When I first started using Maya I felt uneasy. I had knowledge of some AutoDesk programs such as 3DS Max which, in essence, is very similar to Maya in what it can do but I feel that Maya is easier to get around and better for what we are doing in class.
We were given simple things to do such as learn the interface and get familiar with the tools that we were using and there was a lot to take in. Over the course of the term we had been given work to do at home which was to watch tutorials on how to make things and what these tutorials had done was to teach us the tools and how we can use them and also how to work in method; planning things out.
It was hard at first but when I got acustomed to the work I quickly got used to it and began to work quicker and as I understood the tools, notes had soon become less and less as I just heard what the speaker on the tutorial had said and then gone and done it; knowing what I needed to do. This make me proud of myself.
From small objects to chairs, tables, gun turrets, gas pumps all the way to Temples I am very very happy on how much I have improved and during the Christmas break I will be doing some more work in Maya, making something I drew for Concept Art while I was in college.
Overall I think I have come this far in leaps and bounds and I am very excited to start the second term and carrying on with Maya! I think what I need to focus on more is my blogs! They need to be updated more often and with more text, especially with the Maya stuff.
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PHOTOSHOP
When I first came to UCA Farnham I had almost no knowledge of using photoshop and it was something I was keen to learn as I wanted to catch up with some of my friends who were good with using it. As a traditional artist, digital art was not my strongest suite so I found it hard to adapt to using a graphics tablet and any of the work I had done digitally was done with a mouse and a free program called GIMP. My only background of Photoshop was in college with our Graphic Narrative unit where we had to design a comic book and draw it out (editing in Photoshop) so it was tough at first.
When we first started here we were given simple tasks of just getting used to photoshop and how things worked and what we could do. We were given an image that we had to recreate (for educational purposes only) and with that our tutor could see where we were with photoshop (everyone in the class was at different levels) and from there we went looking at different techniques and what we need to do to achieve them. We got given the task, told how to do things and then got on with it, seeing how we work with a new technique and also under the pressure of time.
We not only learnt that but we also learnt techniques on texture mapping which is laying out a flat sheet that would be 'wrapped' around a character mesh in Maya which was very fun to do. We also learnt how to use the multiply tool and what that does and I have to say, that is one of my favourite tools.
One of the favourite things I had produced in this was either the silhouettes of creatures or the speed paint I had done one lunch and then carried on every now and then during the afternoon.
Overall I think I have really improved in photoshop and used some of the skills I have learnt to work on some personal pieces which I really like and am very proud of. One thing I need to improve on is how I work and how I do things (particularly the process (what steps I take to get to the end product)). I also need to make my blogs more packed with information and images as I like to explain what I am doing and how I got there. I am most likely going to carry on getting used to a tablet during the christmas break and I look forward to the second term!
Below is one of my personal pieces I had done with some of what I had learnt in Photoshop:
(I plan on going over this image again and adding more once I have done the other characters that go with her).
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