How To Professionally Display Your 3D Models

 Artist,

Here is an example of How to Professionally show off your 3D models in the various stages.

The first stage is your Proxy Mesh. (Showing off both the grey rendered version of the model along with the wireframes for the objects.)

Note - The following shots have been rendered in Maya Arnold. For the grey render I used an aiStandardSurface. I plugged in an aiAmbientOcclusion node into various slots on the material. 

For the wire frames, I rendered with aiWireframe material, the infinity wall was filled with an aiAmbientMatte, I then took an aiAmbeintOcclusion node and fed that into the color of both of these materials.

Here are the results of theses shaders.

The second stage is your Up Resed mesh. (Showing off both the grey rendered version of the model along with the wireframes for the objects.)

The Third stage is your Game Res mesh. (Showing off both the grey rendered version of the model along with the wireframes for the objects.)

The final stage is your High Res mesh. (Showing off the grey rendered version of the model.)

Here are some ways to render clean wireframes using Maya Hardware 2.0.

1. Assign your objects to a new layer and change the layer color to black or white, this will control your wireframe color.

2. Create a spot light and turn on shadows for your lights.

3. Enable wireframe options in the render settings window. (Then open the maya render view window and use hardware 2.0 as your rendering option.)

Here is a way to show off UV information:

WORKSHOP IDEAS

Art & Design

• Disney Villains – What makes a great villain? Explore how something so evil can hold so much appeal.

Sculpting

• Sculpting Wood – From stylized to hyper-realistic approaches.

• Sculpting Stone – Capturing weight, texture, and style.

• Portrait Sculpture – Bringing life and personality to faces in three dimensions.

• Anatomy Exercises – Focused studies on torso, arms, legs, and full-body forms.

• Posing for Characters – Dynamic posing techniques, from brute-force adjustments to Character Creator workflows.

Materials & Textures

• Substance Painter: Organic Skin – Painting lifelike skin tones and surface detail.

• Substance Painter: Metal – Creating believable and stylized metallic surfaces.

• Substance Painter: Wood – From weathered planks to polished finishes.

• Substance Painter: Plastics – Realistic and stylized polymer materials.

• Substance Painter: Hand-Painted Workflows – Painterly textures with digital precision.

• Unreal Advanced Material Techniques – Building complex, performance-friendly materials.

Character Wearables & Accessories

• Clothing with Marvelous Designer – Designing and simulating garments.

• Hair with X-Gen – Creating believable hair and fur.

Unreal Engine

• Blueprints: Character Motion & Life – Adding animation and interactivity to characters.

• Blueprints: Weapons & Items Motion & Life – Functionality and responsiveness for props.

• Blueprints: Environment Motion & Life – Bringing worlds to life through movement and effects.

Empires Assignment

Assignment Overview – Story World Development

For this exercise, we will focus on story.

Story can take many forms — from a brief history or backstory of a character, item, or place, to a full-scale narrative following a character’s journey through the classic Hero’s Journey structure.

Our goal for this team-building assignment is to work collaboratively across three distinct disciplines — Art, Design, and Programming — to create a small but compelling story world.

This story world should be rich enough to serve as the foundation for a potential game environment, providing a narrative framework that could support characters, gameplay mechanics, and environmental design.

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Assignment – Building a Story World from the Great Empires of History

For this team-building exercise, we will create small but compelling story worlds inspired by the top 10 empires in history.

Each team will work collaboratively across Art, Design, and Programming to research, imagine, and present a unique world based on their assigned empire.

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Empires to be Assigned

(See End Of Post For Detailed Description)

1. Akkadian Empire

2. Egyptian New Kingdom

3. Achaemenid (Persian) Empire

4. Macedonian Empire (Alexander the Great)

5. Roman Empire

6. Gupta Empire

7. Islamic Caliphate (Umayyad & Abbasid)

8. Mongol Empire

9. Spanish Empire

10. British Empire

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Team Structure

Each team will be made up of three disciplines:

Art – Visual language of the empire

• Colors, patterns, and symbolic imagery

• Clothing styles, armor, weapons, and vehicles

• Architecture, monuments, and decorative motifs

Design – Social structure and worldbuilding

• Government and leadership systems

• Laws, customs, and social order

• Manufacturing hierarchy and economy

Programming – Technology and innovation

• Tools, machines, and infrastructure

• Military technologies and communication methods

• Unique technological advantages over other empires

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Creative Freedom & Historical Accuracy

Your team may embellish and reimagine historical details to make your story world more exciting, fantastical, or game-like.

However, there is a clear limit:
If the alterations make the empire no longer recognizable — removing its core identity, culture, or defining traits — you have gone too far.

The goal is to create a stylized evolution of your empire, not to erase its essence.

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Collaboration Requirements

While each discipline will have a focused research area, all disciplines must collaborate to ensure visuals, narrative, and concepts are unified.

The final product will be a 5-minute PowerPoint presentation delivered to the entire cohort.

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Professional Presentation Standard

This is not just a class project — treat it as if you are pitching your concept to company executives for potential greenlight approval.

Your slides, visuals, and speaking style should be professional, cohesive, and persuasive.

Think of this as a healthy competition between creative departments in a larger corporation, each vying for approval of their concept.

The clarity, polish, and professionalism of your pitch will directly influence how it is received.

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Presentation & Visual Requirements

Slide Composition

• No large blocks of text without supporting imagery

• Every slide must be a compelling piece of visual storytelling

• Found imagery is required; AI-generated imagery must also be incorporated into all slides

• Collaging is encouraged — you may mix AI-generated imagery, found references, and your own painted-over elements

• You must incorporate sound into your presentation:

  • A themed soundtrack should play in the background (adjust volume so the speaker is audible)

  • A few impactful sound effects should be added to grab attention

Font Usage

• Title Screen: A decorative font that represents your empire

• Headers: A semi-decorative font that complements the title font

• Body Text: A clean, readable font for descriptions

Mood & Style

• All visual elements should reflect the time period, culture, and tone of your assigned empire

• Art must support the concepts discussed by other disciplines in your team

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Deliverables

By the presentation day, each team must have:

• 5-minute PowerPoint with a unified visual style

• Slides that visually and thematically support all spoken content

• AI + Found Image Collages on every slide, with optional painted-over elements

• Clear representation of the empire’s art, society, and technology

• Recognizable connection to the original historical empire, even with creative embellishments

This project is not just about history — it’s about transforming historical facts into an immersive story world that could serve as the framework for a game environment.

Research thoroughly, think creatively, and collaborate effectively so that your empire’s world comes alive.

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Grading & Peer Evaluation

All students will watch every presentation.

After all teams have presented, each student will rank the teams from 1 (best) to 10 (least effective) based on:

• Professionalism of the pitch

• Creativity and originality of the story world

• Accuracy and recognizability of the historical influence

• Visual quality and cohesion of the presentation

Rankings & Points:

• 1st Place: 100 points

• 2nd Place: 98 points

• 3rd Place: 96 points

• 4th Place: 94 points

• 5th Place: 92 points

• 6th Place: 90 points

• 7th Place: 88 points

• 8th Place: 86 points

• 9th Place: 84 points

• 10th Place: 80 points

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EMPIRES

1. Akkadian Empire

• Time period: c. 2334–2154 BCE

• Region: Mesopotamia (modern Iraq and Syria)

• Description: First known empire in history, founded by Sargon of Akkad, uniting city-states under a central ruler

• Technologies: Bronze tools/weapons, cuneiform writing, irrigation systems, standardized weights and measures

• Goods produced: Grain, textiles (wool), beer, pottery

• Art: Cylinder seals, monumental stone stelae, realistic bronze and stone sculpture

2. Egyptian New Kingdom

• Time period: c. 1550–1070 BCE

• Region: Nile River Valley, Egypt

• Description: Egypt’s imperial peak, with powerful pharaohs like Ramses II; dominated Nubia and Levant

• Technologies: Advanced stone masonry, chariots, composite bows, papyrus-based record keeping

• Goods produced: Gold, papyrus scrolls, linen textiles, glass

• Art: Monumental temples, detailed wall paintings, elaborate tomb art (hieroglyphics + symbolism)

3. Achaemenid (Persian) Empire

• Time period: c. 550–330 BCE

• Region: From Anatolia to Indus Valley

• Description: Largest empire of its time; tolerant governance; advanced administration

• Technologies: Qanat irrigation, Royal Road postal system, standardized coinage

• Goods produced: Spices, fine textiles, silver/gold crafts, agricultural products

• Art: Relief carvings (Persepolis), intricate metalwork, monumental architecture

4. Macedonian Empire (Alexander the Great)

• Time period: 336–323 BCE

• Region: Greece to Egypt to India

• Description: Spread of Hellenistic culture; short-lived but transformative

• Technologies: Advanced siege warfare, phalanx military formation, Greek engineering

• Goods produced: Olive oil, wine, marble sculptures, luxury goods traded across regions

• Art: Hellenistic sculpture (emphasis on realism and motion), mosaics

5. Roman Empire

• Time period: 27 BCE–476 CE (West), to 1453 CE (East/Byzantine)

• Region: Mediterranean, Western Europe, Middle East, North Africa

• Description: Unparalleled in infrastructure and law; influenced modern governance

• Technologies: Concrete, aqueducts, advanced roads, domed architecture, bound codices

• Goods produced: Wine, olive oil, glassware, ceramics, metal tools

• Art: Mosaics, realistic portraiture, monumental buildings like the Colosseum and Pantheon

6. Gupta Empire

• Time period: c. 320–550 CE

• Region: Northern India

• Description: Golden Age of India; advances in math, astronomy, and literature

• Technologies: Decimal system, early metallurgy (iron pillars), surgical tools

• Goods produced: Spices, silk, cotton textiles, carved ivory

• Art: Buddhist and Hindu temple sculpture, Ajanta cave paintings

7. Islamic Caliphate (Umayyad & Abbasid)

• Time period: 661–1258 CE (with later successor states)

• Region: Middle East, North Africa, Spain, Central Asia

• Description: Major center of science, trade, and culture; preserved Greek knowledge

• Technologies: Astrolabe, algebra, advanced optics, windmills, paper manufacturing

• Goods produced: Textiles, glass, ceramics, sugar, perfumes

• Art: Geometric tilework, Arabic calligraphy, intricate metal inlay

8. Mongol Empire

• Time period: 1206–1368 CE

• Region: From China to Eastern Europe

• Description: Largest contiguous land empire in history; promoted trade via Silk Road

• Technologies: Composite bows, stirrups, courier relay system, siege engines

• Goods produced: Silk, porcelain, horses, furs

• Art: Silk embroidery, Persian-Mongol illustrated manuscripts, decorative weaponry

9. Spanish Empire

• Time period: 1492–1898 CE

• Region: Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia-Pacific

• Description: First truly global empire; fueled by New World silver and gold

• Technologies: Galleons, advanced cartography, printing press in colonies

• Goods produced: Silver, sugar, tobacco, cacao, wool

• Art: Baroque religious painting, colonial architecture blending European and indigenous styles

10. British Empire

• Time period: 1583–1997 CE (height in 19th–early 20th century)

• Region: Worldwide (largest empire in history by area)

• Description: Economic and naval dominance; spread English language and institutions

• Technologies: Steamships, railways, telegraph, industrial manufacturing

• Goods produced: Manufactured goods, coal, textiles, tea, machinery

• Art: Victorian architecture, Romantic literature, landscape painting

Reference Gathering Assignment

This assignment will entail the uses of reference gathering software (https://milanote.com)to try and capture various art movements throughout history. 

The following categories will have to be developed:

Prehistoric to Classical

1. Prehistoric Art (c. 40,000 BCE – 4,000 BCE)

   • Cave paintings, petroglyphs, megaliths (e.g., Lascaux, Stonehenge).

2. Ancient Art (c. 4,000 BCE – 400 CE)

   • Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Greek, Roman; focused on mythology, gods, and human figures.

3. Byzantine Art (c. 330–1453)

   • Religious iconography, mosaics, gold backgrounds, Christian themes.

Medieval Period

4. Islamic Art (from 7th century)

   • Calligraphy, geometric patterns, arabesques, non-figurative.

5. Romanesque (c. 1000–1150)

   • Thick walls, round arches, religious themes in sculpture and manuscript illumination.

6. Gothic (c. 1150–1400)

   • Stained glass, flying buttresses, more naturalistic figures.

Renaissance and Mannerism

7. Renaissance (c. 1400–1600)

   • Humanism, perspective, realism (Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo).

8. Mannerism (c. 1520–1600)

   • Elongated forms, exaggerated poses, complex compositions.

Baroque to Neoclassicism

9. Baroque (c. 1600–1750)

   • Dramatic, emotional, use of light and shadow (Caravaggio, Rubens).

10. Rococo (c. 1720–1780)

• Ornate, pastel colors, playful and romantic scenes.

11. Neoclassicism (c. 1750–1830)

• Inspired by ancient Greece and Rome, clarity, symmetry (Jacques-Louis David).

19th Century Movements

12. Romanticism (c. 1800–1850)

• Emotion, nature, individualism (Delacroix, Turner).

13. Realism (c. 1840–1880)

• Everyday scenes, social issues (Courbet, Millet).

14. Impressionism (c. 1860–1890)

• Light, color, visible brushstrokes (Monet, Renoir).

15. Post-Impressionism (c. 1880–1905)

• Emotional expression, abstraction (Van Gogh, Cézanne, Gauguin).

16. Symbolism (late 19th century)

• Dreams, mythology, imagination (Moreau, Redon).

Modern Art

17. Art Nouveau (c. 1890–1910)

• Decorative arts, flowing lines, nature-inspired.

18. Fauvism (c. 1905–1910)

• Bold color, simplified forms (Matisse).

19. Expressionism (c. 1905–1930)

• Inner emotion over external reality (Munch, Kirchner).

20. Cubism (c. 1907–1914)

• Geometric forms, multiple perspectives (Picasso, Braque).

21. Futurism (c. 1909–1944)

• Speed, technology, movement (Boccioni).

22. Dada (c. 1916–1924)

• Anti-art, absurdity (Duchamp).

23. Surrealism (c. 1924–1966)

• Dreams, subconscious, automatism (Dalí, Magritte).

24. Abstract Expressionism (c. 1940s–1950s)

• Gestural abstraction (Pollock), color fields (Rothko).

25. Pop Art (c. 1950s–1970s)

• Popular culture, mass media (Warhol, Lichtenstein).

26. Minimalism (c. 1960s–1970s)

• Simplicity, geometric forms (Judd, Stella).

Postmodern and Contemporary

27. Conceptual Art (c. 1960s–)

• Idea over object (Kosuth, Sol LeWitt).

28. Performance Art (1960s–)

• Live actions (Marina Abramović).

29. Land Art (1960s–)

• Art in nature (Robert Smithson).

30. Street Art / Graffiti (1980s–)

• Urban, political, Banksy-style interventions.

31. Digital Art / New Media (1990s–present)

• AI, virtual reality, interactive works.

 

Anatomy For Artist Online 3D Model

Great tool for viewing the human figure. 

https://ecorche.anatomy4sculptors.com/figure-and-torso/torso-anatomy/male-ecorche

High Quality Look For Animations In Maya

 How to make Maya animation have a higher quality look.

About Me

I love to draw, paint, and sculpt. I have been drawing since I can remember holding a pencil. I have always been drawing/creating art. For some reason art and the creative process has always been a part of me and I have never really questioned that I wanted to do something of significance with my talents.

I have been very blessed to have worked as a professional artist for a very good part of my life, one of my first jobs was airbrushing t-shirts at Six Flags Over Mid America when I was about 16 years old. I worked for a magnet company for a period of time, that was my first introduction to working with computers to make art. I worked for a company installing vinyl graphics on cars/trucks and semi trucks. And then I landed my first job that was a bit closer to what I currently do, I was a 3D artist making graphics with designers to produce large format graphics for tradeshow events. During this time I knew I wanted to work in the video games industry and had to stay after work hours to teach myself Autodesk Maya when it first came out. I finally landed my fist video game art job when I was in my mid 20ies. 

During my career in the games industry I had the opportunity to be part of Electronic Art's EAU (AE University) EAU was EA's internal training department and I was able to teach professionals how to use programs like Maya and ZBrush. Eventually funding for that department dried up and I returned to be a production artist, but the love of teaching never left me.

You see one of my most profound memories as a student was when I was in the first grade and my art teacher during that time encouraged me and told me I was a really good artist. It was the first time in a school setting that I could remember a teacher giving me praise for my abilities. Those teachers words still ring in my head to this day. 

So when I had the opportunity to make a career shift and lave the games industry for a teaching positions with UCF's FIEA program I jumped at the chance.

Now I am in a position to still make the type of art I love, I'm still tied to the games industry, but above all else I get to pour into other peoples lives and help them achieve their dreams and goals.

I doubt that teacher in the first grade knew the huge impact her worlds would have over my life, I like to think maybe she did and that is exactly why she was there in that moment. But I am now trying to do my best to live with that type of intentionality as an artist, instructor and a teacher. I'm trying to try and have that type of impact on the people that have been entrusted in my life. 

Life as a Character Artist and Breaking in the Games Industry -- with Guillaume Tiberghien

Really great interview talking about industry, and what it takes as digital artist in the Entertainment space. 

Portfolio - How many pieces do I need?

From Class Discussion

* How Many Pieces - By the time you leave FIEA you want to have 3-5 Super High Quality Portfolio pieces. (3 is the bare minimum)

* Quality Is King -You are only as strong as your weakest piece

* Strategy With FIEA Timeline -1st and 2nd semester should be used to learn your craft, learn the tools and process, learn how to work smarter not harder. Learn how to make various styles. Discover what specific type of 3D artist you want to become. (Character, Environment, Weapons/Props, Hard Surface, Vehicles/Ships)

* 1st and 2nd Semester -The assignments from 1st and 2nd Semester will not be enough for you, you need to be doing personal studies outside of class in order to round out your specific skill set for yourself. (Character artist need to be doing anatomical studies for example)

* 3Rd Semester - 3rd Semester you need to produce 3 High Quality Pieces of your choosing. ( I will work with you to pick the best choices for you)

* 4th Semester - 4th Semester you need to create at least 2 High Quality Portfolio Pieces and use the remainder of your time making corrections to your website and Portfolio pieces you have already created. If you do not get an internship, the worst thing you can do is sulk and coast that semester. If you coast during the 4th semester, you will most likely coast your way to a job at Starbucks. 

If you do not land a job after leaving FIEA, you cannot give up. Some people it has taken them a year of grinding after FIEA to land their first job.

Do not thumb your nose at non game jobs if you cannot land a game job right off the bat, a job where you produce art of any kind will be better than having a job that has no art component to it. 

* Choosing Designs for Portfolio - When choosing pieces to work on, Art Station and Pinterest are great places to find high quality professional concept art, to emulate the job for real world, recreate that concept to the best of your ability. If the concept has missing information (such as only a front view) your job as the artist is to fill in the missing detail while still maintaining the look and the feel of the provided design (such as creating the reminder of the design on the backside that is missing).

* Animators - Animation should be your primary skill set that you are showcasing. But I do feel that game animation is a bit different than film animation. In film you build animation for a locked down frame/camera shot. It's all about that one performance. As a game artist, it's more about interlocking animation clips that flow in and out of one another. 

Become MoCap certified. I have seen over the years more job opportunities for the animators that have MoCap experience. At the very least know how to clean the data and show it off in a compelling way on your portfolio. 

Be flexible, know how to make skeletons, know how to paint skin weights, know how to set up simple calisthenics animations to test your deformation and range of motion. Know how to set up simple FK and IK rigs. Know how to effectively communicate with the rigger to get the performance you are look for.

Know how state machines work, build your own state machines, demonstrate how your animation clips work together to build overall compelling animations that work in a real-time environment. 

I feel above all other groups that Capstone is the playground for the animators to build high quality animations that can live on in their portfolios.

* Tech Artist - Team up with artist to get high quality models and animations for your reels. The quality factor of what you are showing off can have an impact on the non-tech artist that may be involved with reviewing your work.

Figure out compelling ways to show off your work to less technically minded people, your challenge is going to be taking complex subject matter and showing it off to more of a lay person that my not have all the technical know how to understand why your work is important.

Part of your job is to be a sales person, you need to sell your work almost as a product. Convince us why your work will save us time or money. 

Websites - KISS. Keep It Simple (Soldier) Make it as EASY as possible for anyone to navigate your website and find your work. 

Your work will be judged in a highly time sensitive environment, if you make people fumble around trying to view your work, they may just move on to the next person and just skip over you period.

Make sure to use compelling thumbnails for your work. Draw people in to want to look at your work. 

Keep EVERYTHING as professional as possible.

Resume and contact information should be as simple as possible to find.

Portfolio Examples (Issac Oster)

Take a look at the simple but effective portfolio layout of Issac Oster (Past FIEAn and Alumni) 

 https://isaacoster.com/

Artist Roadmap

Artist Roadmap

We will be using the Research Tab/Area of our blog in order to start documenting the following:

We need to have a clear idea of where we are heading with our art and where we would like to take ourselves as Artist.

The first part of understanding how to get to a destination is knowing definitively where we are going. 

These series of questions and exercises will help us verbalize our ideas and then start to visually build that vision as well.

Projecting Out Past Graduation

Questions:

1. If you could project out past graduation, what is your overall career goal? 

• Would you like to work in AAA game development. 
• Would you prefer a midsize team? 
• Would you like a smaller team? 
• Would you like to be on an Indy team? 
• Would you like to work for a simulation company?
• Would you like to work in the theme park industry?

2. If you could project out into starting your career, what sounds the most appealing to you? 

• Would you like to work as a Character Artist?
• Would you like to work as an Environment Artist?
• Would you like to work as a Hard Surface Artist?
• Would you like to work as a Weapons/Prop Artist?
• Would you like to work as an Vehicle Artist?
• Would you like to work as an Lighter?

3. What are some of the top companies that you are interested in working for? 

• EA, Blizzard, Ubisoft, Nintendo, Iron Galaxy, ect.  

Inspiring Reference 

1. Create an Artstation account - I would like for you to create an Artstation Account. 

2. Create a collection for your top 10 artist -After your account is created, it's possible for you to make collections, this allows for you to find images on Artstation and then add them to a collection that you give a name to.

Make a collection for your top 10 artist that you like/are inspired by. Some may be in your collection because you really like their design work, others may because of their layout and how they present their work, some you may enjoy because of their use of subject matter, some you will be drawn to their modeling abilities. 

2. Creating A Visual Board Of Inspiration - After your collection is completed, we need to make a pure ref board that is in the 16X9 aspect ratio. 

Place your top images from each of your artist on this board, this visual map should start to reveal to you visually some of the most important subject matter that will start to guide and inform the type of work you want to make.

ZBrush Tech Brushes On Gumraod

 Take a look here to download free Tech Brushes using Alphas.

https://gumroad.com/l/nNVzH

Use the discount code "ucfstudent" to get the product for free.

FIEA Art Core Site

 FIEA Art Core Site

Hard Surface Resources

Here are some great resources that can help you understand hard surface modeling techniques.

Elementza

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtmjNCtYxwpD6AXpFR_Ooig

Andrew Hodgson - 

https://www.artstation.com/andrewhodgson/blog/4aZN/modeling-blog-03-approaching-the-asset

And Youtube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/user/AndrewHodgson3D

Welcome To The FIEA Art Blog Space

Welcome to the FIEA Art blog space. The purpose of these blogs are to help in facilitating FIEA turn in for assignments, but also to serve as a way for you to document your work.

When you document your work, it will allow you to go back over time and see what tools, techniques and processes you have learned and safeguard them for a later date. Many times, you may only do a process a few times so it doesn't get committed to memory, when you document your work it allows you to return back at a later date and easily get to information you have already learned or collected in the past.

The FIEA blog will also serve as a way for you to see your progression over the duration of the program. It will be clear visual marker for you to see where you started out at, and where you end up, and in the end that becomes a powerful motivator.

The other thing the FIEA blogs do is serve as a window into current and past FIEA'N artist and their development. You can see the progress of your peers both past and present.

So, the first step on this journey will be you creating your FIEA Blog. Please take a look below and use this blog as a template for all the necessary components that you will need in order to create your own personal FIEA blog.

Common Art 1 - Week 1 - Materials And Set Up

For this weeks class we will be covering the basics of shape, form and shape language. But before we get started I have some tools for you for both Photoshop and Maya.

My hope is that giving you some of the tools that I have developed over the years will help give you a jump start to start creating fun and inspiring ideas as quickly as possible.

First up is Photoshop - I have two things for you in Photoshop. The first is my tools preset list that I use. A lot of artist have brushes sets that they use and give/sell away, but I like to use tool presets, just because it is one file and it saves brushes, smudge tools and a lot of other tools all in the same file.

Here is a link to the Photoshop Tool Presets that I use. https://gumroad.com/l/UuuCI (Load the tool presets for a wide selection of brushes and smudging tools.)

Next up in Photoshop is a custom Blank document that I have created that will give you the ability with solid colors to create various background colors with a paper texture feel to it. 

There are also a few painting examples in the file for you to take a look at as well.

If you use the discount code ucfstudent you can get the document for free.

https://gum.co/yFajn

Now that we have Photoshop covered let's head on over to Maya and take a look at these free tools that am putting together that will allow for a similar content browser experience like what we have in UE4.

Visit this link to download my Maya Prototyping Tool set:

https://gum.co/OQdAdY

This pack should help you get the UE4 mannequin, real-time lighting and some basic geometry shapes going in Maya to help you quickly make shapes and explore ideas quickly.