3D for 2D Artists
This 10-week course is designed to enable students to learn the basics of powerful 3D software tools
Teacher Artwork by Grace Zhu
This class is currently unavailable. However, this class might be back in the future, if there is enough interest. You can express your interest and reserve your spot for a future term by clicking on this button.
3D for 2D Artists
Are you an aspiring concept artist or illustrator who possesses strong 2D illustration and digital painting skills? Would you like to learn a powerful set of 3D tools and techniques that will significantly boost your skill set and give you a definite edge over your competitors? Technology in art is progressing at a rapid rate, giving rise to a plethora of tools, both 2D and 3D, that have revolutionized how artists create their artwork. A strong foundation in the most commonly used 3D software tools opens up new career possibilities and makes you an attractive option for any prospective employer.
This 10 week course, taught by popular artist and illustrator Grace Zhu, is designed to enable students to learn the basics of powerful 3D software tools such as Daz3D, Blender and ZBrush Core, and use them to create high quality 2D illustrations for any game, movie or book cover. At every step, you will receive feedback from the instructor to help refine your artwork creation process.
You will learn to quickly research and gather your references so you can create reference boards and use it as a guide for your artwork creation. You will gain expertise in creating a series of quick thumbnail sketches and performing compositional and colour studies so you can explore multiple ideas and select the best option that suits your requirements or brief. Starting with basic 2D renderings, you will learn how to effectively incorporate 3D bases into your illustration workflow so you can produce realistic and accurate images within a short period of time. You will learn how to best control the lighting and level of detail so you can guide the viewer's eye and create the most visually appealing image that drives your story. You will also become proficient in seamlessly adding hair and clothing to your character illustrations to add personality and believability. Finally you will apply photobashing and paintover techniques, render your image in Photoshop and adjust the mood and tonal values so you can create realistic, detailed and jaw-dropping character illustrations within a short period of time.
By the end of this course, you will have learned a set of powerful 3D software tools that will boost your confidence and enable you to create stunning 2D character illustrations. Furthermore, you will also have polished and realistic looking portfolio pieces you can be proud of!
- Course Type Inactive Classes
- Duration 10 Weeks
-
Skill Level
Level 4 Level 4
This expert-level is for students who are ready to boost their portfolio and design process to a professional level.
This level is about discovering and diving deeper into new tools (such as 3D), further polishing and rendering work and exploring professional pipelines of the entertainment industry.
- Language English
Schedule
Note: This class will be offered online only
Term: TBD
Class Timings: TBD
Date of first class: TBD
Duration: 10 weeks
If you are unable to attend the class during the times listed above, you will still have access to video recordings of the class lectures and will still receive personalized feedback from your instructor.
Pre-Requisites
Skill requirements
To enroll in this course you should have:
- Intermediate drawing and digital painting skills (use of proper perspective, proportions, shading and colour).
- Proficiency in Photoshop.
- Some 3D modelling experience in either Blender, Maya, Modo, or 3ds Max.
- Ideally completed our Digital Painting, Intro to Concept Art,and Analytical Sketching classes or have equivalent practice/experience.
If you are unsure of your skill level, please contact [email protected] for additional guidance.
Language and age requirements
You should have at least intermediate level English to take this class. Please also note that Syn Studio’s classes are targeted towards adults and students should be 16 years or older to enroll.
Required Materials
You need to have a desktop computer or laptop with Photoshop installed and a tablet sensitive to pen pressure (such as a Wacom tablet). Or you need a tablet-computer with Photoshop installed that is sensitive to pen pressure (such as the Cintiq Companion).
Photoshop and the free softwares Daz3D and Blender must be installed and working properly BEFORE the first class, as well as your Wacom tablet. We will not have time to resolve technical issues in class.
Tech Requirements for Attending Syn Studio Online Classes
Minimum Requirements
- A strong uninterrupted broadband wired or wireless (3G or 4G/LTE) connection with a minimum 600kbps bandwidth (up/down).
- A Laptop/Desktop computer equipped with a single core processor (at least 1 GHZ processing speed) or a smartphone/tablet with equivalent processing capabilities
- Good speakers/earphones to listen to the classes
- Browser - IE7+, Safari 5+, Firefox, Chrome
- Operating System - Windows XP, Mac OS 10.6, Linux distro based on 3.0 kernel, Android 5.0, iOS 10
Syn Studio Recommendations
- A strong uninterrupted broadband wired or wireless (3G or 4G/LTE) connection with a minimum 1.5Mbps bandwidth (up/down). You can also connect to the internet directly using your ethernet cable to improve your experience.
- Laptop/Desktop computer equipped with a dual core processor with at least 2 GHZ processing speed and a 4 GB RAM
- High Quality speakers/earphones to listen to the classes
- Browser & Operating System - We recommend using the latest version of the browser and operating system for an optimal online classroom experience.
Course Outline
*Below is the general outline. The detailed 10-week course outline will be communicated to students at a later date.
Part 1: Gain proficiency in reference gathering and creating thumbnail sketches so you can plan out your scene, explore multiple options and finalize the point of view and floor plan for your 3D design.
Learn the basics of the powerful Daz 3D tool and understand how to best calibrate the cameras, UI and pose presets so you can generate a base 3D design from your sketches
Gain knowledge in the 6 most important ZBrush Core (mini) tools to sculpt your character and render additional features
Learn the basics of modelling and texturing using Blender and manipulating lighting settings so you can add textures and materials to your character.
Part 2: Strengthen your compositing skills and gain expertise in polishing and refining your designs as you take it to completion.
Apply the powerful photobashing technique to your 3D renders and become learn to adjust colours, layers and rendering details so you can create a final character illustration that you can be proud of
Questions and Assistance
Feel free to send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call at 514-998-7625
Please consult our FAQ; most of the commonly asked questions are answered in detail there. If you cannot find the answer to your question, please feel free to fill out the form below, or, send an email to [email protected]