Modelling with Boxing Gloves
Digital painting circa 2010
I used to hate 3D.
So much so that I even gave it up altogether for a few years.
The first time I dabbled with 3D was with 3D Studio R4, a DOS-based program that was very primitive. Then along came the Windows-based 3D Studio Max, and that was my software of choice for a while.
Modelling in those apps was painful. The tools were primitive and it was exceptionally difficult to create organic shapes. Working with these programs was just constant frustration. I always felt like I was trying to mould clay while wearing boxing gloves.
And then in 1998, a little app called Nendo appeared. It was revolutionary. It was the first time I ever encountered subdivision surface modelling.
Suddenly, you could create any shape you wanted. It was awesome.
I had a good run with the combination of Nendo and Max. I got lucky and landed a series of commissions for James Bond magazine, creating renders of iconic vehicles from the franchise.
But even so, I found 3D to be limiting. So for a few years, I pivoted to digital painting and worked exclusively in 2D, until by chance I encountered Modo.
I downloaded the trial, and to my delight, I found an app that was so well-designed it was a joy to use. In 3D, at the time, this was a revolutionary concept. An app designed for artists, with an incredible set of modelling tools and a great renderer to go with them.
I was hooked, and I plunged headfirst into this new rabbit hole. I had a great time with Modo, and it became the engine behind everything I created.
Modo reignited my passion for 3D. Along the way, I picked up ZBrush, and I also became a shading and rendering nerd. Good times.
But all good things come to an end, and now Modo is no more - Blender is the new kid in town.
But we are lucky, because software has improved immeasurably since the early days. Modelling in Blender has its quirks, but it's light years ahead of what we were using back in the day. Anyone who got into 3D before SubD modelling will remember the struggles with a shudder.
I used to hate 3D, but I genuinely love it now, and that's because the tools are so much better.
Blender is a pleasure to work with, unlike the software I cut my teeth on. Despite the odd setback, the tools we use are constantly improving, and we are lucky to have them.
And not only that, but Blender is free, open source, and easily accessible.
A far cry from the expensive and cumbersome apps that many of us started with. Anyone remember when a seat of Softimage cost $15,000? We now have way more power and ease-of-use at our fingertips, for free.
What a time to be alive.