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Research
What I want to do
I want to focus primarily on 3D modelling using software like Blender/3D MAX however, with it being such as big area I am open for 2 other opportunities which are Unreal Engine or Texturing this is still very board but I’d like to focus on the Blueprint system that Unreal has compered to C++ but is still a need to know skill.
3D Modelling is the main area that I want to do however, it is still a very general idea. My main goal of 3D modelling is to create vehicles or characters. In order to get the best results I will need to understand the fundamentals of what I want to make. This knowledge can be good as it will allow more believable results this is because you can’t make a Humanoid character without understand anatomy otherwise your character might look out of preposition. It would look out of preposition because certain parts might not be in the right place.
I want to model characters because of 3D animes such as RWBY. Which is the art style which I want to get into when modelling 3D characters. I have always enjoyed anime ranging from different genres of it. I enjoy the anime art style as it allows in imperfections. You can also get characters to do inhuman movements that allow for better story telling such as fight scenes.
RWBY is made in 3D Max. This was for character model creation and giving it that anime look. Once the models are done they are bought in Autodesk Maya for animation. This is what gives it’s own unique look. There are also other anime which uses similar pipelines or some do a mix of both 3D and 2D which animes such as Gachiakuta has done for the anime for the trash beasts.
I want to model a verity of vehicles such as
Cars – This is because I like the aesthetic of the older generation of cars such as Ford Mustang Boss 429 which is one of my favorite cars and limited edition. The 429 used the 429 cu in (7.0 L) “Boss 429” V8 engine. Information like this is good as it can help with a greater understanding of how the car works and how it should act and feel.
Car production can help car companies showcase design concepts in a three dimensional view allowing people to understand the product and what the company wants to produce to get money from inverters. Car design teams, engineers, and marketing departments can unite around the same digital model, making feedback loops more efficient. 3D rendering can be used for both exterior and interior renderings to showcase the work. The benefit of car companies doing this is lower costs for prototyping. There are also marketing advantages such as being used for commercial uses.
Naval vessels (18th century) – This is the HMS Victory which was a first rate naval battle ship in the 18th century and is currently docked up in Portsmouth. The HMS Victory is known for being the longest serving ship 248 years as of 2026. This was created during the age of sail with many others alike.
Learning the development of how it was built will help when trying to model a realistic copy. This is because these ships often had ship plans which can be accessed online. This can be useful because you can recreate realistic naval battles or the ships that can go into museums as a historic replica. This can also be good for game development for games such as Naval Action. It can also be used for films.
Spaceship – This is the Orville spaceship which is from the Disney series Orville. I would like to model spaceships as I like the concept of Si-Fi spaceships. I like this because they come in different shapes and sizes making every spaceship different and unique.
Learning spaceship modelling will allow me to learn many different techniques as each will be different. This is because they come in different styles. I mostly want to work on realistic spaceships. This means I will need skills such as hard surfacing to allow realistic light bounces it also allows for imperfections allowing little bits of detail. This can also be used in movie production as it would be cheaper than trying to make a real life replica.
Free lancing
I want to do free lancing as I can have a environment that works around me as I can do it anywhere and can manage time more wisely. Being in a environment that works around me could help produce better quality models.
Sites such as Fiverr offer a way of marketing yourself in order to get people to hire you to do a one of model or a few. They show their best work which can be eye catching. Fiverr has different levels which can show how repersentable the seller is however, this could show bias as people will want the higher level.
Be a solo developer is hard as you got stand out from other Free lancing and is hard to go into straight away and not a reliable source of income unless well known. But, despite this it would still be the dream job as I can use the software I want to use and can work remotely. A way of working around this is by having a strong portfolio which contains your best models and a way of selling yourself.
Rockstar
Rockstar has a few main branches in UK. Spread throughout the UK however, I’d need to find a place and fend for myself. Each branch in the UK has a different purpose which focuses on different games which they work on. They also do have overseas branches.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a game which is heavily developed in Leeds however, they do touch on GTA. As a supportive development for Rockstar North which mostly works on the GTA games. Currently they are not looking for 3D modelers however, if a opportunity comes up it would be worth doing however, there would be pros and cons to both.
| Pros | Cons |
| Working at Rockstar is that it has a very good reputation within the market and well known for making popular games. | Fending for myself this would mean that I would need to find a place to live and live by myself. |
| A fair paid wage. Being around £38k a year |
Software used
| Autodesk 3ds | Modelling, rigging and animation for character, vehicle and environment asset creation |
| Substance Painter | Procedural texturing, material and texture painting. |
| Adobe Photoshop | Texture work, concept art and UI elements. |
| SpeedTree | Vegetation modelling and procedural trees/foliage for open worlds |
| FMOD | audio middleware for interactive audio and music |
| ZBrush | High‑resolution sculpting for models and detail maps. |
| RAGE | Game engine |
Sumo – Nottingham
Sumo has a few main branches in UK however, the branch in Nottingham is the one I want to focus on this is because know people within the local area which can help support me at this location compered to Rockstar.
Software used
There is no confirmation of what software that Sumo uses however, there are facts about the type of games they have worked on and based on that we can make a estimate of which software they have used.
Games that produced (Nottingham)
Hogwarts legacy: Sumo was a Co-Developer within the game and not much information is known on what they produced to the game other than they assisted. Hogwarts legacy was created in Unreal Engine 4. They also featured in GDC (Game Developer Confidence) which gave a overview of their workflow on the game. However, Sumo didn’t do the talk themselves in the GDC.
Forza Horizon 5: In partnership with Playground Games helped by creating the Vehicle Handling this is because James Conway gave a overview of a behind the scenes look. The hook of the article is “From spending his entire student loan on a car on the first day at Uni, to becoming Sumo’s vehicle handling expert, James Conway is the man with a car plan.” This used ForzaTech engine which is their own built in pipeline.
The role and responsibilities
A 3D Modeller is give a brief or a type of concept can do a verity of tasks digitally build and sculpt many different things. This creates assets which are then passed to other sectors such as animation for character rigging or a non-movable object for the layout artists. 3D modellers have to work with different department very often to ensure models are made in a suitable way to be manipulated such as for example if they was modelling a 3D character they got make sure that the geometry is good enough to deform with rigs with good edge flow.
Jr. Modeller $75k
Senior Modeller: $95k
Supervisor: $180k
Skills which a 3D modeller needs is good communication skills weather that is free lancing or working at a company you need to make sure you know the client or other departments want in order for the model to be used. They also need to follow the brief exactly as explained or reference materials. They also need to be creative so they can Interpret abstract ideas into the creation no matter the art style. They also need to know how to UV map and how the subdivisions can effect this.
Other skills they will need is to understand colour theory and texturing how they can come together to create a singular model. They also need to know how the proportion, depth, scale, and physical space. Carrying knowledge this is because things such as anatomy for humanoids.
Software for industry
There are many types of software which can be used from different price ranges. Software such as Blender is free and open source however, software like Autodesk 3ds or 3D Max cost money as you need a license to use them.
Blender: Is free and open source. This is good for beginner 3D modellers as there is plenty of help out on YouTube and the Blender community. However, if you have the licence to 3D Max and Autodesk 3ds are the more preferred ones within the industry. But, Blender is a good way to start your 3D modelling career.
ZBrush:Is a paid software but also offers a alternative called ZBrush Core Mini for new people who don’t have the money to pay for a licence for the software. It is mostly aimed at sculpting and described as Elementary Sculpting for Early Education before the paid licence. It also does texturing and painting.
Substance Painter: tools you need to texture which requires a paid license in order to use it.
Industry expectations and workflows
3D modeless have a particular workflow they need to do which is clean topology normally usually quads are acceptable. They also ned to do a UV layouts, understanding of PBR. They expect to have a portfolio to showcase work you did. Ways of doing this is to have an art station account or to build your own little website to show people the work which you have done.
Entry routes
To begin with 3D modelling you can start out independent to start building your portfolio which can also help monitor progress within your journey to 3D modelling.
In regards to the education path University is a strong way to get into the industry this is because it can build a strong portfolio. Universities also have a strong connection within the industry which can make it easier to find places which are hiring. They will also be using the industry standard software with some licensed software as well as most companies use them in their pipelines.
Some studios look for Junior artist to do the grunt work. As most Juniors will be doing a bit of everything as they grow they can focus more and more on their career some will also need to do University on the side.