrong places. Detail is great for creating an amazing character, but it’s a waste of your precious time if it’s not visible once in the game. Knowing how your character is used in the game is crucial to know where to put more effort. If your character will be seen from a distance, then you don’t need to worry with the inside of the mouth.

 

3. Follow Natural Human Anatomy 

As you create more characters, it’s important that you take a “zoomed out” approach. Be sure to think ahead and plan for how your character will move. The best way that you can achieve a natural movement is to design your character with natural human anatomy in mind. While you don’t need to show detail for every single muscle, having a proper foundation will allow for a natural looking movement in the game.

 

4. Create a Seamless Character

While you’re planning your character with natural human anatomy in mind, it’s also important to try to plan ahead for adding elements. When you have several separate elements on your character, it can end up looking deformed as it moves with the main element. For example, try not to create a body under clothing. If you can create it all as one single model, then it will blend easier later in the animation process.

 

5. Attend a 3D Character Workshop

Lastly, one of the best actions that you can take as a beginner is investing in your education. While there is a wealth of information online, the available information is primarily for beginners. To achieve professional quality, you’ll need to have some sort of education… but where should you start?

Many people think that they have to have a bachelor’s degree from a college to achieve professional quality 3D character modeling, but that is no longer the case. With the advancement of technology and online teaching, a quality 3D Character Workshop will help you achieve the desired results with less time and money invested.

 

Finding the Right 3D Character Workshop

Finding a class that specifically shows you how to enhance your character creation skills can be difficult. Often, these types of classes are available at colleges, which require enrollment and tuition. The overall costs and inconvenience of in-person classes hinder many artists from furthering their skills and education. So, what can you do?

Vertex School offers an online Character Creation for Games Bootcamp that you can take without enrolling in a college and is a fraction of the price. This Bootcamp teaches you how to create a game ready character from start to finish, and all of the tips and tricks in between.

By the end of the course, you’ll have:

• Developed fluency in the various stages of the PBR workflow
• Learned how to create dynamic poses for your character
• Mastered the pipeline for 3D character creation
• Have your own game-ready character

 

Character Creation for Games Bootcamp Overview

This course is broken down into 9 easy-to-understand modules. Here is a bit of what you can expect:

Module 1: Blocking Out The Character

Module 2: Facial Development

Module 3: Creating The Clothing

Module 4: Creating Secondary & Tertiary Details

Module 5: Creating Our Game Ready Mesh

Module 6: Texturing The Character

Module 7: Creating Hair in Maya’s XGen

Module 8: Eye Creation & Texture Sets

Module 9: Lighting & Presentation

Frequently Asked Questions

You may be wondering how you can attend an art course without enrolling in a college, and you may also have other questions. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about the course.

What is the course format? 

Vertex School is a one-of-a-kind alternative to expensive college degrees. The primary goal is to make art and design education widely available to all who may not have access to college classes.

All Vertex School classes are hosted online in a pre-recorded format, so you can take the information at your own pace. Each course is taught by a professional within the specified industry, and all student work is critiqued by highly skilled Teaching Assistants. You’ll also have access to the Teaching Assistants for answering any questions you might have and a private Discord group to discuss with peers.

What software do I need? 

Software and materials needed include: ZBrush, Maya, Substance Painter, Photoshop, Marvelous Designer (optionial) and Marmoset Toolbag.

What is the refund policy? 

Vertex School strives to create happy artists. Your investment is fully backed by the 15-day money-back guarantee. For more information on the refund policy, refer to this page and scroll down to the frequently asked questions.

How long will I have access to the course? 

When you learn from Vertex School, you’ll have lifetime access to the workshop videos. This allows you to refer back to them again and again as many times as you need to.

 

Take the Next Step

Enhancing your skills to achieve professional quality characters doesn’t need to be a lengthy process of obtaining a degree, and it doesn’t need to cost years of savings. With Vertex School, you can have a quality education from top professionals, the convenience of self-paced learning, and a simple process to get started at a fraction of the cost.

Master your skills today with the Character Creation for Games Bootcamp.