All I have to say comes from the fact that I am an artist.
Not a developer or someone who knows the technical knowledge of creating a software. Everything you’re about to read is coming from the end goal of understanding and trying to make sense of everything that I tried to solve as an artist first.
My end goal in creating this business or even QuickBooks as a whole has been to be able to create art. 3D renders that I would be proud of. I really hope that
How I Think of 3D
If I had to divide 3D it would be hardware, software, and your personal skills. But I believe certain things are just good enough as knowledge and don’t require you to commit to specialization at all. Certain things are just good enough as they are.
Hardware
The first thing and the easiest to understand is hardware. Hardware is our CPU, GPU, and other highly important computer parts without which we cannot and will not be able to perform anything in 3D.
The better the hardware the faster your renders and the less glitchy your viewport. Better the hardware, the better and faster the results.
This will change as per the individual’s ability to provide the hardware for themselves.
Softwares
How many 3D softwares are there? Is Blender an industry standard? Why isn’t it industry standard? Why is Houdini so hard to learn?
I believe these questions require a little bit of insight. The general idea is that certain softwares are better than others.
I agree with this.
Certain things are better done in certain softwares.
This however shouldn’t be used to narrow yourself but to use it to expand your not just understanding but also help you practice things to get better at things.
Knowledge
You might ask the basic question that how one must be a master of so many things? That’s what general artists do, decent at everything never really a master of anything, right?
The moment we start seeing 3D art as being a master of a software rather than being a master of concept we will give in to practice that won’t allow you to expand your field of vision.
There is a place for specialization for sure.
But concepts are where it’s at for me.
But not all knowledge.
Because, at the end of the day, how can one possess so much knowledge?
Understand Concepts not Software
Concepts>Softwares
Softwares come and change. The developers of these amazing 3D softwares are always hard at work and especially the amazing developers of Blender. (Look how much Blender has developed in the past two years).
But artists remain at the other end of the spectrum. We’re the users.
Users need to learn the software. Right?
Proof that Concepts Triumph Software
When developers come out with a new feature, hypothetically, a new pyro simulator.
If you and I enter the same parameters into the same mesh would we get different results? No. Exactly the same. Which is also the issue with 3D being an art.
How can we call it art if we are all coming to the same result? The line between art and copying someone’s work for 1:1 doesn’t exist.
However, the best way that I found with proof to show that understanding concepts work better is to show a simple idea in action.
The concept we’re going to follow is this.
All 3D softwares allow us to move 3D objects along the X, Y, and Z axis.
Knowing this simple thing is what I’m stating as understanding a concept. To simplify this further, all 3D softwares can move objects.
Wielding this knowledge we can fire into Houdini, Blender, or Unreal and make a default cube move in X, Y, and Z axis.
Let’s build on it a little further.
What if I told you that this is the only concept you need in order to make clouds like these in Blender?
Don’t believe me? Let me introduce you to another similar concept.
This concept is simple as well. Remember what I said at the start of this study, I am thinking and executing these ideas as I would if I purely looking at them from an artistic perspective.
The new concept is, Blender is capable of making really good-looking clouds.
Wow, nonsense. But Blender’s ability to make good-looking clouds doesn’t rely on you knowing the technical jargon or not. It doesn’t care if you know HOW to. The concept is clear, it’s capable.
But without taking the right steps, how is one supposed to just make good-looking clouds?
Why QuickBooks
Consolidation of Knowledge
The whole idea of QuickBooks for me is to have the technical jargon contained for me. So I can focus on the artistic needs of the scene.
Imagine making a kage-bunshin (as we all have) one studies the theory and one studies the practical. I know the concepts, the QuickBooks knows the how-to.
Practical Example
How does it work?
With two concepts in my mind, one being that all 3D softwares are capable of moving objects, and the other being, Blender is capable of making clouds.
The only missing piece in my ability to make clouds is knowing the exact technical steps [memorization] I need to make in order to make a cloud. Which I insert into QuickBooks.
Free of the mental jargon, I can and will move my clouds anywhere and however I want until my creativity is satisfied.
Thus, fulfilling my need of being creative for my scene as a 3D artist while QuickBooks aids me with the technical burden.
So, concepts not only trump the technical know-how of softwares but also gives you more creative freedom and allow you to be an artist.
The artist part of the 3D artist if you may.
Innumerable Concepts = Amazing Art
The more concepts you know the more you’re free to explore 3D as an art and less of a technical thing that you ought to spend hours on learning.
This is where knowledge becomes more powerful than your actual ability.
Fulfilling Gaps
If you knew that Houdini could make clouds as well and QuickBook could again contain the technical side of things then you will find yourself to be in a very good position.
This means that what you could imagine in one place is possible in another.
If I were to introduce the HDRI setup for you to follow and told you that all 3D softwares are capable of accepting an HDRI then this would also imply that your thoughts about lighting a scene are made capable from this concept. One HDRI can be imported into any major 3D software.
The how-to will be contained in a QuickBook.
Concepts That Can’t Be Practiced
Concepts that don’t rely on practice are benefitted the most by being reliant on QuickBooks. If you wish to make clouds then practicing it won’t help. There is no practice associated with making clouds. Only understanding that a software is capable and you knowing from where to tap that knowledge of technical steps that you ought to take.
How I think 3D Art Ought to Be Created
Ideation Through Principles
If you think of creating a scene the best thing that you ought to think about is all the things that it might need. If you can come up with an idea then that’s enough to work on.
You really don’t need to know much other than that.
Memory
The issue is that as 3D artists we are committing the technical steps to memory. If I don’t make clouds in Blender for the next 1 week, I will forget the 13 steps it takes me to do so.
How’s that benefitting me?
I once forgot how to add an HDRI to Blender and it just led to frustration because I needed to see my scene in light and moving the HDRI would’ve given a lot of insight.
Memory is both a curse and a blessing.
When it comes to memorization you ought to use it with all your might when you’re trying to memorization.
Real Skills of a 3D Artist
I honestly believe that the most trained skill a 3D artist needs to have is their eye. The ability to see values in color, understand perspective, the ability to look at objects, differentiate between silhouettes, and understand the micro and macro levels of details.
These things that train your eye to see through a scene allow you to become a really good artist. The software may be pushing the scene but as an artist, regardless of what medium you choose, you would need these skills of the eye to make anything come to life.
How the Idea Came to be
The story is weird, it’s been a long since it’s been in my head. I was out for a morning ride on my motorcycle at a nearby highway. On the way back, I was drooling over the idea of 3D.
‘It’s gonna take years’ I said to myself. This was the time when I was planning to learn every aspect of Houdini, how to destroy the buildings, the pyro and FLIP fluids, the whole thing. Front to end. Master of Houdini.
I hadn’t thought of specialization specifically but it started to make sense for the first time. It was a big thing. A very big thing. The knowledgebase of the 3D softwares is so huge, that even if I caught up to it, I would need to update it constantly as the softwares updated its workflows.
A single lifetime wouldn’t be enough,
I remember taking the turn in where something just came to me.
I usually don’t find the words for it but it made sense way before the words came to be. What you’ve read was the understanding that came to me. But in my head at that time, it was more like,
‘If I know this then I can write it down’
‘Where can I apply this?’
‘Wait a second…’
‘Am I stupid?’
‘Am I a genius?’
The answer is if I have to sum it up, 3D Quick Books is a system. A system that allows you to rely on the technical things that make beautiful things in 3D happen.
3D Quick Books as a Business
When you come to this website you will see a business.
That’s how it’s meant to be seen, from the point of view of a customer. But I can assure you that its primary purpose is not to make me a millionaire before the age of 35 but for something bigger. That something bigger is not something that I am not willing to reveal at this moment.
But even if the business doesn’t work, if 3D Quick Books fails monetarily, my commitment towards this mental exercise of giving unto another entity the technical jargon of 3D softwares will not cease.
No Charges for Updates
If a 3D software comes out with an update that drastically changes the workflow, completely eliminates it or I feel it needs an update, those will always be free.
Benefits of 3D Quick Books
It Can Help Everyone
So you remember the two principles that I used to create clouds in Blender?
You can pick up 3D as a newbie right now and Quick Books will allow you to produce really good-looking results. No questions asked.
The possibilities are endless and I plan to be at the forefront to help everyone. I don’t think there will ever be a QuickBook that will touch a hefty price of $60.
Just saying.
I believe that everyone should have access to 3D education and I see prices for lesson rise, to teach you to do things that you need to copy for as is and expect you to somehow replicate the same results after one go.
Deal breaker.
I will try my best to always make every 3D Quick Book to be priced right whilst giving insights and knowledge for free. Most people don’t realize this but understanding principles and concepts are the key and 3D education can be brought really cheap if we all decided to do it.
Time is Made Irrelevant
If you pick up or wish to do something regardless of how much time has passed but still remember the concepts, you will be able to make it happen.
What 3D QuickBooks Can’t Do
Specialization
3D QuickBooks can help you specialize by providing you with the concepts that you need to practice. Again, if it’s able to guide you to reach a goal then practicing it will help.
Another thing that I would like to say is, specialization ought to happen for things that require practice. If it doesn’t require practice then establishing a big amount of knowledgebase is going to benefit you tremendously.
The Downfall of 3D Jobs
Artists were reduced to 9-5 jobs.
I don’t believe in working more than four hours a day. If you can’t get it